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The following are my top 10 favorite books of 2023. They cross a few different genres. Some are popular and some might be new to you. Let me know if you have read any of these or if you plan on adding any to your own TBR.
1. Saints of the Household by Ari Tison
This is a heart wrenching story about grief & recovery, the repercussions of domestic violence and what it means to be a survivor of it. There are rich cultural traditions of the BriBri woven throughout the book. It is also written in dual POV between two brothers. One brother’s perspective is written in prose and the other is written in artistically styled verse. This is hands-down my favorite book of the year! Check out my review: Review: Saints of the Household by Ari Tison
2. Cool. Awkward. Black edited by Karen Strong
The diversity of experiences in this anthology is amazing. I related, I laughed, I gasped! It was just a fun reading experience as a self-proclaimed Black nerd. What I love most about this collection is the showcasing of Black joy in the ordinary. Black kids being kids, doing ordinary things that we often don’t get to see them do. Check out my feature on IG.
3. Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
Delicious Monsters is a well-crafted paranormal thriller that will hold you down in your seat until you finish the last page. With dual timelines and point of views, I found myself equally intrigued by the two main characters – Daisy and Brittney as well as the tension between the experiences of survival and revenge. Arc Review: Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
4. Promise Boys by Nick Brooks (Audiobook)
The audiobook for this amazing YA suspense/mystery is amazing and recently won The Odyssey (YA) Award for it’s full cast production of the book. There are multiple POVs in this book that include four boys who are the prime suspects after their charter school principal is murdered in his office. The boys have to clear their names by finding who is the real killer. If you have some young men in your life that you are trying to get some books in front of, try this one.
5. Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
I loved listening to this book by Max Lucado. It is Bible-based and framed around stories and anecdotes from the people in Lucado’s life. If you are dealing with anxiety or worrying a lot, check out this book. It’s a quick read but very powerful.
6. Moonrise of New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks
This was great Southern lit. I purchased my own copy so I can annotate for symbolism. It’s the story of a young woman who finds herself in an all-Black town in Civil Rights era Alabama. She gets involved with a young man whose goal is to keep the town segregated after the community had to rebuilt itself from a traumatizing and horrific riot years earlier.
7. Lone Women by Victor LaValle
Honestly, I just chuckle when I recommend this book to others. Because this book is WILD! Your imagination will definitely grow as you try and figure out what the main character has in that trunk of hers. That’s all I have to say other than, go read it.
8. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
I read this as part of my reading for the CYBILS awards. It’s winning awards for a reason. This book is hilarious and a blast from the past for anyone who grew up in the 90s. It’s a graphic novel and tells the story of a young man who visits Europe as part of school trip.
9. Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Yes, Bookstagram made me do it. And I’d do it again! Reading this series is like eating fantasy candy. The world is easy to get into, there are dragons and there is romance. There are multiple mysteries built into the plot, so it keeps me satisfied. Plus Tairn (dragon) has great one liners.
10. Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris
I had a lot of fun reading Sign of the Slayer. From the hilarious, snarky one-liners and dialogue to the 90s/early 2000s pop culture references to the code names. The world building that includes vampire lore and a hi-tech slayer academy are easy to latch onto and you find yourself wanting to learn more right along with Raven. I will definitely be following along with this new series. Review: Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris
Share Your Top Books
Now that I’ve shared my top 10 favorite books of 2023, let me know which books that you read were yours in the comments!
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