In Episode 158, we wrap up the year with our Best Books of 2023 Genre Awards with Susie (@NovelVisits). We reveal our Overall Best Books (Fiction and Nonfiction), and we have a full breakdown by genre, including: Best Literary Fiction, Best Romance, Best Brain Candy, Best Genre Mash-Up, and more! Plus, we’re sharing the winners for these same genres as chosen by the Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Patreon community!

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Announcements

• My 2024 Reading Tracker is out! Once again, the Tracker is ONLY available to $7/month Superstars patrons (i.e., no longer available as a separate purchase for $14.99 here on my website). Become a Superstars Patron here!

Highlights

• Podcast reflections from 2023 — including top episodes based on download stats.
• Overview of Susie’s and Sarah’s 2023 year in reading — including trends and stats.
• Favorite books of the year: overall and by genre, including the SBL Patreon Community’s picks.

2023 Genre Awards [19:14]

Susie

• The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:19]
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:41]
• No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:00]
• The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:22]
• In Memoriam by Alice Winn | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:16]
• The Art Thief by Michael Finkel | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:24]
• You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:32]
• The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:02]
• The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:39]
• Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:59]
• Go As a River by Shelley Read | Amazon | Bookshop.org [57:30]
• Shark Heart by Emily Habeck | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:58]
•  

Sarah

• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano | Amazon | Bookshop.org [20:51]
• Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:27]
• Spare by Prince Harry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:00]
• All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay | Amazon | Bookshop.org[34:08]
• Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:06]
• Generations by Jean M. Twenge PhD | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:04]
• The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin | Amazon | Bookshop.org[45:43]
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:21]
• My Murder by Katie Williams | Amazon | Bookshop.org [51:53]
• Yellowface by R. F. Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:05]
• Happiness Falls by Angie Kim | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:30]
• Talking at Night by Claire Daverley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:00:38]

Patrons

• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:45]
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:00]
• Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:14]
• All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay | Amazon | Bookshop.org[35:58]
• All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:29]
• In Memoriam by Alice Winn | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:41]
• We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian | Amazon | Bookshop.org[44:09]
• The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin | Amazon | Bookshop.org[46:13]
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:50]
• Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah | Amazon | Bookshop.org[52:49]
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:45]
• Starling House by Alix E. Harrow | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:30]
• Congratulations, the Best Is Over! by R. Eric Thomas | Amazon | Bookshop.org[57:18]
• I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai | Amazon | Bookshop.org[58:59]
• Shark Heart by Emily Habeck | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:02]
• Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [59:31]

Other Books Mentioned

• Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce [4:19]
• Atomic Family by Ciera Horton McElroy [13:57]
• The Caretaker by Ron Rash [14:02]
• All You Have to Do Is Call by Kerri Maher [14:03]
• One Woman Show by Christine Coulson [14:18]
• Big Swiss by Jen Beagin [14:19] 
• Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano [21:00]
• The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne [21:26]
• The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue [22:16]
• Wellness by Nathan Hill [22:19]
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese [22:22]
• Ghost by Dolly Alderton [26:27]
• Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering [26:29]
• Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutano [31:00]
• Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum [31:30]
• The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand [31:33]
• The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel [31:39]
• Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane [36:44]
• Drowning by T. J. Newman [36:48]
• Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent [37:00]
• Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash [39:54]
• The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland [40:05]
• The Postcard by Anne Berest [40:09]
• The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel [41:38]
• In Light of All Darkness by Kim Cross [42:18]
• A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan [43:49]
• Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond [44:00]
• The Woman in Me by Britney Spears [46:22]
• All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore [46:29]
• How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key [46:38]
• Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane [47:28]
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [49:06]
• Happy Place by Emily Henry [49:45]
• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez [50:00]
• The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins [52:43]
• Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling [52:45]
• The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton [53:06]
• Starter Villain by John Scalzi [53:21]
• Holly by Stephen King [54:20]
• Lone Women by Victor LaValle [54:48]
• How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix [54:52]
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley [59:34]
• Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross [59:44]
• Normal People by Sally Rooney [1:00:56]
• Maame by Jessica George [1:01:39]

Top Podcast Episodes for 2023 [8:42]

• Ep. 129: Best Books of 2022 Genre Awards with Susie (@NovelVisits)
• Ep. 150: Fall 2023 Book Preview with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)
• Ep. 140: 2023 Summer Reading Special with Susie (@NovelVisits)
• Ep. 131: The Best Backlist Books We Read in 2022 with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)
• Ep. 128: Best Books of 2022 Superlatives with Susie (@NovelVisits)
• Ep. 151: Angie Kim (Author of Happiness Falls)
• Ep. 133: Speculative Fiction / Fantasy 101 with Sarah Landis (Literary Agent)
• Ep. 143: Behind the Scenes of Book Coaching with Abigail K. Perry (of Lit Match Podcast)
• Ep. 138: Rebecca Makkai (Author of I Have Some Questions for You)
• Ep. 132: Katie Gutierrez (Author of More Than You’ll Ever Know)
• Ep. 156: 2023 State of the Industry with Sarah Landis (Literary Agent)
• Ep. 147: Lara Love Hardin (Author of The Many Lives of Mama Love)
• Ep. 144: John Marrs (Author of The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act)
• Ep. 152: Liz Nugent (Author of Strange Sally Diamond)