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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 Legends & Lattes

Jacci Turner Why did I love this book?

I didn’t realize cozy fantasy was a genre, and then I kept hearing about this book on TikTok. They called it “cozy fantasy,” and it is exactly what I love to read.

There are mythical characters, like an ogre who opens a coffee shop with a succubus, how funny is that? And there are no wars, gruesome deaths, or long detailed sex scenes. Just a great story about kindness, friends, and found family. It was a quick read and kept me turning the pages.

By Travis Baldree,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked Legends & Lattes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

High fantasy, low stakes - with a double-shot of coffee.

After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream - for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can't go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune's shady underbelly could make it all…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Sierra Blue

Jacci Turner Why did I love this book?

Sierra Blue is the story of a girl sent to live with her aunt, who has a horse farm. I found this interesting because the main character can see the auras of people and animals, and it gives her insight into how they are feeling and how to help them. There is one scene that was gripping and kept me turning pages past my bedtime.

As a person who started reading because of her love of horses, this was a great read.

By Suzanne Morgan Williams,

Why should I read it?

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


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Lamplighters

Jacci Turner Why did I love this book?

I love middle-grade fantasy because there is no end to the creative worlds authors imagine.

In this world, young people compete to be lamplighters to light the lamps keeping monsters away. It is a quest book, and the hero and heroine face many hardships along the way. I love magic and interesting creatures, and this book had a lot of both. 

By J Gabriel Gates,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Lamplighters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Plus, check out my book…

Tree Singer

By Jacci Turner,

Book cover of Tree Singer

What is my book about?

Tree Singer is a cozy fantasy for people aged eleven and up.

Fifteen-year-old Mayten loves training as a tree singer, an esteemed position among her clan. But when she feels pain coming from the trees, she finds herself on an unexpected quest, one so dangerous she might never return home. 

Now Mayten must use her unfinished training to face betrayal, fear, and a deadly foe. Is she a match for the ancient evil attacking her trees, or will the entire kingdom fall to ruin?

My 8-year-old's favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of I Am Ruby Bridges

Jacci Turner Why did they love this book?

I went to a seminar and heard Ruby Bridges speak. She told us the story as an adult looking back and it was very compelling. I knew my granddaughter would enjoy it, so I bought it right away. The illustrations are wonderful. And her bravery is inspiring. I also learned things about history I didn't know.

By Ruby Bridges, Nikkolas Smith (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Am Ruby Bridges as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

In a beautiful and poetic reflection, Ruby Bridges tells her story
as never before and shares the events of the momentous day in 1960
when Ruby became the first child to integrate the school system
as a six year old little girl -- a personal and intimate look
through a child's lens at a landmark moment in our Civil Rights history.

My work will be precious,

I will be a bridge between people.

I will bridge the "gap" between black & white.

. but hopefully all people!

I suppose some things in life are just meant to be.

When Ruby…


Explore all books for 8-year-olds