The Five Best Fiction Books I Read in 2023

For the past several years, to close out the year, I have identified the best books that I read throughout the year. And, I always get good feedback from doing so.

So, I am back at it again.

By the end of 2023, I will have read/listened to 85 books.

I want to share the top five books I have read across three genres and the value I have gained from reading them:

1. Business/Leadership (12/11)
2. Fiction (12/18)
3. Non-Fiction (1/1)

The Five Fiction Books I Read in 2023

5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I often don’t like murder mysteries because they are too dark and too serious. This one was a really fun read. It is about four people in a retirement village who enjoy discussing unsolved crimes and ultimately come together to solve a murder. As I am a fan of Only Murders in a Building, this spoke to me. Nothing profound here, just good-natured fun. A great read for a vacation.

4. The Bobiverse series by Dennis Taylor

During the year, I listened to all four books in this series. While I have liked other series better (e.g., The Red Rising Series, The Stormlight Archive), this was light-hearted, clever, well-written, and entertaining. Honestly, if I tried to describe what the series is about, I don’t think I could do it justice. So, I am not going to try. This would make for a good family road trip listen.

3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

One of the things that I love about reading fiction is that it allows me to step into a world that is completely foreign to me. In the case of this book, I got to step into the world of a talented woman chemist who faces sexism in the workplace and struggles to succeed in a career while largely being a single parent. While I really enjoyed the writing, the characters and the storyline, what I got out of this the most was a greater sensitivity to the struggles women have historically had in the workplace.

2. The Little Liar by Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom is one my most favorite authors (possibly my most favorite). He is an incredible writer and storyteller. And, what sets him apart for me is that he is able to bring significant depth and meaning to his writing and storytelling. After reading his books, I always walk away feeling I am a better person. In this book, you follow four primary characters during the holocaust and their lives beyond the holocaust. This book is equal parts heartbreaking and profound. I am not sure why, but I love WWII time-period books, and this covers the holocaust with a Greek connection, something I hadn’t been exposed to before.

1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This book has been on my radar for a long time. It came out about the same time as one of my most favorite books, The Nightingale. Given that both take place in France during WWII, I figured reading one of them was good enough. Was I wrong! I should have read this a long time ago. The writing of this book is magical, and the character development is among the best that I have read. Netflix just came out with a series based on this book that I am excited to watch. In my opinion, this is a must-read for fiction and/or WWII readers.

Best Books from Prior Years

• The Five Best Fiction Books I Read in 2022
• The Five Best Non-Fiction Books I Read in 2022
• The Five Best Business/Leadership Books I Read in 2022
• The Five Best Non-Fiction Business/Self-Help Books I Read in 2021
• The Five Best Fiction Books I Read in 2021
• The Five Best Non-Fiction (Other) Books I Read in 2021