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The best books we read in 2023
Hear which books made an impression on the Kobo staff in the past 12 months
It was a year of great books, old and new! These are the ones we most enjoyed spending time with in 2023.
Scroll down for the Side B episode with even more book recommendations.
Elena Knows
Tara loved this Argentinian literary mystery. Taking place over the course of one day, Elena Knows follows an elderly woman suffering from Parkinson's whose daughter died under what she believes to be suspicious circumstances. We move through the day with her via her medication schedule of morning, noon, and night as she travels through Buenos Aires trying to learn more about what happened to her daughter. Tara recommends this to fans of both literary fiction and mystery.
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The Drowning Woman
The Drowning Woman pulled René out of a reading slump. He describes this mystery novel as intense and high octane right from the beginning, full of twists, and "not boring ever." He recommends it to fans of Big Little Lies and The White Lotus.
A Perfect Spy
On the anniversary of John le Carré's death, Tracy stumbled upon a quote in which Philip Roth described A Perfect Spy as, "the best novel since the Second World War," and she decided it was time to jump in. She says it was one of the most beautiful books she's ever read, and she was impressed le Carré's power of observation and ability to share it in a "stop in your tracks" way.
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Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters
Jacques is a long-time fan of Sinéad O'Connor and unlike most fans, he developed a friendship with his idol. Needless to say, he is a tough critic when it comes to books about Sinéad. Why Sinéad O'Connor Matters draws a throughline to Sinéad's public breakdown of 2016 by mapping her personal biography, her work, and the span of her career. Jacques felt that journalist Allyson McCabe's approach to the singer's catalogue was complete, well researched, and he recommends it to other fans and anyone curious about the late enigmatic singer.
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Ormeshadow
Terrence found himself on a Gothic kick this year and Ormeshadow came out on top. He read this dark, grim coming-of-age and family drama all in one sitting. Terrence describes Ormeshadow as a story about stories and says the fantastical elements (dragons, anyone?) really make it stand out within the very crowded Gothic genre. If you're looking to dip your toe into the Gothic world, Terrence says Ormeshadow is the perfect place to start.
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Still Life
Kristain loves historical fiction and was immediately hooked by the prose and storytelling in Still Life. Starting off during WWII with a chance encounter between a solider and an older woman, Still Life follows the soldier as he returns to England, ends up inheriting land in Italy, and where his life takes him from there. Kristain describes the characters as quirky and relatable, the setting of Italy as painted perfectly, and recommends this to fans of Kristin Hannah, Donna Tartt, and Amor Towles.
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The Rachel Incident
Elizabeth describes this novel as a warm, star-crossed story about friendship—a topic she firmly believes there are not enough stories of. Set in the late aughts in Ireland, The Rachel Incident follows Rachel and her bookstore colleague James, as they become friends and set off into that interesting time of adulthood where you've just graduated and are navigating life. Elizabeth recommends this to fans of Sally Rooney or anyone that is bumbling their way through the world and looking to feel more grounded.
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Interesting Facts About Space
As co-host of the Kobo Writing Life podcast Rachel sometimes gets to read books before they are released (lucky her, right?) so her pick actually has an early 2024 release date. She describes Interesting Facts About Space as a little weird, with a main character who is obsessed with space, has a phobia of bald men, and accidentally finds herself in her first ever long-term relationship. Touching on the intersection of queerness and mental health, Austin's novel spoke to Rachel on many levels. She recommends this to anyone who likes to read books about interesting and deeply flawed characters.
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Nimod's pick came to him via kobo.com/recommendations, in case you needed more proof that our robot colleagues are also pretty good at recommending books. 21st Lessons for the 21st Century explores current problems facing humanity, our approach to them, and how we potentially could solve them. Nimod recommends this to anybody who is interested in cultural anthropology and understanding ideas that are coming together from many different directions. He says if you liked the author's earlier book Sapiens you'll definitely like this.
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Divine Rivals
Jessica had been trying to get into Fantasy but found her attention waning when an author would get bogged down in world building. This all changed with Divine Rivals: she appreciated how Rebecca Ross told her everything she needed to know right in the moment. A story of rivals to lovers full of banter and tension with an overlay of magical realism, Jessica found Divine Rivals to be beautifully written and enthralling from the first page.
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In the Upper Country
Nathan isn't much of a re-reader, but he's been haunted all year by the need to return to this book because it stayed with him for a long time after he discussed it with author Kai Thomas. This historical novel takes place in a fictional Canadian town that is functionally the end of the Underground Railroad, where people are smuggled beyond the legal reach of slavery. Occupied by formerly enslaved people, the town of Dunmore is a window into a culture which shares a unique knowledge of violence. Nathan recommends this to fans of Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad or Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.
View eBook View AudiobookThe best books we read in 2023 - Side B
You can't possibly need more reading recommendations after our last episode featuring the best books read by the staff of Kobo in 2023 but we've never let the height of anybody's TBR pile stop us from singing the praises of our favourite books. Here are a few more, including one you absolutely must read ASAP—plus co-hosts Michael and Nathan talk about what made 2023 a different kind of year in books and why they're optimistic about what's coming next.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Frances credits this series for breaking her out of a reading slump. Of the 70-something reading hours this series typically requires, Frances has already made her way through over 50—and she had only started a few weeks before making this recommendation. She calls it the perfect blend of magic, modernity, world building, and romance that evokes the feeling she remembers having when she read The Twilight Saga, Harry Potter, Divergent, and The Hunger Games Trilogy growing up.
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Boulder
Silvia discovered Eva Baltasar through her poetry and says Boulder's prose is just as beautiful as her verse. Following two women as they meet, fall in love, and choose to become parents, this story chronicles how their relationship changes once motherhood and parenting is introduced. Silvia enjoyed this story in its original Catalan, but thankfully there are English and Spanish translations for us to experience this emotional, dramatic tale.
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Yellowface
Yellowface comes recommended by both Deandra and Alanna this year. R.F. Kuang's latest novel follows the aftermath of a struggling author's decision to complete the unfinished manuscript of her recently-deceased but infinitely more successful friend (frenemy, really) and pass it off as her own. The catch: the book is a work of historical fiction about Chinese soldiers in WWI and the deceased author is Asian, while her surviving friend is white.
Deandra says this book blew her away and that she hasn't been able to stop talking about it or recommending it. She calls it well-written and smart, and—with its short, propulsive chapters—literally unputdownable.
For Alanna, this book is the perfect blend of a compelling, exciting plotline paired with thought-evoking themes and social commentary that force you to consider the world differently and critically. She's decided she'll read anything R. F. Kuang writes.
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And Then She Fell
Michael considers himself a comfort and escape reader, but this story shook him up, causing him to read and think differently. And Then She Fell follows a young Mohawk woman named Alice who has just had a baby and is in the process of writing her first book. Over the course of those first weeks of parenthood, Alice feels her grasp on reality slipping. This powerful exploration of mental illness showed Michael the heart of an experience that is really difficult to tap into, which he felt it viscerally while reading.
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