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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,627 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Life She Wants

Cheri Krueger Why did I love this book?

The antagonist reminds me so much of my female lead character, a chameleon who knows what she wants and is willing to hurt people to get it.

The plot twists, along with sprinkles of backstory, kept me guessing, and just when I thought the protagonist could not be wimpier, she steps up her game and becomes a character to root for.

The ending was not what I expected, and it reminds me that we can never know the mind of another person or their true history.

My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Holly

Cheri Krueger Why did I love this book?

Stephen King has been my favorite author since I read Carrie in 1976, and Holly is one of my all-time favorite characters.

This is the fourth book King has written featuring the anxiety-ridden, and possibly neurodivergent, Holly Gibney, and her character arc is incredible.

From the fearful, guilt-consumed mess in Mr. Mercedes to the quick-witted, quick-moving, confident woman who owns and runs her own private investigation company. Holly is a character to cheer for…and to fear for as she gets herself into some terrifying situations with brutal killers.

And, of course, being King, it’s not enough that the elderly monsters are killers, they are also cannibals. Not for those with a weak stomach.

By Stephen King,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Holly as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” —BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of One by One

Cheri Krueger Why did I love this book?

Ruth Ware has plunged her hapless victims into a remote snowy lodge and adds a catastrophic avalanche where it’s no safer inside than outside.

As a storm rages, conflicts between this group of co-workers escalate with cabin fever, mistrust, and murder. Everyone has a secret, everyone has reasons to want their colleagues dead, and everyone who is left alive is a suspect. 

By Ruth Ware,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked One by One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This instant New York Times bestseller and “claustrophobic spine-tingler” (People) from Ruth Ware follows a group of employees trapped on a snow-covered mountain.

Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world. Especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkers…each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide.

When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech start-up, organizes…


Plus, check out my book…

The Abduction of Adrienne Berg

By Cheri Krueger,

Book cover of The Abduction of Adrienne Berg

What is my book about?

A reclusive woman with a complicated past becomes obsessed with her charismatic kidnapper and leaves her privileged life to help him flee to Mexico with stolen millions, but her plans for their happy ending are threatened by his firm commitment to another woman.