The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Best Served Cold

Jason Lancour Why did I love this book?

Best Served Cold is a stand-alone novel set as a crossover from Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy, carrying some of the events and characters from the other books.

The novel presents a basic revenge plot, and if that were the extent of its value, it still would stand tall. However, Abercrombie explores the realistic toll that an obsession with revenge would take on a person, delving into the “blood will have blood” theme explored in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Does a quest for revenge (whether justified or not) result in an uncontrolled escalation of violence, or is it justice? How far is too far?

Written with Abercrombie’s characteristic gritty realism and grim tone, Best Served Cold won’t disappoint fans of his previous work or fantasy fans new to his writing.

By Joe Abercrombie,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Best Served Cold as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Springtime in Styria. And that means war.

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.

War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories…


Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Fevre Dream

Jason Lancour Why did I love this book?

Speaking as both a writer and reader of fantasy, I can say George R. R. Martin’s place in the genre is undeniably iconic. His storytelling and character development are justifiably regarded as nothing short of masterful.

In his novel Fevre Dream, I was pleased to find examples of Martin’s expert writing and, quite unexpectedly, a vampire story set in the world of 1800s Mississippi riverboats. Martin does away with many of the tired tropes found in vampire lit and takes the liberty of exploring some of the lesser-trafficked aspects of the genre.

His ability to create immersive environments draws the reader into the story, and while the supernatural elements of the subject matter are clearly a driving force within the narrative, the story stands on the shoulders of its characters.

By George R. R. Martin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fevre Dream as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something’s amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove.

Marsh meant to…


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Project Hail Mary

Jason Lancour Why did I love this book?

In Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, we encounter a well-balanced mixture of themes that come together to make a great story.

Weir’s emphasis on believable science within science fiction lends credibility to the story without bogging the narrative down with overt exposition. This story begins with the protagonist waking up in a troublesome scenario with no memory, lending an air of mystery to the narrative as the character slowly discovers the nature of his predicament.

It is written with an easy-to-read, often humorous tone but also addresses some rather heavy topics as the main character comes to terms with his own very human failings. One of the strengths of speculative fiction is its ability to give us an introspective chance to view humanity through a different lens.

By Andy Weir,

Why should I read it?

32 authors picked Project Hail Mary as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Storm Cloud Rising

By Jason Lancour,

Book cover of Storm Cloud Rising

What is my book about?

A band of mercenaries is hired for what was supposed to be an easy assignment. Get in. Get out. Get paid. But like most things in life, nothing is as easy as it seems. In a world rich with history, meticulously engineered laws of magic, unique cultures, and peoples, the “private contractors” soon find their already varied motivations and priorities shifting. What started out as a simple job spirals out of control into a struggle for survival in the midst of a plot that is bigger – much bigger – than any of them could have anticipated. Blood will be spilled, confidences broken, and a fair bit of whiskey consumed. Not everyone is who they seem, and no one seems in control. This is only the beginning…