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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.

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

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Horse

Connie King Leonard Why did I love this book?

Horse is one of my all-time favorite books. Brooks is a master at developing character. Each person, no matter how small their role, took on a story that hooked me and made me want to read more about them.

Not only does Horse bring us a fabulous tale about a real racehorse and real people, but it also takes a hard look at slavery and its effects on America’s ongoing racial issues. 

By Geraldine Brooks,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Brooks' chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling." -The New York Times Book Review

"Horse isn't just an animal story-it's a moving narrative about race and art." -TIME

A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history

Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Demon Copperhead

Connie King Leonard Why did I love this book?

Wow! Kingsolver nailed this modern-day David Copperfield. A hundred and seventy-four years have passed since Dickens wrote his novel, yet we see from the story of Demon that nothing much has changed for young people born into poverty and impossible situations.

You can’t help pulling for Demon as life keeps knocking him down, yet you are thrilled when he keeps struggling to make his life better. Kingsolver’s prose draws us into Appalachia with spot-on word choice.

I loved and admired every bit of this novel, even though it was often gut-wrenching to read. 

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 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Firekeeper's Daughter

Connie King Leonard Why did I love this book?

This book is about an eighteen-year-old named Daunis Fontaine who is torn between her mother's family in Sault St. Marie, Michigan, and her father's on the Ojibwa reservation. She loves both and wants to honor each, yet she feels she doesn't belong to either.

I appreciated this story for how it drew me into the culture and issues of present-day Native American youth. Boulley weaves a beautifully written tale with words and sentences that bring her story to life. 

By Angeline Boulley,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Firekeeper's Daughter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

A PRINTZ MEDAL WINNER!
A MORRIS AWARD WINNER!
AN AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD YA HONOR BOOK!

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller

Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground.

“One of this year's most buzzed about young adult novels.” ―Good Morning America

A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time Selection
Amazon's Best YA Book of 2021 So Far (June 2021)
A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List Selection
An Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Books of…


Plus, check out my book…

Sleeping in My Jeans

By Connie King Leonard,

Book cover of Sleeping in My Jeans

What is my book about?

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Rollins has it all figured out. She'll ace her advanced high school courses, earn a college scholarship, and create a new life for herself and her family. There's no time for distractions—no friends, no fun, and especially no boys.

Mattie's brilliant plan crumbles first becoming homeless, forcing her family to live in the confines of their beat-up station wagon, Ruby, and then the mysterious disappearance of her mother.

With life against her at every turn and fewer options every day, Mattie and her kid sister must learn how to live—not just survive—in their uncertain circumstances while racing to discover the truth behind their mother's disappearance. Mattie will have to find the strength to keep searching for her mother and to keep her dreams alive.