Looking for some amazing new releases and some of the best books of 2023? Check out this list of my absolute favorites…
2023 was a great year for books. I read some of the best books over the last few months, and when I decided to put together this list, I was a little flummoxed. There were just so many to choose from!
Whether you like mysteries, romances, literary fiction, or science fiction, this list of best books in 2023 has something for you. I tried to vary the offerings in hopes that everyone will leave this post with at least one recommendation they can’t wait to add to their TBR list.
Here are some of the best books that came out last year. Enjoy!
The Best Books of 2023
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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Set in Chicken Hill, a worn-down neighborhood where Jewish immigrants and African-Americans live together, a skeleton has been found. The town has secrets and as you watch the interplay and overlap of the residents’ lives, you gain a new understanding of what community really means. Truly a wonderful and heartfelt story.
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
This 2023 release is a follow-up to Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter. It’s set on the tribal land of Sugar Island, where a summer internship leads young and carefree Perry Firekeeper-Birch into the world of antiquity acquisition and the quest to bring home the remains of her people’s ancestors. Against the backdrop of young native women’s murders, Perry and her friends must race to save both the living and the dead from the selfish hands of collectors. Great, great book.
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Mallory is finished with chess, until a favor and a charity game pits her against the current world champion – who she beats. So begins her journey into the pro chess circuit. Guided by new friends, she learns there’s more to the game and her love for it than she ever thought possible. And the notorious champion she beat? He can’t stop thinking about her. Fabulous romance and witty banter.
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
This fourth installment of the Thursday Murder Club Mysteries starts with a friend of the club being murdered. Now there’s missing heroin, art forgers, and bodies turning up to create a mystery only these four septuagenarians can solve. This series just gets better and better.
The Long Game by Elena Armas
Adalyn finds herself banished from the pro soccer circuit by her owner father after an altercation with a mascot. Her penance is to be in charge of a team of misfit girls in rural North Carolina, with a cranky coach who just might be a soccer star in hiding. This is a swoon-worthy romance with plenty of funny moments and excellent banter.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
This book is everything an adventure tale should be. Amina al-Sirafi is trying to live a quiet life far from her pirating days on the high seas. But one day, she is brought an offer she can’t refuse. Gathering her crew and a few unwelcome additions, she sets off to find a rich runaway. She had no idea what she was in for… Wonderful characters and exciting adventures move this story along beautifully.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
This book of an author who goes from nobody to the bestseller list after stealing the manuscript of an Asian friend and taking on an ethnically-ambiguous persona is dark and fascinating. As June struggles to keep her secret against a blackmailer, this first-person narrative shows you how far someone might go to keep what they think they deserve.
Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Rival physicists who don’t always agree but can’t stop looking at each other? Things are bound to get interesting. Add in that Elsie has been fake dating Jack’s brother and Jack stands between Elsie and the tenure job she desperately desires at MIT and fireworks are guaranteed. Witty, smart, and sexy, this is a STEM romance you’ll love.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Told as a story to her daughters during the early days of Covid when they return to the family farm for lockdown, Lara is begged to revisit her days working and dating the famous movie star Peter Duke. Alternating between present day and her twenties, Lara tells stories and keeps secrets about the turbulent times when she worked at the theater company Tom Lake. Unputdownable.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
This story about bad first impressions and how one letter can change everything is so good. Briana is a doctor whose life is in the gutter, except for a promotion she is expecting. That is until another candidate arrives and makes a horrible first impression. Determined to hate Jacob, she is forced to reevaluate when he sends her a letter. Even more so when he offers something she’s been dreaming of. You’ll love following these two wary characters as they navigate feelings and circumstances to eventually find their happy ending.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
It’s hard not to love this nosy and unrepentant tea shop owner. Vera Wong wakes up one morning to find a body in her shop. She doesn’t know the man, but it seems to her the police are quite inept. So she does them a favor and begins assembling suspects. The only problem is she starts to become rather fond of them – even if one of them is a murderer. Funny and outlandish like many of this Sutanto’s books, this great read will surely entertain you.Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
In the first book of this series, the story follows two rival newspaper reporters as they vie for the same job while trying to understand a war that is developing far from home. Soon they find themselves at the front lines for different reasons and what started out as animosity soon turns to respect and deeper feelings. This is part romance, part fantasy as the war in question is between gods with human armies. I warn you, this leaves off with a bit of a cliffhanger, but I think it’s worth reading and waiting for the next installment – out now!
The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel
Three women’s lives are intertwined when an off-hand comment leads to the dissolution of a marriage, a runaway wife, and a baby left with the cuckolded ex-wife. Poeppel excels at creating characters you can’t help but love and this large ensemble is unique and wonderful in its own ways – even the not-so-wonderful characters. With a wild plot like this, you won’t want to put this book down until you see how she resolves it all. One of my favorite reads of 2023.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
This first book in a fantasy series set in a reality where there are dragon riders and rebellions will enthrall anyone. Follow Violet as she navigates her first year as a rider in training, making allies and foes, and maybe finding love among danger. Great for fantasy fans. The second installment, Iron Flame, is out now.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
This time travel book will enthrall you. Book publicist Clementine is a little surprised to find Iwan in her newly inherited apartment, but even more so when she puzzles out that he’s from seven years in the past. As she develops feelings for the Iwan of the past, things get more tricky when she meets Iwan of the present day. And she wonders what happened over seven years to make him change so much. As she jumps back and forth in time, she slowly sees how their time together seven years ago influenced the man he became. Is it possible for anything to happen between them now? Such an amazing romance!
I hope you love these books as much as I do. Every year, it’s so much fun picking the best books and this one was no different. The hardest part was narrowing them down! Check out the links below for more great books from 2023 and past years!
Looking for more book recommendations? Check out these posts:
The Best Books of 2023 (So Far)
10 Best Fiction Books of 2022 (So Far)
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
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