It takes all kinds of readers to make the world go round. Looking at this collection of our team’s favorites from 2023 only drives that truth home for me. While some gravitate towards sweet romances and funny books, others love books that make them cry! Some of us may only read rom-coms, and some may love spy thriller and fantasy, and some love a book that’s all three rolled into one! Regardless, there is something for everyone on this list. Read on to discover the Best Books of 2023 for the In Between Drafts team.
The House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig
This book delivers a trifecta of my favorite things—spooky vibes, sweet romance, and a compelling mystery. Craig is a master of sensory descriptions, and she transports you to a greenhouse-inspired fantasy world. She blends several genres so seamlessly: fantasy, mystery, love story. This novel keeps me at the edge of the seat the entire time, guessing who could be behind it all. At the same time, we get a spunky, clever protagonist paired with a sweet, sensitive soft boy. They come together in a sweet love story that triumphs over all the darkness present there too. — [Abby Costello]
The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
Drama and romance abound in this spy thriller. It starts with such an intriguing premise: a girl wakes up in Paris with no memory and a hoard of bad guys after her. And it totally delivers! I don’t usually read spy thrillers, but I found this one so fun that I couldn’t stop giggling. Watching these two awkward spies who clearly have feelings for each other have to pretend to be married was such a hoot. But Carter still sneaks in those sweet, vulnerable moments that make your heart sing. — [Abby Costello]
Begin Again by Emma Lord
Emma Lord never misses with her contemporaries, and Begin Again is no exception. This book felt refreshing because it focuses on characters in their first year of college. Andie, our overachieving heroine, self-identifies as a “Fixer” and thinks she has her own life all figured out. Boy, is she wrong! Freshman year is a time of growth and finding your true purpose, and Lord nails that journey for Andie. Also, Milo is the perfect caffeine-crazed, grumpy, sweet hero and I love him. — [Abby Costello]
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
Renaissance faires and a cute boy playing a lute—what more could you ask for?! Seriously, this is the cozy rom-com of my dreams. The story begins with Maddie grieving the death of her mother. She then meets Arthur, who is determined to be her best friend. I love sunshiney, relentless boys, and Arthur is no exception. Schumacher really focuses on the relationship between our two main characters, Arthur and Maddie, in this novel. They’re both so sweet and broken, it makes my heart melt! — [Abby Costello]
The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan
Rochelle Hassan weaves together a mighty, wondrous tale of found family and magic in her novel, The Buried and the Bound. The first of a trilogy with the second hitting shelves January 2024, the novel is addicting as we find ourselves fully engaged in the lives of Aziza, Leo, and Tristan as their individual journeys lead them to one another. Honoring the myths and mythmakers while adding her own color so that the final result is something resoundingly new, Hassan has crafted a gorgeous story seeped in magical realism that speaks to our need to be fully immersed. By marrying whimsy with horror, darkness with light, romance with friendship, she’s written a potent story that etches itself onto our skin. — [Ally Johnson]
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Emily Henry continued to prove herself a champion in romance with the sweetly addictive Happy Place. This love story takes place at a getaway in Maine where the summer heat can’t touch the chemistry between our main will they/won’t they couple, Harriet and Wyn. Split into two narratives, the past and the present, Henry injects the right amount of sultry with heart as we watch this relationship come together, fall apart, then come together again with gusto as they’re forced to reckon with their past selves and the relationship they seek in the future. A quick read, Happy Place is full with rich characters set against the type of escapist dream trip we all wish we could take with our friends. — [Ally Johnson]
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
TJ Klune delivers his most melancholy novel to date with In the Lives of Puppets. Following Victor and his android father, Gio, in a nondescript futuristic setting, it’s some of the author’s greatest world building to date. Their lives of uprooted with the arrival of another android whose ties to Gio threaten the sanctuary they’ve created for one another as we learn more about the violence that led to this modern, android driven society. The story is enriched with thematic grapplings of the follies of humans, the minutiae of time, and the magic of discovery. Anchored by tremendous emotional heft, In the Lives of Puppets bruises with the tenderness it harbors for humanity, displaying an acute understanding that for all our ability to destroy, we as a species are destined to heal. — [Ally Johnson]
To Shape A Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
To Shape A Dragon’s Breath is one of the most impressive debuts I’ve ever read. It’s an alternative history with steampunk elements, and set at a dragon training academy. The way the bonds between dragons and humans are described was so interesting and unique. Anequs is such a refreshing character and I admired her positive and hopeful outlook despite the prejudice she experiences at the hands of the colonizers and the way she stands her ground despite pressure to conform. If you read one dragon book this year, this should be it. — [Brianna Robinson]
The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett
Oh, this book. My head hurt from crying after reading this gorgeous, heart-wrenching story. Go in with an open mind and heart as you get to know Kemi and her family as they come to terms with the asteroid heading for Earth and the end of the world. This is a story about loss and love and as heartbreaking as it is, it’s one of the best I’ve ever read. — [Brianna Robinson]
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
I was a little late to the game with One Dark Window, the first book in the Shepherd King duology. Once I devoured it, I knew without even reading that the follow up would be one of my favorites of the year. The gothic atmosphere, the growing romance, and intriguing plot made me speed through the book. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. — [Brianna Robinson]
Abby Costello has been writing for about books professionally for the past three years, but she’s been overanalyzing everything she reads and watches since day one. Seriously, don’t even bring up Beauty and the Beast. Outside of this website, she teaches 7th grade English in Northern California and works as a freelance writer on the side.
No Comments