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 What's That Lady Doing?

Lucie Britsch I this book because...

If you’re familiar with the comic Lou Sanders, you will know she is frank, funny and unashamed. In her memoir she is completely honest about her messy past and takes the reader on her journey to sorting her shit out.

It’s often heartbreaking but she still always manages to make you laugh and you’re rooting for her and will come away from it understanding her better and maybe forgiving yourself for any rough patches you might have gone through. It’s ultimately about how we all stumble through life but keep picking ourselves up, and how it’s better to laugh about it all, which is something I try to do in my own writing.

By Lou Sanders,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What's That Lady Doing? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For fans of Really Good Actually and I'm Glad My Mom Died

'A deftness that catches your breath' - Fern Brady
'An incredible piece of writing' - Brett Goldstein
'Interrogates moments of trauma with insight, kindness and humanity' - John Robins

This is a book about mistakes. And why we should de-flower shame in all its messy, complicated glory...

Hello!

It's Lou here...

I've poured my heart and guts on to the page and shared my soul in this book. This won't be for everyone but I hope it helps the people it does connect with. We all have stories…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Space Crone

Lucie Britsch I this book because...

I’m a huge nerd for 70’s feminist science fiction and Ursula K. Le Guin is goddess of this movement.

This collection brings together all her writing on feminism and gender and takes you on a journey into one of the greatest minds. Her writing on women and aging and how we’re viewed and valued is exquisite and makes me feel understood deeply. I personally can’t wait to be a space crone.

This book is a must read for any fans of her work but also any women that want to blow up the patriarchy.

By Ursula K. Le Guin,

Why should I read it?

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


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark

Lucie Britsch I this book because...

I’m a big fan of Elvira, she’s a kitsch icon, so was really excited that she wrote a memoir, and it didn’t disappoint.

Her journey to becoming such an icon is fascinating and as you can expect she has plenty of juicy stories and name drops throughout her long career. I also learnt a lot about the woman behind the character and came away still thinking she is a fucking legend.

If you like your Hollywood memoir with a more freaky, fun side, this is the book for you.

By Cassandra Peterson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

At only eighteen months old, Cassandra Peterson reached for a pot on the stove and doused herself in boiling water, resulting in third-degree burns over 35 percent of her body. She miraculously survived, but burned and scarred, the impact would stay with her and become an obstacle she was determined to overcome. Cassandra left home at fourteen and supported herself as a go-go dancer. By age seventeen, she was performing as a showgirl in Las Vegas. Then a chance encounter with the "King" himself, Elvis Presley, inspired her to travel to Europe where she worked in film and toured Italy…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Thoughtless

By Lucie Britsch,

Book cover of Thoughtless

What is my book about?

From the author of Sad Janet Lucie Britsch’s Thoughtless is a biting satire about a young woman who has an inherited a very strange family curse whereby if she thinks too hard her head will explode, quite literally, that both skewers and celebrates society’s obsession with pop culture, happiness, and constant distraction.