There are so many new and backlist novels that I’m longing to read this year! In this post you’ll find the 23 books I’ll be marking as “high priority” on my 2023 reading list.
In both 2021 and 2022, I put together a “high priority” reading list for my year. These lists contained 30 books that I absolutely had to read that year, no matter what else I picked up. This way, I wouldn’t stray from my goals of completing an author’s backlog, finishing a series, picking up a new release, or whatever else I wanted to accomplish over the course of 365 days. However, in 2023, I decided to try something a little different. Rather than 30 books, I’m going with 23 to match the year!
While my lists over the last couple of years have been a really wide mix of both new releases and backlist books, this year I’m prioritizing new books by my favorite authors! There are a couple of older titles mixed in, but for the most part, the novels come out during 2023. This gives me the chance to slowly check off my list throughout the year, rather than finishing it within the first few months. It’s bound to be a great reading year!
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23 Books I’m Prioritizing From My 2023 Reading List
You can find each book from my 2023 reading list below. Tap on the photo to read the synopsis and tap on the title to buy or preorder. Visit my StoryGraph account to read my reviews as they go live – and check out my bookstagram account for more aesthetic photos of books and coffee!
The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games #4)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Stealing Infinity (Stolen Beauty #1)
Alyson Nöel
In the Shadow Garden
Liz Parker
The Liar’s Crown (Dominions #1)
Abigail Owen
Last of the Talons (Talon #1)
Sophie Kim
Bring Me Your Midnight
Rachel Griffin
Someone Just Like You
Meredith Schorr
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0)
Suzanne Collins
Painted Devils (Little Thieves #2)
Margaret Owen
A Wilderness of Stars
Shea Ernshaw
The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy #1)
Chelsea Abdullah
Begin Again
Emma Lord
Happy Place
Emily Henry
This Cursed Light (The Last Finestra #2)
Emily Thiede
Foxglove (Belladonna #2)
Adalyn Grace
The Foxglove King (Nightshade Crown #1)
Hannah Whitten
A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart #3)
Stephanie Garber
Babel
R.F. Kuang
The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1)
Marie Lu
There Will Come a Darkness (The Age of Darkness #1)
Katy Rose Pool
Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology #1)
Sue Lynn Tan
Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker #1)
Charlie N. Holmberg
The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1)
Soman Chainani
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Have you read any of the books I’m prioritizing from my 2023 reading list? If not, are any of them on your TBR?
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Happy New Year, Stephanie!
Oh I can totally empathise: too many books and not enough time. I’m still focusing on backlist reading with a couple of new titles thrown in. Babel is on my list for 2023 too! I read Daughter of the Moon Goddess last year and LOVED it (and as a duology!). I also read The School for Good and Evil ahead of the Netflix adaptation – it wasn’t hugely my bag but I think it’ll be a good read if you’re after tying up some loose ends from the film!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t read Babel last year haha. I felt super behind when everyone else was reading it. In fact, I still have yet to read the author’s other books as well, so I’m super SUPER behind! It’s wonderful to know that you enjoyed The Celestial Kingdom Duology! I’m extra excited about those since I’ve heard such raves. Great to know you liked it too 🙂
These books sound so great, thank you so much for such an awesome list to inspire my 2023 TBR! I had no idea Suzanne Collins was coming out with a new book in the Hunger Games series, that’s so awesome! I really enjoyed those books, so that one will definitely be at the top of my list!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was actually released in 2020, I just haven’t gotten a chance to read it and wanted to prep for the upcoming film adaptation coming in November 🙂
Great choices Stephanie! I also want to read Happy Places and Someone Just Like You and I hope we both enjoy them! Thanks for sharing.
Yay for wonderful romances coming out this year! I can’t wait to read them all!
Happy Place is on my anticipated release list too. I recently finished Begin Again and enjoyed it very much. I hope you love all these books.
Eek! It makes me so happy that you enjoyed Begin Again. Emma’s books are some of my favorites. They never cease to bring me joy. I can’t wait for that one!
Great list! I actually haven’t heard of most of these. But The Stardust Thief is a good read, as is Daughter of the Moon Goddess, so I hope you enjoy them, too. The Foxglove King is on my list as well…looking forward to that one. I have Babel, too, and I suppose I should add that to my 2023 list like you, buuuut I think I’ll initially focus on backlist books I’ll likely unhaul so I can make some shelf space.
I’m glad to be introducing you to a few new titles 🙂 You’ve got me extra excited for The Stardust Thief and Daughter of the Moon Goddess! I’m sure I’m going to love them.
So many good books on this list! I really enjoyed Daughter of the Moon Goddess and I’m excited to get to the sequel. I hope you get to read all of the books on this list!
I’ve heard excellent things about that duology so I’m really hoping I enjoy it as much as everyone else seems to!
You have such a great list of books there to read! The covers are so pretty. I have seen lots of good things about Babel and the Moon Goddess. Hope you end up loving them all!
It seems like Babel was absolutely everywhere during the second half of last year. I’m simultaneously nervous and excited to give it a go!
So many great picks on this list! I haven’t read any of these but did see the Netflix version of The School for Good and Evil, had no idea it was a book!
It’s an entire series, actually! Apparently, the movie wasn’t the best adaptation, but I enjoyed the different actors and hope I like the books more!
We just finished Begin Again and we really enjoyed it! The Brothers Hawthorne is also on our list.
I’m so excited about those two I could practically pop. Actually, I’m that excited about all of my 2023 new release picks. It’s gonna be a good year for books hehe
That’s quite a list! I haven’t read any of those books yet, but a few of them are on my TBR for this year.
Well, I’m not surprised you haven’t read a lot of them since I think the majority are 2023 releases hehe. I hope you get a chance to enjoy them this year!
We read A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes when it released and we can’t wait for the movie adaptation. The Brothers Hawthorne is on our list for 2023 too.
I have this feeling the adaptation is going to be great, especially since the originals were so good. I’m super excited to read – and watch – it this year!
I love this idea! I have a very long TBR wishlist that I want to get to but I like to see what other people are reading via bookstagram IG pages so I can get indecisive with what I want to read. I’m going to put together my own list of books that I want to read this year and leave a few spots open for any books that may capture my attention. ♥
http://www.mooeyandfriends.com
I think that’s a wonderful plan! I’d love to see what you end up putting on your list 🙂
These all sound amazing!! I haven’t heard of most of these but you have the best taste in books, so I’m sure they are going to be in incredible. I’m definitely going to put a few on my reading list!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
Aww well thank you! I’m glad you enjoy checking out my reading lists 🙂