The best books of 2023, according to readers

What are the best books of 2023? Critics will tell us their views shortly, in the customary lists and roundups that come around November and December, but this year, we wanted to hear from you, the readers, first.

On social media, you told us about the novels you couldn’t put down, from “heartfelt” series finales to feel-good Japanese fiction, stone-cold classics to brand new bestsellers. Whether it came out in 2023 or not, these are the books you loved this year.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

We said:
The latest entry in Osman’s beloved Thursday Murder Club series is his most touching, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less wry or captivating than its predecessors.

You said:
I love the characters he’s created in the Thursday Murder Club series. And this latest one definitely got me teary. Feel like I’m visiting with old friends every time I read his books. They’re more than a cosy mystery … they’re funny, heartfelt and very relatable.

- @annmariesellars

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

We said:
A whimsical, feel-good Japanese novel about a librarian with a sixth sense for just the right book recommendation at just the right time, this is a wonderful book lover’s book.

You said:
It’s such a wholesome book. It also helped me reflect on my current relationship to work and books. Loved it 🥰

- @pamlectora

Sula by Toni Morrison

We said:
It wasn’t released this year, but Toni Morrison’s bona fide classic about two once-inseparable girlfriends who grow apart when one leaves their community for the big city – and whose friendship is torn apart by betrayal – is a must-read, even 50 years later.

You said:
Wonderful writing and incredible storytelling.

- @mechanicalnoor

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

We said:
This perspective-shattering novel, narrated by Death itself and set in Nazi Germany, follows nine-year-old book thief Liesel, whose family have been taken to a concentration camp. It might just restore your faith in humanity.

You said:
I enjoyed the fresh narrative, matter of factness and how much emotion was invoked in a few simple sentences. Regularly.

- @lucy.tyrl

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

We said:
Ostensibly a story about two friends who love video games, Zevin’s breakthrough novel is a deeply moving, life-affirming meditation on love, creativity, art, romance, friendship, fame and more – which explains its extraordinary word-of-mouth success.

You said:
I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did but once I got into it the book just sucked me in and kept me intrigued until the very last page

- @bookedbliss

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

We said:
It’s 1914. Henry and his best friend Sidney are in love, but neither can express it, so neither knows – that is, until both are enlisted to fight in the trenches, where, against the horrific spectre of death and wartime, a forbidden romance blooms.

You said:
❤️ Henry and Sidney will stay with me forever - just a heart-wrenching and breathtaking story

- @library_of_lauren

Bad Dreams and Other Stories by Tessa Hadley

We said:
Sometimes, the most compelling stories are the ones that ring truest to real life – and English author Tessa Hadley is the master of realistic, domestic storytelling. These are some of her best short stories.

You said:
A lovely collection of short stories about life and its nuances. No major drama, no love story, just life. Loved every second of it 💛✨

- @taraupadhyay

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

We said:
A whale carcass, washed ashore, changes the lives of three imaginative children forced to raise themselves – but its their journey into adulthood that this whimsical, epic yarn of a book tracks so elegantly.

You said:
I read some fabulous books this year but I think the one that tops them all is this.

- @theyarnrescuer

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald

We said:
A retelling of the Persephone myth that puts the titular character firmly in the driver’s seat – and has shaken TikTok to its core. This is one of the year’s biggest books, for good reason.

You said:
I'm a massive fan of the story of Persephone and love this retelling, the portrayal of relationships was one of my favourite things, and I loved the characters 🥰

- @heathers.armchair.adventure

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

We said:
Politically sharp and beautifully written, Kingsolver’s latest novel was nominated for a handful of prizes – and took home this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, too.

You said:
The story of a boy with everything against him with just his talent and character to get him through (and a bit of luck). Unforgettable characters amid a story of the opioid crisis in the US. Just brilliant.

- @bar_barac

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

We said:
An imaginative, captivating, and irresistibly addictive book about family, love, war, school – and learning to bond with dragons, this is the first in a feverishly beloved new series from Yarros.

You said:
❤️ I am always fascinated with dragons and enemies to lovers story❤️

- @anjlijpk

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

We said:
A gripping novel about representing someone else’s work as one’s own, and the lengths one woman will go to protect what she thinks she deserves.

You said:
An amazing insight into writing and author lives and so eerie and thrilling!

- @lottiesaahko