The Best Books Of 2023: My Favorite Reads of the Year

My List of the Best Books I Read in 2023

It was naive of me to think compiling my list of the best books of 2023 would be easy! This list started as a top ten list, then a top ten standalone book list plus a list of series, and ultimately to 14 individual books and 11 series. When I say series, these range from huge multi-volume stories like Throne of Glass to a handful of two-volume duologies. My best books of 2023 range in genres and styles, so I hope you find something fun to add to your TBR!

My 2023 Reading Stats

In all, my 2023 reading stats come in at 108 books — eight over my reading goal (as of 12/20). Not all of these made it into my list of best books of 2023, but you can find the rest of them in my reading journals here. I didn’t track regular books versus audiobooks, but I’d say it was about a 70/30 split in favor of regular books. Either way, according to StoryGraph, I read 47,396 pages this year, with about a quarter of the books read falling under the “adventurers” mood (which tracks with all the fantasy books). My top two genres were historical fiction (64) and fantasy (45), closely followed by romance (37), obviously with some overlap between the three groups. Sarah J. Maas was my most-read author, which is to be expected, since I devoured her entire library this year.

Now, without further ado, here are my best books of 2023!

What You’ll Find in My Best Books of 2023 List:

This round up of my best books of 2023 is a part of my What to Read series, where I share themed reading lists and book guides based on genre, time period, theme, or author.
You can peruse more of my What to Read reading guides here!

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My Best Books of 2023: Standalone Books

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Like Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (a favorite read of mine from 2022), Malibu Rising is a fast-paced novel with an ensemble cast. A book with so many characters should not be so easy to follow, but Reid has a mythic talent for orienting her reader and leading them through a tangled web of family and social drama.

The book follows the Riva siblings, four close-knit twenty-somethings continuously dealing with the fallout from major family losses. It is realistic in its emotions, dramatic without being over the top. All in all, a great, quick read.

Shop Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid here.

Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch

First things first, I highly recommend the Audible audiobook version, which is narrated by Vanessa Kirby. I want all of the audiobooks I listen to going forward narrated by her. It was great. When I listened to it earlier this year, I knew straight away I would have to include it in my best books of 2023! A dramatic retelling of the Arthurian tale through the eyes of Morgan, half-sister to King Arthur, who eventually becomes the Morgan Le Fay of legends.

And good news — this is the first installment of a planned trilogy!

Shop Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch here.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Emilia Hart’s debut novel Weyward had shown up a handful of times on my Instagram feed before I picked up the book for myself. It’s been critically acclaimed across the board as a great new historical fiction novel. It recently won two well-earned Goodreads Choice Awards: both for Best Historical Fiction and for Best Debut Novel. So it’s hardly a surprise that it found a spot in my best books of 2023!

So, I had built the novel up in my head. And I am pleased to say that it certainly lived up to the hype!

Weyward follows women in a relatively remote family line, telling three different stories from three very different time periods. The first pillar of the novel is a witch hunt, the second a war-time awakening, and, the third, a contemporary woman’s escape from an abusive relationship. The writing was fantastic and the narratives of each character weave together with ease. I read it in a day. Couldn’t put it down!

Shop Weyward by Emilia Hart here.

Lilith by Nikki Margery

A triumphant feminist retelling of the oft-maligned Lilith, Nikki Marmery’s novel is a masterpiece in myth retelling. Written in a conversational style, the novel follows Lilith’s fall from Paradise and her quest for revenge with matter-of-fact precision.

A telling story of human nature, Lilith’s quest brings her into contact — and conflict — with other big-names in the Biblical world, like Noah and his wife Norea, Queen Jezebel, and Mary Magdalene.

When I say I could hardly put this book down, I mean it. I was reading it on the plane to a friend’s bachelorette party weekend and used every moment of downtime to get through a few more pages. It was that intriguing!

Shop Lilith by Nikki Margery here.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Widely acclaimed as a great fantasy novel of 2022, Nettle & Bone is a quick-but-moving novel of a twisted fairytale. This tagline says it best: “This isn’t the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince. It’s the one where she kills him.“

Honestly, with the first few pages, I wondered whether I should DNF this one. It opens with the main character, Marra, crafting a magic dog out of bones. However, it’s not a conventional dog death book, and the bone dog comes alive and is a main character.

I’m glad I stuck with it, because it turned out to be one of my best books of 2023! A bit like Throne of Glass/ACOTAR meets The Witcher meets general engrossing fantasy. Definitely pick up a copy!

Shop Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher here.

Circe by Madeline Miller

Circe had been on my TBR list for some time, and I finally picked it up from the Oxford Exchange bookstore earlier this year. And let me tell you, it didn’t take more than a few pages to realize why this book has been so popular. Not only is this one of my best books of 2023, but it was my reintroduction to Greek mythology, a whole genre I’m really loving lately.

Madeline Miller’s mythic retelling follows Circe, the unloved daughter of Helios, god of the sun. Circe is the child of a god and goddess, but not powerful or alluring like them. She is immortal, but largely powerless. That is, until she discovers her talent for witchcraft. This talent leads to her banishment, from which her story truly unfolds. Bringing in familiar figures like Odysseus and Penelope, Miller’s novel is heartfelt, gripping, and powerful from start to finish.

Shop Circe by Madeline Miller here.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I ordered The Song of Achilles immediately after I finished Circe by Madeline Miller. Like Circe, this novel is very easy to get lost in.

Set in Greece during the age of heroes, the novel follows Patroclus and Achilles. The former is an awkward youth without any special talents (not unlike Circe), whereas the latter is the golden youth who would become “the best of all the Greeks.” The novel follows the boys’ youth and adolescence, their love and friendship, ultimately bringing the story into the Trojan War.

Shop The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller here.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Kate Quinn never ceases to amaze me with her gripping, female-driven historical fiction. Seriously, this woman can write amazing novels about just about any period in history, from Ancient Rome to Renaissance Italy, to World War II Belgium.

Alternating between two women’s stories — one in 1947, the other in 1915 — surrounding World Wars I and II, The Alice Network is a gripping novel of espionage, familial devotion, and the endurance of human strength. Really, this book has it all and I knew it would be a shoe in for my best books of 2023 list. I could hardly put it down!

Shop The Alice Network by Kate Quinn here.

P.S. learn more about Kate Quinn’s earlier historical fiction, The Empress of Rome series, here and her duology The Borgia Chronicles, set in Renaissance Italy, here!

A Long Time Dead by Samara Berger

I stayed up way too late while reading Samara Breger’s A Long Time Dead; I just couldn’t put it down! When I finished it, I had to just sit there for a few minutes reflecting on just how much had happened in the mere 349 pages! Without a doubt one of my best books of 2023.

This book feels like an epic adventure tale, full of newly made vampires, elder vampires with great stories to tell (one was a confidant of Catherine of Aragon!), romantic love (it is a spicy one!), companions as chosen family and…well, the list goes on.

Shop A Long Time Dead by Samara Berger here.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Described as a comedy, Lessons in Chemistry is a complicated novel that shouldn’t be oversimplified. It is funny at times, yes, but, more than anything, the novel holds a mirror to society in revealing ways.

Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott, an accomplished scientist in the 1960s dealing with constant gender discrimination in her work. She falls in love with Calvin Evans, a giant in the chemistry community, and, together, they are a chemistry dream team. After Evans’ untimely death, though, Elizabeth finds herself a single mother and jobless. Through a series of strange events, Elizabeth becomes the host of a daily afternoon cooking show (you have to read the book, it makes sense, I’m skipping a lot of detail here). Chaos ensues.

Apple TV did a miniseries version of the book and it was ok. Like, I would recommend watching it because Brie Larson is in it and there are some really cute parts. But it felt like they either could have made the whole thing into a movie or into two seasons; the length and depth of the story in the show just didn’t quite work for me. It was kind of a bummer in that sense, since the novel is one of my best books of 2023. There is a cute dog, though, so that’s a plus.

(P.S. Mild spoiler alert: There is a dog in the book. The dog does NOT die.)

Shop Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus here.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

Kristin Harmel’s The Book of Lost Names caught my eye at my favorite local bookstore in Winter Park. Funnily enough, the main character starts the novel as a semi-retired librarian, Eva, in the same central Florida city. From that point, I knew I would enjoy the novel.

Local ties aside, The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is a powerful novel, full of human drama and espionage during World War II. Telling the story of the semi-retired librarian’s early work as part of the resistance in WWII France, this novel offers groundswells of emotion, as Eva maneuvers through forging official documents to get Jewish children out of France. The writing was fantastic, and I’ve read a few more books by Harmel besides this one, but The Book of Lost Names was my top pick of hers for best books of 2023.

Shop The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel here.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I was a bit late to the party on this one, but now I see why everyone on Instagram loved this book! Telling the rom com story of when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales, Red, White, and Royal Blue is equal parts funny and heart warming.

With dynamic characters and an entertaining plot, I found myself shirking work and responsibilities just to hear what happened next. On that note, I highly recommend the audiobook version of this; the narration really added to the story!

Shop Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston here.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

I know this is technically a duology, but book two doesn’t come out until the very end of this month, so I don’t have time to read it and include it here as one of my best books of 2023. So, I’m considering it a stand-alone novel for purposes of this round up.

A bookstagram favorite I’d had on my TBR for a while, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a relatively quick read that is almost a mix of Crescent City and The Alice Network. It’s a fantasy world that feels pretty similar to ours, with human characters and plenty of human emotions. Lots of dark academia vibes, as well, which is always a win in my opinion.

Shop Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross here.

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

As with Divine Rivals, A River Enchanted is part one of a two part series by Rebecca Ross. I have only had the chance to read this first book, though, so I’m considering it a stand-alone novel here.

Since I enjoyed Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals so much, I was eager to start her Scottish-inspired fantasy duology, the Elements of Cadence books. They’ve been quite popular at the library, so I was waiting on this one for a while, but it was well worth the wait!

After years away from the island town of Cadence, Jack Tamerlaine is summoned home under mysterious circumstances only to learn that local girls are being abducted from the town. He is quickly brought into league with an old nemesis and clan heir Adaira to solve the mystery. Throughout their investigations, Jack learns bits and pieces about his own shadowy past, and a relationship develops between him and his former nemesis. The novel is beautifully lyrical, infused with fascinating folklore throughout.

This was one of my best books of 2023 based on both the story and the narration. I highly recommend getting the audiobook for this one; the narrator is so soothing and it’s a great listening experience all around!

Shop A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross here.

My Best Books of 2023: Series

The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros

My best books of 2023 list would be woefully incomplete without The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros. If you spend any time on Bookstagram, you’ll have seen Fourth Wing making the rounds en masse over summer and then Iron Flame took over in November. This series is a bit similar to Throne of Glass, with a Hunger Games kind of vibe to it, full of drama, political intrigue, badass women, otherworldly romance, and dragons. Plus, not only are there dragons, but the dragons are fully developed characters, which is extra fun.

Iron Flame was every bit as amazing as Fourth Wing. I don’t care what anyone says about it, it was not too long, it did not need better editing. I enjoyed every minute of this 640 page book. My only issue was all the miscommunication between Violet and Xander, but I chalked that up to *the drama*.

So, go read this book and, once you’re done, join me down the theory rabbit holes on TikTok and Instagram about how Violet has two dragons, who her mom really was, how to cure venin, and more!

Shop The Empyrean Series here.

The Cuba Saga by Chanel Cleeton

Cleeton has crafted a robust and thought provoking book series, The Cuba Saga, which largely follows the fictional wealthy Cuban Perez family. Looking both backwards and forward in the Perez family timeline, this book series touches on a number of major Cuban historical events, and discusses the nuances of the social consequences of revolution, regime change, and relocation to the United States.

Shop The Cuba Saga books here.

Read more about The Cuba Saga series in my full review here.

The Egyptian Royals Collection by Michelle Moran

In the Egyptian Royals Collection, Michelle Moran channels her archaeological experience and passion for history into moving historical fiction novels about Egyptian royal women. Moran is a prolific historical fiction writer, and her works span the continents and visit many fascinating periods in history.

This particular series, though, focuses on Nefertiti, Nefertari, and Cleopatra Selene. If you’re anything like me, these may be names you have heard but figures you know little about. Through this fast-paced series, Michelle Moran brings these women, and the central figures around them, into clear focus, bringing the reader along for a fascinating tour of Egyptian history.

Shop The Egyptian Royals books here.

Read more about this series in my full review here.

The Crescent City Series by Sarah J. Maas

Not only is this series some of my best books of 2023, but they’re probably my favorite of the Sarah J. Maas library. The Crescent City Series by Sarah J. Maas, in its simplest terms, is about a half-Fae-half-human heroine who seeks revenge for her best friend’s death. Really, though, the series is so much more than that. Set in a contemporary fantasy world, this series has all the markers of the Sarah J. Maas book universe with the inclusion of modern technology. With two books currently available and a third to be released in January 2024, the Crescent City books promise to be one of the most monumental series in the Sarah J. Maas universe.

Shop the Crescent City books here.

Read more about this series in my full review here.

The A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

At its core, the ACOTAR series follows Feyre Archeron as she leaves her mortal home behind and enters into the far lands of Prythian. The series starts out with Feyre, a nineteen-year-old mortal woman, hunting to provide for her impoverished family and killing a wolf in the woods. The wolf in question was actually a faerie, and a terrifying monster soon after arrives at Feyre’s family’s home to demand retribution. Feyre goes with him, crossing over the boundary from the mortal, human realm to that of the Fae, and the story takes off from there.

Shop the ACOTAR books here.

Read more about this series in my full review here.

The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas’ longest series, Throne of Glass, consists of seven books plus a collection of novellas. It is a high fantasy series, not unlike ACOTAR, with some heavy world building that totally sucked me in. The story follows teenage heroine Celaena Sardothien, a woman of many names (AKA Aelin Galanthynius), as she progresses from paid assassin to displaced queen retaking her kingdom.

There is a huge ensemble cast, with a variety of high fantasy figures, from fae to witches, shapeshifters to demons. Even with this huge cast of characters and dramatic world building, Sarah J. Maas manages to keep Celaena’s story front and center.

I need to devote a space of time to write a full FAQ blog post about this series because I dearly loved it and devoured it within a matter of weeks. It’s a behemoth of a series, with a lot to cover, which is why I haven’t managed to get that post written just, but stay tuned!

Shop the Throne of Glass books here.

The Gael Song Series by Shauna Lawless

For fans of historical fiction and Celtic mythology, The Gael Song Series by Shauna Lawless is the perfect mix of genres. Currently, there are two books in the series and they were some of my best books of 2023. The author is working on a third installment to be published at a future date. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of the second book in the series, The Words of Kings and Prophets, so I picked up the first book, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, in the series to get established with the story.

When I say I read these books in a matter of days, I am not exaggerating. Both novels are compelling and engrossing, leading the reader through a myriad of history and mythology that will leave you wanting to know more!

Shop the Gael Song books here.

Read more about this series in my full review here.

The Belladonna Series by Adalyn Grace

Following with a fantasy genre interest, Belladonna follows orphaned heroin Signa as she takes refuge with yet another relative while she waits to inherit her family’s wealth. Signa has a secret gift — or curse — that she begins to cultivate while in this new home, with the help of a reluctant tutor: Death, himself. Adalyn Grace’s writing was so easy to get into and I really enjoyed the story. I was also very glad I already had book two in the series, so I could pick it up right at the end of Belladonna.

Picking up where Belladonna leaves off, the second book in the series, Foxglove, follows Signa and her growing relationship with Death, as she learns more and more about her own powers. However, another complication arises in the form of Fate, who sees Signa as the reincarnation of his former love.

Shop The Belladonna Series by Adalyn Grace here.

The Inheritance Games Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games series is equal parts rags-to-riches story, Gossip Girl, and Knives Out mystery. Kind of literally. If you overlook the fact that Knives Out came out in 2019 and this book was released in 2021, you may think they were written by the same person. Regardless, The Inheritance Games brings in the totally-bingable YA/Gossip Girl drama to the story and is quite the page turner. There are four books in the series; I’ve read three of the four and just received a copy of the fourth, which I can’t wait to get into! It’s nice to have a series on my best books of 2023 list that has another volume out and ready for me to enjoy!

Shop The Inheritance Games books here.

The These Violent Delights Duet by Chloe Gong

A gothic, twentieth-century retelling of Romeo and Juliet, The These Violent Delights Duet manages to maintain some of the Shakespearean basis without being too on the nose. Chloe Gong’s writing style is winding and compelling; the novel kept me interested from start to finish, even if I really had no idea what was going on with the contagion and madness sweeping Shanghai.

Shop The These Violent Delights books here.

The Emily Wilde Series by Heather Fawcett

For anyone interested in faeries and fae folklore, the Emily Wilde Book Series by Heather Fawcett is a must-read. Consisting of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries and Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, this series features a range of fae folklore to keep you fascinated. The epitome of a cozy cottagecore read, the Emily Wilde series mixes earthy magic, slow living, and academic mystery.

Shop the Emily Wilde books here.

Read more about this series in my full review here.

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What were your best books of 2023?
Let me know in the comments so I can add them to my 2024 TBR!