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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.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Institute

JG Faherty Why did I love this book?

I know I was a few years late getting to this one, and that’s on me, as it was in my TBR pile since the day it was released. I found the book intensely captivating. It drew me in from the very first page, and from there, it’s a rollicking, non-stop thrill ride to the end.

Combine that with the very realistic depictions of the Institute itself, which you can almost believe is a real place.

King has always been great at bringing his characters to life, and this book is no exception. It is classic King, and I would recommend it to any fan of horror or supernatural thrillers.

By Stephen King,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'It does everything you'd expect of a masterpiece - and it is one' Sunday Express

'Hums and crackles with delicious unease' Independent

'Captivating' The Sunday Times

'An absorbing thriller' Mail on Sunday

NO ONE HAS EVER ESCAPED FROM THE INSTITUTE.

Luke Ellis, a super-smart twelve-year-old with an exceptional gift, is the latest in a long line of kids abducted and taken to a secret government facility, hidden deep in the forest in Maine.

Here, kids with special talents - telekinesis and telepathy - like Luke's new friends Kalisha, Nick and Iris, are subjected to a series of experiments.

There seems…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Discordant

JG Faherty Why did I love this book?

Although this was a novella, not a novel, I have to put it as my 2nd-favorite book of 2022. When I read this, Mia Dalia was an author I wasn’t familiar with at all. Well, that has certainly changed!

Discordant is a supernatural tale of love, loss, and music set in the world of rock and roll. As a guitar player myself, this one hit really close to home, but you don’t need to be a musician to appreciate the rise and fall of a bar band musician and his desire to be so much more, even if it means giving up his life – or worse.

Dalia’s writing is almost lyrical, and her characters practically leap from the page because they are so real. The ending might very well bring tears to your eyes.

By Mia Dalia,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From Mia Dalia, author of Estate Sale, Smile so Red, and Tell Me a Story comes a new nightmare of rock and roll dreams and Faustian bargains.
Never settle for less.
Never stop dreaming.
Never meet your heroes.
Never bargain recklessly.
Play music like your soul is on fire.


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Antarctic Ice Beasts

JG Faherty Why did I love this book?

Antarctic Sea Beasts was simply a fun, fun read! Although it’s about 4 years old, I snagged a copy in 2023. It only takes a few pages to realize it’s an homage to The Thing, a movie I absolutely love, and that each page is going to be delightfully gruesome.

It’s like reading a sci-fi movie from the fifties, complete with trapped scientists, isolated from the entire world by both distance and storms and evil creatures that become more threatening and dangerous with each passing hour.

This is the kind of book I like to read strictly to forget the world for a while.

By Hunter Shea,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Antarctic Ice Beasts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The South Pole in winter is one of the deadliest places on Earth. The seven person crew of the US Freedom Base lives alone in months of utter darkness with no hope of help or rescue. A freak storm batters the walls and threatens to expose them to the deadly cold. All they can do is wait…and pray. The ground quakes. An alien screech rips through the night. There’s something, or someone, lurking outside. Fists bang on the walls. Each tiny crack in the base spells death by hypothermia. Untold horrors have come to Freedom Base…and they want in! Praise…


Plus, check out my book…

Songs in the Key of Death

By JG Faherty,

Book cover of Songs in the Key of Death

What is my book about?

Songs in the Key of Death is a collection of dark poetry that ranges from horror to science fiction and from somber views of modern society to fantastical visions of worlds that don’t exist – and hopefully never will. 

My book recommendation list