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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,608 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 Belladonna

Emilia Dashfire Why did I love this book?

I loved this book because it’s beautifully written, and the main character is very different from most. She’s a no-nonsense girl without being boring. I also love the angsty romance throughout the book.

This is a Victorian murder mystery with a twist. Our main character can see the dead and knows Death himself. Using her gift, she tries to solve her aunt’s murder and the attempted murder of her cousin while facing her inner demons. 

One of the best books I’ve read and an all-around amazing story.

By Adalyn Grace,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Belladonna 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?

The New York Times bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth brings to life a highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal. ​

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each one more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation, and his daughter suffers…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Once Upon a Broken Heart

Emilia Dashfire Why did I love this book?

This is a wonderfully whimsical story with hints of Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. This book has beautiful prose, a character that deserves a redemption arc, and a love to break all curses. 

Evangeline Fox is sent to the mysterious north to be ambassador to the south at the new queen’s request. But Evangeline was not prepared for the truth the north holds or the people she would end up entangled with.

I fell in love with Stephanie’s books through the Craval series, and I fell in love again with a whole new land set in the same world. She brings this fantastic world to life where curses have a mind of their own, and magic is everywhere. 

By Stephanie Garber,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Once Upon a Broken Heart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Make a wish . . .

'An unputdownable fairy tale' Kerri Maniscalco, New York Times bestselling author of Kingdom of the Wicked

From the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Caraval series, the first book in a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after.

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in happily ever after. Until she learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, and her dreams are shattered.

Desperate to stop the wedding, and heal her wounded heart, Evangeline…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Kingdom of the Wicked

Emilia Dashfire Why did I love this book?

I was immediately lost in this world of magic, murder, and delicious Italian food!

In this fictional Sicily, twin witches Emilia and Vittoria couldn’t be more different. One helps her family’s restaurant, and the other is dead. But Emilia is convinced she can find out who killed her twin. When Emilia summons a demon for answers, she accidentally summons one of the Princes of Hell. He’s her only ally in looking for Vittoria’s killer, but Emilia knows nothing about the prince is trustworthy. 

This whole trilogy is fantastic, with love, betrayal, surprises, and more Italian food that will make your mouth water. 

By Kerri Maniscalco,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Kingdom of the Wicked 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?

Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself . . .

A new series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe - witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin . . . desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark…


Plus, check out my book…

Out of Ashes

By Emilia Dashfire,

Book cover of Out of Ashes

What is my book about?

Out of Ashes is a story of magic, music, and madness as we follow Clair, a fire with no magic, as she finds her place in a world that shuns witches and warlocks. 

Clair is reluctant to use her magic, so she locks it away until someone attacks her best friend, Scarlett. Now her magic is free, it starts to sense a darkness beneath the manor she works in, and despite her feelings for her employer, Clair is determined to find out what lies below since she believes it’s connected to a series of witch murders.

Clair has lost a lot in her life, but she almost loses herself in her search for answers.