Tag Archives: Best Books of 2023

Best Books I Read in 2023

Best Books I Read in 2023

Best Books I Read in 2023

I feel like I’ve spent the whole last month scrambling to catch up on the things I didn’t get to in December, which means that my January tasks have also gotten pushed back a little later than normal. But, at last, here we are: talking about the best books I read in 2023.

Last year was a really great one for me in terms of books. I read a lot of books that I very much enjoyed, and even more that I thought were good. I’m hoping to feature even more of them in lists over the next few months. We’ll see how that pans out. But, for now, here’s my list of the best books I read last year.

Note: This post contains affiliate links that do not cost anything for you to use but do generate support for this blog when you use them for your shopping.

Best Books I Read in 2023

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll and Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: This was the first book in the Remixed Classics series that I’d read, and wow. I thought Bayron nailed the style and tense feel of the original story while delivering a novel both fresh and compelling. I loved it.


Stateless by Elizabeth Wein

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I love the way this author creates historical fiction centered around women– especially women pilots! This one had me on the edge of my seat and rooting for its characters from start to finish.


The Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: This book has had quite a journey, so I was delighted to see it find a home with a new publisher. It’s a beautiful, complex story artfully told and my favorite of the author’s work.


Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I’d only recently been introduced to Zappia’s writing, but I was hooked, and when I saw this book listed for release last year, I knew I had to read it. The story is broken into parts, each part narrated by a single character. The parts reveal a mystery that threatens the lives of the whole village. I could not put this down.


Spell Bound by F. T. Lukens

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: This is definitely not the kind of book I’d grab off the shelf on my own– it reads a bit like a paranormal mystery, but with magic– but I couldn’t get enough of the writing and immediately fell in love with the characters.


Hamra and the Jungle of Memories by Hanna Alkaf

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I remember seeing a blogger talk about how much they loved Alkaf’s books, so when I got the opportunity to review this one, I squeezed it into my schedule, and I’m so glad I did. This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with Malaysian folklore, and it’s incredible.


Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I bought this when it came out, but by the time I got around to reading it, I’d read WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH and THE POET X and loved them both. I didn’t think Acevedo could top those, and yet here we are! This is a masterful, heartbreaking tale of sisterhood, grief, and courage.


No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: Steven Salvatore has to be one of the most under-the-radar authors in YA. Every book of theirs I read becomes my new favorite. I laugh. I cry. Every. Time. And every book gets better somehow! In this one, the narrative follows a brother and sister who deal very differently with the death of their father and the existence of a brother they did not know about.


The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: Okay, I love sister books, so I couldn’t resist this one. Estranged sisters. One goes missing and returns… different. The other scrambles to figure out whether she’s losing her mind or something more sinister is going on. Absolutely brilliant.


Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: This is the kind of portal fantasy you can completely lose yourself in. I loved that the magic involved plants. The characters are amazing, especially the cat! I loved this one.


Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills

ReviewAmazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: So, I’ve read some contemporary romance by Emma Mills, and I think she’s hilarious– so I was curious but nervous to see her take on fantasy. I shouldn’t have been nervous at all. If you like the kind of fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is definitely one you’ll want to read!


Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline

ReviewAmazon | BookshopGoodreads

My thoughts: THE SECRET GARDEN is one of the childhood classics I’ve read more than once, so I was nervous about seeing it redone with some of the plot changes (mainly the possible poisoning). However, once I got into the book, I felt completely immersed. Though many things about the story are different here than in the original, I felt like this story preserves Mary’s personal journey and the power that the garden has in her transformation.


The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

ReviewAmazon | BookshopGoodreads

My thoughts: I went into this book expecting another lovely fantasy romance with fairytale vibes, and it has all that. The friends-to-lovers romance was so sweet, and I felt like I was on edge waiting for them to realize their feelings for each other. I loved the dangerous forest and twisted fairytales they encountered.


Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

Review to Come | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I remember wanting to read this back in 2020 when it came out, but I had no idea how powerful a story it was then. It focuses on the journey of a young soccer player in Argentina who keeps her playing a secret because there could be harsh consequences for her otherwise. Filled with powerful storytelling, heartbreak, and triumph. Such a fabulous story.


Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

ReviewAmazon | BookshopGoodreads

My thoughts: Summer camp stories have a special place in my heart, but this one is at the top of my list. I loved the friendships and romance in the book, but I also really enjoyed the commentary on what it’s like to be Deaf or Hard of Hearing in the world today.


What were the best books you read in 2023?

Now that you’ve seen my list of the best books I read in 2023, it’s your turn to tell me about yours. What were the books you read last year that you couldn’t put down? What changed your life?

Have you read any of the books on my list? What did you think about them?

Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to talk more about what you read and what you thought about it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Best New-to-Me Authors of 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Best New-to-Me Authors of 2023

2023 was such a wild year for me, reading-wise. I feel like I spent all year struggling to throttle back my review commitments while simultaneously wildly self-sabotaging every time a publisher sent me a new catalog offering review copies of books I desperately wanted to read. Too many good books is one of my favorite problems to have– except when it adds real stress to my life. It is a wonderful problem to have because you’ve discovered new authors you love, which I absolutely did. In fact, today, I’m sharing a list of the best new-to-me authors of 2023.

Note: Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, participants share a list of their top ten books in a particular topic. This week’s topic is the best books we read in 2023 by authors who were new to us.

Also note: This post contains affiliate links that don’t cost you anything to use but help to support my blog when you use them for your shopping.

Top Ten Tuesday: Best New-to-Me Authors of 2023

Ellen O’Clover – The Seven Percent of Ro Devereux

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: THE SEVEN PERCENT OF RO DEVEREUX is a debut novel, so Ellen O’Clover isn’t just new to me; she’s new to young adult readers everywhere. Ha. The tricky relationships and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope hooked me from the first chapter and had me reading all the way to the end. It’s also got a STEM girl whose dating app goes viral and lands her a chance at her dream job. Waiting for the relationship to turn the corner from enemies to lovers was agony for me in this book. I think readers who like Emma Lord or Jenn Bennett will love this one.

Published January 17, 2023 | My Review


Tim Probert – The Girl and the Galdurian and Shadow of the Bird

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I’m pretty sure I saw another blogger raving about how great this series is, and I just had to check it out. The illustrations are so whimsical and fun– and the story is just the same! Bea (the girl) has anxiety, which the author represents in the panels as a cloud surrounding her and separating her from her allies. I loved that visual representation and the encouraging way that Bea’s partner, Cad, offers her his friendship and support. I’m a pretty hardcore fan of this series and already pre-ordered the third book, which should be out in April.

Published 2020 (Book 1) and 2022 (Book 2) | The Girl and the Galdurian Review | Shadow of the Bird Review


F. T. Lukens – Spell Bound

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I had completely missed out on this author’s work before the offer to review this book came my way via the publisher. Looking at the cover, it’s probably not the first book I’d grab off the shelf, but once I started reading… I knew Lukens was going to be an author I needed to add to my auto-buy list. Basically, this is about two apprentices who work for two rival sorcerers. They’re responsible for handling calls about hexes or cursed objects, and they decide to team up when one’s mentor goes missing. I loved the back-and-forth between these two characters and the weird/wild magical world Lukens created here. I think I already bought their other books, and I really want to read them.

Published April 4, 2023 | My Review


Hanna Alkaf – Hamra and the Jungle of Memories

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: This is another book that I read based on another blogger’s recommendations. (I need to keep better track of where these recs come from.) The description of this Malaysian folklore-based reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood had me so curious. And once I got into the book– the writing and rich setting absolutely swept me away. This isn’t Hanna Alkaf’s first book, either, so she’s another author whose backlist is calling to me even as I watch for news of upcoming books.

Published March 28, 2023 | My Review


Claribel Ortega – Witchlings and The Golden Frog Games

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I bought a copy of GHOST SQUAD when it came out, but I still hadn’t managed to read it when I saw an invitation to a blog tour from Rockstar Book Tours for THE GOLDEN FROG GAMES. Tour participants also received a PDF version of the first book in the series, so I figured I’d start there and review both. I loved the village and all the pageantry surrounding becoming a witchling and part of a coven. It felt fresh and clever and reminded me a bit of CATTYWAMPUS by Ash Van Otterloo, which I also loved. I heard another book influencer talk about the way that Ortega writes middle grade without ever talking down to readers, and I totally agree. The books feel young, as they should, and yet bear a wisdom beyond the years of the characters that never interferes with the joy of reading them.

Published 2022 (Book 1) and 2023 (Book 2) | Witchlings Review | The Golden Frog Games Review


M. R. Fournet – Brick Dust and Bones

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I’m a pretty squeamish reader, so I don’t read a lot of horror, but there is something about this book. Maybe it’s the old New Orleans setting with its fog of ghostly, dangerous creatures. Maybe it’s the sweet, determined main character who is absolutely in over his head but can’t stop until he finds a way to save his mom. It could also be the poignant writing that I couldn’t stop thinking about, even when the book ended. This is another debut novel, and still one more author whose books I’m anxiously anticipating. Because the cover is a little extra creepy, I went into this book thinking I’d just sample a chapter or two, and before I knew it, I’d been carried away all the way to the last page. I’m super excited for the sequel, which should be out this summer.

Published July 18, 2023 | My Review


Francesca Zappia – Katzenjammer and Greymist Fair

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I’ve been aware of Francesca Zappia’s books since 2015, but for some reason, I’d never read any until last year. KATZENJAMMER is a pretty surreal book, maybe somewhere in the vein of Nova Ren Suma or A. S. King? I loved the storytelling, though, and the way Zappia made me feel what the characters were experiencing and think about things in a different way. When I saw GREYMIST FAIR, I had just finished reading KATZ, so I was really curious how this author would do a more traditional fantasy story. I loved the way the story is split into parts, and each one reveals more about what’s happening in this small, isolated village. If you like darker fairytale stories, closer to the original Grimm Brothers tales, definitely grab GREYMIST FAIR.

Published 2022 (Katzenjammer) and 2023 (Greymist Fair) | Katzenjammer Review | Greymist Fair Review


S. Jae Jones – Zhara: Guardians of the Dawn

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: This is another author I’ve been aware of for a long time, and yet somehow never managed to read until last year. (Insert facepalm.) I actually own a copy of WINTERSONG, which is the author’s debut and looks fabulous. Anyway. This year, I dove into this beautiful, intense series opener about a girl with forbidden magic that may be the key to saving her world. I am guessing, based on the title of this and the sequel, that each book will focus on a different character with a different kind of magic, and they’ll all have to work together somehow to save the world. I’m really excited to read the sequel, AMI, which will be out later this year.

Published August 1, 2023 | My Review


Aden Polydoros – Wrath Becomes Her

Amazon | BookshopGoodreads

My thoughts: I’ve now read at least four books that explore the Jewish folklore about the creation of a golem, and each one is SO different. It’s been really cool to see how different authors write about it. Aden Polydoros is another author that had been on my radar for a long time, but I just hadn’t managed to read it until last year. And, wow, I’m so glad I did! While this is probably the darkest version of the folklore stories that I mentioned, I loved the depth of heart and feeling that Polydoros brought to the page here. It’s got this terrible sadness– kind of the way FRANKENSTEIN does– and a strange kind of beauty emerges out of that sorrow. I don’t know. I’m not explaining it well, but it’s a story that will definitely stick with me.

Published October 10, 2023 | My Review


Abigail Johnson – Every Time You Go Away

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: This is one of the last titles released by Inkyard Press, which was one of my favorite imprints, so it’s extra sad that I only just discovered one of their authors. Looking over my list so far, there’s so much fantasy on here that it’d be easy not to realize how much I love a good, solid contemporary romance. This one centers on an aspiring jewelry artist and wheelchair user who has long been in love with her best friend. The one who keeps disappearing whenever his mom shows up to rip him away from his grandparents’ house. It’s achingly sad and yet so sweet and hopeful. I loved it and would love to read more by Abigail Johnson.

Published December 5, 2023 | My Review

Darcy Little Badger – Elatsoe

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: Thank you, Backlist Reading Challenge, for helping me finally get to read this book! I bought ELATSOE when it came out, and I heard so many amazing things about it. Before finally getting to read this novel, I read a short story by Darcy Little Badger in the anthology MERMAIDS NEVER DROWN, and I really enjoyed the writing and how much character development was packed into so few pages. I finally read ELATSOE, and though it wasn’t love at first page, I definitely got swept away in this reimagining of modern-day America with magic and magical creatures. I loved the back-and-forth between the past and present and how the tales of Elatsoe’s six-great grandmother connected to the dangers she and her family faced in the present.

Published August 25, 2020 | My Review


What are the best new-to-you authors you read in 2023?

Did you discover any new authors last year that have become favorites? How did you find out about them?

If you’ve read books by any of the authors on my list, please let me know. I’d love to hear what you thought about them.