Still Life with Books and Candle by Henri Matisse
In 2023, I read over 70 books that I thought were outstanding, so narrowing them down to just a few is an arbitrary choice based on my personal preferences in this moment. Ask me tomorrow, and the list might change. Presented below are my favorites—those I found phenomenal. Whether you’re in a position to sit down and read without distraction or if you can only snare the time to read or listen to a few pages without having to attend to the duties that keep you afloat, this list has something for you. There are books to comfort you, books to challenge you, books to make you laugh, and those that will make you cry. Wishing you a year in which you find the right book for the space you inhabit at the time. Descriptions of each title appear here.
My Top Five Novels of 2023:
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Honorable Mention Best Novels of 2023:
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
The Caretaker by Ron Rash
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (2021)
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet (2022)
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Maame by Jessica George
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (2022)
The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller (2021)
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro (2022)
Take What You Need by Idra Novey
Tandem by Andy Mozina
The Best Debut Fiction of 2023:
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
The Honorable Mention Best Debut Fiction of 2023:
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Countries of Origin by Javier Fuentes
Maame by Jessica George
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (2022)
The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller (2021)
Memphis by Tara Stringfellow (2022)
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
The Best Historical Fiction (Pigeon Pie) Books of 2023:
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller (2021)
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
The Honorable Mention Best Historical Fiction of 2023:
Absolution by Alice McDermott
Because I Loved You by Donnaldson Brown
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
The Forger of Marseille by Linda Joy Myers
From Dust to Stardust by Kathleeen Rooney
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Horse by Geraldine Brooks (2022)
Künstlers in Paradise by Cathleen Schine
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra
The Best Dessert, Pick-Me-Up Books of 2023:
Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
500 Miles from You by Jenny Colgan (2020)
The Music of the Bees by Eileen Garvin (2022)
The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
The Best Mysteries, Suspense, and Thrillers of 2023:
All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor (2022)
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka (2022)
Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor
The Honorable Mention Best Mysteries, Suspense, and Thrillers of 2023:
Distant Sons by Tom Johnston
Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
Reykjavik by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrin Jakobsdóttir
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
The Best Nonfiction of 2023:
The Art Thief: a True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel
Class: a Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land
Grateful: the Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass (2018)
A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung
Smile by Sarah Ruhl (2021)
Best Young Adult Novel of 2023
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (2022)
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