Best Books of the Year
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Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2023

Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2023 names 110 books across 3 categories. 55 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

10 Best Books

  1. How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclairsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia by Gary J. Basssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. King: A Life by Jonathan Eigsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Loot by Tania Jamessource (opens in a new tab)
  5. North Woods by Daniel Masonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Bathysphere Book: Effects of the Luminous Ocean Depths by Brad Foxsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Bee Sting by Paul Murraysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBridesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Gregg Hecimovichsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The MANIAC by Benjamín Labatutsource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Fiction

  1. A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Handsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartzsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. After the Funeral by Tessa Hadleysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoorsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Barbara Isn’t Dying by Alina Bronsky, translated by Tim Mohrsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Birnam Wood by Eleanor Cattonsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Blackouts by Justin Torressource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyahsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Confidence by Rafael Frumkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Crook Manifesto by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Dayswork by Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habelsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountainsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammadsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedosource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Family Meal by Bryan Washingtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitanosource (opens in a new tab)
  17. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkaisource (opens in a new tab)
  18. I Will Greet the Sun Again by Khashayar J. Khabushanisource (opens in a new tab)
  19. In Memoriam by Alice Winnsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Wardsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Lone Women by Victor LaVallesource (opens in a new tab)
  22. My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connorsource (opens in a new tab)
  23. My Name Is Iris by Brando Skyhorsesource (opens in a new tab)
  24. No One Prayed Over Their Graves by Khaled Khalifa, translated by Leri Pricesource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barrysource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Open Throat by Henry Hokesource (opens in a new tab)
  27. Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowellsource (opens in a new tab)
  28. Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Parksource (opens in a new tab)
  29. Small Mercies by Dennis Lehanesource (opens in a new tab)
  30. Straw Dogs of the Universe by Ye Chunsource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Faraway World by Patricia Engelsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Fraud by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Guest by Emma Clinesource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Engsource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, translated by Oonagh Stranskysource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Iliad by Homer, translated by Emily Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Madstone by Elizabeth Crooksource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, translated by Lara Vergnaudsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The New Naturals by Gabriel Bumpsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Reformatory by Tananarive Duesource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Sunset Crowd by Karin Tanabesource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Unsettled by Ayana Mathissource (opens in a new tab)
  43. The World and All That It Holds by Aleksandar Hemonsource (opens in a new tab)
  44. The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enrightsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. Tom Lake by Ann Patchettsource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Tremor by Teju Colesource (opens in a new tab)
  47. Up With the Sun by Thomas Mallonsource (opens in a new tab)
  48. Vengeance Is Mine by Marie NDiaye, translated by Jordan Stumpsource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Victory City by Salman Rushdiesource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Vintage Contemporaries by Dan Koissource (opens in a new tab)

Notable Nonfiction

  1. A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Affinities: On Art and Fascination by Brian Dillonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15 by Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. An Inconvenient Cop: My Fight to Change Policing in America by Edwin Raymond and Jon Sternfeldsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Built From the Fire: The Epic Story of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, America’s Black Wall Street by Victor Luckersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post by Martin Baronsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austensource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir by Lucinda Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets by Burkhard Bilgersource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World by John Vaillantsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. George: A Magpie Memoir by Frieda Hughessource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture and Control in Cold War America by Andrew C. McKevittsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew From It by Greg Marshallsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garzasource (opens in a new tab)
  17. Lives of the Wives: Five Literary Marriages by Carmela Ciurarusource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Lou Reed: The King of New York by Will Hermessource (opens in a new tab)
  19. Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederersource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Fauxsource (opens in a new tab)
  21. Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomerysource (opens in a new tab)
  22. Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Pagesource (opens in a new tab)
  23. President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by C.W. Goodyearsource (opens in a new tab)
  24. Saying It Loud: 1966 — the Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement by Mark Whitakersource (opens in a new tab)
  25. Spare by Prince Harrysource (opens in a new tab)
  26. Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That Changed America by Harry N. MacLeansource (opens in a new tab)
  27. The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church by Rachel L. Swarnssource (opens in a new tab)
  28. The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkelsource (opens in a new tab)
  29. The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions by Jonathan Rosensource (opens in a new tab)
  30. The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind by Ben Terrissource (opens in a new tab)
  31. The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight by Andrew Lelandsource (opens in a new tab)
  32. The Critic’s Daughter: A Memoir by Priscilla Gilmansource (opens in a new tab)
  33. The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary by Sarah Ogilviesource (opens in a new tab)
  34. The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine by Ricardo Nuilasource (opens in a new tab)
  35. The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos by Jaime Greensource (opens in a new tab)
  36. The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin’s Propaganda War by Alan Philpssource (opens in a new tab)
  37. The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawksource (opens in a new tab)
  38. The Secret Gate: A True Story of Courage and Sacrifice During the Collapse of Afghanistan by Mitchell Zuckoffsource (opens in a new tab)
  39. The Story of a Life: Books 1-3 by Konstantin Paustovsky, translated by Douglas Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  40. The Upside-Down World: Meetings With the Dutch Masters by Benjamin Mosersource (opens in a new tab)
  41. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grannsource (opens in a new tab)
  42. The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War by Chad L. Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  43. To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul by Tracy K. Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  44. UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government’s Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There by Garrett M. Graffsource (opens in a new tab)
  45. Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy by Colin Dickeysource (opens in a new tab)
  46. Waiting to be Arrested at Night: A Uyghur Poet’s Memoir of China’s Genocide by Tahir Hamut Izgilsource (opens in a new tab)
  47. We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgariansource (opens in a new tab)
  48. When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovan X. Ramseysource (opens in a new tab)
  49. Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage by Jonny Steinbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  50. Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother by Peggy O’Donnell Heffingtonsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Washington Post Best Books of the Year

Three lists a year: 10 Best Books, Notable Fiction, and Notable Nonfiction. 2011-2025 notable lists are WaPo's 50 notable works of fiction and nonfiction. 2006-2010 notable lists are Book World's holiday Best Books of the year, whose genre subsections are folded into fiction and nonfiction; 2006 and 2011 top lists are top five fiction plus top five nonfiction. WaPo pages were read through the Wayback Machine because washingtonpost.com blocks direct fetches. Secondary sources where no WaPo copy was readable: the 2008 top 10 and nine of the 2010 top 10 come from Publishers Lunch; the 2025 lists are cut off by the paywall in every archived copy and come from yearendlists.com (item 1 on each WaPo page matches). WaPo's separate genre lists (thrillers, SF, poetry, graphic novels) and critics' personal picks are left out. No list is ranked.

Organization: The Washington Post. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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