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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 The Only One Left

Savannah Hendricks Why did I love this book?

As a Sager fan, I read this book without bothering to read the description. So, I had no summary to help guide me when I started. Usually, I only get a chance or make time to read during the weekend mornings. However, The Only One Left had me reading at night, during the day, any free second I had. 

And I wanted to talk about it with other readers. It is rare for me to want to discuss a book with others when I’m reading it, but it left me hoping one of my friends was also enjoying it and guessing along with me.

Each character had good qualities that made them likable, yet faults to flesh them out. I didn’t want this story to end!

By Riley Sager,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

THE BRAND NEW HEART-POUNDING GOTHIC THRILLER FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Everyone believes that Lenora Hope is a mass murderer.

When the Hope family was massacred decades ago, she was the only one left after that tragic night.

Mute, paralysed and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora has never been able to tell her side of the story.

Until her new live-in caregiver Kit brings her a typewriter.

And with one working finger Lenora begins to type:

I want to tell you everything.

My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Hello Stranger

Savannah Hendricks Why did I love this book?

This was the first time I read a book by Katherine Center, but I’d seen her books everywhere. I don’t think I would have ever picked up Hello Stranger, or any others, had it not been for a book club I’m in picking it.

Her style of writing and realness wrapped in humor hooked me within the first paragraph.

I instantly cared about the characters and hated the “bad characters” as though I’d known them for years. I’m so glad I took a chance and found a wonderful new author, which led me to add her backlist to my TBR list. 

By Katherine Center,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The brand new romcom from New York Times bestselling romance sensation Katherine Center, perfect for fans of BOOK LOVERS and THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION.

"Love isn't blind, it's just little blurry..."

Sadie Montgomery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. Only it happens to coincide with a minor surgery she needs to have...

Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Charms for the Easy Life

Savannah Hendricks Why did I love this book?

I selected Charms for the Easy Life for my book club, hoping that it would offer something for every reader, even with it published back in 1993. And I think it ended up being a great book because, as a family saga, there was love, laughter, heartbreak, and courage.

The story was something that an eighteen-year-old could relate to as much as an eighty-year-old. It’s hard to find a book that such a wide audience can enjoy. There is something wonderful about a book when you can find sentences that make you grab your highlighter. 

By Kaye Gibbons,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Charms for the Easy Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A story featuring three generations of strong-willed Southern women in North Carolina during the 1930s and '40s. The indomitable Charlie Kate is a self-taught country doctor who handles everything from midwifery to kitchen dentistry, and flouts convention by giving sex-education to teenagers.


Plus, check out my book…

The Album

By Savannah Hendricks,

Book cover of The Album

What is my book about?

After her dad’s sudden passing, Michelle Davis returns to the childhood mansion she once called home. Only this time, she’s caring for her mom, who is struggling with schizophrenia and dementia. Thrust into the unexpected role of a caretaker, Michelle has her hands full when the haunted mansion’s past returns.

Meanwhile, some twenty-eight years earlier, intrigued by what she found hidden behind the one-hundred-year-old wallpaper, Michelle will soon discover it’s never easy to set the past free.

Michelle’s complex past and present are woven between the unlikely realms of Christianity and witchcraft. Can she overcome the mansion’s history before it takes another family member’s soul, secure the present, and plan for her future?

My book recommendation list