The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,705 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Wet Dream

Lauren Walker Why did I love this book?

I do not read a lot of poetry, but I picked up this book thinking I'd riffle through it and read a couple poems and see what I thought.

Instead, I started at the first page, which I never do on a book of poetry.

Something very strange, otherworldly, morphic fieldly happened...

I could not put this book down!! I read every page, cover to cover, including the acknowledgments and the notes. And then I went back and read chunks of it again. This book is a revelation! It is one of the most amazing, powerful things I've ever read.

I was literally crying at some of the passages and laughing at others.  What the author has done here, I still don't fully understand, but I am in awe! Awe. All I can say is....awe!

By Erin Robinsong,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Winner 2023 A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry

Wet Dream is an expansive book of ecological thinking for living on a wet planet on fire. Erotic and political, vibrating with pleasures, medicines, and unrest, these poems metabolize toxic logics and traverse enmeshed ecologies through the wetness that connects. A pulse of agency to the heart.

"Erin Robinsong's Wet Dream is an erotic epistemology of humors, the vital fluids linking bodies to cosmos. What does liquidity know?" - Lisa Robertson

"Wet Dream is brain lube for an insurgent language - creaturely poems that remake your body and relation to the world. I…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Best Dog: Hilarious to Heartwarming Portraits of the Pups We Love

Lauren Walker Why did I love this book?

This coffee table book of photographs and stories of incredible dogs is nothing short of amazing.

Telling delightful and powerful stories to accompany the beautiful photographs, this author achieved something rare: a book of photographs that makes you want to look again and again. Each successive personality makes you feel closer to the love they exude.

Purebreds, rescues, even maimed dogs, show you that dog love is unconditional. And dogs love to have fun! Learn about pet dogs, working dogs, helper dogs, and all kinds of in between dogs—definitely worth sharing with all the dog lovers in your life.

This book shows why everyone knows the truth: their dog is the “best dog.”  And this book is one of pure joy!  Brings a smile to my face every single time I open it.

By Aliza Eliazarov, Edward Doty,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A gorgeous, heartwarming, and comedic collection of pup portraits and stories celebrating the enduring bond we share with our dogs, from acclaimed photographer, Aliza Eliazarov

Capturing animals’ unique personalities with humor and grace for over a decade, Aliza’s portraits have been exhibited and published widely, including on the covers of Modern Farmer magazine, BarkBox ads, and U.S. postage stamps.

From couch potatoes to working dogs, Aliza takes us on a journey revealing the individuality of our loyal companions through dazzling photos and captions that illuminate the deep connection we have with our pets. You’ll meet Frank, the bulldog who loves…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Freedom

Lauren Walker Why did I love this book?

This is a book I reread every year. It is so powerful, and poignant, and unexpected. 

It is a deep rumination on what freedom really means, why it is valuable, and what we can do to achieve and protect it.

The writing is simple and eloquent, and the storytelling so deep that you look up breathless every once in a while just to get your bearings again before diving back in for more.  As soon as it’s over you want to read it again.

By Sebastian Junger,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A profound rumination on the concept of freedom from the bestselling author of The Perfect Storm

'Sebastian Junger bears witness to a hard-won and an uncertain new world, framed in vital and brilliant prose: a true and honest accounting of everything that underlies the frantic performance of life' Philip Hoare, author of Albert and the Whale

Throughout history, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don't coexist easily: we value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. In this intricately crafted and thought-provoking book,…


Plus, check out my book…

The Energy to Heal: Find Lasting Freedom From Stress and Trauma Through Energy Medicine Yoga

By Lauren Walker,

Book cover of The Energy to Heal: Find Lasting Freedom From Stress and Trauma Through Energy Medicine Yoga

What is my book about?

We live in a world full of stress and rising levels of trauma. How do we find our way to a place of calm, so we can face our challenges with ease?

After dealing with trauma for most of my life I finally reached my breaking point. The recovery from that, is the core of this book. My signature 5 Star Method for healing is one that people all over the world now use to learn how to Thrive and not just survive.  

It is a simple practice and a gift for your soul to release the things that cause long-term harm and damage in your body. Come into your own powerful light. The keys to your own freedom for the price of a paperback!

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