This year has been another amazing twelve months of reading from dragon-riding sequels to jaw-dropping celebrity memoirs, there have been page-turning publications from start to finish.
Our She Reads audience voted on the Best Books of the Year 2023 and with no further ado, here is the #1 Best Book of the Year as chosen by you!
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Readers got the chance to get some BTS insight into the publishing world with one of the most exposing books of the year. June and Athena came up in the literary world together, but only one has achieved stardom. When Athena dies and June decides to steal her manuscript and appropriate her race and culture, the stakes are high and the secrets snowball into a dizzying thriller of epic proportions.
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And here are our editors’ Best Books of 2023. If you missed them, we definitely recommend adding these incredible reads to your holiday wishlist or as gifts for fellow book lovers.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
From the queen of beach reads herself comes the next banter-filled, heart swelling romance readers couldn’t get enough of. Harriet and Wyn have their annual trip with their best friends planned, but they are keeping a secret: They broke up months ago. As the separated couple tries to fake their way through the gathering, all the things that brought them together and tore them apart fight to come to light.
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Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Who could have missed the explosion of the dragon fantasy series Fourth Wing. As the internet went crazy for the first book, 2023 brought readers the sequel. After serving the first year at Basgiath War College, Violet now has to hold onto her humanity as the danger reaches a boiling point and the only way to win is to forsake herself.
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Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
In this door-busting dystopia, prisoners compete in a gladiator-style competition of brutality. In scathing social commentary and nonstop action, this novel captured book clubs and diehard sci-fi fans alike. Tackling the private prison industry, racism, capitalism and other social systems destroying culture, this book is a must-read.
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Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward continues to captivate readers book after book, and this Oprah’s Book Club Pick is no exception. In this reimagining of American slavery, Annis is sold by her white father and we are invited to follow her journey through the horrific process. Kept company by memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother, Annis mixes myth, spirits and history into an enrapturing portrayal of America’s landscape and most treacherous legacy.
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The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
In a daring debut, a woman falsely accused of killing her husband finds herself in the unusual position. After rumors spread, women begin to seek out Geeta for advice on how to dispose of their own no-good spouses. The ensemble women are unforgettable in their pursuit of freedom from their unfortunate predicaments.
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The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
From the New York Times bestselling author, comes a story of friendship. Jordan and his best friends from Berkeley have promised to throw each other “living funerals” to remind one another of the value and importance each has, even as they struggle through loss, marriage, and fraud. But this year, Jordan has a secret so big, it could break their pact.
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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Beloved author Ann Patchett wowed readers once again with this Reese’s Book Club Pick. In the spring of 2020 three daughters return to their mother’s home and beg her to share the store of her star-studded romance with the actor Peter Duke. As the tale unfolds, so to does each of the daughters’s stories.
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Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Deemed Oprah Daily‘s #1 novel of the year, Happiness Falls a family after their father goes missing. Mia is sure she can explain away her dad’s disappearance with logic, so when her brother Eugene returns, bloody and alone, her world is upended. Eugene’s genetic condition prevents him from being able to talk and thus begins an unforgettable investigation, laced with mystery, family secrets and love.
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Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Taking place on the set of a SNL-style show, Sally’s job is about finding the funny. She’s watched as male comedians and actors have partnered up with models way out of their league and in an attempt to spotlight the unlikelihood of the reverse, she writes a sketch reflecting that irony. Only, the joke lands in her lap when Noah, a pop sensation and mega hunk, starts paying attention to her.
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The Woman in Me by Brtiney Spears
Let’s face it, we’ve all been watching Britney for decades as her highs and lows are aired out in the public eye. From puzzling Instagram posts to her years under a controversial conservatorship, she remains on of the most talked about celebs. In this new memoir, some truly shocking reveals are made and long-standing questions are answered.
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Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby
Known for ceaseless wit and gut-chuckling honest takes, Samantha Irby does it again with this latest release. Covering topics from flop-sweat on the red carpet to a deranged adopted pandemic dog, Irby pulls back the curtain and reveals what’s behind the online persona.
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Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
When a serial killer brings two women together in their pursuit for the man who has upended both of their lives, the search for answers brings them to an epic final confrontation. This book is already in the works for a TV show, so readers will want to read the book first before this 70s-set serial killer thriller comes to the screen.
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The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
Reese Witherspoon’s first book club pick of the year is one you’ll want to go back and read if you missed it amidst resolution season. In high school, Maya watched as her friend keeled over and died after they’d spent a summer with Frank. Years later, Maya is doing her best to move on until she finds a YouTube video of another young woman dying in a diner sitting across from none other than Frank. This thriller will keep you guessing until the end!
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Evil Eye by Etaf Rum
From Palestinian-American author of A Woman Is No Man comes another incredible exploration of intergenerational trauma, relationships and culture. When Yara is placed on probation at work for getting into a fight with a racist co-worker, her mother explains it is the result of a curse. Though Yara isn’t superstitious, it sets her on a journey exploring her own past, her inability to feel fulfilled, and ultimately, a deep-dive into the nature of the mother-daughter relationship.
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The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez
This book delves into the complicated times in which we’re living. Examining the need for humor and connection while weaving in a Gen Z character and a parrot, this book demonstrates how even small acts can be a balm for souls sorely in need.
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I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Bodie is a professor and podcaster hoping to leave the past behind. As an adolescent in a New Hampshire boarding school, her former roommate was murdered and a man was convicted. Now, as she returns to the school, past gets unburied and new evidence leads her to question if the police caught the right man.
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Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
Ander has spent their life in San Antonio working in their parents’ taqueria, growing skills as a muralist and aiming for art school. When a new waiter, Santi, is hired, the sparks fly immediately. But Ander will soon learn that a place (or a person) that feels like home can be fleeting when ICE agents come for Santi.
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Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim
Wen is the daughter of first generation Chinese immigrants. Their expectations are high and the pressure on her is daunting. When she meets Henry, also the son of migrants and a high-achieving student, the two begin to dream of escaping the lives they don’t want together. When tragedy strikes, Wen will have to summon all her strength to weather the storm ahead.
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