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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,627 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Shadows at Dusk

Patricia Bradley Why did I love this book?

This is my favorite book of the year! I loved it because I couldn’t put it down. I had to see who the bad guy was and why. And I wasn’t disappointed.

I loved the setting—it was set in Alaska and I felt as though I had visited the state by the time I finished. I found the mystery part very intriguing and every time I thought I had it figured out, the story took a twist I didn’t expect, but should have. I stayed up way too late because I was so caught up in the mystery.

By Elizabeth Goddard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shadows at Dusk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Montana Detective Trevor West is desperate to learn what happened to his sister, who went missing in Alaska over a year ago, leaving nothing but a few photographs as clues to her whereabouts. At the advice of Police Chief Autumn Long, Trevor enlists the help of an experienced bush pilot. If Carrie James can't help him find the places in the photographs, no one can.

But Carrie has her own agenda. Grieving the death of her closest friend and the only person she could trust, Carrie will help Trevor find his sister on one condition--that he help her track down…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Letters from My Sister

Patricia Bradley Why did I love this book?

I got so caught up in Letters From My Sister because the characters drew me in. Once I started it, I could not put it down.

Forget the housework, cooking—everything had to wait until I finished it. By the time I read “the end” I felt like I’d lived in Alabama in the early 1900s, and I found Luesse’s portrayal of the family refreshing. And the mystery kept me turning pages to find out what had happened.

By Valerie Fraser Luesse,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Letters from My Sister as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two Sisters. One Single Event. A Family Changed Forever.

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly--and innocently--draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see--or did she? Her memory is a haze,…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Romeo's Justice

Patricia Bradley Why did I love this book?

I love all of James Scott Bell’s Romeo books. Mike Romeo is one of my favorite continuing characters.

Romeo’s Justice is written in the style of James D. MacDonald, a style I love. Romeo’s code of honor is so refreshing. He’s a tough guy, but it’s so refreshing to read a gritty novel that doesn’t contain swearing or sex—a clean read.

By James Scott Bell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Romeo's Justice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Plus, check out my book…

Counter Attack

By Patricia Bradley,

Book cover of Counter Attack

What is my book about?

Did you know that the Dark Web can actually be a good thing? That’s what Chief Deputy Alexis Stone learns when she does a deep dive into the Dark Web to discover who is leaving chess moves at the murder scenes in Pearl Springs. And by the way, she likes to be called Alex.

Pearl Springs and Russell County are the last places she wanted to be, but when her grandfather asks for her help, she can’t say no. Now he’s asking her to run for sheriff so he can retire. And, she didn’t bargain on dealing with her high school crush, Nathan Landry, who is the Chief of Police.

The two learn to depend on each other and God as they solve the murders.