Author Chicken keeper Baker Egg aficionado TV host New Englander
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 Baking Yesteryear: The Best Recipes from the 1900s to the 1980s

Lisa Steele Why did I love this book?

This is the kind of cookbook that you read front to back cover to cover - most likely in one sitting.

The author's infectious personality which catapulted him to Tiktok fame during the pandemic translates better than expected to the printed page. His unique videos during which he bakes all kinds of wackiest recipes from decades past - some with less than stellar results - have been transformed into actual recipes that the home cook can follow along with, without losing his trademark humor. Eggies, anyone?

By B. Dylan Hollis,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times Bestseller

A decade-by-decade cookbook that highlights the best (and a few of the worst) baking recipes from the 20th century

Friends of baking, are you sick and tired of making the same recipes again and again? Then look no further than this baking blast from the past, as B. Dylan Hollis highlights the most unique tasty treats of yesteryear.

Travel back in time on a delicious decade-by-decade jaunt as Dylan shows you how to bake vintage forgotten greats. With a big pinch of fun and a full cup of humor, you’ll be baking everything from…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Knife Drop: Creative Recipes Anyone Can Cook

Lisa Steele Why did I love this book?

I remember the author from Master Chef, I hadn't been following him on YouTube or Tiktok, so I bought his cookbook without really knowing much about his cooking style past what I saw on TV but I'm so glad I did!

It's not only really, really beautifully photographed, I want to make literally every recipe right now! Nothing is overly complicated, but everything has its own unique twist. Can we talk about the brilliance of turning Eggs Benedict into a sandwich!?!?!? Nick's personality shines through even the most concise of the head notes.

I loved his browned butter chocolate chip cookies, and while they weren't the quickest cookie recipe I've ever made, the extra effort was 1000% worth it. They're absolutely delicious and the instructions were very easy to follow.

By Nick DiGiovanni,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

New York Times Bestseller

Forget the rules. Just cook!

Home-cooked food doesn’t have to be over-the-top, fussy, or time-intensive to be absolutely amazing. In his debut cookbook, Nick DiGiovanni gives you the tools to become fearless in the kitchen and to create delicious meals.

Building on a foundation of staple recipes such as basic pasta dough and homemade butter, Nick shares a mouthwatering selection of his favorite recipes. Feast on New England favorites like Browned Butter Lobster Rolls and Garlic Butter Steak Tips, enjoy decadent pasta dishes like Smoky Mezcal Rigatoni and Sungold Spaghetti, and recreate fan favorites like his…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Art of Escapism Cooking: A Survival Story, with Intensely Good Flavors

Lisa Steele Why did I love this book?

I rarely sit down and read a cookbook cover to cover - I flip and skim for interesting-looking recipes.

I hardly ever read memoirs. I have never really cooked Asian food other than the occasional stir fry or spring roll.  Sometimes sushi. But somehow, I found myself completely engrossed in Mandy Lee's cookbook, completely obsessed with her story, her journey. But most of all her food.

I initially saw a video of her talking about her egg "duvet" which is basically a soft folded omelet that you just want to curl up inside. That led me to buy her cookbook. I may never make a single recipe from this cookbook. But I do know with 100% certainty that I will enjoy reading every page of Mandy's journey. 

By Mandy Lee,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In this inventive and intensely personal cookbook, the blogger behind the award-winning ladyandpups.com reveals how she cooked her way out of an untenable living situation, with more than eighty delicious Asian-inspired dishes with influences from around the world.

For Mandy Lee, moving from New York to Beijing for her husband's work wasn't an exotic adventure-it was an ordeal. Growing increasingly exasperated with China's stifling political climate, its infuriating bureaucracy, and its choking pollution, she began "an unapologetically angry food blog," LadyandPups.com, to keep herself from going mad.

Mandy cooked because it channeled her focus, helping her cope with the difficult…


Plus, check out my book…

The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected Ways

By Lisa Steele,

Book cover of The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected Ways

What is my book about?

Think you know all there is to know about eggs and how to cook and bake with them? Think again! Lisa Steele, fifth-generation chicken keeper, founder of the popular blog Fresh Eggs Daily, and producer and television host of the award-winning show Welcome to My Farm on CreateTV, knows a thing or two about eggs. And she's ready to welcome you to her New England home to show you just how easy and delicious it can be to make eggs a staple of every meal.

Lisa will tell you everything you don't know about eggs and bust some common egg myths. Read The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook to discover new and exciting ways to incorporate fresh eggs into your cooking and baking repertoire each and every day.