All year long, Crystal Patriarche, CEO of BookSparks, shares her favorite picks of each month. From daring debuts to mesmerizing memoirs, she divulges the stories that are on her TBR so you can fill up yours. Get her top book of the year and her favorite places to find book recommendations so you don’t miss a thing in the reading year to come.

Crystal’s Best Book of 2023

The Bee Sting

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize and named as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times and The Washington Post, not mention spotted being read by Sarah Jessica Parker, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray has turned more than a few heads. In this stunning family saga, The Barnes family is barely hanging on. Dickie is losing his business but distracts himself by building an apocalypse bunker. His wife is selling her jewelry online and while dodging the attention of a cattle farmer. Their daughter is binge-drinking her way through finals and their youngest, PJ, is considering running away. What went wrong? Where did their problems start? As these questions are explored, the narrative travels to the infamous bee sting on their wedding day, a car crash and even deep into Dickie’s childhood. As the family fights to hold onto their humanity in the face of the world ending, the question of where it all began is investigated with intelligence and precision.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Crystal’s Favorite Book Recommendation Resources

As you try to catch the best books of the year for gifts (or for yourself), make sure you skim these lists Crystal Patriarche recommends as the best resources for finding the top reads of 2023.

Jordy’s Book Club

Get ready to lose an hour or two just flipping through the Instagram of Jordy’s Book Club. TV Executive Jordan Moblo is not only a voracious reader, but his page is an ode to creativity itself. With inspired images, giveaways, reviews, and roundups you won’t find anywhere else, Jordy’s Book Club will connect you with all the can’t-miss books of 2023 and beyond. Recently he announced that he is starting a subscription service to give his followers an even deeper dive into his book world. From now until the end of the year, you can sign up for just $2.99/month.

Traci Thomas of The Stacks Podcast

We can’t get enough of Traci over here. In addition to her groundbreaking, binge-worthy podcast, The Stacks, and an excellent bookstagram page, we’re also lucky to have Traci as a regular contributor here at She Reads. Every month she gives avid readers tips on everything from color-coded bookshelves to handling unsolicited book recommendations. She’s, of course, also an excellent resource for “Best of” lists. And while she interviews authors from literally all walks of life, her tastes aren’t always mainstream so you can be guaranteed to get a rec you haven’t heard of yet.

Lupita Aquino of Lupita Reads

Lupita’s Instagram is a must-stop for stories that are rich with culture, curiosity and completely perfect book recommendations. With bits of her personal life sprinkled in between recommendations, you’ll be just as interested in Lupita’s next chapter as you are in her next read.

Lizz Schumer

Currently the Senior Editor at Good Housekeeping, Lizz is always keeping readers up to date on what to add to their shelves next. A journalist, author and professor, Schumer shared her favorite books of the year here and continues to provide cutting edge coverage of the book world. Next year, we’re excited to see her migrate over to People magazine bringing her tastemaker book picks to one of our favorite resources.

Kristyn Kusek Lewis

Kristyn K Lewis is a contributing Books Editor for Real Simple with two decades of work in print media and publishing. An author as well, Lewis has a keen eye for what books will best fit on your shelf. Check out some of her Real Simple recommendations for 2023 on her Instagram.

NYT Books

Between their “Notable Books of the Year”, detailed “Best of” lists, and “What to Read this Week” column, their comprehensive and coveted book coverage always has thoughtful book recommendations we can consistently count on throughout the year. NYT Books takes a deep dive into all the stories that are shaping these times and influencing our culture.