Dedicated bookworms already know that there is no experience like getting lost in a good read. Whether you’re the type who likes to put yourself in someone else’s shoes by reading a well-written memoir, scare yourself with a good mystery or thriller, get excited about a juicy new romance, hold your breath in the twists and turns of an exciting thriller, discover the past through historical fiction or explore new worlds through science fiction or speculative fiction, there’s bound to be something you’ll love about this selection of the best new and most expected books of 2023. Old favorites like Nicole Chung and Maggie Smith are back with breathtaking recent works, and many new authors are ready to capture your hearts.
And if any of these titles aren’t available yet, hit the pre-order button, anyway! Ordering books before they’re actually released helps authors sell and promote their work, because it tells bestseller lists and selection committees that readers are interested. This is especially helpful for fringe authors, small publishers, and first-time authors. If you’re particularly excited about a book, shopping we can consider around a good move. It’s a win-win! And when you’re done, head over to DeliverItX Book Club to find even more positive reads. We’ll keep your shelf stocked all year long.
1. Age of Vice: A Novel by Deepti Kapoor
This mind-blowing crime epic begins with a car accident that leaves five people dead, a driver who wasn’t supposed to be there, and many unanswered questions. More questions arise as we meet the wealthy Wadia family, loyal servant Ajay, and journalist Neda, who all find themselves swept up in a complex, breathless drama that builds to an explosive ending. Set aside some time: You won’t be able to put this book down.
Buy: Age of Vice: A Novel by Deepti Kapoor
2. Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong
Sure, Katrina knows every detail of her colleague Kurt’s life, but that doesn’t make her a stalker. And yes, she has followed him to a bridge late at night where she sees him jump to his death right after he tells her it’s all her fault. But she’s the victim here...right? This surreal mystery is perfect for Severance fans or anyone who would like their own workplace to have a little more spice.
Buy: Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong
3. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
The author who gave us The Ultimate Support Group and The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires returns with the heartfelt, terrifying, and, yes, funny story of two siblings struggling to sell their late parents’ house. Turns out the house wants in on the fight, and it’s filled with dolls that can’t seem to stay put. Maybe put your kids’ stuffed animals in the closet for this movie.
Buy: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
4. Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow
It’s we have shot 1976 and three quiet siblings in the still-segregated town of West Mills, North Carolina. Authorities don’t feel the urgency of the crime, but someone has a lot of questions she’s waiting for answers to - Jo Wright, fresh back from NYC and ready to take matters into her own hands. You’ll root for the nosy self-proclaimed detective as she discovers far more than she bargained for in her quest for justice.
Buy: Decent People by De’Shawn Charles Winslow
5. The Faraway World: Stories by Patricia Engel
These ten interesting stories feature characters as real as I am, grappling with human struggles that are both new and almost universal. If you’re looking for a collection that will touch your heart and make you look at your fellow human beings with more generosity, this one is a must.
Buy: The Faraway World: Stories by Patricia Engel
6. Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
Freaky Friday grew out of this heartfelt and heartwarming story of two women in very different circumstances who get the chance to literally walk in each other’s shoes after a bag mix-up at the gym. The storyteller behind Me Before You delivers a story of reinvention that might just inspire you to change yourself - just buy your own shoes.
Buy: Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes
7. Stealing: A Novel by Margaret Verble
Kit, a young Cherokee girl, is torn away from what remains of her family and sent to a Christian boarding school when she is most vulnerable. There she suffers horrific abuse but finds comfort in her journal, where she records what happens to her and what she remembers of her past. This is a historical account with a hint of mystery that makes the plot interesting.
Buy: Stealing: A Novel by Margaret Verble
8. Your Driver Is Waiting: A Novel by Priya Guns
A feminist retelling of the 1970s film Taxi Driver, this novel made me laugh out loud enough to draw stares on the subway, which is no small feat. It’s a crackling social commentary on the social justice movements of our time, the gig economy, performative labor, and the question of who can speak for the disadvantaged. It’s a quick read that just begs to be devoured.
Buy: Your Driver Is Waiting: A Novel by Priya Guns
9. I Have Some Questions for You: A Novel by Rebecca Makkai
A privileged boarding school with a cover-up of an old murder, a former student turned podcast host and visiting professor who can’t help but dig up long-buried secrets, and all the fallout that comes with it? This psychological thriller hits all the right notes, with at least a few revelations you won’t see coming.
Buy: I Have Some Questions for You: A Novel by Rebecca Makkai
10. What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez
In this hilarious and heartwarming novel, the Ramirez family is still reeling from the disappearance of 13-year-old Ruthy 12 years ago. So when older sister Jessica spots a woman she thinks is Ruthy on a raunchy reality show, she has to find out for sure. With her mother Dolores and younger sister Nina, they set out from Staten Island on a road trip that will show them just how important family is, even through a few spins.
Buy: What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez
11. The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
The horror season may be over, but the occult doesn’t obey the laws of man, calendar included. In this fierce, feminist historical fiction, a London men’s club claims to communicate with the dead, but an indomitable spiritualist who actually does threaten their chicanery. It’s a gripping story you’ll want to read in broad daylight, full of delicious scandal that goes all the way to the top, then back down into the depths of darkness.
Buy: The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
12. Hang the Moon: A Novel by Jeannette Walls
Fans of spunky heroines will find much to love about Sallie, the daughter of big shot Duke and sister to shy Eddie. When an accident leads to her banishment, everyone in their small Virginia town thinks nothing of her. But Sallie returns nine years later, ready to fight for her place in the family, and there’s still plenty of spunk in Sallie.
Buy: Hang the Moon: A Novel by Jeannette Walls
13. A Living Remedy: A Memoir by Nicole Chung
The last few years have caused many of us to question truths we used to take for granted: Who is the “middle class”? When we say we have each other, what does that really mean? Who defines the “American Dream,” anyway? In this beautiful and thought-provoking memoir, Chung explores the depths of grief and rage with a stark look at the pervasive inequality in American society and the real meaning of community.
Buy: A Living Remedy: A Memoir by Nicole Chung
14. Cursed Bread: A Novel by Sophie Mackintosh
Based on the unsolved mystery of a massive poisoning in 1951, this wonderfully bizarre book sees the inhabitants of a small town lose their minds. Some say it’s tainted bread, others a government conspiracy, but whatever the cause, mass hysteria has everyone reeling at a breakneck pace. And then a new attractive couple comes to town, and things heat even more. You only have to read to see what I mean.
Buy: Cursed Bread: A Novel by Sophie Mackintosh
15. You could make this place beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smith
This is a memoir of a woman re-engaging after heartbreak, but also a meditation on patriarchal power dynamics, a mother’s love for her children and what that means in today’s world, and how to bet on yourself, even and especially when you are told not to. If you expected Smith’s latest book to be a balm for the soul and a rallying cry for the heart, you won’t be disappointed.
Buy: You could make this place beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smith
