The (Very) Best Books I Read In 2023
It was a great year of reading once again. Not because the titles published this year were particularly great–as always, my reading is usually rooted in stuff that’s older, in a more serendipitous process than catching titles as they come out. It was great because I found so many books that were new to me and in their own way, helped form a new me. I learned about perspectives I didn’t have before, learned things I didn’t know, and even connected with people I otherwise wouldn’t have known. It was wonderful and I feel so lucky to have so many more books I still want to read.
At the end of every year, I try to narrow down all the books I read and recommended in this email list to just a handful of the best. The kind of books where if they were the only books I’d read that year, I’d still feel like it was an awesome year of reading. You can check out the best of lists from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011… I can’t believe it’s been 13 years of these roundups!
My reading list is now ~270,000 people, which means I hear pretty quickly when a recommendation has landed well. I promise you — you can’t go wrong with any of these.
Before we get into them, speaking of new me’s, if you want to be a new you this New Year… Join me in The Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge 2024–21 challenges designed…
