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 The Diamond Eye

Kathleen Baldwin Why did I love this book?

I loved this book! It was a fascinating account of a young Russian woman bravely rising above extremely challenging circumstances to become an extraordinary hero—and even better—it is based on a true story.

Mila became a renowned sniper, with a remarkable record number of kills during WWII. Later, she even met with and became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt.

I search for and collect stories like this, stories about ordinary women accomplishing extraordinary feats. Considering the difficulties I face in life, and they are many, they pale compared to what she was up against. And like Mila, some days I must simply calm myself and focus on the task at hand.

There is a quote I especially liked, “I reminded myself that you must do the thing you think you cannot do,” she said simply. “Always. And generally you find out you can do it, after all.”

I need quotes like that in my life. Novels like The Diamond Eye inspire me and encourage me to press forward and accomplish more!

By Kate Quinn,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Diamond Eye as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The brand-new historical novel based on a true story from the bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Alice Network

In the snowbound city of Kiev, aspiring historian Mila Pavlichenko's life revolves around her young son - until Hitler's invasion of Russia changes everything. Suddenly, she and her friends must take up arms to save their country from the Fuhrer's destruction.

Handed a rifle, Mila discovers a gift - and months of blood, sweat and tears turn the young woman into a deadly sniper: the most lethal hunter of Nazis.

Yet success is bittersweet. Mila is torn from the…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Breathless

Kathleen Baldwin Why did I love this book?

Here’s an irony—I am not, repeat not, a horror fan. And yet, Dean Koontz is one of my all-time favorite authors. Why? Because no one writes the contrast between good and evil as masterfully as Dean Koontz.

He juxtapositions darkness against light, grace against cruelty so beautifully that he won my heart years ago with Out of the Corner of His Eye. In fact I still use a passage from that book while teaching my writing workshops.

Now, after reading Breathless I am once again enthralled. Admittedly, I would like someone to have edited the book better so that the logic in all the storylines would conclude more aptly. That said... It amazes me how skillfully Koontz weaves multiple storylines together!?! What talent! Hang on—that's not the best part.

Here's why I love this book. If you can handle the psychological evil and ugly darkness which is grizzly and extreme, (more than once, I had to put it down and take a walk,) the counterbalancing inspiration in this story made an unforgettable impression on my soul. Koontz demonstrated intense darkness and evil against incredibly captivating light and love.

How can I not want to hug this book? And then there are the quotes. Wow!

Koontz penned lines I will treasure forever. I actually hung this one on my quote wall:

“Never fear the future. Whatever happens, the future is the only way back.”

“Back to what?” (the protagonist asks)

“Back to where we belong forever,” said Riddle.

“The future is the one path out of time into eternity.”

Mic drop.

By Dean Koontz,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The stunning new thriller from the bestselling author of Velocity and Relentless.

In the Colorado mountains something miraculous comes into the life of Grady Adams, a strong, gentle man whose past experiences have alienated him from the modern world and driven him to live in the wilds. When he sees it, he knows that one of Nature's great mysteries has been revealed to him.

He takes his friend Cammy Rivers to bear witness to the phenomenal presence. As a scientist, she is stunned and awed. She emails photos to colleagues in far places to try and find a name for…


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My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Cornered

Kathleen Baldwin Why did I love this book?

This book was a preordered auto-buy for me. Why? First off, I’m crazy about spy stories—pair it with a sweet historical romantic suspense and ding-ding-ding! Sold! It becomes a must-read. Big surprise, right? Since that’s what I write. LOL.

Cornered is a WWII romantic suspense mixed with the added bonus of medical intrigue and a heroine with some serious gumption. So, yay, it hit several of my all-time favorite fictional plot elements. And bonus, it’s from one of my favorite authors. I'm a big fan of Ms. Ferrell's Neptune Five series, and this one is a keeper. I love the way this author incorporates realistic medical scenarios seamlessly into her suspense stories.

Not only that, but in this book, there was some way cool history that I didn't know about. I had no idea that in World War II there were fronts even in Morocco. Ferrell sails her homespun, down-to-earth, American crew all the way to foreign soil and yet still includes medical aspects in the story.

Plus, there's a battle scene that was so well written I felt I was there in the fight. Ludlum fans would be pleased!!

By Suzanne Ferrell,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

August, 1941
America remains neutral in the war in Europe, but signs of the Axis army’s expanding power grab have many in America believing their involvement in the war is only a matter of time. In preparation for that event, they begin gathering information from all areas of conflict.

A Moroccan Mission
A descendant of the Pirate Blackbeard, Warren Smith, aka Chief, has spent his life on the sea, and now he pilots the Folly for the undercover Neptune Five team. As war rages in Europe, danger lurks everywhere, even in remote parts of the world. The Neptune Five embark…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Sanctuary for Seers: A Stranje House Novel

By Kathleen Baldwin,

Book cover of Sanctuary for Seers: A Stranje House Novel

What is my book about?

What if you’d been born two centuries ago with the terrifying ability to see the spiritual realm? Hint: mentioning you see angels and demons is a surefire way to get locked away in the attic—just ask Jane Eyre about that.

Sera was banished to Stranje House, a reform school for girls. But Miss Stranje covertly trains these unusually gifted young ladies to enter the dangerous world of espionage and war. Sera loves the sisterhood she finds among these outcasts but dares not reveal her more peculiar gifts for fear losing them, too. Napoleon’s ruthless assassin, Ghost, abducts the Prince Regent. England teeters on ruin. Sera must risk everything and uncloak her secret abilities. Can she save her homeland and her heart from Ghost?