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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 Bitter Medicine

Ruby Lang Why did I love this book?

Bitter Medicine is the book you read when you want to have big feelings in a new and exciting world.

In this romantic contemporary fantasy, Elle, whose magic works through calligraphy, is hiding herself away from a treacherous relative, and Luc, a dangerous man who’s done dangerous things, has given up on trying to disentangle himself from a boss who asks too much.

The magical universe Tsai creates is both familiar and fresh, and I loved Lus and Elle together and was on the edge of my seat when it seemed they’d be kept apart.

By Mia Tsai,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

[STARRED REVIEW] “Sparks fly in Tsai’s refreshing and enchanting paranormal debut.... With brilliantly developed, multifaceted characters; a clever magic system; and witty prose, the pages of this fantasy fly. This marks Tsai as a writer to watch.”
―Publishers Weekly

“There are so many joys in this paranormal. The wealth of languages, mythologies, religions and magicks are a weight that balances the emotional tenderness.”
―New York Times Book Review

In this inspired contemporary fantasy, a Chinese immortal and a French elf try to balance new romance, familial loyalty, and workplace demands. In her debut novel, Taiwanese American author Mia Tsai has…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Yellowface

Ruby Lang Why did I love this book?

Yellowface is savagely funny and completely terrifying at the same time.

This psychological thriller about a writer who steals her dead frenemy's manuscript and publishes it to huge accolades under her own name kept me glued to the page from the start. Publishing industry professionals especially will squirm at this unflinching insider look at how hit books are made – I know I did.   

By R. F. Kuang,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller from literary sensation R.F. Kuang

*A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick*

'Propulsive' SUNDAY TIMES

'Razor-sharp' TIME

'A wild ride' STYLIST

'Darkly comic' GQ

'A riot' PANDORA SYKES

'Hard to put down, harder to forget' STEPHEN KING

Athena Liu is a literary darling and June Hayward is literally nobody.

White lies
When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song.

Dark humour
But as evidence threatens June's stolen success, she will discover exactly how far she…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Much Ado About Nada

Ruby Lang Why did I love this book?

Despite the Shakespearian name, Much Ado About Nada is a Persuasion retelling set in the Muslim-Canadian community of Toronto. Nada, a sometimes prickly character, navigates family, friendship, and lost love, while trying to take back control of a wildly successful app she created that was stolen from her. J

alaluddin is as good writing at those early, heady days of young courtship as she is at the sharp pining of a couple finding their way back to each other.

Plus, check out my book…

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

By Ruby Lang,

Book cover of I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

What is my book about?

Ben Nakamura never forgot spiky, beautiful Natalie Chen, the joy and plague of his last year at university. She may even have been the inspiration for the main character of his YA fantasy series. But the Nat who walks back into his life is less angry, less edgy–and just as vulnerable.

Nat returned to Vancouver to care for her dying mother, and now, after confronting the person she used to be, needs time to figure out who she wants to become. All more reason for her to stay away from Ben, the boy she hurt long ago. But Ben has grown in confidence, maturity, and all the ways that make him irresistible.

Will Ben and Nat break each others’ hearts once again?

My 12-year-old's favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Displacement

Ruby Lang Why did they love this book?

Kiku Hughes’s graphic novel is about a girl in San Francisco who travels back in time to witness her grandmother’s interment. My kid said, “Displacement brings up important issues and talks about historical events while having an interesting story. I feel like that’s hard to do. It’s also a graphic novel with really nice art.”

My kid thought it was a really thought-provoking read, and she kept talking about it for months afterward.

By Kiku Hughes,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Displacement as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II.

These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself 'stuck' back in time. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive.


My 12-year-old's 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Ruby Lang Why did they love this book?

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the first in a series of twisty young adult mystery novels. My kid loves it and when I asked them why, they said, "this is the kind of mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s very exciting and formatted in a way that makes it hard to put it down.” 

By Holly Jackson,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked A Good Girl's Guide to Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

THE MUST-READ MULTIMILLION BESTSELLING MYSTERY SERIES• Everyone is talking about A Good Girl's Guide to Murder! With shades of Serial and Making a Murderer this is the story about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more…


My 12-year-old's 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One

Ruby Lang Why did they love this book?

This is a middle-grade book about a seventh grader trying to prove her golden boy classmate is not as great as he seems. My kid says that it “hits the balance of being funny and teaching actual important lessons. The main character is easy to root for. She’s just good.”

She laughed out loud while reading it and wanted to find out if the author had written any more books.

By Maggie Horne,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Girls in Hazel's school are being harassed by an anonymous person online, someone who seems to know all about their insecurities and dreams. With no one willing to stand up and face the bully, how will Hazel be able to prove her suspicions?
Hazel Hill is Going to Win This One confronts bullying, both online and in person, to give children the power to stand up for themselves and speak out against harassment.


Explore all books for 12-year-olds