Amy’s Favorite Books of 2023

Here are the best books I read in 2023. (These are not books that were necessarily released in 2023.) So far, I’ve read 61 books (46 of which were audiobooks) this year. I started but decided not finish another 5 books. To read my full review of any books listed below, click on the title.

I’ve named my favorite audiobook narration of the year at the bottom of this post but I'll make a separate post later listing all my favorite narrations from this year.

MY FAVORITE NOVEL OF 2023

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (5 stars!), fiction/magical realism: Tova, a 70-year-old widow, is working as a janitor at the aquarium, has survived her share of tragedy, and is contemplating changes. Cameron, 30 years old, has never quite managed to grow up and accept responsibility for…anything…and is on a search for family. Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus in the aquarium and he has thoughts and goals. This creative and well-crafted novel was so engaging, surprising, delightful, charming, heartwarming, funny, and refreshing! It speaks to the importance of having friends in your life, even unlikely ones!

FAVORITE FANTASY

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab (4-1/2 stars), fantasy: This first novel of a spinoff series was even better than the original series. In a magical universe where there are four different versions of London, there are a few people who are able to travel between those Londons. As the magical power within those worlds has been drying up, there are people trying to make power plays and wreak havoc. Meanwhile, there are others trying to stop the trouble. The story was full of surprises, adventures, and very fun magic. (However, I am not sure if readers who are unfamiliar with the original series would enjoy it as much as I did. Therefore, I recommend reading the Shades of Magic series first.)

FAVORITE FICTION

Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes (4-1/2 stars), women’s fiction: Sam is, literally, forced to wear someone else’s shoes when she accidentally grabs the wrong bag from the gym locker room and has no time to return before her business meeting. The shoes in the bag she grabbed are Louboutins, neither fitting her style nor her bank account. But she finds that she is treated differently while wearing them and they make her feel more powerful. Meanwhile, the owner of the Louboutins, Nisha, discovers her bag is gone at the same time that her uber-wealthy husband abruptly throws her out of his life, leaving her with no way to purchase new clothing and nowhere to stay. This crazy story centered around female friendship, support, and encouragement. 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (4 stars), fiction: Damon Fields was born to an 18-year old unwed mother in a rural Virginia trailer park. As a child, he was given the nickname Demon Copperhead (due to the wordplay on his first name and the color of his hair). This is his childhood survival story. He faced neglect, poverty, grief, fostering, and drug addiction. But despite the serious troubles in Demon’s life, he always remained upbeat and hopeful. He was a fantastic character who shed light on very real American problems. This book made me feel a lot and had me thinking about Demon when I wasn’t reading the book. It’s no wonder it won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. 

FAVORITE YOUNG ADULT

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (4-1/2 stars), young adult/fiction: Sal and Noor are high school seniors who have known each other their whole lives, their families being among the very small Pakistani population in their small California town. Both are facing pretty serious difficulties, dealing with more than the average high school senior. The two had become distant but, when Sal’s mother dies of kidney disease, they find comfort from each other and begin to rebuild their friendship, perhaps becoming even closer than ever. But then things fall apart in spectacular fashion. I was rooting for them and had to know how things would turn out for them, especially after everything got out of control in the middle of this novel which won both the 2022 Award for Young People’s Literature and the Michael L. Printz Award.


FAVORITE MYSTERY 

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (4-1/2 stars), mystery: Ray is about to compete at the International Tchaikovsky Competition when his prized Stradivarius violin is stolen and offered for ransom. This is the story of a kid who loves playing the violin coming from an underprivileged, unsupportive family, overcoming obstacles and racism to emerge as a top musician, only to have his prized instrument stolen out from under him. I loved this relatable, yet original, mystery with great characters who sucked me in completely.   

A Curious Beginning, A Perilous Undertaking, ATreacherous Curse, A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell #1 - #4) by Deanna Raybourn (4 stars), mystery: I’ve only read four of the nine novels (so far) in this series but I love the characters so much as well as the setting in late 19^th century England and will definitely read more. Veronica is a very precocious, intelligent, high-spirited young woman who has found herself in the company of Stoker, a prickly natural historian who generally dislikes people. Together, they end up on exciting adventures in pursuit of solving mysteries. There is a lot of sexual tension, sort of like a Victorian version of Moonlighting. The pacing is always perfect and the story continually moves forward. Plus, the characters' banter often makes me laugh out loud. 

FAVORITE HISTORICAL FICTION

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon (4 stars), historical fiction: Deborah Samson is a young girl in the 1760s when her mother, who cannot afford to take care of her children, sends Deborah away to be an indentured servant. Eventually, Deborah is sent to work for a family with ten boys, helping their mother with the housework. Alas, the Revolutionary War is upon them and Deborah, with her adventurous spirit, a changed set of circumstances, and the need to break free, decides to join the war effort by pretending to be a boy. The author did a fabulous job describing life in the 18^th century and I was riveted to find out what would happen. Amazingly, this novel is based on a real person!

Go As a River by Shelley Read (4 stars), historical fiction: Victoria was raised on a small-town Colorado farm in the 1930s and 1940s. When she was 11 years old, she lost her mother and her aunt (the only women in her life) and the cousin who was her best friend. She spent the next six years fulfilling all the typical women's duties around the house and farm without much affection or joy in her world. Her life experiences were extremely limited when she met Will, a young drifter. From that point on, her life was changed forever. This compelling story of despair, acceptance, determination, desperation, strength, resilience, and fortitude won me over. I had to know how things would turn out for Victoria.

FAVORITE ROMANCE

The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary (4 stars), romance: Last year, Izzy put her heart on her sleeve and Lucas rejected her. Since they work together at a crumbling estate hotel, Izzy has been getting back at him by making his work life difficult. But when their enduring mutual attraction becomes unavoidable, they agree to have a strictly physical relationship founded on a set of rules. Izzy figures she can get Lucas out of her system and then she will be over him and can move on. This was a very fun romance with an extremely satisfying conclusion after a long, slow burn. And this romance felt more authentic than most of the others I’ve read in the last few years.

FAVORITE AUDIOBOOK NARRATION

Emily Woo Zeller reading The Poppy War (R. F. Kuang): This fantasy did not make my Top Ten (3-1/2 stars) but Zeller was phenomenal! She had to voice so many characters and did an excellent job with the multitude including several male voices! Truly, an amazing repertoire! And her voice acting was perfection. Even when a character was out of the story for a while and later re-appeared, I knew exactly who they were, even before the story announced their name, based on her voice for that character. 

If you’re looking for more book recommendations, here are my favorites of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Also, don’t miss Lynnie’s favorites of 2023! We have four books in common on our lists of favorites this year, so those are VERY highly recommended. :D