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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 The Vaster Wilds: A Novel

Heidi Matonis Why did I love this book?

This book is a lyrical and beautifully raw tale of a young woman's survival in colonial America.

I loved the historical details, but at the same time, its fable-like quality made it timeless. As an endurance athlete, I enjoyed the young heroine's stamina, sweat, and fortitude. 

By Lauren Groff,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Vaster Wilds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Exhilarating' GUARDIAN
'Her writing has a timeless quality' THE TIMES
'[Has] a visionary quality' OBSERVER

A profound and explosive novel about a spirited girl alone in the wilderness, trying to survive

A servant girl escapes from a settlement. She carries nothing with her but her wits, a few possessions, and the spark of god that burns hot within her. What she finds is beyond the limits of her imagination and will bend her belief of everything that her own civilization has taught her.

The Vaster Wilds is a work of raw and prophetic power…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Solito: A Memoir

Heidi Matonis Why did I love this book?

I have no personal experience with immigration, so this highly personal and tender story of a boy embarking on a journey to be smuggled into the United States was topical and informative.

I particularly liked the point of view of a child and how he recreated a family unit with his fellow travellers.

By Javier Zamora,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

New York Times Bestseller • Read With Jenna Book Club Pick as seen on Today • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiography • Winner of the American Library Association Alex Award

A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this “gripping memoir” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family.  

Finalist for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction • One of the New York Public Library’s Ten Best Books of the Year

Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Tom Lake

Heidi Matonis Why did I love this book?

Tom Lake, read by Meryl Streep, is fabulous. It is a slow and whimsical book that takes place on a cherry farm during the pandemic.

Some people might say that not enough happened, but I found the relationships so tender and authentic that I didn’t need more to loop me in.

By Ann Patchett,

Why should I read it?

15 authors picked Tom Lake as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER * THE NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A REESE WITHERSPOON AND BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK 'A new Ann Patchett novel is always cause for celebration ... and Tom Lake is one of her best' i 'This comforting summer read has it all ... Young love, sibling rivalry and deep mother-daughter relationships' REESE WITHERSPOON 'Filled with the moments I live for in a story' BONNIE GARMUS, author of Lessons in Chemistry 'One of the most beloved authors of her generation' SUNDAY TIMES ----------------------------- This is a story about Peter Duke who went on…


Plus, check out my book…

Hatching Love

By Heidi Matonis,

Book cover of Hatching Love

What is my book about?

Dr. Thomas Paradise, cardiothoracic surgeon, self-proclaimed “greatest husband,” and now ghost, believes his wife’s strong and loyal heart keeps him “living” in his home beside her. Tom tells his tale from the point of view of a narcissist who can see everything but change nothing.

This is a story of how the human-animal bond can heal, connect, and redeem us all –even possibly a very jaded ghost!