Recommended Reads, Trends
We made it to the middle—2023 is officially half over, and I don’t know about you, but my TBR tower is teetering. The year started off with a royal bang with Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, and the books have been rolling in since. Many of the great books we anticipated at the start of the year have hit bookshelves—both physical and virtual—plus a few more. Oprah picked her 100th book club pick with Hello Beautiful, the celebrity memoir continues to rise in popularity and romance dominated the bestseller lists—a place typically reserved for literary fiction—thanks to authors like Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry.
For those participating in a reading challenge this year, the halfway point is a great time to take stock of where you’re at. If you’re on track—amazing! If not, maybe it’s time to put down the book you’re slogging through and try another (it’s OK not to finish books you aren’t lovin’), try a new format like audiobooks or catch up with some super short books that are worth a read.
Keep reading for a list of the books that readers are buzzing about this year—all chosen and vetted by our ultimate book experts: Librarians. Find these picks on the Libby reading app from your library.
FICTION
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
Jan. 17
A hilarious and painfully relatable debut novel about one woman's messy search for joy and meaning in the wake of an unexpected breakup, from comedian, essayist and award-winning screenwriter Monica Heisey.
Exiles by Jane Harper
Jan. 31
Federal Investigator Aaron Falk is on his way to a small town deep in Southern Australian wine country for the christening of an old friend's baby. But mystery follows him, even on vacation.
Maame by Jessica George
Jan. 31
Smart, funny and deeply affecting, the novel deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism to female pleasure, the complexity of love and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Feb. 21
A stirring investigation into collective memory and a deeply felt examination of one woman’s reckoning with her past, with a transfixing mystery at its heart. Timely, hypnotic and populated with a cast of unforgettable characters, this new novel is at once a compulsive page-turner and a literary triumph.
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
Mar. 7
In this darkly beguiling locked-room mystery, someone turns up dead on the set of TV's hottest baking competition.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Mar. 7
A deliciously funny, sharply observed debut of family, love and class, this zeitgeisty novel follows three women in one wealthy Brooklyn clan.
Weyward by Emilia Hart
Mar. 7
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's novel is an enthralling story of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Mar. 14
A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery.
The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
Mar. 21
This heart-stopping novel, set in Post WWII Britain in 1947, follows the coming of age and maturity of former wartime operative Elinor White—veteran of two wars, trained killer, protective of her anonymity—when she is drawn back into the world of menace she has been desperate to leave behind.
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda
Apr. 11
A thrilling mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the 10th anniversary of a tragic accident—only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Apr. 11
Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Apr. 25
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.
Small Miracles by Dennis Lehane
Apr. 25
The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River—an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston's history.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
May 2
From the New York Times bestselling author 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.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
May 2
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
May 2
A random connection sends two strangers on a daylong adventure where they make a promise one keeps and the other breaks, with life-changing effects, in this breathtaking new novel.
The Guest by Emma Cline
May 16
A young woman pretends to be someone she isn’t in this “spellbinding” (Vogue), “smoldering” (The Washington Post) novel by the author of The Girls.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
June 6
This is a captivating story of women helping other women. It is also a triumphant reimagining of the life of a woman who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
June 6
Intertwining past and present, this is the tale of two unforgettable characters, both in search of family and home. It is both a testament to the sacrifices that parents make and a love letter to the children who survive the most unfathomable dangers—and never stop dreaming.
NONFICTION
Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson
Jan. 31
The actress, activist, and once infamous Playboy Playmate reclaims the narrative of her life in a memoir that defies expectation in both content and approach, blending searing prose with snippets of original poetry.
We Should Not Be Friends by Will Schwalbe
Feb. 21
A warm, funny, irresistible memoir that follows an improbable and life-changing college friendship over the course of 40 years—from the best-selling author of The End of Your Life Book Club.
You Will Find Your People by Lane Moore
Apr. 25
From Lane Moore comes a searingly intimate, yet wildly funny exploration of the frustrating, messy and, at times, deeply joyful experience of learning how to make meaningful friendships as an adult.
Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly
May 2
Fans know her as the spoiled, rich cheerleader Lyla Garrity on Friday Night Lights or as the affluent, mysterious Samantha on the HBO megahit Euphoria. But as revealed for the first time in these pages, Minka Kelly's life has been anything but easy.
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby
May 16
Quietly Hostile makes light as Irby takes us on another outrageously funny tour of all the gory details that make up the true portrait of a life behind the screenshotted depression memes. Relatable, poignant and uproarious, once again, Irby is the tonic we all need to get by.
Wannabe by Aisha Harris
June 13
Aisha Harris has made a name for herself as someone you can turn to for a razor-sharp take on whatever show or movie everyone is talking about. Now, she turns her talents inward, mining the benchmarks of her '90s childhood and beyond to analyze the tropes that are shaping all of us, and our ability to shape them right back.
YOUNG ADULT
These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi
Feb. 7
Full of explosive magic, searing romance and heartbreaking betrayal, this breathtaking sequel to This Woven Kingdom is from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series and is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir and Tomi Adeyemi.
There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia
Mar. 21
A raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere, Jade Adia's unforgettable debut tells the darkly hilarious story of three best friends willing to do whatever it takes to stay together.
Throwback by Maurene Goo
Apr. 11
A Gen Z Korean American girl gets stuck in the '90s with her teenaged mother in this fresh, funny adventure full of heart, humor and time-crossed romance.
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
May 2
The New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.
*Title availability may vary by region.
💡 TIP! Often many of the new bestsellers are in use, just like physical copies at the library, so you can place a hold. If the book becomes available while you’re still finishing up another one, you can suspend your hold. This lets you move up a title's wait list without the title becoming available for you. If you reach #1 in line, you'll be in the first position to get the book once your suspension ends.
Don’t want to wait? Explore some titles that have no waitlist on Libby.
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