The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023

Book cover of In: A Graphic Novel

Seth J. Gillihan Why did I love this book?

It blew me away with its emotional richness.

I found myself sobbing at several points throughout the book as the protagonist/narrator struggled to find ways to connect with the people in his life, from acquaintances to beloved family members.

McPhail captured a challenge that is all too familiar—how to engage in real ways in a world that more often fosters alienation and division.

I loved the book so much that I immediately read it a second time after I finished it. 

By Will McPhail,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A poignant and witty graphic novel by a leading New Yorker cartoonist, following a millennial's journey from performing his life to truly connecting with people

Nick, a young illustrator, can’t shake the feeling that there is some hidden realm of human interaction beyond his reach. He haunts lookalike fussy, silly, coffee shops, listens to old Joni Mitchell albums too loudly, and stares at his navel in the hope that he will find it in there. But it isn’t until he learns to speak from the heart that he begins to find authentic human connections and is let in—to the worlds…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Crossroads

Seth J. Gillihan Why did I love this book?

My aunt-in-law, a well-known poet, recommended this book to me largely because the main character was a pastor, and I grew up as the son of a preacher man.

Franzen expertly portrays the complexities of individual characters’ psyches, as well as the intricacies of family dynamics. Every character is three-dimensional with a backstory, relatable foibles, and the full suite of human strengths and weaknesses.

Whether you grew up as a preacher’s kid or with no religion at all, you’ll find a lot that pulls you into this story, start to finish. 

By Jonathan Franzen,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Jonathan Franzen’s gift for wedding depth and vividness of character with breadth of social vision has never been more dazzlingly evident than in Crossroads.

It’s December 23, 1971, and heavy weather is forecast for Chicago. Russ Hildebrandt, the associate pastor of a liberal suburban church, is on the brink of breaking free of a marriage he finds joyless—unless his wife, Marion, who has her own secret life, beats him to it. Their eldest child, Clem, is coming home from college on fire with moral absolutism, having taken an action that will shatter his father. Clem’s sister, Becky, long the social…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Congratulations, The Best Is Over!: Essays

Seth J. Gillihan Why did I love this book?

This book got my attention when I heard a radio interview with the author, R. Eric Thomas.

I’ve gone through a really difficult period with my health that has lasted through most of my forties, and Thomas describes his own challenges that emerged at midlife.

He brings a light touch to the difficulties of this life phase—including career issues, family struggles, loss, and illness—while also acknowledging the darker times and periods of depression that I could relate to.

In the end, his tone is as optimistic as it is realistic, and he shows how beauty can be found even in the wreckage of our dreams about what life would be. 

By R. Eric Thomas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Congratulations, The Best Is Over! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The beloved author of Here for It returns with an all-new collection of heartening, deeply relatable, and laugh-out-loud essays about what happens after happily ever after.

“Funny, insightful, and hopeful . . . a profound meditation on what it means to come home, and on finding your way again after the chaos of life takes you off your path.”—John Paul Brammer, author of ¡Hola Papi!

After going viral “reading” the chaotic political news, having one-too-many awkward social encounters, and coming to terms with his intersecting identities, R. Eric Thomas finally knew who he was and where he…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope, and Peace

By Seth J. Gillihan,

Book cover of Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope, and Peace

What is my book about?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offers many science-based techniques for relieving symptoms like anxiety and depression. However, these reductive approaches often don’t offer the lasting peace we long for. To find true health and well-being, we must embrace the spiritual in our healing.

Psychologist Seth Gillihan’s Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy blends insights from CBT, mindfulness, Stoicism, and mysticism into the healing process.

This extraordinary guide teaches us how to retrain our minds to banish the stubborn lies we tell ourselves and focus on the deep truths of our existence—that we are perfect in our imperfections, and, most importantly, that we are beings deserving of love.

My 8-year-old's favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Girl Games

Seth J. Gillihan Why did they love this book?

My daughter loved this book because it included all four main goddesses’ perspectives: Artemis, goddess of the hunt; Athena, goddess of wisdom, inventions, and war; Persephone, goddess of plants and queen of the Underworld; and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.

It also included 3 God Boys and one human boy: Ares, god of war; Hades, god of the dead, jewels, and king of the Underworld; Heracles, who was turned into a god; and Acteon, who is a mortal. These 8 special God Boys, Goddess Girls, and a mortal go on an exciting expedition…

But you’ll have to read the book to find out much more about these adventurers!

By Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Girl Games 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?

The first-ever standalone Super Special in the Goddess Girls series--let the games begin!  Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis are so annoyed at being left out of the annual boys-only Olympic Games. Their solution? The Girl Games! But as the Goddess Girls work to turn their dream into a reality, they come up against plenty of chaos, competition, and even the cutest kitten ever. Told in the four girls' alternating points of view, this Super Special is packed with Olympic spirit!


Explore all books for 8-year-olds

Book cover of In: A Graphic Novel
Book cover of Crossroads
Book cover of Congratulations, The Best Is Over!: Essays

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