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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,624 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Demon Copperhead

Cheryl Erwin Why did I love this book?

I read everything Barbara Kingsolver writes—and this novel is her best. Kingsolver illuminates the challenges of life in rural Appalachia without judgment or pity, and creates a character in Demon who leaps off the page and speaks with an authentic voice.

This novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2023, is loosely based on Dickens’ classic David Copperfield and makes you care deeply about its characters. It invites you to understand the ongoing opioid epidemic, the foster care system, and the challenges of rural life with compassion.

I finished this novel on a plane home, sat and contemplated it for the rest of my flight—and then immediately started it again. Demon Copperhead—the character and the book—are unforgettable. 

By Barbara Kingsolver,

Why should I read it?

54 authors picked Demon Copperhead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America

Cheryl Erwin Why did I love this book?

Dahlia Lithwick writes with deep understanding, passion, and even humor about the tumultuous months and years after the election of Donald Trump, and about the determined, talented women lawyers who had the courage to stand up for justice and the rule of law.

Obviously, the challenges posed by the Trump administration have not diminished since the 2020 election, and this book is a thoroughly researched and engagingly written exploration of women who chose to speak up for democracy, even if it meant losing their jobs and careers. It is inspiring and hopeful, and who doesn’t need a little of that these days?

By Dahlia Lithwick,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Lady Justice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An instant New York Times Bestseller!

“Stirring…Lithwick’s approach, interweaving interviews with legal commentary, allows her subjects to shine...Inspiring.”—New York Times Book Review

“In Dahlia Lithwick’s urgent, engaging Lady Justice, Dobbs serves as a devastating bookend to a story that begins in hope.”—Boston Globe

Dahlia Lithwick, one of the nation’s foremost legal commentators, tells the gripping and heroic story of the women lawyers who fought the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump’s presidency—and won

After the sudden shock of Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, many Americans felt lost and uncertain. It was clear he and his administration…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Covenant of Water

Cheryl Erwin Why did I love this book?

This novel is a sweeping generational story of life in India. It is also a medical mystery novel, weaving seemingly unrelated stories and situations into a surprising conclusion.

The language is rich and sensual, the characters are honestly drawn, and the story is irresistible. This book encompasses history, culture, art, love, loss, illness, and death without ever becoming maudlin. It’s a long one, but definitely worth every moment.

By Abraham Verghese,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked The Covenant of Water as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SUBJECT OF A SIX-PART SUPER SOUL PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret

“One of the best books I’ve read in my entire life. It’s epic. It’s transportive . . . It was unputdownable!”—Oprah Winfrey, OprahDaily.com

The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the author of…


Plus, check out my book…

Positive Discipline for Preschoolers: For Their Early Years -- Raising Children Who Are Responsible, Respectful, and Resourceful

By Jane Nelsen, Cheryl Erwin, Roslyn Duffy

Book cover of Positive Discipline for Preschoolers: For Their Early Years -- Raising Children Who Are Responsible, Respectful, and Resourceful

What is my book about?

In the time since the COVID-19 pandemic ended, we’ve learned from ongoing research that young children were among those most deeply impacted. They were often isolated from other children, locked down with stressed or grieving parents and caregivers, and without the routines and opportunities that help children develop critical social and emotional skills. Positive Discipline for Preschoolers offers parents and educators solid, evidence-based concepts and tools that will help build strong relationships and nurture the skills young children need, without punishment or pampering. Positive Discipline is taught in more than 90 countries, and has been translated into multiple languages for a good reason: it works!