The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,708 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Deliverer

Mae Clair I this book because...

It’s such an unusual story—a fallen angel (now a demon) spies on the Israelites for Satan during their captivity under Pharaoh, the plagues that follow, and the Exodus.

The “reluctant” demon is a fidgety/nervous sort who ended up a demon because he was too slow choosing sides when war broke out in Heaven. Definitely an underdog, and the butt of the other demons’ jokes. You wouldn’t think a story like this would be layered with humor, but it’s the element that stood out the most. That, and the surprising “humanity” of the lead character.

I loved seeing the Biblical retelling through his eyes, especially as he isn’t like a demon at all. A faith-filled read wrapped in an entertaining and funny delivery.

By Linda Rios Brook,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Ancient language expert Samantha Yale returns to translate a new batch of scrolls written by the fallen angel from Lucifer’s Flood.   Samantha Yale has taken on a daunting translation project. A set of scrolls, delivered by a man she knows nothing about, tells a fascinating and frightening tale of what went on behind the scenes of biblical history. What is even more incredible is who is telling the tale, a fallen angel who immediately regretted his decision to side with Lucifer.


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond

Mae Clair I this book because...

I love mysteries that twine two time periods, and I’m especially fond of the early twentieth century.

The mystery set in 1907 is wonderfully creepy. I enjoyed how the author brought the setting so vividly to life. Her inclusion of twin revivalists—who could be poster-children for the word “odd”—was brilliant.

I couldn’t make up my mind about them. And obituaries appearing in a newspaper prior to the death of the subjects is just plain freaky. Both female leads are strong, and the story corkscrews enough for misdirection in more than one place. Deftly plotted with detailed genealogies. History, mystery, and secrets add up to a bubbling cauldron of suspense!

By Jaime Jo Wright,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For over a century, the town of Gossamer Grove has thrived on its charm and midwestern values, but Annalise Forsythe knows painful secrets, including her own, hover just beneath the pleasant fa ade. When a man is found dead in his run-down trailer home, Annalise inherits the trailer, along with the pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters covering its walls. As she sorts through the collection, she's wholly unprepared for the ramifications of the dark and deadly secrets she'll uncover.

A century earlier, Gossamer Grove has been stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists.…


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My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Dead Mountain

Mae Clair I this book because...

I can always count on Preston & Child to delve into urban legends, unsolved mysteries, and weirdness.

In Dead Mountain they take the Dyatlov Pass incident and flip-flop it to the New Mexico Mountains. You won’t be able to put this nail-biter down! Although it’s book four of the ongoing Nora Kelly series, it reads fine as a standalone. We even get a new character who I hope will be back again.

Preston & Child routinely surprise me with the depths of their research and their ability to weave wayward cryptic threads. Add two strong leads—Norah Kelly and Corrie Swanson—who play off each other exceptionally well, and you’ve got a tale that combines intellect with adrenalin. You just can’t beat P&C for a good puzzle-solving, roller-coaster thrill ride!

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Dead Mountain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 2008, nine mountaineers failed to return from a winter backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. At their last campsite, searchers found a bizarre scene: something had appeared at the door of their tent so terrifying that it impelled them to slash their way out and flee barefoot to certain death in a blizzard. Despite a diligent search, only six bodies were found, three violently crushed and missing eyes and tongues. The case, given the code name “Dead Mountain” by the FBI, was never solved.
 
Now, two more bodies from the lost expedition are unexpectedly discovered in a cave,…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

The Price of Atonement

By Mae Clair,

Book cover of The Price of Atonement

What is my book about?

Leviticus Sinclair has been a broken man since the murders of his wife and brother. Burdened by failures, he crosses the country, seeking departed spirits unwilling to move from this world to the next. His dead brother’s Bible and a pocket watch—frozen at the moment of his wife’s death—serve as grim reminders of a past he cannot exorcise.

Accompanied by Wyatt Resnick, a paid employee, Leviticus arrives at the Harbor Pointe Inn amid rumors of a vengeful ghost. A phantom who may be the single spirit he has long sought, one capable of freeing him from his torment.

Set in the remote Pacific Northwest of 1887, The Price of Atonement is a story of jealousy, guilt, and one man’s relentless quest for absolution.