"You Just Sit And Stare At The Wall For Hours After You Finish It" — People Are Sharing The Best Books They Read In 2023

"I will be thinking about this book for a very long time."

Recently, we asked the good people of BuzzFeed Community to name their favorite book of 2023, old or new. These are some of their answers:

1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

Orion

"I love any book that I have to immediately reread because of a twist I absolutely didn’t see coming."

—ledtasso1112

"I read that last year and BLEW through it. I have never demolished a book so quickly in my life."

—asdfghj2

2. Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven.

Skyhorse Publishing

"I randomly picked it up while killing time in a Barnes and Noble, and holy sh*t, I did not expect it to be that good. It's about Fantasticland, a Disney-esque theme park in Florida. Employees get asked to stay behind to protect the park during a hurricane, and it essentially turns into Lord of the Flies. 

You get sucked in right away and it's so hard to put down. I recommended it to my sister and she also enjoyed the book a lot — she even joked that she would have to make her staff read it too, so she could talk about it with more people. The hotel scene was so vivid and paranoia-inducing."

—monikap6

"This is on my list too! It’s not the most well-written book. But it still sucks you in and disturbs the crap out of you. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time. And will probably give it a reread as well."

—amiep4afe54431

3. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson.

Penguin

"My favourite book by far! Such a magical heartwarming story, I couldn't put it down. Hard to believe it's a debut. I know it took some people a little while to get into but the writing and the characters are so special, give it a go!"

—akolo

"Yes, Black Cake was lovely!" 

—amiep4afe54431

4. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.

Tor; Main Market edition

"It's a beautiful story about love and understanding. And features magical children! I felt every emotion reading this book, and I still gush about it even after finishing it months ago."

—m4db98167b

"Yes! I read it last year. I loved this book so much. It was so beautiful and positive. I recommend this book to anyone who needs to smile and laugh. My heart feels full just thinking of this book."

—amiep4afe54431

5. Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill.

Doubleday

"I will keep talking about this book until I see it on a list! I fully expect this one to blow up on the internet, because it has literally everything the internet loves: Victorian lit, existential horror, strong character drama, DINOSAURS! There has never been a more perfect novel."

—taylynngabbey

"Sold."

—kimharmon04kh

6. Under The Whispering Door, also by TJ Clune.

Tor; Main Market edition

"I don't cry while reading, but this book had me sobbing at the kitchen table by the end."

—teresatrejo88

7. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

Bloomsbury Publishing

"It's basically perfect. It has one of the most endearing characters I’ve ever read, and it's got an element of mystery. I was worried when I read the book description (friendship with an octopus?), but I loved it almost immediately."

—amiep4afe54431

"Great book of fiction to escape my daily routine. Love the deep connection, humor, and relatability in learning how to deal with grief and change."

—anner2991

8. The Measure by Nikki Erlick.

The Borough Press

"It was such a unique story idea. I loved all of the different characters and points of view. It's a good book club pick for sure, because there is just so much to talk about with others." 

—amiep4afe54431

9. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

Vintage Digital

"It's the kind of book where you just sit and stare at the wall for hours after you finish it."

—amiep4afe54431

10. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn.

Methuen Publishing Ltd

"Obsessed with Nevin Nollop and his sentence 'the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,' this made-up island treats Nollop like a God. And as the letters of the alphabet fall off of his memorial, they also disappear from this book. I couldn't put this one down, and it kept reminding me of those who wish to ban literature."

—teresatrejo88

11. The Future by Naomi Alderman.

Fourth Estate

"Just incredible."

—thehallouminati

12. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood.

Sphere

"I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Cute, fluffy, and it made me want to learn how to play chess.

I also enjoyed quite a bit of Riley Sager and some Taylor Jenkins Reid- specifically, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a fantastic read. After not enjoying Daisy Jones & The Six I was hesitant to read any more of her work, but I am so glad I did."

—alktrio87

13. The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré.

Sceptre

"The story's about a young Nigerian girl, Adunni, and her life growing up not feeling like she can be heard. She goes through so much before eventually finding kindness and an escape.

It made me cry, and I fell in love with Adunni and her funny way of using the English language and words to express herself.

It helped me escape during a time of great stress in my life and also made me reevaluate my own troubles and feel grateful. I read around 120 books a year as I’m lucky enough to not have to work, and this one sticks in my brain and I find myself wanting to reread it.

I’ve recommended this book to everyone. ❤️"

—charrosa

14. Holly by Stephen King.

Hodder & Stoughton

"Holly Gibney is such a force to be reckoned with in all of the stories she's present in, but Holly is the first time she's going into a case totally on her own and it is AMAZING! I was listening to the audiobook at work and picking up the book at home, I was addicted. 10/10, would definitely read again! And I can't WAIT to see what Holly gets up to next!" 

—theicebox720

"I am dying to read it! But I'm an idiot and decided to go and read every other Stephen King book first. I don't regret it, but I've heard Holly is so good."

—asdfghj2

15. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

Penguin

"I read The Martian after years, and despite it not really being a genre I usually read, I gave it a try because everyone raved about it. Loved it. Then people told me about this book, and said if I liked The Martian I should read this book because it's even better. HOLY. HELL. What a f*cking book.

I will be excessively vague because where this book goes from page one to the end is crazy and I wouldn't want to give any spoilers. But the synopsis is that an astronaut wakes up from a coma thousands of lightyears away on a ship and he has to figure out not only why he was put there, but how to save humanity from extinction. SO DAMN GOOD (they are turning it into a movie featuring Ryan Gosling, go read it!)."

—asdfghj2

16. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy.

Simon & Schuster

—nataliebyrd

17. Caraval by Stephanie Garber.

Hodder Paperback

"It's hands-down the best romantasy series I have ever read. I don’t love super sappy romance books, but this series has the perfect amount of romance and adventure. Stephanie Garber is a master of writing and has created a masterpiece."

—emilyheck1

18. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle.

Quercus

"I went in totally blind and was NOT expecting that twist. The only book this year to make me sob like that."

—zoeebaig

19. Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton.

Granta Books

"Yes, it references Shakespeare, but it’s not a retelling of Macbeth (though there are parallels). A group of young eco-activists gets involved with an American billionaire looking to set up a bolt-hole in New Zealand. A tense thriller unfolds."

—jens4b88bfecd

20. The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark.

Hodder & Stoughton

"My favorite book of 2023. Such a great mystery!"

—debbiejellinski

"I LOVED her book The Last Flight. I’ll have to check this one out."

—panda_13

21. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan.

‎ Penguin

"I’m not sure if it came out this year, but DAMN. You ever read a dystopian book and be like, 'There’s no way we’d ever get here. How did this happen?'. The School for Good Mothers is how. This is how we get to a dystopian society from where we are now, and it’s not a stretch. One of the spookiest books I’ve ever read."

—kimharmon04kh

22. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.

Vintage

"Even though I have yet to complete it, I get why this is so famous amongst us women suffering from existential crisis right now."

—tanyam44ab2253d

23. The Push by Ashley Audrain.

Penguin

"Also, literally any Lisa Jewell book —  if you like psychological thrillers you HAVE to read these. This book had me frozen on the sidewalk, unable to move from my couch because it gave me such a chill..."

—joyaiko

24. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

Faber & Faber

"It's an amazing look at poverty through the eyes of a child/young adult in the Appalachians. It's kind of a modern twist on David Copperfield."

—gingerella17

25. Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes.

Penguin

"Her books deal with tough subjects in such a lovely and humorous way. I was in tears reading one page and then laughing reading the next. She always writes these believable characters that you can't help but root for."

—kristinas13

26. Redfang Royal by Lola Rock.

Lola Rock

"It’s an indie 'why choose romance' that is so freaking funny and wonderful. It’s the kind of love everyone wishes they could have. I laughed out loud several times."

—foundmyguy307

27. And my personal fave, because guess what, I made the list — The Mill on The Floss by George Eliot.

Penguin

"Obviously it's not a new book, but I only got around to reading it this year. It's got the most beautiful opening page I've ever read, and I kept taking pictures of certain passages to send to friends because they were so wise and funny and poetic. The ending sucks, but that's okay — the rest of the novel is so amazing that I can forgive her."

—aglover

Do you agree with the choices, or have your own suggestions? Let us know in the comments below!

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.   

Additional thumbnail credits: Getty Images / PBS / Focus Features