Top 23 Book Club Books of 2023

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Co-winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Kingsolver's modern retelling of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield transports the story to southern Appalachia in the midst of the opioid crisis.  

The novel was one of Bookclubs' most discussed books of the year and also one of the highest rated.  Readers also enjoyed the audio version. 

"This book was so rich, so deep. I held these characters for weeks after finishing." -- Bookclubs user NapaReader.  

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Two bestselling authors team up in this book, at once a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.

"On the surface, this is a tried-and-true trope: girl is murdered, boy is accused, mother stands by her son. But, as one might suspect with a book by Picoult and Boylan, there is a whole lot more going on here. There are several unexpected twists, not to mention more than a few turns. Told in alternating chapters, Olivia, Asher's mother, tells the story going forward from Lily's death and Lily herself tells her story going backward from the same time. Together, the two stories form a brilliant picture of Lily and Asher, together and separately, and of the difference between things that are private and things that are secret." -- Anonymous Bookclubs user

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

An exquisite homage to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic, Little Women, Hello Beautiful is a profoundly moving portrait of what is possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.

"This book is enveloping. While not a page-turner initially, it becomes a story you can’t help but think about throughout your day. It is different than any other book I’ve read. I feel like I’ve gotten to know my own family; wishing to skip ahead a few pages to know them more, and reread paragraphs to soak them in. I absolutely love how disruptive Napolitano’s writing is when you’re fully in a moment and then she skips years. I never expected it, but enjoyed it each time. What a lovely book." -- Bookclubs user Brookecoates

Happy Place by Emily Henry

A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

"Somehow Emily Henry was able to make me cry, laugh and smile in one book. It was a wonderful journey of what it’s like to live the normal ups and downs of life. Undeniably one of the best books I’ve read" -- Bookclubs user GilisaFloyd

The first book in Rebecca Yarros' Empyrean series took the internet by storm this summer, quickly followed by the second book in the series, Iron Flame, in November.  

"The world building was simple enough that you could easily follow along but not too simple to be completely boring. The friendships formed and the journey the main character goes through discovering her strengths and capabilities despite her disabilities is truly worth the read. She’s smart, witty, caring, and fiercely protective and I am absolutely in love with this book-verse." -- Bookclubs user Goth Mommy

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

This book also received raves for the audiobook narration done by acclaimed actress Meryl Streep!

"Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The inimitable Meryl Streep reading this audiobook made the characters seem very real. The story itself stands on its own, too. I loved the relationship of Lara with each of her daughters, and her husband" -- Bookclubs user SherylStandifer

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author known for her “superb pacing, twisted characters, and captivating prose” (BuzzFeed), Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

"The title of this book is so accurate, and you will question what you are reading so many times thoroughly the story. Even when you do read it you won’t believe it. So many swings and twists, you will be dizzy.  Every page is a cliff hanger, every question answered brings up another. It’s perfection- don’t hesitate. Read it now. Right now. I finished this in 1 day it was too good and still has my head spinning 😵‍💫" -- Bookclubs user Rawena Reads

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

From the #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, comes the inspiring new novel about a mother's unshakeable love.  

Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It's about the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and the power of art to create change.

"A tale set in a dystopian society that is eerily familiar with what is happening in the world today" -- Bookclubs user DonnaWheeler

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.

Through this glorious story of land and family, spanning the years 1900 to 1977, you will witness unthinkable changes, joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, and the constant pull of faith and love.

"If you are looking for a leisurely... read with a rich tapestry of characters that you want to spend a part of your day with, you will enjoy this book. The author takes you on a multi generational and multi cultural journey. Be patient - you will see how everything comes together at the end." -- Bookclubs user DonnaG PSL  

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Yellowface marks the literary debut from the bestselling fantasy author of Babel and the Poppy War series. Kuang puts issues such as cultural appropriation and the lack of diversity in publishing under fire in this satirical novel about a white woman who becomes a bestselling author after publishing the stolen manuscript of her late friend and rising Asian American writer. 

"Wow. The ride we’re taken on through the morally unhinged main character’s mind as she wrestles with not being inherently relevant in a time of ‘diversity’ within the publishing world is wild. There are so many layers here, but the pacing makes it a fast read." -- Bookclubs user Rayna