10 Best Books of 2023
10 Best Books of 2023
By: Abby Fulmar
Many may believe reading is under appreciated by the new generation of young adults, however, the massive influence of “BookTok,” along with the countless book to TV adaptations released in 2023 alone, prove that literature is still making a lasting impact on our culture. Reading can bring people together unlike anything else. If you are looking for something to read over the winter season or are wanting to find the perfect gift for a book-lover, here are 10 of this year’s most buzzworthy novels for a little inspiration.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Following the massive success of Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation, and Book Lovers, bestselling author Emily Henry is back with her newest rom-com Happy Place. This novel tells the story of college sweethearts Harriet and Wyn, who broke up months before their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends. To help everything run smoothly, they make a pact to pretend to still be together.
Saving Time by Jenny Odell
This nonfiction, self-help book takes a deep dive into different ways to experience time, inspired by ancient cultures and geological timescales, among other things. Saving Time imagines a world not centered on work and the office clock. Author Jenny Odell hopes to show a more humane way of living, explaining that if we “save” time by placing a meaning on life outside of a regular 9-to-5, time might save us.
Wildflower by Aurora James
Aurora James is an activist and the first Black American female designer to win a CFDA Award. This memoir highlights the struggles she has faced in the industry and imagines economic equality for everyone. Wildflower empowers Black business owners, shares James’s life story, and stands as a rallying cry for those eager to make change.
Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey
Co-authors Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey use cutting-edge science and combined years of experience in their respective industries to show you how to improve your life right now instead of waiting for a push from the outside world. This book provides tools of emotional self-management and teaches you how to build your four pillars. Build the Life You Want shows you how to take control of your present and future.
The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality by Angela Saini
This novel explores gendered oppression, its origins, its histories, and society’s attempts to understand it and combat it. Award-winning science journalist Angela Saini explains the patriarchy and uncovers the history of how it first became embedded in societies and spread across the globe. The Patriarchs exposes the issues caused by gender inequality in our society today.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Fiction novel Yellowface touches on diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying effects of social media. When Athena, a famous writer, dies suddenly, aspiring writer June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the name Juniper Song. Evidence soon threatens June’s success and she discovers how far she will go to achieve her dreams.
Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars, explores the genre of “Chick-Lit” with Someone Else’s Shoes, a story about how everything can change in a flash. Nisha Cantor lives the life of a wealthy elite until her husband divorces her and cuts her off. When Sam Kemp – who is in the bleakest point of her life – accidentally takes Nisha’s gym bag and tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting confidence makes her realize something must change, and that thing is herself. They soon learn from each other what is really important in life.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Goodreads Choice award-winner for “Best Romantasy,” the debut novel for Rebecca Yarros follows twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengailbrutal, who attends a college for dragon riders. Violet was supposed to live a quiet life among books and history, until her commanding general mother orders her to join the hundreds of candidates wanting to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
This historical fiction and thriller is set in 1972. Workers digging the foundations for a new development find a skeleton at the bottom of a well. The skeleton’s identity has been kept a secret by the residents of Chicken Hill, a low-income neighborhood where Jewish and African American immigrants live and bond over their ambitions and sorrows. This novel shows how challenging it can be to live on the margins and what the characters must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed, the community of Chicken Hill comes together and shows how important it is to have people to rely on.
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
A four-year-old girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, becoming a mystery that haunts the survivors, shakes the community, and remains unsolved for almost fifty years. This fictional thriller is a show-stopping debut for author Amanda Peters and highlights the search for truth, trauma, and love across time.
After a year of countless amazing releases, it is difficult to label 10 novels as the “best of 2023.” However, the books included on this list are some of the best to expand your knowledge and help you become the best version of yourself as we head into the new year.
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Graphic by Aliza Warner.