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 Lessons in Chemistry

Karla M. Jay Why did I love this book?

I found the plot to be refreshing and nothing like any I have read before. A strong quirky woman in the 1960’s who does not care what others think of her as she forges her own path as a chemist and then a talk-show cooking host. I laughed out loud many times but the book had several emotional parts as well. 

I learned about the chemistry of food and other common substances although this has little to do with the overall plot.  

I love that this is a debut novel and now has been adapted into a streaming series on Apple TV, starring Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott. Can’t wait!  

By Bonnie Garmus,

Why should I read it?

75 authors picked Lessons in Chemistry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads

"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…


When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep the lights on. Or join the rebellion as a member.

My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Falling

Karla M. Jay Why did I love this book?

Wow! I binged this book in three days (But waited until I got back from Europe because, you know, stuff happens on a plane.)
The premise was great and Newman's work as a flight attendant brought realism to this whole story. Another debut book.  

The suspense in this book had me turning pages even when I had no right to still be awake. I thought about the plot all through the day at work and wondered how the pilot, the FBI, and the “bad guys” were going to all end up.  

There is no way this won't be a movie one day. 

By T.J. Newman,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'Amazing . . . Intense suspense, shocks and scares plus chilling insider authenticity make this one very special' LEE CHILD
'FALLING is the best kind of thriller (for me as a reader anyway). Characters you care deeply about. Nonstop, totally authentic suspense' JAMES PATTERSON
'Attention, please: T. J. Newman has written the perfect thriller! GILLIAN FLYNN, #1 bestselling author of Gone Girl

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don't know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot's family was kidnapped.

For his family to live,…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of The Last Lifeboat

Karla M. Jay Why did I love this book?

I love when I learn something about WWII that I did not already know. The book follows the evacuation of children from England to Canada as the bombs began falling in England.

The story is told between one of the female chaperones on one of the ships and a mother who has put her children on that ship praying for their safe passage. The boat is hit by a torpedo and the desperate search for the last lifeboat begins and the survivors in the lifeboat hang on. Will they be found in time?

By Hazel Gaynor,

Why should I read it?

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


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

A Shot at Justice

By Karla M. Jay,

Book cover of A Shot at Justice

What is my book about?

In the same vein as the Equalizer franchise, ex-CIA agent Wyatt Dardin has led a quiet life as an artist until a boy he works with is abused by his father and now has threatened the family pet. Wyatt’s own abusive childhood comes to the surface, and he no longer can stand by. He becomes a cross-country vigilante, striking fear into abusers lives, until the day one such meeting puts his loved ones and his dogs in grave danger. Has his shot at justice been worth it?