The Best Books of 2023
The Best Books of 2023: My Top 20ish Favorites
By: Brittany Shields
I read 95 books in 2023!
Picking favorites is hard, especially when I read so many different genres. But I’ve done my best to narrow it down for you!
[Disclaimer: in case this title was misleading, these are books that I read in 2023 and not necessarily published in that year.]
I’ve got 22 books. Plus a few honorable mentions because I have no shelf control. (Also if you want a shirt that says that, visit my shop because I created one)
There is a brief description next to the book cover, but click my review links to get more details and my thoughts on each book!
ALSO……….
Follow me on Facebook to stay up-to-date with what I’m reading and recommending. You’ll also see some book giveaways I do and more. I’m a pretty fun person, so hang out with me via my website and social media.
Comment below what your favorite reads of last year were.
AND FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS LIST TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA!
Other things to check out:
Shelf Reflection Reading Challenges
Shelf Reflection’s 2023: Year in Review
Most Anticipated Books of 2024
AND NOW… the best books I read in 2023 in absolutely no particular order.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 2023
The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
“‘I think,’ he said slowly, ‘that sometimes, the roads we don’t know we’re walking are the ones that lead us to exactly where we’re meant to be.’”
This one will rip your heart out.
It’s not just another WWII novel. Harmel writes an emotional story of mothers and the impossible choices they had to make during the war.
It’s a beautiful story of motherhood, friendship, art, grief, and hope.
It not only looks at three women’s lives during the war, but the post-war years as well and how they had to move on after incredible loss.
The Paris Daughter is, as Harmel had hoped “another powerful affirmation of the human capacity for goodness, strength, and faith in the face of adversity.”
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Published: 2023
A Killer’s Game (Daniela Vega #1) by Isabella Maldonado
This is a high-stakes game of survival centered around a tough female protagonist and her formidable opponent.
After going undercover to take down a terrorist, Vega finds herself in a live-stream version of The Hunger Games: a fight to the death in an underground bunker of mazes and puzzles where only one survives.
This is an action-packed thriller and a relatively clean one at that. Maldonado is now an auto-read author for me and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series that comes out in 2024!
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Christian Living
Published: 2022
Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey
“There is beauty in the brokenness. That’s what this book seeks to uncover, because beauty matters.”
I think I learned more reading this book than I did in all my college art history classes!
Goodreads says of this book: “It’s part art history, part biblical study, part philosophy, and part analysis of the human experience; but it's all story.”
This book brought new life to art for me and inspired many ponderings which makes this book a good book club option or buddy read. (My review includes discussion questions)
For both art-lovers and art-avoiders, I think the stories of these artists will resonate with you, inspire you, challenge you, and help you to appreciate art in a different way.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 2022
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
“Chemistry is change. Courage is the root of change— and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.”
This book takes place in the 50s and 60s— a time when women in the workplace did not have equality.
The main character, Elizabeth, is a chemist— brilliant, quirky, resilient, and courageous. She is determined to help women in all walks to feel seen, told they were capable, and that what they did was important.
I found it to be an interesting satirical exploration of the inequalities and stereotypes of women during this time in history. While I didn’t agree with all the views in the book, I still really enjoyed reading it!
It had a lot of layers that I wasn’t expecting. It’s entertaining. It’s insightful. It’s thought-provoking. It’s sweet. It’s clean. It’s educational.
Genre: Cultural/ Christian Living
Published: 2023
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
“The gospel message hurts our pride in life-giving ways, and for that I praise God.”
Rosaria’s newest book is Bible-saturated, and though undoubtedly controversial, it’s the bold truth-telling book that the world needs right now.
She helps us see what God has designed for men, women, gender, and our sexuality.
I understand that even putting this book on my list of best books sets me up for attack. You don’t have to agree with me or the things in this book, but for me, personally, I do consider this one of the best books I read this year in this genre and I hope that you might consider reading it and hearing what Rosaria has to share. (And if you’re not interested, that’s okay too.)
“Our humanity is not in our feelings. Our sense of self is not in our sin. It is in Christ… The only way you can hate your sin without hating yourself is through union with Christ.”
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Published: 2023
Broker of Lies by Steven James
“Winston Churchill famously said, ‘In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.’”
Steven James is one of my favorite authors and his newest book was not a disappointment!
Broker of Lies is a story of arson, government secrets, nuclear threats, and two unlikely characters brought together to figure out where an attack will occur, who’s behind it, and how they can stop it. Not to mention they’re being hunted by two groups of people who either want their secrets or want to kill them.
There is some complexity to this story, so I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a good beach read, but there is a lot of action and suspense, and you’ll actually learn a lot too!
The book ends with a twist so I’m looking forward to the next book in this series which releases in 2024!
Genre: YA/Fiction
Published: 2020
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) by Suzanne Collins
“Snow lands on top.”
I’m not usually a fan of prequels or villain origin stories so I was surprised how much I liked this book. Probably because it was a nostalgic read and I enjoyed being back in a familiar world.
This story takes us back to the 10th Hunger Games when Coriolanus Snow— a teenager— has not yet become President Snow. He still has an inkling of morality which makes things tricky when his class becomes the first mentors for the tributes. His tribute, Lucy Gray from District 12, challenges his way of thinking and his view of justice.
It’s a weird story in that you don’t like the main character or really what’s happening in the story because it’s a dark time, but it’s still one that will engage you til the very end.
[The movie came out this year and I provide a book/movie comparison in my review.]
Genre: Science Fiction
Published: 2023
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
“The mind works wondrously; it is capable of astonishing feats. It is the only machine in nature capable of thinking one thing while knowing its opposite.”
The Ferryman is a mixture of Inception, The Matrix, Total Recall, and Passengers (the one with Chris Pratt and J-Law). It is a long book with layers. Every time you think you know what’s going on, you peel back another layer.
It’s a thought-provoking, dystopian-type, sci-fi thriller that bends reality and takes you for a ride. The plot is a bit complex to summarize here, more details in my full review, but there are themes of: People ruining the earth. The selfishness of humans when faced with devastation. The love of a parent for a child and child loss. The politics of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots.’ The idea that meaning comes from a designer.
My only caveat to this book is that, unfortunately, there are a lot of f-words. Otherwise I think it’s a fun and compelling read!
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published: 2023
The Lucky One by Jessica Payne
“No matter who Hansel is, if I ever encounter him again, I’ll have a fighting chance. And if it’s a copycat, I have no doubt I’ll win. It’s what I do.”
This is a really gripping thriller that’s hard to put down!
Norah escaped a serial killer once, but now he’s back and he’s coming for her. But she’s a fighter now (actually literally- MMA) and she refuses to be a victim again.
While I did have some criticisms of this book (detailed in my review), including language, because of how hard it was to put down every time I read it, I felt like it should make this list!
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 2016
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
“At one time I had all the conveniences. But in the end, it has been the inconveniences that have mattered to me most.”
I was worried I would be bored with this book, but it was a very enjoyable read!
It was wise; it was mischievous, endearing, engaging; and it was meaningful.
Covering a span of many years, we are audience to the life of a man kept captive for more than half of his life in a hotel in Moscow. How does a man handle his house arrest and how does that man find purpose?
While it’s a slow-paced book, the characters become friends and it was sad to get to the end. I’m looking forward to the screen adaptation that will hopefully release soon!
There is also much to ponder and I think it would make a good book club discussion. My review has some discussion questions.
Genre: Non-Fiction
Published: 2020
Held: 31 Biblical Reflections on God’s Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage by Abbey Wedgeworth
“Suffering tempts us to believe that God is absent, cruel, manipulative, or unconcerned, but the Bible offers us the truth.”
I wish I had had this book when I first went through my miscarriage and it will be my top recommendation for others going through that or infant loss.
Abbey talks about every struggle I remember wrestling with— the complex and conflicting thoughts about myself and God, doubting God, feeling prayer is pointless, frustration with others’ responses to my pain, feeling responsible for my suffering, having a hard time being happy for other mothers, feeling like my body is broken and unable to do the very thing God commanded us to do, and just feeling like my faith had faltered.
Every chapter (which is only a few pages each) is a balm and I believe will be such a comfort to its readers.
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2021
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
“It feels like a victory that we are moving closer to the truth. But when the truth is taking you somewhere you don’t want to go, you also aren’t sure if you want that win.”
I’m not sure I liked the ending of this one, and the characters didn’t have a lot of depth, but the circumstances they found themselves in kept me very interested in the story.
It begins with Hannah receiving a note that says only two words: “Protect Her.” (regarding her stepdaughter)
The note is from her husband, Owen, who has now gone missing and not answering any calls. Then they find out his company is being investigated for fraud.
Where did Owen go, is he in trouble, and why did he leave them behind?
My first impression was a lot higher than after I read some other reviews, but I’m going with my first impression and adding it to this list because the mystery was really engaging. The limited series adaptation was also well done (I provide comparison in my review)
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2022
This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom #1) by Tahereh Mafi
“She dreamed of unleashing her mind, of freeing her hands to create without hesitation— but the roar of Alizeh’s imagination was quieted, always, by an unfortunate need for self-preservation.”
‘This Woven Kingdom’ is a version of Cinderella: orphaned girl heir to a throne, forced to serve, treated poorly, falls in love with a prince, attends a ball in a magical gown where said prince is looking for a bride, must leave by midnight, etc. with a bonus magic carpet ride and a touch of Rumpelstiltskin where magic comes at a price.
But this ‘fairytale’ is a little darker. Alizeh is is a Jinn with ice in her veins, haunted by the devil, and destined to rule her people.
It’s got the fantastical world-building, mysterious characters, unfulfilled prophecy, a touch of romance, and a character you can root for! Oh yeah, and there’s a dragon.
But it is part of a series- I also read book two this year and book three releases in 2024. A lot of my enjoyment of this book is in anticipation of where the story is going to go, so some of my recommendation hinges on my hope for how the story continues.
Genre: Christian Living/Theology
Published: 2022
Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God: Sweet and Bitter Providence in the Book of Ruth by John Piper
“Ruth answers the question ‘Can I trust and love the God who has dealt me this painful hand in life?’”
The story of Ruth has a special place in my heart and it was really insightful to read about all the things I missed about a story I loved!
The book of Ruth is…
“a love story”
"a portrait of manhood and womanhood”
”about racial and ethnic diversity and harmony”
”about how God’s purposes are good”
”meant to release radical, risk-taking love”
”a showing of how all of history, even its darkest hours, serves to magnify the glory of God’s grace”
The book of Ruth is short, and so is Piper’s book, but what you’ll read in its pages has depth eternal and I bet you’ll learn something you didn’t know before!
Genre: Rom-Com
Published: 2022
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
“There is always fear. Fear of the money running out again. Of hunger. Of failure. Of wanting anything badly enough that it will destroy me when I can’t have it. Of loving someone I can’t hold on to, of watching my sister slip through my fingers like sand. Of watching something break that I don’t know how to fix.”
You know how the Hallmark movies are typically just versions of: ‘Big-city-career-driven-person visits small town for some reason, falls in love with a simple-life-local, breaks up with city-lover to move to said small town and find the more important things in life.’ ?
Well this is about the ‘city-lover’ who was broken up with.
It’s got humor, it’s got books, but what I love most about this enemies-to-lovers rom-com is that it’s more than just a funny love story. It’s also a story of the friendship of sisters and the process of grief.
There is some sexual content, but my review lists the pages so you can just skip over those and you won’t miss much.
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Published: 2023
What Have We Done by Alex Finlay
“No matter how bad the person, we all cling to the days of innocence we remember from our youth.”
The book begins with a group of kids standing over a grave taking turns shooting a gun into its depths.
“What have we done?” one of the boys asks.
This is an action-packed thrill ride as the kids from that grave site are now adults and find themselves being hunted down.
This is another one I recommend for the mystery/suspense, not necessarily for the character development or likability.
It does have quite a bit of violence because…. assassins… but not too graphic.
But if you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, this would be a good option for you!
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2023
I Didn’t Do It by Jaime Lynn Hendricks
“I’m not a stupid character in a stupid book who turns into a murderer for no reason.”
This was a fun murder mystery told from the perspective of thriller authors. It is also a personal attack on Twitter which I was totally here for.
I say fun not because it’s a ‘cozy’ mystery or because it’s meant to be funny, but because it’s a great concept and format for a thriller novel:
A convention for mystery/thriller authors called Murderpalooza. A nominee for the big award is murdered at the hotel. Several other authors in attendance have a connection to the victim and all have a secret. Except someone else knows their secrets and is exposing them on Twitter.
I liked the ending and it was a well-written book. A lot of good components to this book. The only caveat is that there is a lot of swearing and some crude language.
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Published: 2023
The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey
This book was a nice surprise! I had not read Lourey before so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
It was a suspenseful police procedural set in Minnesota without a lot of swearing, plus a couple twists and a cliffhanger ending!
The book begins in 1980 with the abduction of two little girls from the woods. Three girls went in, only one came out. And she didn’t speak for weeks afterwards. The trauma of what she saw sealed in her memories. The case of The Taken Ones went cold.
Now in present day, the case is reopened after police are called into a crime scene where a woman was found buried alive. One piece of evidence connects her to the case from years ago— the necklace that one of the girls had been wearing when they were taken. Is she one of them?
This one better have a sequel because it ends with a question!
Genre: Non-Fiction
Published: 2012
The War Against Boys: How Misguided Policies Are Harming Our Young Men by Christina Hoff Sommers
“What we share is a concern for all children, along with an awareness that boys appear to need special help right now. That is not backlash against female achievement; it is reality and common sense.”
This was a very insightful (and secular) book and provided studies and statistics to the observations I’ve already been making on my own.
Although I believe the book to still be accurate, I would be interested in how the statistics have changed more recently.
Sommers, a former philosophy professor, discusses things like the wage gap, zero-tolerance policies, value-free education, and socialization vs. biology, among other evidence to show the ways that policies meant to help girls were potentially not necessary and further, were a hindrance to boys.
I hope people read this book and recognize the things we need to pay attention to when it comes to our boys. And to see that boys’ success and future in the world is integral to girls’ success and future. There is no superior or inferior gender.
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2023
Time’s Orphan (Odriel’s Heirs #3) by Hayley Reese Chow
“Speak of dragons, and I’ll tell you of warriors who walked their flames. Speak of shadows, and I’ll tell you of heroes who brought the dawn. Speak of pain, and I’ll tell you of the Time who stole it away.”
This is part of a series but can easily be read as a stand-alone.
This fantasy novel tells the tale of a girl with special healing powers who discovers she is the key to saving her people from the fear and darkness that covers their world from The Dead King.
I really enjoyed this story and plan to go back and read the other books in the series! Hayley’s writing is really compelling and beautiful.
Her world-building is great and the time travel parts connect well.
I plan to go back and read the other ones in this series! Chow is an indie author and one to take note of!
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Published: 2023
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
“It goes to show how dangerous it can be, thinking that you know someone.”
In the acknowledgements, Sally Hepworth says she writes: “funny books about family and murder.”
This has typically been the case for her books and I really enjoy them. This one didn’t have quite the same humor as the other two I read, but it was still a suspenseful read with a few twists!
Gabe and Pippa are soulmates with the picture-perfect family and marriage. They live near a cliff, famously known as The Drop, where people come to commit suicide. Since they moved in, Gabe has saved seven who had come to die.
Until the one he didn’t. A woman he knew personally.
What really happened on that cliff? Why was she there? Is Gabe hiding something? Who is he protecting?
Genre: Christian Living
Published: 2022
We Go On: Finding Purpose in All of Life’s Sorrows and Joys by John Onwuchekwa
“God loves to call the brightest futures out of the darkest circumstances.”
John O. has written this book. using the teachings in Ecclesiastes, to help us, as the subtitle states, find purpose in both the sorrows and joys of life.
Honest is a good descriptor for John and this book. He shares of his own experiences of the death of his brother, his strained relationship with his other brother, and years of infertility.
He talks about the things we turn to for meaning and purpose: knowledge, pleasure, money, work, and security.
The way he writes is like a conversation with a friend and I think it will attract readers young and old.
John does a really good job at acknowledging the sorrows of life, validating the feelings, but nudging us to the One who walks us through them.
Honorable Mentions
A couple of these are series I would recommend, and then a couple are because it was hard to narrow down my favorites and I’m still going to give them a shoutout!
Jonathan Stride Series
by Brian Freeman (skip the first few)
Rachel Krall series by Megan Goldin
The Therapist by B.A. Paris
Amazing Grace by Bruce Hindmarsh & Craig Borlase
Share this reading list to your social media!