The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Open: An Autobiography

Malcolm H. Murfett Why did I love this book?

I regard this as the best sports biography I have ever read.

Andre Agassi was both a rebel and a superbly talented multiple grand slam winner on the international tennis circuit. Open reveals graphically his perpetual love-hate relationship with tennis.

His story is both compelling and genuine, as well as a joy to read.

By Andre Agassi,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Open as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court - but from early childhood Andre Agassi hated the game.

Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts.

Agassi makes us feel his…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Me: Elton John

Malcolm H. Murfett Why did I love this book?

Another incredibly frank book that buzzed with energy and excitement from the outset.

Elton John has rightly become a legend of the music and cultural scene across the globe. His insights into what was often a world of excess are quite mind-blowing.

I loved Me from first to last, and it still amazes me how he survived it all!

By Elton John,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life. Me is the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.

The Sunday Times bestseller with a new chapter bringing the story up to date.

'The rock memoir of the decade' - Daily Mail
'The rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader' - Sunday Times
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Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed…


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My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Anatomy of a Scandal

Malcolm H. Murfett Why did I love this book?

Sarah Vaughan is such an excellent writer. A former journalist, she knows how to spin an authentic story and make it into a page-turner.

I loved the plot and the characters and could identify with it and them. Frankly, if you want a book to keep you enthralled for a few hours and not let you down, here it is.

By Sarah Vaughan,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Anatomy of a Scandal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

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“A nuanced story line perfectly in tune with our #metoo times.” —People, Book of the Week

“One of the season’s most buzzed-about thrillers.” —Bookish

“A strong choice for book clubs. Former political correspondent Vaughan makes an impressive debut with this savvy, propulsive courtroom drama.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Vaughan offers gripping insight into a political scandal’s hidden machinations and the tension between justice and privilege…Absorbing, polished.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Skillfully interweaving the story of the unfolding scandal, Vaughan gradually reveals just how shockingly high the stakes are…Sinewy…engrossing, twist-filled.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Naval Warfare 1919-1945: An Operational History of the Volatile War at Sea

By Malcolm H. Murfett,

Book cover of Naval Warfare 1919-1945: An Operational History of the Volatile War at Sea

What is my book about?

Naval Warfare 1919-1945 examines what happened to the world's navies during the interwar period and the effects that the disarmament features of the Washington Conference (1921-22) and the rearmament debate of the 1930s had upon their development in these years.

It then follows the course of the war at sea and looks at all the combatants and what happens to them across the various theatres in which they operate as action from the war continues on a day-to-day basis. By bringing simultaneity of action to bear in this way, rather than having chapters on individual theatres, my book reveals just how complicated the war looked to those fighting it.

It's a book full of action and analysis – a case of what extraordinary things happened and why.