Top 10 Best Books of 2023

Once Warren Buffett was asked how to become a billionaire, and he advised reading 500 pages a day. A peculiar suggestion, as spending so much time in a seated position (or does anyone read standing?) poses a significant risk of developing hemorrhoids instead of wealth. No, if you're going to read, do it for the pleasure, not the page count. Fortunately, this year, authors have prepared a plethora of intriguing reads for us.

A stylish dystopia about gladiatorial battles in the U.S. prison system, a vivid reportage on the epic resistance of residents in a Ukrainian town to rampaging Russian occupiers, a mysterious fable about an encounter in the woods, a detailed reconstruction of a legendary shipboard rebellion, a Dickensian-styled retelling of a scandalous trial in Victorian England—discover all this and more in our compilation of the best reads of 2023.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

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Author of the acclaimed early 2000s bestseller "Skippy Dies," Irish master of tragicomic novels Paul Murray, returns after a silent period since 2015. "The Bee Sting" tells the story of the once-wealthy Irish Barnes family grappling with the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Beyond financial difficulties, each family member faces personal challenges, from the death of a past love to an uneasy online friendship. Daily troubles increasingly drive the Barnes family apart, but eventually, the characters realize a simple truth: the resilience of family bonds is the only thing that will save them in turbulent times as the world around them collapses.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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This young American with Ghanaian roots stirred the literary world in 2018 with the release of the short story collection "Friday Black," a satirical take on contemporary sins of Western society. His debut novel, "Chain-Gang All-Stars," portrays the American prison system as an anti-utopian satire, where anyone can earn freedom by becoming a gladiator in TV-show-style battles. The catch? Survive for three years.

A Small, Stubborn Town by Andrew Harding

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"The Russians are invading. But the locals have a plan"—this is the slogan of British author Andrew Harding's book-report on the incredible battle for Voznesensk in Southern Ukraine. In March 2022, the determined local residents, mostly pensioners, dealt a harsh blow to the Putinist occupiers. This battle became one of the turning points in the early months of the Russian-Ukrainian war, disrupting the Russian blitzkrieg plan. 

Overall, the defense of Voznesensk, as portrayed in the book, is a miniature-scale Russian-Ukrainian war during its first months. The reportage genre presents a horrifying thriller, but it impresses with numerous masterfully portrayed real characters who, confronted with Russian evil, did not fear the enemy but displayed resilience, humor, and the uniquely Ukrainian inventiveness that is characteristic only to them.

The Fraud by Zadie Smith

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Zadie Smith's debut novel, "White Teeth," published in 2000, is considered the first literary sensation of the 21st century. However, this British author with Jamaican roots wrote her most famous book while still a Cambridge student. Despite the early dizzying success, Smith experienced a creative crisis, but she persevered, diligently working on subsequent books—all of which became bestsellers. In 2023, she presented the historical novel "The Fraud," dedicated to the famous 19th-century criminal trial known as the "Tichborne case." The story will appeal to fans of high-profile social scandals, the atmosphere of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens' style, and Zadie Smith's ability to illustrate massive socio-cultural conflicts through a vibrant gallery of unforgettable characters.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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Last year, Chinese author R.F. Kuang, known for the popular novel "The Poppy War," a work of historical-political dark fantasy, received the prestigious Nebula Award for her fourth book, "Babel." This year, her fifth novel, "Yellowface," hit the shelves. The story begins with the sudden death of publishers' favorite Athena Liu in her apartment. Her longtime friend, June Hayward, steals the unfinished manuscript found on the table. After completing it, she publishes the book as her own novel, which becomes a bestseller. The woman enjoys fame until an anonymous social media user begins threatening to expose her secret.

"Yellowface" will appeal to fans of gripping and intricate thrillers, as well as those who appreciate skillful satire. In her new novel, R.F. Kuang tackles the politics of so-called "racial diversity" practiced in the publishing industry.

The Wager by David Grann

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If you enjoyed Martin Scorsese's recent film "Killers of the Flower Moon," take note of the new work by the author of its literary foundation. This year, David Grann, a staff journalist at The New Yorker, released a non-fiction book about the Wager Mutiny. It recounts the events of 1741 when a British military ship ran aground near a deserted island. Mutiny, violence, murder, betrayal, and ultimately, a sensational tribunal that turned into a captivating detective story upon the return of all crew members to England.

David Grann captivates readers not only with his storytelling prowess but also with the thoroughness of his research. Before writing "The Wager," he explored numerous testimonies, shipboard journal entries, sailors' correspondence, and military court protocols. In these, people seemed to compete to invent the most outrageous stories about what happened during the 5 months their ship was stranded.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

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It's hard to believe, but Britney Spears' debut album "...Baby One More Time" was released on January 12, 1999—meaning it will officially turn 25 in a few weeks, entering the category of "vintage." Spears' reliance on the nostalgic feelings of her fans proved very successful. The memoirs of the singer, who only in 2021 managed to free herself from years of involuntary conservatorship by her father, were released in October and immediately became a number one bestseller.

With over 2.5 million copies sold, "The Woman in Me," and the $15 million contract for writing this book—sharing the top spot with Bill Clinton's 2004 memoir "My Life"—divided the first place in the ranking of the largest book deals of all time. In her autobiography, the pop star recounts vindictively and fiercely how she was exploited for years by the music industry alongside her own family.

A Shining by Jon Fosse

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The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2023 was awarded to the Norwegian author Jon Fosse, recognized by the committee for his innovative plays and prose in which he "gave voice to the unspoken." Alongside this honor came a new novel. The plot of the allegory "A Shining" begins with a Man setting out to a remote rural area at the end of autumn. Soon, only abandoned farmhouses appear sporadically outside his car window. The Man then enters the forest, where the wheels eventually get stuck on an impassable path. Night. Snow. Realizing he's lost, the Man sets out on foot in search of help. To his surprise—and that of both himself and the readers—he encounters figures in the forest that shine.

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

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The protagonist of the novel "Study for Obedience" arrives in an unnamed northern country to become the caregiver for her brother. However, with her arrival, strange events begin to occur in the city one after another. For instance, phantom pregnancy in a dog. Moreover, a crazed sow decides to trample her own piglets, and all the potatoes suddenly die from some disease. But what disturbs the heroine is not this; she is frightened by the fact that all the townspeople somehow believe that their new neighbor is supposedly behind a series of mystical misfortunes. They avoid encounters with her, and when unavoidable—cross themselves and close their children's eyes.

This chilling allegorical novel on anti-Semitism by the young Canadian writer Sarah Bernstein comes out very timely and relevant. It was released in a year when Israel experienced a hate-driven attack from Hamas terrorists, supported by rallies and demonstrations across the Western world. The events supposedly involved tens of thousands of people who supposedly embraced the principles of science in various prestigious schools and universities but failed to learn to distinguish between civilization and barbarism.

The Russo-Ukrainian War by Serhii Plokhy

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Few believed it would happen, but it did—on February 24, 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine, unleashing the largest war in Europe since World War II. In his new book, Serhii Plokhy, the author of the bestseller "Chernobyl: The History of a Tragedy," analyzes the roots, course, and potential outcomes of the ongoing military actions that have persisted for the second consecutive year. Read this book if you want to understand: why did the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin dare to become an international criminal? How do Ukrainians manage to resist the so-called "second army of the world"? And what could be the result of the West uniting around Ukraine and the complete isolation of Russia?