The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Ruby Lost and Found

Darcy Marks Why did I love this book?

I absolutely adored this book. It deals with grief and pain and love, letting people in and adjusting to change while you just want everything to stay the same! This book is everything.

When Ruby gets in trouble at school, her parents decide she needs to spend the summer with her grandmother, which means days at a senior center in Chinatown and silent evenings with Nai-Nai struggling to deal with the loss of her grandfather.

But as Ruby tries to save the local bakery she loves so much, she realizes that something is wrong with Nai-Nai. Using the scavenger hunts her Ye-Ye set up for her, she rushes through San Francisco, determined to help Nai-Nai remember.

By Christina Li,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ruby Lost and Found as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

For fans of Kelly Yang and Rebecca Stead, this touching middle grade novel maps one girl’s quest to remember her grandfather through his scavenger hunts; reconnect with her family; and fight for her community in her rapidly changing hometown.

Thanks to her Ye-Ye’s epic scavenger hunts, thirteen-year-old Ruby Chu knows San Francisco like the back of her hand. But after his death, she feels lost, and it seems like everyone—from her best friends to her older sister—is abandoning her.

After Ruby gets in major trouble at school, her parents decide she has to spend the summer at a local senior…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Mister Magic

Darcy Marks Why did I love this book?

This reminds me of a TikTok sketch called Not Your Normal Children’s Show. The sketch is bright and sunny and creepy and full of demons and darkness, I loved it, and Mister Magic has similar vibes.

It’s 30 years since a children’s show has stopped airing. The only problem is that there are no recordings or images, and Val doesn’t exactly remember being on it. But everyone knows it happened, and Mr. Magic was definitely there and beloved. Maybe.

Filled with twists, creepy imagery, and religious trauma, Mister Magic is compelling and impossible to put down. Kiersten White writes amazing MG horror, but this one is definitely for the grown-ups.

By Kiersten White,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mister Magic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show - and discover the secret of its enigmatic host - in this dark supernatural thriller from the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children's program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of The Beautiful Something Else

Darcy Marks Why did I love this book?

This book is stunningly beautiful, dealing with self-discovery and childhood trauma in a sensitive way. It is joyful and melancholy, filled with found family and love, and one of my favorites of the year.

Sparrow has to be the perfect daughter. If she can control everything, then maybe she can hold their life together, but when Mom spirals out of control despite Sparrow’s best efforts, Sparrow ends up being sent to live with her Aunt Mags.

As Shadow encourages Sparrow to take chances and find out who she is, Sparrow realizes that maybe “she” isn’t quite right, and maybe “he” isn’t either. Whoever Sparrow actually is, it’s time they find out. But whatever they find, they know now it’s not up to them to keep the world on their shoulders.

By Ash Van Otterloo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Beautiful Something Else as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Full of humor and heartbreak, this story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world is perfect for fans of Alex Gino and Kyle Lukoff.

It’s exhausting trying to be the perfect daughter. Still, getting good grades without making any waves may be the only way to distract from the fact that Sparrow Malone’s mother is on the verge of falling apart. Which means no getting upset. No being weird. No standing out for the wrong reasons.

But when Mom’s attempts to cope spiral out of control, Sparrow is sent to live with Aunt Mags on a sprawling estate full…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

The Afterlife of the Party

By Darcy Marks,

Book cover of The Afterlife of the Party

What is my book about?

An interdimensional mixer with angels and other beings brings unexpected trouble for Malachi and his friends in this smart and uniquely funny second book about the squad of teens from hell.

When an angelic messenger shows up unexpectedly, Malachi immediately knows what’s going on. The seraph, Cassandra, has finally set a date for her interdimensional mixer! With fae, angels, and hell dwellers alike on the invite list, it promises to be an event of a lifetime.

Mal’s parents and even some of his squad mates are not quite as excited for the soiree. And when Mal overhears a conversation, he shouldn’t, he wonders if there’s something more at play. But the mixer gives everyone the opportunity to form new connections…what could possibly go wrong?

Book cover of Ruby Lost and Found
Book cover of Mister Magic
Book cover of The Beautiful Something Else

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