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 The Thirteenth Tale

Nicola Pryce I ❤️ loved this book because...

I think my love for this book boils down to Dianne Setterfield’s extraordinary story-telling ability, her choice of language, the wonderful setting, and her interesting characters.

This is a gothic tale, and I love the atmosphere she evokes. Often, I found myself reading the same passages over and over because it conjured up such perfect emotions. Her writing is very rhythmical, her characters hiding behind what they don’t say. Diane Setterfield reveals their backstories with pinpoint timing, the atmosphere building, and the twists catching you off guard.

It’s a brilliant book — an old-fashioned yarn sort of a book, Gothic, intense, and unputdownable. 

By Diane Setterfield,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Thirteenth Tale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Simply brilliant' Kate Mosse, international bestselling author of Labyrinth

***

Everybody has a story...

Angelfield House stands abandoned and forgotten.

It was once home to the March family: fascinating, manipulative Isabelle; brutal, dangerous Charlie; and the wild, untamed twins, Emmeline and Adeline. But the house hides a chilling secret which strikes at the very heart of each of them, tearing their lives apart...

Now Margaret Lea is investigating Angelfield's past, and its mysterious connection to the enigmatic writer Vida Winter. Vida's history is mesmering - a tale of ghosts, governesses, and gothic strangeness. But as Margaret succumbs to the power…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Nicola Pryce I ❤️ loved this book because...

My cover of this heart-warming book is bright pink: it’s joyous, stands out on my bookshelf, and makes me smile. Even better is the inside.

The story is wonderfully uplifting, the writing full of both humor and pathos: a fairy tale written to lift your spirits and revive your belief in humanity.

I re-read this gem of a book after seeing the film. It’s beautifully written, and the concept of not giving up on your dream is an important lesson to us all. It’s only a short book, but I promise it will warm your heart and stay with you forever.

By Paul Gallico,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Charmed by her employers' beautiful wardrobe, Mrs. 'Arris, a London charwoman, visits the Dior salon in Paris


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Gentian Hill

Nicola Pryce I ❤️ loved this book because...

I read and loved Elizabeth Goudge’s books as a teenager but had never read Gentian Hill. Thank goodness I didn’t because it was a wonderful discovery.

There’s poetry in her writing, rich detail in her descriptions, and her vivid prose transporting you to place and time. In this case, it is the muddy country lanes and cliff tops of Devon and the filth and clamor of Georgian London.

Crammed full of rich historical detail, this is a love story, a coming-of-age story, a lost-and-found story. Yes, it may seem a bit old-fashioned, but that is what appeals to me. It’s an immersive read, a well-told yarn. It’s kind, heart-warming, full of honour and courage. Just the sort of book I love.

By Elizabeth Goudge,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

First published in the US by Coward-McCann in 1949, Gentian Hill is Elizabeth Goudge's tour de force exploring with her usual skill the themes that always touch the heart: endurance, courage, and love.

Meet Stella Sprigg, adopted daughter of the Sprigg family, and follow her story of love and hope in a time where it hardly exists.



Don‘t forget about my book 😀

The Cornish Rebel

By Nicola Pryce,

Book cover of The Cornish Rebel

What is my book about?

Cornwall, 1801.

In the wake of her mother’s death, Pandora Woodville has escaped her domineering father and returned to Falmouth, bright with the dream of working at her Aunt’s school for young ladies. On arrival, she is shocked to learn a series of sinister events is forcing the school’s closure.

Acclaimed chemist Benedict Aubyn has recently returned to Cornwall to take up a new post as Turnpike Trust Surveyor. As news of the school’s ruin spreads, it seems everyone is after her Aunt’s estate. Pandora and Aunt Harriet must do everything in their power to save the school or risk losing everything. Pandora, however, has another problem. She’s falling for Benedict. Can she trust him, or is he simply looking after his own interests?