BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 2023

55 highest-rated books first published in 2023.

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Why Light Bringer is #1

Light Bringer (Pierce Brown) scores 9.1/10 from 636 ratings — 0.2 points ahead of The Will of the Many in second place.

The score is a weighted average across 3 independent rating sources. A title with few ratings is pulled toward the category average, so a handful of enthusiastic reviews cannot outrank a book that thousands of readers have judged. Method →

  1. Light Bringer
    Light BringerPierce Brown · 2023NYT bestseller Science fiction636 ratings
    9.19.1 / 10
  2. The Will of the Many
    The Will of the ManyJames Islington · 2023 Fantasy1.5K ratings
    8.98.9 / 10
  3. The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
    The Eye of the Bedlam BrideMatt Dinniman · 2023 Fantasy1.4K ratings
    8.98.9 / 10
  4. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
    Yumi and the Nightmare PainterBrandon Sanderson · 2023 Fantasy1.3K ratings
    8.88.8 / 10
  5. Tress of the Emerald Sea
    Tress of the Emerald SeaBrandon Sanderson · 2023 Fantasy2.1K ratings
    8.78.7 / 10
  6. Waybound
    WayboundWill Wight · 2023 Fantasy335 ratings
    8.78.7 / 10
  7. In Memoriam
    In MemoriamAlice Winn · 2023 Historical fiction179 ratings
    8.58.5 / 10
  8. The Sunlit Man
    The Sunlit ManBrandon Sanderson · 2023 Fantasy1K ratings
    8.58.5 / 10
  9. Defiant
    DefiantBrandon Sanderson · 2023 Science fiction401 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  10. Bookshops & Bonedust
    Bookshops & BonedustTravis Baldree · 2023NYT bestseller Fantasy772 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  11. The Covenant of Water
    The Covenant of WaterAbraham Verghese · 2023NYT bestseller Historical fiction201 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  12. Lost in the Moment and Found
    Lost in the Moment and FoundSeanan McGuire · 2023 Fantasy126 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  13. Elon Musk
    Elon MuskWalter Isaacson · 2023NYT bestseller Biography & memoir242 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  14. A City on Mars
    A City on MarsKelly L. Weinersmith · 2023NYT bestseller Popular science88 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  15. Divine Rivals
    Divine RivalsRebecca Ross · 2023 Young adult835 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  16. System Collapse
    System CollapseMartha Wells · 2023NYT bestseller Science fiction1K ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  17. Chain-Gang All-Stars
    Chain-Gang All-StarsNana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah · 2023 Dystopian349 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  18. The Sun and the Star
    The Sun and the StarRick Riordan · 2023 Myths & legends134 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  19. Thornhedge
    ThornhedgeUrsula Vernon · 2023 Fantasy336 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  20. He Who Drowned the World
    He Who Drowned the WorldShelley Parker-Chan · 2023 Fantasy83 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  21. Starter Villain
    Starter VillainJohn Scalzi · 2023NYT bestseller Science fiction938 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  22. The Frozen River
    The Frozen RiverAriel Lawhon · 2023NYT bestseller Crime & mystery235 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  23. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
    Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of FaeriesHeather Fawcett · 2023 Fantasy757 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  24. Love, Theoretically
    Love, TheoreticallyAli Hazelwood · 2023NYT bestseller Romance685 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  25. The Chalice of the Gods
    The Chalice of the GodsRick Riordan · 2023 Fantasy345 ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  26. Fourth Wing
    Fourth WingRebecca Yarros · 2023NYT bestseller Fantasy3.7K ratings
    8.18.1 / 10
  27. Iron Flame
    Iron FlameRebecca Yarros · 2023NYT bestseller Fantasy2.4K ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  28. Some Desperate Glory
    Some Desperate GloryEmily Tesh · 2023 Science fiction274 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  29. The Olympian Affair
    The Olympian AffairJim Butcher · 2023NYT bestseller Science fiction74 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  30. Translation State
    Translation StateAnn Leckie · 2023 Science fiction255 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  31. Children of Memory
    Children of MemoryAdrian Tchaikovsky · 2023 Science fiction485 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  32. Murtagh
    MurtaghChristopher Paolini · 2023 Fantasy204 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  33. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
    Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for MurderersJesse Q. Sutanto · 2023 Crime & mystery367 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  34. Chain of Thorns
    Chain of ThornsCassandra Clare · 2023 Fantasy108 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  35. The Woman in Me
    The Woman in MeBritney Spears · 2023NYT bestseller Biography & memoir533 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  36. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
    The Heaven & Earth Grocery StoreJames McBride · 2023NYT bestseller Historical fiction269 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  37. Holly
    HollyStephen King · 2023NYT bestseller Crime & mystery407 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  38. Godkiller
    GodkillerHannah Kaner · 2023 Fantasy302 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  39. Starling House
    Starling HouseAlix E. Harrow · 2023NYT bestseller Fantasy373 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  40. Happy Place
    Happy PlaceEmily Henry · 2023NYT bestseller Romance895 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  41. Camp Damascus
    Camp DamascusChuck Tingle · 2023 Horror201 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  42. Don't Fear the Reaper
    Don't Fear the ReaperStephen Graham Jones · 2023 Horror74 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  43. Untethered Sky
    Untethered SkyFonda Lee · 2023 Fantasy159 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  44. Yellowface
    YellowfaceR.F. Kuang · 2023NYT bestseller Humour1.8K ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  45. The Housemaid's Secret
    The Housemaid's SecretFreida McFadden · 2023NYT bestseller Thriller761 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  46. Antimatter Blues
    Antimatter BluesEdward Ashton · 2023 Science fiction178 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  47. Happiness Falls
    Happiness FallsAngie Kim · 2023 Thriller111 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  48. Immortal Longings
    Immortal LongingsChloe Gong · 2023 Fantasy78 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  49. The Secret
    The SecretLee Child · 2023NYT bestseller Crime & mystery110 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  50. Going Infinite
    Going InfiniteMichael Lewis · 2023NYT bestseller Business129 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  51. Pageboy
    PageboyElliot Page · 2023NYT bestseller Biography & memoir197 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  52. The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
    The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval EnglandBrandon Sanderson · 2023 Fantasy765 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  53. The Mystery Guest
    The Mystery GuestNita Prose · 2023 Crime & mystery186 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  54. Rose/House
    Rose/HouseArkady Martine · 2023 Science fiction101 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  55. Home Is Where the Bodies Are
    Home Is Where the Bodies AreJeneva Rose · 2023NYT bestseller Thriller256 ratings
    7.27.2 / 10

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