The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,707 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Kayla E. Green I ❤️ loved this book because...

This book pulls you in immediately with a fantasy premise reminiscent of the well-known short story The Lottery. Every year, a baby is abandoned in the forest. No one objects to the tradition. Until one mother does. But, despite her fighting, her baby is sacrificed, and she’s locked away. But the story is far from over.

It’s simply beautiful. The book holds a folkloric atmosphere where readers are surrounded by found family; positive relationships; a simply enormous dragon; a swamp monster; a Luna; Grandmama; a mad woman; paper birds; unconditional love, love that never divides but only multiplies; and abundant, healing hope.

This not only was my favorite book of the year, but it will be the book I name whenever someone asks me, “What is your all-time favorite book?” 

By Kelly Barnhill,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Girl Who Drank the Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

THE NO 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER

'This beautifully written, darkly funny coming-of-age story will enchant and entertain' Daily Mail

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is in fact a good witch who shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest,…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Season of Dragons

Kayla E. Green I ❤️ loved this book because...

The balance of humor and big life issues paired with whimsical world-building makes one feel they have been transported to a world crafted by the minds of Roald Dahl and Hayao Miyazaki.

The story follows young Ichabod, who is whisked away to a different world after discovering a dragon egg. Things are topsy-turvy with bickering dragons impacting the weather, and Ichabod sets off to help. But on his journey, he discovers a thing or two about what family means and what it means to be true to yourself.

It’s perfect for all types of readers, and, as an educator, I know this book is fantastic to engage even reluctant middle-grade readers; just don’t read on an empty stomach; you’ll be craving some of Granny’s homemade jam.

By Nikki Mitchell,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Season of Dragons-- #1 in the Magic Shoebox series
What would you do if you found a dragon egg at your bus stop?

Ichabod Surname never imagined he’d be spending a Friday afternoon cross-country skiing with a grandma dragon—but that’s exactly what happens when he finds a giant egg on the way to school.

For as long as he can remember, he has been at war with his siblings because he thinks outside of the box. He stays invisible at home and school, but for the first time in his life, he may be the key to restoring the weather…


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Child of Prophecy

Kayla E. Green I ❤️ loved this book because...

I know how it feels to believe you don’t belong, to see the world differently than most, and to stand out when you want more than anything to fit in.

Nova Hawthorne, the primary protagonist, embodies this misguided belief about herself, too. But Nova has to set aside her fears when she learns that magic is real and the people she loves most and the whole world are in danger.

Through Nova’s story, readers are shown that no one must prove themselves worthy of love, we’ve all already been redeemed, and we are loved just as we are. Not only are there wonderful, poignant lessons beautifully woven into this young adult portal fantasy narrative, but there is disabled and neurodivergent representation as well!  

By T. E. Bradford,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Fifteen-year-old Nova Hawthorne sees sounds, a condition called Synesthesia, a trait that’s branded her a freak. But there’s a reason she doesn’t fit anywhere in this world – she’s from another one. And prophecy says she’s destined to destroy them both.

Can Nova uncover the truth about the power hiding inside her without destroying everything and everyone she loves?

If you enjoyed C.S. Lewis' Narnia books, you’ll love this fantastic journey to a world where magic still exists, wonders abound, and differences can be the greatest power of all.


My website is

The Unicorn Writer

Kayla E. Green is a school librarian, author, and poet living in eastern North Carolina with her husband and their furbabies. When she isn’t writing, reading, or taking photos for her bookstagram, she loves singing loudly and off-key to KLove Radio, napping, and pretending she’s a unicorn. As a Christian, her faith greatly shapes her worldview which in turn influences her writing.