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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,624 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 The Mill on the Floss

Kathryn Harkup Why did I love this book?

I love George Elliot’s writing and her brilliant character observations.

The Mill on the Floss, like some of her other novels, explores the minutiae of living in small towns and villages; the births, deaths and marriages as well as the ambitions (both thwarted and achieved) and expectations of the inhabitants. The Mill on the Floss features a strong, intelligent woman out of place in her world and how she struggles to fit in.

It may have been written over 160 years ago and set thirty years before then, but the story and the characters sucked me in. I actually gasped when Maggie cut off her hair.

By George Eliot,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

With precise plotting underpinned by a wise understanding of human nature, George Eliot's most autobiographical novel gives a wonderful evocation of rural life and the complicated relationship between siblings.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of The Mill on the Floss features an introduction by Professor Kathryn Hughes.

Maggie Tulliver and her brother Tom enjoy a rural childhood on the banks of the river Floss. But the approach of adulthood…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Come, Tell Me How You Live

Kathryn Harkup Why did I love this book?

Agatha Christie is best known for her murder mystery stories but there was much more to the ‘Queen of Crime’.

She accompanied her archaeologist husband, Max Mallowan, on his digs in Iraq and Syria. Rather than sit back and think up puzzles for Poirot to solve, she became the official dig photographer, taking and developing images of the discoveries. She also helped clean, catalogue, and piece together the ancient artifacts.

Come, Tell Me How You Live is an account of her time on the digs. The book is self-deprecating, charming, and funny. I have spent a lot of time reading and researching Christie’s crime stories for my book. This book was an unexpected delight. I was smiling from the first to the last page.

By Agatha Christie Mallowan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Come, Tell Me How You Live as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Agatha Christie's personal memoirs about her travels to Syria and Iraq in the 1930s with her archaeologist husband Max Mallowan, where she worked on the digs and wrote some of her most evocative novels.

Think you know Agatha Christie? Think again!

To the world she was Agatha Christie, legendary author of bestselling whodunits. But in the 1930s she wore a different hat, travelling with her husband, renowned archaeologist Max Mallowan, as he investigated the buried ruins and ancient wonders of Syria and Iraq. When friends asked what this strange `other life' was like, she decided to answer their questions by…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain

Kathryn Harkup Why did I love this book?

This is a brilliantly written book about how Britain was built from its empire. It explodes the myths and takes the shine off the glorious empire and brings some of its darker aspects into a brighter light.

Sanghera’s account is well-researched, and both wide-ranging and personal. It fills in some of the gaps skipped over in my school’s history classes and gives context to some of the events, places and people I had heard of only fleetingly in the past. It is a surprisingly short book for a subject so vast. It made me want to find out more.

By Sathnam Sanghera,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE 2022 BRITISH BOOK AWARD FOR NARRATIVE NONFICTION

***THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE CHANNEL 4 DOCUMENTARY 'EMPIRE STATE OF MIND'***
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'The real remedy is education of the kind that Sanghera has embraced - accepting, not ignoring, the past' Gerard deGroot, The Times
_____________________________________________________

EMPIRE explains why there are millions of Britons living worldwide.
EMPIRE explains Brexit and the feeling that we are exceptional.
EMPIRE explains our distrust of cleverness.
EMPIRE explains Britain's particular brand of racism.

Strangely hidden from view, the British Empire remains a subject of both shame and glorification. In his bestselling…


Plus, check out my book…

Superspy Science: Science, Death and Tech in the World of James Bond

By Kathryn Harkup,

Book cover of Superspy Science: Science, Death and Tech in the World of James Bond

What is my book about?

The adventures of James Bond have thrilled and delighted readers since Ian Fleming’s novel Casino Royale was published in 1953, and when the movie of Dr No was released in 1962, Bond quickly became the world’s favourite secret agent. Science and technology have always been central to the plots that make up the world of Bond. Dr. Kathryn Harkup explores 007’s exploits from the practicalities of building a volcano-based lair, to whether being covered in gold paint really will kill you. And, if your plan is to take over the world, whether it is better to use bacteria, bombs, or poison. This book will give you the answers to all your Bond villain questions.