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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 Experience of Immortality

Duff McDonald Why did I love this book?

I love this book because it is an almost impossible-to-conceive triad: A great sage of Advaita, Ramesh Balsekar, discusses the work of the 13th-century Maharashtrian saint, Jnaneshwar, through the prism of his Guru, one of the 20th century’s greatest spiritual minds, Nisargadatta Maharaj. It is one of the greatest spiritual books of all time.

By Ramesh S. Balsekar,

Why should I read it?

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


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Essays On The Gita

Duff McDonald Why did I love this book?

Sri Aurobindo may be the greatest philosopher in history. His essays on the Bhagavad Gita are both illuminating and inspiring.

This is the fourth time I have read this book in the past three years. When I read Aurobindo, I often feel as if I am in the thrall of a great sermon. When I read Aurobindo on the Gita, I feel as if I am in the thrall of a great sermon that’s being given by God and translated by Sri Aurobindo.

By Sri Aurobindo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Essays On The Gita as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Essays On The Gita is a collection of essays written by Sri Aurobindo, a renowned Indian philosopher, yogi, and spiritual leader. The book is a profound interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered texts in Hinduism. In this book, Sri Aurobindo delves deep into the spiritual and philosophical aspects of the Bhagavad Gita, exploring its teachings on karma, dharma, self-realization, and the nature of the divine. He presents a comprehensive analysis of the Gita's teachings, drawing upon his own experiences as a yogi and spiritual seeker.The essays in this book are not only a scholarly interpretation of…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Concise Srimad Bhagavatam

Duff McDonald Why did I love this book?

This is a condensed version of one of India’s Puranas. The 19th-century saint Ramakrishna described it as follows: “It is fried in the butter of Knowledge and steeped in the honey of Love.”

One example of that knowledge: Try as we might, we cannot know the nature of the Divine, as it existed before us. (The machine cannot know its maker.) What we can do, however, is to worship the miracle that is our own existence, and that might get us where we need to go.

By Swami Venkatesananda,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Concise Srimad Bhagavatam as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a condensed version of a long Purana of 18,000 verses. By means of stories from the lives of avatars, sages, and kings, it popularized the teaching of the Vedas. To study it is the best of all ways to become acquainted with the living religion of India today. The nineteenth century saint Ramakrishna said of the Bhagavatam, "It is fried in the butter of Knowledge and steeped in the honey of Love."

At regular intervals through the text, the chapters being condensed are designated by Book and Chapter numbers. Each interval is appropriate in length for a daily…


Plus, check out my book…

Tickled: A Commonsense Guide to the Present Moment

By Duff McDonald,

Book cover of Tickled: A Commonsense Guide to the Present Moment

What is my book about?

Tickled is a book about a spiritual awakening—my discovery, during the quiet of quarantine, of the miracle of existence. It is the story of how I found out what it meant to be present – residing in the eternal now – and shook off a lifetime of distraction. It’s also a love letter to my wife, my daughter, Harry Potter, Bob Dylan, and a few other things. The gist of the story is that if you pay attention—if you really, really pay attention—you can feel the tickle of your own existence. Hang onto that, and the miracle reveals itself to you. Everything is perfect, and it always has been.