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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,624 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades: Stories from Around the World

Heidi Wedd Why did I love this book?

A fantastic look into the mythology of the seven sisters all around the world. 

Well-researched and giving equal value to stories, reflections, and legends from a variety of sources, Andrews writes in the vaguely amusing style of an academic lawyer who is arguing a point. 

As an indigenous woman of the Kimberly herself, Andrews shares some of the fascinating, location-dependent stories of the sisters across Australia and how they tie in with astronomy and daily life.

But what I really loved about this book was how Andrews wove together a number of similar themes that become apparent regarding the seven sisters' mythologies all over the world.  One can’t help but be inspired that the ancients knew more than we do now. 

By Munya Andrews,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The seven sisters of the Pleiades are known throughout the world and appear again and again in stories from many cultures. Beginning with her grandmother's tale, Munya Andrews takes the reader to the stars, around and across the planet through Indigenous North America, Australia, Japan and the Pacific, and back through time to Ancient Egypt, India, Greece and South America. She explores the commonalities of legends to discover our common human origins. The Subaru from Japan share much with the young women depicted as birds in the stories from Greece and Indigenous Australia. The Pleiades have been the source of…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of First Knowledges Astronomy: Sky Country

Heidi Wedd Why did I love this book?

I loved this book for uncovering the incredibly ancient wisdom the indigenous peoples of Australia have around the sky, some of which is only now being “discovered” by astronomers. 

Written by two indigenous women, one an astronomer, and the other an astrophysicist, they take a broad look at indigenous astronomy and its interrelationship with daily life, the seasons, weather predictions, and food availability, as well as various implications in today’s world.

Most fascinating is how the stars were used as maps across the land, each star indicating a place on the path and containing layers of stories that would guide the journey not only on the physical plane but through layers of learning. For me, this is essential reading.  

By Karlie Noon, Krystal De Napoli, Margo Neale (editor)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked First Knowledges Astronomy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What do you need to know to prosper for 65,000 years or more? The First Knowledges series provides a deeper understanding of the expertise and ingenuity of Indigenous Australians.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest scientists in human history.

Many First Peoples regard the land as a reflection of the sky and the sky a reflection of the land. Sophisticated astronomical expertise embedded within the Dreaming and Songlines is interwoven into a deep understanding of changes on the land, such as weather patterns and seasonal shifts, that are integral to knowledges of time, food availability, and ceremony.…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Romance of the Grail: The Magic and Mystery of Arthurian Myth

Heidi Wedd Why did I love this book?

When wanting to understand the legend of Parzifal and the Grail, you can’t do better than Joseph Campbell. 

Not only does he retell the legendary story in an engaging way, but he draws on the different versions of it with ease and grace to bring more understanding, meaning, and context to its place in our own narrative.  

By Joseph Campbell, Evans Lansing Smith (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Romance of the Grail as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first collection of Joseph Campbell’s writings and lectures on the Arthurian romances of the Middle Ages, a central focus of his celebrated scholarship, edited and introduced by Arthurian scholar Evans Lansing Smith, PhD, the chair of Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Throughout his life, Joseph Campbell was deeply engaged in the study of the Grail Quests and Arthurian legends of the European Middle Ages. In this new volume of the Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, editor Evans Lansing Smith collects Campbell’s writings and lectures on Arthurian legends, including his never-before-published master’s thesis on Arthurian myth, “A Study of…


Plus, check out my book…

Wild Flower Walker: A Pilgrimage to Nature on the Bibbulmun Track

By Heidi Wedd,

Book cover of Wild Flower Walker: A Pilgrimage to Nature on the Bibbulmun Track

What is my book about?

She imagined the bliss of walking for weeks on end, the silence of being alone, and the space to commune more deeply with the nature spirits. But will the nonstop challenges of reality hinder her dream of a deeper union with nature?  

This is the engaging story of a young woman solo hiking 1000km through Western Australia’s wildflower-filled bush.

On a quest to listen more deeply to nature, and despite a myriad of challenges and adventures along the way, what unfolds is a reweaving and reconnection into the very heart of nature. Find yourself within nature’s intricate tapestry as you walk the Bibbulmun track alongside her.

My book recommendation list