15 Best Books I Read in 2023 (and who else would love them)
Have you been wondering what on earth you should read next? I’ve got you covered.
One of my favorite year-end traditions is to look back on my year of reading and select those books that stood out from all the rest, books I’d recommend to friends looking for the best books to read next.
And though my annual reading list may not have the cachet of Barack Obama’s highly anticipated reading recommendations (yet!), I do read extensively and have excellent taste in books, IMHO.
About my reading habits: I read in a variety of genres, from classic novels to contemporary fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, and even a smattering of thriller and romance thrown in there. I make a point of reading international literature, as well, and much of my reading is guided by the places I’m traveling; I always try to read as many books by local authors as I can (and share my place-based reading lists for you all to enjoy, too).
I read more than 85 books this year across many genres, but in this list, you’ll find contemporary fiction recommendations, nonfiction book recommendations, and classic novel recommendations. So next time you’re stuck wondering what book to get from a bookstore or to check out from the library, come back and consult this list, because there’s probably something here you’re bound to love.
Don’t forget to pin this post for later to reference when you need good book recommendations.
As always, this post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, shopping from them may generate small commissions to support the operations of this blog.
Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.
You can find the almost-complete book list at my Bookshop.org storefront here (some titles were not available there but are also linked on Amazon):
Best Contemporary Fiction recommendations
Contemporary fiction was my most-read genre in 2023, and in most years. In particular, I love reading literary fiction and discovering international writers I haven’t read before. Here are my favorites from my contemporary fiction reading in 2023, and what type of readers I think would enjoy each book recommendation.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
I’m a little late to the party on The Shadow of the Wind, but what a party it is! Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a writer hailing from Spain, and this is a literary fiction/thriller novel set in Barcelona. Translated from the original Spanish, it tells the parallel stories of Julian and Daniel, who live and love in Barcelona during and after the Spanish Civil War, respectively.
This book is all about the power of books, but it’s also about love, war, and revenge. The mystery is woven throughout the story, and it kept me compelled from start to finish.
The Shadow of the Wind is the first in a series of four, the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. I haven’t read further in the series, so I can’t say anything as to the quality of the sequels, but this first one is absolutely worth a read.
Read this book if: you enjoy poetic, lyrical novels, or are looking for books set in Barcelona
The Songs of Penelope Trilogy (#1-2) by Claire North
I had just about had my fill of Greek mythology retellings when I saw Ithaca by Claire North passionately recommended on a trusted Bookstagrammer’s page. I’m so glad I picked up a copy, because I think Claire North is the equal of Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe.
This series tells the story of Queen Penelope while Odysseus is away during the Trojan War and his long journey home. It’s a familiar story, but North manages such a fresh take on the characters, and the writing is gorgeous.
Ithaca and The House of Odysseus were some of my most-loved novels this year. I can’t wait for the third and final part of the Songs of Penelope Trilogy to come out in 2024!
Read these books if: you love literary fiction featuring complex characters and/or are on a Greek mythology kick
Related: Interested in discovering more great books to read? Check out my top book recommendations from 2020 and from 2022.
What You are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
This year, I’ve found myself gravitating towards some cozy reads, and What You Are Looking for is In The Library definitely fit the bill. This book out of Japan has taken the book-loving world by storm, and it’s well worth the hype. Each chapter is narrated by a different character, each at a life crossroads, and each helped along in their journey by an insightful librarian, Sayuri Komachi.
It’s a heartwarming read that will remind you why libraries matter, and also make you feel like whatever change you are scared of making, well, you better get on and make it anyway. Beautiful things are bound to happen.
Read this book if: you are a library lover, or if you are at a personal crossroads and wondering what to do with the rest of your life and in need of encouragement
Olympiad: An Historical Novel by Tom Holt
This historical fiction novel set in Greece absolutely surprised me. Olympiad is a hilarious take on Greek history (the origin of the Olympics, to be exact), but it’s also an insightful look into the inherent unreliability of all histories.
Olympiad will make you laugh out loud AND question the credibility of every history we’ve taken for granted as truth.
Read this book if: you appreciate lighthearted humor and want a break from the all-too-earnest style of historical fiction
Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport
Toward the beginning of this year, I was finishing off a reading list of books set in Hawaii, and Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport was one of my favorites on the list. It’s an ambitious novel, tackling multiple generations’ worth of Hawaiian history and cultural change. It focuses on multiple generations of Native Hawaiian women, all the way into the present day, and it’s both complex and insightful.
Read this book if: you’ve never read anything by a Native Hawaiian writer, enjoy multigenerational fiction, or are planning a trip to Hawaii
The Highland Witch/Corag/ Witch Light by Susan Fletcher
Witch Light by Susan Fletcher (it has several different titles depending on the country) was one of the first contemporary fiction novels I read this year, and it set the bar very high. So to still be near the top of my list by the end of the year is saying something!
This book is a beautifully written, historical fiction novel that takes place in Scotland. It’s the story of Corag, an outcast from society because she and her mother have always been suspected of witchcraft. It’s a unique vantage point from which to tell the story of the Glencoe Massacre, but it’s also a love song to the wild beauty of Scotland, and the wild beauty inside all of us.
Read this book if: you want to be transported back to Scottish clan life, or you have a love for the great outdoors
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
This modern fantasy novel is a perfect cozy read and one that struck all the right chords for me when I read it this year.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is about a sheltered office worker whose job is to inspect orphanages for magical children. He’s always remained emotionally detached, until one assignment turns everything he thinks he knows and believes on its head. An orphanage on an island in a sea of cerulean is home to a unique, found family of magical children who steal his heart, and an orphanage director who’s both enigmatic and captivating.
Read this book if: you want an easy, escapist book that’s full of heart
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis
Zorba the Greek was also among my favorite books set in Greece that I read this year. It’s known as a modern classic and written by a Greek author, Nikos Kazantzakis.
Zorba is a fascinating character study: lacking formal education, he is the embodiment of someone who’s learned from the school of life. He’s the unschooled philosopher and both mentor and foil to the book’s narrator, a young intellectual with very little life experience.
The two men become an unlikely duo, living together in a small hut in Crete and hoping to win their fortune in a lignite mine. I loved reading this book and contemplating such existential issues as morality, religion, and love.
Read this book if: you enjoy slow-paced, philosophical novels or are planning a trip to the Greek islands
Nonfiction Book Recommendations
My nonfiction reading this year was diverse, as usual. I love reading memoirs and also pepper in my reading with books about books and books about life, among other random choices. Here are my top 3 nonfiction book recommendations from 2023.
It’s OK that you’re not OK by Megin Devine
I suffered a great personal loss at the end of 2021, but it’s only been this year that I’ve been able to read books about grief. I’ve read quite a few by this point, and by far, It’s OK That You’re Not OK is the best. It’s a book I wish everyone would read, whether or not you’ve lost someone close to you. Devine understands traumatic loss, and so aptly says the things I wish everyone in the world understood about grief (such as: the “5 stages of Grief” model is complete garbage).
Read this book if: you are in any stage of grief, or if you know or love anyone who is grieving
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
I am an enthusiastic appreciator of ballet and a longtime fan of Misty Copeland, so it was about time for me to read her memoir this year. It did not disappoint. Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina is an engaging read that tells her fascinating and inspiring true story.
Most people familiar with Misty Copeland know that she came to ballet “late” (at the age of 13, as opposed to the age of 5 or 6 like most professional ballerinas) and that she defied the odds and became one of the first Black principal dancers in the American Ballet Theater. But reading about the actual journey of how she attained her success and the unique hurdles she had to face was riveting.
I have all the more respect and admiration for Misty Copeland and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better.
Read this book if: you enjoy a well-written memoir, especially a good underdog story
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
If Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls were a bookseller and not a diner owner and wrote a book, this would be that book. (And if you understand what I mean by that reference, hello, welcome, you are my people.)
Shaun Bythell is the real-life owner and operator of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland. One day over a decade ago, he decided to jot down notes in a diary recording the unique happenings of running a bookshop: the idiotic things customers said or did, daily sales figures, and the books he got excited about, among other things. The result is The Diary of a Bookseller, a year in the life of a real-world, honest-to-goodness book seller.
Be warned that this isn’t the glamorous picture of becoming a bookshop owner of Hallmark movies. Running a bookshop is clearly hard work, and Shaun doesn’t glamorize his work. He’s the Luke Danes of Wigtown, a verifiable curmudgeon, but I thoroughly enjoyed spending a year alongside him and The Bookshop in Wigtown.
Read this book if: you like reading books set in bookshops, or have ever wondered if you should quit your 9-5 and open a bookshop
Classic Novel Recommendations
I didn’t read an inordinate amount of classic novels this year, but a respectable amount all the same. Many of the classics I read this year were actually re-reads. It’s always fascinating to me to see how we interpret, understand, and enjoy novels at different points in our lives. Many of the classics I revisited this year I hadn’t read since my teenage years.
Here are my top recommendations for classic novels based on my 2023 reading.
The Odyssey by Homer
Re-reading The Odyssey this year in a new translation by Emily Wilson was a delight. While it reads very differently from a modern adventure tale, this is still the ultimate hero’s journey, even for modern readers. This time around, I alternated between reading a hard copy and listening to Claire Danes narrate it on Audible. (If you haven’t yet, get my hot take: is Audible really worth it?)
Read this book if: you haven’t read it yet! Or if it’s been a while and you want to check out the rad new translation by Emily Wilson.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
This year’s reread of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall confirmed what I had already believed to be true: Anne Brontë is the best writer from among her (more famous) sisters, Charlotte and Emily. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights get all the attention from readers of Victorian novels, but The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is at least their equal, and in many respects, it is their superior.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall has a fantastic central female character, one who is principled, determined, feisty, and introverted. She is the mysterious widow, Helen Graham, who takes up residence in the crumbling and neglected Wildfell Hall.
Helem is obviously inclined to keep company only with her son, but everyone in the neighborhood is determined to figure out who she is and what has brought her here. There’s mystery, there’s romance (though not unproblematic as a modern reader), and there’s mood, of course.
Read this book if: you’ve only checked out the works of Charlotte or Emily Brontë, or if you’re looking to discover some more feminist Victorian literature
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
I actually had never read Treasure Island before this year, and I can’t understand why! In a lot of classic adventure tales, there’s a lot of exposition and not a lot of action, but that is not the case with Treasure Island. It’s a riveting adventure tale, full of action and plot twists from start to finish.
This is an easy classic to read and really brings out the inner child. I read it as part of the summer box from the Literary Book Club. Book subscription boxes like this are one of my top recommendations for a Valentine’s gift for a reader (or really, a gift for any occasion!).
Read this book if: you’re looking for an easy classic to read and want to mentally escape your life to become a swash-buckling pirate.
That wraps up my list of book recommendations from my 2023 reading. What were the best books you read this year?
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