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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 The Twist of a Knife

Rosemary Poole-Carter Why did I love this book?

A long-time fan of brilliant television scripts by Anthony Horowitz—Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, Poirot, etc.—I became besotted with his mystery novels on first reading Magpie Murders. Thus, the moment my favorite mystery bookshop notified me that Horowitz’s latest whodunit was available for pre-order, I reserved my copy! 

The Twist of a Knife is the fourth in a series featuring Daniel Hawthorne as the astute private detective and Anthony Horowitz, himself, narrating as the hapless sidekick and chronicler of their crime-solving escapades. Last fall, while awaiting the new book’s arrival, I re-read the earlier books full of witty narration and intricate plot twists.

Then, with my first Michigan snowfall, I cozied up with Hawthorne and Horowitz for their latest compelling case. An irresistible read!

By Anthony Horowitz,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Twist of a Knife as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

By global bestselling Anthony Horowitz, a brilliantly entertaining new locked-room mystery with a key that only Hawthorne can find.

'EASILY THE GREATEST OF OUR CRIME WRITERS' SUNDAY TIMES

'Funny, addictive and clever, and the crime fighting duo of Hawthorne and Horowitz are as entertaining as ever. Brilliant. I can't wait for more.' ADAM HANDY

''There's a lovely Hitchcockian feel to TWIST. The clock is ticking. It's a lot of fun.' IAN RANKIN

'The Twist of a Knife is a beautifully turned locked-room whodunit' THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'A total joy. Anthony is a master entertainer, the genius twists and turns of…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Last Camel Died at Noon

Rosemary Poole-Carter Why did I love this book?

My son Nick and I began reading Amelia Peabody's Egyptology mysteries when he was a precocious seven-year-old, discovering his calling as an archaeologist. I'd last read our copy of The Last Camel Died at Noon aloud to him when he was eleven and laid up in hospital with a leg injury—the result of his curiosity being closely akin to that of Peabody's son Ramses.

The inimitable voice of Peabody relating her rollicking adventures sped Nick's recovery and gave us both courage. I wrote my thanks to Elizabeth Peters and still treasure her warm, handwritten reply.

Nick, now a professor of Mayan archaeology, recently spoke on ancient languages and glyphs at a conference in Cairo. I celebrated by re-reading a beloved book that started him on his journey.

By Elizabeth Peters,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Last Camel Died at Noon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Join our plucky Victorian Egyptologist, together with her devastatingly handsome and brilliant husband Radcliffe, in another exciting escapade

This time Amelia and her dashing husband Emerson set off for a promising archaeological site in the Sudan, only to be unwillingly drawn into the search for an African explorer and his young bride who went missing twelve years back.

They survive the rigours of the desert, the death of their camels, and the perfidy of their guides, only to find themselves taken prisoner in a lost city and civilisation. Amelia and Emerson must bravely continue making archaeological finds while doing their…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Bookbinder

Rosemary Poole-Carter Why did I love this book?

The Bookbinder by Pip Williams is a book lover’s dream-come-true novel. Having visited Oxford, I was already in love with the setting. Then, like my other favorites, the book begins with the intimate, distinctive voice of a character, taking a reader into her confidence.

In 1914, Peggy lives with her twin sister on a long boat on the Thames and binds books at the Oxford University Press. With captivating sensory details, she reveals the whole process of a physical book’s creation, simultaneously revealing her intellectual passion for every word she can steal time to read.

Peggy’s desire to learn in the sisterhood of ambitious women and her perseverance through the challenges of World War I, the influenza pandemic, and societal upheavals become her triumph. And her devotion to knowledge is a revelation.

By Pip Williams,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Bookbinder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A young British woman working in a book bindery gets a chance to pursue knowledge and love when World War I upends her life in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick The Dictionary of Lost Words.

“Williams spins an immersive and compelling tale, sweeping us back to the Oxford she painted so expertly in The Dictionary of Lost Words.”—Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife

It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those…


Plus, check out my book…

Only Charlotte

By Rosemary Poole-Carter,

Book cover of Only Charlotte

What is my book about?

In post-Civil War New Orleans, Lenore James, a thrice-widowed woman of independent means, promises her audience a tale of amorous and murderous entanglements.

She begins her story with her tender-hearted brother Gilbert, hopelessly beguiled by Charlotte Eden, whose husband is enmeshed in the re-enslavement schemes of a powerful judge. In an atmosphere rife with misogyny and racism, Lenore fears Gilbert’s obsession with Charlotte will lead them all straight into disaster.

Setting out to unravel the intricacies of the lives of others, Lenore also indulges her personal passion for stagecraft and the performing arts. While spinning one tale of shadow and light, concealment and revelation, she finds all the material she needs for another tale—a drama for the theater.