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The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,608 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Rabbits

Richard W. Kelly Why did I love this book?

The main storyline of this book is based around the Mandella Effect. 

It does a great job of blurring the lines between fiction and reality. I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading and wondering if things I remember slightly differently were a part of the book or some other reality I was trapped in. It was tons of fun, surprising, and hard to put down.

By Terry Miles,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'Murakami meets Ready Player One' - Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

'A twisted trip through a cool digital wilderness of a mystery. This book sticks to your brain' - Norman Reedus, star of The Walking Dead

What happens in the game, stays in the game . . .

Rabbits is a secret, dangerous and sometimes fatal underground game. The rewards for winning are unclear, but there are rumours of money, CIA recruitment or even immortality. Or it might unlock the universe's greatest secrets. But everyone knows that the deeper you get, the more deadly the game becomes…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Gwendy's Button Box

Richard W. Kelly Why did I love this book?

I love Stephen King. He is easy to read and delves deep into his characters. 

This being one of his shorter entries, really made you think. I reflected after each time I put the book down, wondering if I would make the same sort of choices. This was heartfelt and interesting, even if the typical King elements were there making parts hard to read.

By Stephen King, Richard Chizmar,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Gwendy's Button Box as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A resonant novella set in one of King's signature locales: the small town of Castle Rock, Maine' Washington Post

The small town of CASTLE ROCK, MAINE has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told...until now.

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974 twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside.

At the…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Emergence: Seven Steps for Radical Life Change

Richard W. Kelly Why did I love this book?

I love self help books, but most of the time they feel like just putting your faith into a mantra or chant. 

This book has step-by-step instructions on how to not only harness the strength of positive thinking and meditation. But, it also goes deep on how to create a plan and keep moving so that you are actively creating the life you want.

By Derek Rydall,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Personal development has been an enormously popular topic, from Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence Peopleto Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, from Tony Robbins to Deepak Chopra. But it's not working anymore. Many of us struggle with the same, on-going battles day in and day out. We attract a new mate but have the same old fights. We increase our pay check but end up broke. We fight for our health only to slip back into the same, old habits. And the harder we try to change, the more difficult it becomes.

Emergence is not the end of…


Plus, check out my book…

Times... They Are a Changin'

By Richard W. Kelly,

Book cover of Times... They Are a Changin'

What is my book about?

America in the late 1940 had just helped win WWII leading the country to be arguably the most powerful nation. In the coming decades living in America would become more and more about being entertained and having the newest thing. But all the success was geared towards the young adults who sacrificed in war or at home. Their children did not have the marketing attention they would years later. Instead, they spent much of their time finding their own adventures and their own entertainment. Bobby Gunkel was one of those post-WWII kids trying to find his place in the world. When he met Brenda a young girl living near his small east Texas town, his life changed… They Are a Changin’ is an emotional ride of one couple’s life together.