Looking for the best new books? Fill up your reading list with the best books of spring 2023 so you have plenty of great books to read this spring.
I can’t decide if I’m excited for spring or not. The nicer weather will bring bike rides and soccer games and all the beautiful flowers. However, the skiing has been so amazing this year, part of me wishes winter would never end.
One thing I am excited for: the spring 2023 book releases.
I have been so impressed with the new book releases of 2023. I have read so many 4 and 5 star reads that I just want to spend all day telling people about them.
Today, I’ve got all the best books of Spring 2023 to keep your TBR overflowing this season. No matter your mood, I’ve gotten you covered with family dramas, thrillers, historical fiction, and more.
Best Books of Spring 2023 for Book Clubs
Hello Beautiful
Ann Napolitano
After a childhood of being ignored by his family, William Waters finds refuge playing basketball in college. When William meets Julia Padavano, a lively girl extremely close to her parents and three sisters, he quickly becomes a part of the close-knit Padavano family. Although cracks start to appear in the family, William never imagined he’d be the wedge to drive them completely apart. A homage to Little Women, Hello Beautiful gorgeously describes family and sisterhood, mental health, and forgiveness, in such a way that you will never forget this story. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in the last five years.
Maame
Jessica George
In London, Maddie spends most of her time either at home taking care of her father with advanced Parkinson’s or at work in a job she hates where she is the only Black employee. When her mother returns from Ghana, Maddie is thrilled to move out and experience life for herself. After tragedy strikes, Maddie begins to understand her unconventional family and the joys and fears of putting her heart on the line.
Yellowface
R. F. Kuang
Although June and Athena went to school together, Athena has found major success as an Asian-American novelist while June struggles to get a foot in the door, probably because she’s just another basic white girl. When June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she impetuously snatches up Athena’s unfinished work. Publishing it as her own, June rebrands herself as a racially ambiguous Juniper Song and becomes an instant bestseller. Yet as the truth threatens to come out, June must decide how far she is willing to go to keep her secret.
Before We Were Innocent
Ella Berman
Ten years ago, Bess and Joni spend a summer in Greece with their best friend Evangeline. When Evangeline dies, Bess and Joni find themselves suspects, their brash personalities vilified by the media, but ultimately no charges are filed against them. Since then, Bess has kept the lowest profile possible while Joni has become an outspoken motivational speaker. When Joni’s fiancée disappears, Bess comes out of hiding to support Joni and must face what really happened all those summers ago. A fascinating character study of female friendships, Berman examines how easily our lives can be cherry-picked to paint us white or black, when we are all shades of grey.
Spring Contemporary Fiction Novels
The Bandit Queens
Parini Shroff
Five years ago, Geeta’s no-good husband simply walked away and she never heard from him again. However, in her small Indian village, the rumor persists that Geeta killed him. Geeta doesn’t mind since no one wants to mess with a black widow. Until women start asking Geeta for advice on how to off their own husbands and they won’t take no for an answer. Heartwarming and hilarious all at once, The Bandit Queens has a well-rounded story with witty characters and a dark sense of humor that makes for an enjoyable, yet thought-provoking, read.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Jojo Moyes
Globetrotting Nisha Cantor has the perfect life money can buy until her husband divorces her and cuts her off completely. Scrambling to hold on to her previous lifestyle, Nisha’s distress hits a peak when even her gym bag is stolen. Meanwhile, Sam Kemp is desperately trying to keep her family afloat. When she tries on a pair of expensive shoes from a gym bag she took by accident, the jolt of confidence inspires her to change her life.
The Celebrants
Steven Rowley
Ever since their graduation almost thirty years ago, Jordan Vargas and his college friends have periodically gathered together in Big Sur for living “funerals” – celebrations that life is still worth living well. They’ve been there through Marielle’s divorce, Naomi’s parents’ death, and Craig’s art fraud conviction. But now Jordan has a secret that might completely upend their friendship.
The Best New Thrillers Of Spring 2023
All the Dangerous Things
Stacy Willingham
A year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life was dramatically changed when her toddler was taken while she and her husband slept in the next room. Once a sleepwalker but now suffering from crippling insomnia, Isabelle is obsessed with finding Mason. When she turns to a true crime podcaster for help, Isabelle begins to doubt her memories and worries that she might have been responsible. Full of nuanced women, All the Dangerous Things is an excellent domestic thriller that highlights many facets of motherhood, both good and bad.
The Only Survivors
Megan Miranda
Ten years ago, on the way back from a high school service project, two vans were in a tragic accident and only nine students survived. Yet none of the survivors feels like a hero, each ashamed of a decision they made that fateful night. Every anniversary since, they have met at a North Carolina beach house to check up on each other. Cassidy Brent has tried to distance herself from the other survivors, but when she finds out one has recently died, she finds herself drawn back in. When the group realizes that someone has been talking, they begin to suspect each other, and Cassidy wonders if one would go to great lengths to keep them all quiet. A slow-burn mystery, The Only Survivors emanates a tense atmosphere while slowly exposing the weight secrets have on our lives.
What Lies in the Woods
Kate Alice Marshall
At age eleven, best friends Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia spent the summer roaming the woods. Until Naomi was attacked, surviving 17 stab wounds, and the girls’ testimonies put a serial killer in prison for the death of six other women. Except, they lied. Now Olivia wants to tell and Naomi must discover the dangerous truth of what really happened in the woods that summer.
The House in the Pines
Ana Reyes
During her senior of high school, Maya’s best friend mysteriously dropped dead in front of Frank, a man they had been spending time with that summer. Trying to kick the addiction that helped her cope with her friend’s death, Maya is shocked to see a YouTube video of another teenager girl dropping dead in front of Frank. Returning to her hometown to search for answers, Maya finds clues in her deceased father’s book that make her reevaluate her past.
Simply Lies
David Baldacci
A single mom and a former detective, Mickey Gibson is trying to balance life with two small children and her work for ProEye, a global investigation firm focused on tax and credit fraud. When a colleague sends her to investigate the vacant home of an arms dealer, Mickey quickly realizes something is wrong. Mickey discovers the body of a former mob boss who was in Witness Protection and now she is the prime suspect. Soon she is caught in a game of cat-and-mouse with an unknown woman with a deadly endgame in mind.
Best Books Spring 2023: Historical Fiction
Homecoming
Kate Morton
When the grandmother who raised her ends up in the hospital after a fall, Jess rushes back from London to Sydney to take care of her. While going through her grandmother’s house, Jess discovers a true crime journal, following a notorious murder at a mysterious mansion on Christmas Eve in 1959. As any journalist would, Jess begins to look into the mystery and the surprising connections to her family’s history.
The House of Eve
Sadeqa Johnson
In 1950s Philadelphia, fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to become the first person in her family to go to college until a taboo love affair derails her plans. Meanwhile, in Washington DC, Eleanor Quarles falls madly in love with William Pride at Howard University. Yet his wealthy Black family are not too keen on adding her to the fold. Hoping a baby will help, Eleanor is desperate to get pregnant, but when she crosses paths with Ruby, she feels like she’s found the perfect solution.
River Sing Me Home
Eleanor Shearer
At a Barbados plantation in 1834, the master gathers his slaves together and announces that they have all been emancipated. Now they are to be his apprentices instead of slaves, although they must now work for him for another six years. Instead, Rachel decides to leave, searching for her five children who were sold away.
Beyond That, the Sea
Laura Spence-Ash
In 1940, Millie and Reginald Thompson make the heartbreaking decision to send their eleven-year-old daughter Beatrix to America to escape the dangers in London. For the next five years, Bea finds herself enveloped into the Gregory family, sandwiched between sons William and Gerald. Although Bea has made a life for herself in America, she is forced to leave her new family behind to return to England after the war, finding herself caught between two worlds. Told in short vignettes from different point-of-views, Beyond That, the Sea is a bittersweet character-driven story about being caught between two worlds.
The House is on Fire
Rachel Beanland
On December 26, 1811, Richmond, Virginia’s only theater is backed with holiday revelers waiting to watch the Placide & Green Company perform. When the theater goes up in flames, split-second decisions by a new widow, a colored attendee, a young stagehand a local blacksmith have lasting repercussions in this novel based on a true event.
Save for Later
More Fun Spring Novels
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Angeline Boulley
Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known her role in her indigenous tribe on Sugar Island. When Native women start disappearing and her family is caught in the middle of a high-profile murder investigation, Perry questions her place as the laidback twin. As grave robbers strike the tribe and she learns more about the limitations of diplomacy when it comes to the repatriation of tribal remains, Perry must decide how best to fight to save her ancestors and her tribe members before all is lost.
Pineapple Street
Jenny Jackson
The Stockton family of Brooklyn Heights has lived off their connections and old money for generations, firmly placing them amongst New York’s one-percenters. Darley, the eldest daughter, traded her job for motherhood but has lost herself in the process. Meanwhile, Georgiana, the youngest, finds herself facing forbidden love, forcing her to choose what she really wants. And Sasha, the daughter-in-law, feels like an outsider after marrying into wealth that she could never have comprehended. Pineapple Street falls all three women, giving a witty look at modern life.
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Brandon Sanderson
The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when Charlie goes missing, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Can this fair maiden save the day?
Stateless
Elizabeth Wein
In 1937, Stella North is thrilled to be competing as the only female pilot in Europe’s first air race for young adults. Between Spain’s civil war and the Nazis gaining power, the world is looking for something uplifting to follow. But the competition quickly turns cutthroat when a competitor is killed and each of the pilots has their own dangerous past to hide. A fun YA novel with a confident female protagonist, Stateless has a high-action plot and a cute romance that will keep you flipping pages trying to guess the mystery.
The Best Nonfiction Books of Spring 2022
Spare
Prince Harry
The second son of King Charles III and his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry has always known he was the spare prince. Traumatized by his mother’s death, Harry struggled to live such a public life, constantly plagued by the ever-hungry paparazzi. In his highly anticipated memoir, Harry discusses his life and his public falling out with the royal family, feeling they did not support his wife enough when she was hounded by the British press. A compelling read, Spare shines on harsh light on Harry’s lifelong battle with the paparazzi.
Good for a Girl
Lauren Fleshman
Lauren Fleshman is one of the most-decorated distance runners in the United States. In Good for a Girl, Fleshman tells of how she fell in love with running as a girl and shares her own running journey. Yet, Good for a Girl isn’t just a memoir. It’s a powerful look at how competitive sports are designed for men and boys and routinely fail female athletes, leading to injuries, eating disorders, and mental health issues. Fleshman uses her personal experiences to bravely address a larger narrative about women in sports that is much needed to make the world a better place for our daughters.
The Nazi Conspiracy
Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a bold meeting with Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill to build a crucial strategy for the war. As soon as Hitler’s regime learned of the meeting, the Nazis hatched a plot to assassinate the three world leaders. Full of political intrigue and daring rescues, The Nazi Conspiracy details a close call that could have changed history forever.
Master Slave Husband Wife
Ilyon Woo
In a New York Times best seller, Ilyon Woo describes a daring escape from slavery by husband and wife Ellen and William Craft. In 1848, the Crafts were determined to free themselves from slavery. So they hatched a plan to disguise Ellen as a wealthy, disabled white man and pretend that William was her slave. Their bold escape made headlines, but when a new fugitive slave law was passed, they were forced to flee again or they could be returned to slavery, realizing that freedom would only lie in leaving the United States entirely.
What Do You Think Are the Best Books of Spring?
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my best Spring books list? What new book releases have I forgotten? As always, let me know in the comments!
More Keyword Reading Lists:
Parker Dawn says
I Absolutely LOVED Hello, Beautiful. I think I requested the ARC due to your recommendation. But the I read No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister, (due out 5/1/23) and it was stunning. I think my favorite so far this year! I also just finished yesterday Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Again due out in May, I loved this also. Really good works coming out this spring!
Ann says
Currently reading Hello Beautiful and really liking it. I somehow skipped part and am having to go back. I had it double book marked: where I was & where I was reading to/following Oprah’s sched. Somehow I’d accidently jumped ahead. The only thing bugging me was how it tied into Little Women. I kept looking for the connection & so far I think it was only referenced as something the sisters/characters had read & how it related to them. Maybe there is more. Also the story is told from I believe 4 characters viewpoints & can feel slightly repetitive & jumpy when going over same events. I got used to that though.
I returned All The Dangerous Things without reading. I have such a bad habit of getting new releases and then having too many & basically hoarding them. I have a copy of A Flicker In The Dark & need to try to get to that.
I was on a wait list for the longest time for What Lies In The Woods. But in the interim, I think I heard too much of the plot on a podcast. Then, I deleted my request to make way for something else.
I gave up on Someone Else’s Shoes. It’s not that I did not like it, but I was reading it too slowly & it seemed to be moving too slowly also. It was due back & of course could not immediately be rechecked bc of it being new & popular. I still like Me Before You best.
Looking forward to the new Ashley Audrain in June. And Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake in August!
Someone (I will not name names) gave away part part of the plot to The Whispers on their podcast. Am I thr only one who freaks out when this happens. I’ll be on a walk listening & try to press pause as fast as I can. I’m one who likes my reads to be as fresh as possible. I could not believe what was let slip. I think I messaged on IG & was told they just repeated what Goodreads summary said about the book. But it sure felt like a big part of plot to me!
Rachael, thanks for letting us know what your Spring faves are. I always trust your opinion!! Hope this blog is serving as a diversion for you and not a burden or obligation. I truly appreciate & enjoy your updates.
Abigail M Berthold says
I’m looking forward to many of these already. My TBR keeping growing and growing. I never have enough time.