Year-End Lists

A hand-curated, browsable index of notable year-end lists. Follow the link for each list to see essential commentary from its author, at the source.

Books

Dazed: The Best Novels of 2023

19 January 2024

Birnam Wood - Eleanor Catton

Dazed: The Best Novels of 2023

New Statesman: The 20 Best Books of 2023

18 January 2024

A Memoir of My Former Self - Hilary Mantel

New Statesman: The 20 Best Books of 2023

[see also 2021]

Non-fiction

Fiction

Auraist: The Best-Written Books of 2023

23 December 2023

Big Swiss - Jen Beagin

Auraist: The Best-Written Books of 2023, "the year's most stylishly written publications"

Literary fiction

Nonfiction

Speculative fiction (sci fi, fantasy, horror)

Crime fiction/thrillers

Town & Country: The Best Books of 2023

23 December 2023

The Bee Sting - Paul Murray

Town & Country: The Best Books of 2023

[see also 2010s]

Barack Obama: Favorite Books of 2023

22 December 2023

All the Sinners Bleed - S.A. Cosby

Barack Obama: Favorite Books of 2023, as posted to Instagram

[see also 202220212020201920182017]

Harper’s Bazaar: The 45 Best New Books of 2023 You Won’t Put Down

22 December 2023

Hello Beautiful - Ann Napolitano

Harper’s Bazaar: The 45 Best New Books of 2023 You Won’t Put Down, organized by release date

[see also 20202018201720162015]

Nerdette: The 12 Best Books of 2023

22 December 2023

Loot - Tania James

Nerdette: The 12 Best Books of 2023 as aired on WBEZ and selected by Greta Johnsen, Miwa Messer, and Andrew Limbong

Historical Fiction

Nonfiction

General Fiction

Graphic Novels

Shelf Awareness: Best Books of 2023

21 December 2023

Let Us Descend - Jesmyn Ward

Shelf Awareness: Best Books of 2023, limited to books for adults, although they also post lists of children's and young adult books

[see also 20182017]

Fiction

Nonfiction

California Review of Books: 10 Best Books of 2023

20 December 2023

A Fever in the Heartland - Timothy Egan

California Review of Books: 10 Best Books of 2023

Electric Lit: Best Nonfiction of 2023

20 December 2023

Monsters - Claire Dederer

Electric Lit: Best Nonfiction of 2023

[see also Best Novels of 2023Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2022Favorite Novels of 2022Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2021Favorite Novels of 2021Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2020Favorite Novels of 202015 Best Novels of 201915 Best Nonfiction Books of 2019]

The Top 5 Nonfiction Books of The Year

Other Favorite Nonfiction Books