What Books Are in Store for You in 2023?
Looking for new reads to kick off the new year, but not sure where to start? The first three words you see in the word search above will tell you the book genres in store for you in 2023.
Read on for our recommendations, which include Quirk books that are on sale now as well as our most anticipated reads this year, so your reading schedule is covered from the get-go.
HORROR
Kick off your reading now:
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman
“A Gothic-punk graveyard tale about what haunts history and what haunts the human soul. An addicting read that draws you into its descent from the first page.”—Chuck Wendig, New York Times best-selling author of The Book of Accidents
Clay McLeod Chapman’s terrifying novel about a drug named Ghost that allows users to see the dead was named One of Vulture‘s Best Horror Novels of 2022. Are you ready to be haunted?
Ghost Eaters comes out in paperback on 6/6/23, making it the perfect horror beach read and a great addition to your reading list this summer.
Toil and Trouble: A Women’s History of the Occult by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson
Embrace the new year with this nonfiction read and celebration of magical women and nonbinary people in American history, from Salem to WitchTok.
Meet the mystical women and nonbinary people from US history who found strength through the supernatural—and those who are still forging the way today. From the celebrity spirit mediums of the nineteenth century to contemporary activist witches hexing the patriarchy, these icons have long used magic and mysticism to seize the power they’re so often denied.
Bonus: what’s your witch vibe? Try our TikTok filter and share your results.
The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters by J. W. Ocker
Cryptids? Say no more. Meet the monsters in our midst, from bigfoot to Mothman and beyond!
Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures and investigates the ways in which communities embrace and celebrate their local cryptids.
Bonus: which cryptid are you? Try our TikTok filter and share your results.
Anticipated read:
On sale 8/22/23: Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy
Stephen King’s The Mist meets Twin Peaks in this mind-bending horror-thriller about a Midwestern town engulfed by a mysterious plague of tornadoes every generation.
This new novel by Dare to Know author James Kennedy is hitting bookshelves just in time to close out your summer reading, making this another stellar beach read.
Preorder now from your favorite retailer!
SELF-HELP
Anticipated reads:
On sale 4/18/23: Work It Out: A Mood-Boosting Exercise Guide for People Who Just Want to Lie Down by Sarah Kurchak
Frank, funny, and sympathetic, this encouraging fitness book offers realistic tips, encouragement, and dozens of activity ideas for times when exercise is the only thing that will help—and the last thing you want to do.
Exercise is the most reliable way to improve mental health. But if you’re depressed, anxious, burned out, or struggling, it may feel impossible to get started, get serious, or even get up.
Work It Out meets you where you are—even if you’re lying on the floor.
Preorder now from your favorite retailer!
On sale 9/9/23: Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze
An irreverent, lighthearted, and judgment-free handbook on how to have better dates, sex, and partnerships—without relying on alcohol.
Dating, hookups, and romance can be a huge source of anxiety and pressure. When you’re intimidated or overwhelmed, it’s easy to use alcohol to feel more relaxed and outgoing. But what if you no longer want to have booze in your life? What do you do on dates? How do you soothe worries and hang-ups? And how the heck do you work up the nerve to be naked with someone new?
In Dry Humping, sober sexpert Tawny Lara shows you how to replace “liquid courage” with real courage at every stage of the dating game, ultimately building stronger sexual and romantic relationships.
Preorder now from your favorite retailer!
HEALTH
Kick off your reading now:
Good Sh*t: Your Holistic Guide to the Best Poop of Your Life by Julia Blohberger and Roos Neeter
Love your gut ❤️ Improve your gut health, and your life, with this relatable and humorous handbook.
If you grew up in the Western world, you were probably taught that poop is gross. Unspeakable, even. But it’s a waste to think of poop as a waste. Bags under our eyes tell us we’re not getting enough sleep. Sallow skin, thinning hair, and brittle nails tell us if our diets are imbalanced or if we’re overstressed. Poop tells us all of that—and much more.
This friendly and conversational handbook from two certified yoga and Ayurveda coaches teaches you how to think of poop as a useful gauge of overall health. So go ahead—let’s talk sh*t.
Anticipated read:
On sale 3/21/23: Good Night: Your Holistic Guide to the Best Sleep of Your Life by Julia Blohberger and Roos Neeter
Meet your best, most well-rested self with Good Night, an empowering handbook that will help you master the art of sleep.
In our busy, hyperconnected times, it can be hard to fall–and stay–asleep at night. But sleep is one of the keys to overall well-being, and not getting enough of it can have a big impact on your physical and mental health.
Written by two yoga and Ayurveda teachers, Good Night will help you understand the connections between diet, exercise, stress, and sleep so you can improve the quality of your rest from every angle.
Preorder now from your favorite retailer!
PSYCHOLOGY
Kick off your reading now:
What’s Your Grief?: Lists to Help You Through Any Loss by Eleanor Haley, MS, and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C
This friendly and accessible book of 75 lists will help anyone experiencing a change or loss—for readers of Maggie Smith, Cheryl Strayed, and Katherine May—from the creators of the popular What’s Your Grief website and community.
Losses, big and small, turn your world upside down. What’s Your Grief? will help you through all of them.
There’s no single way to experience grief. But this unique book will help you move through whatever it looks like and feels like to you.
Anticipated read:
On sale 3/7/23: Unplug and Play: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Roughhousing with Your Kids by Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D. and Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D
Learn how rough-and-tumble play can nurture relationships, lead to closer connections, encourage resilience, and boost confidence in kids—with 45 illustrated activities to get you started.
Every kid needs horseplay! Roughhousing is an essential part of childhood development—but it is increasingly overshadowed by screens and structured activities. In Unplug and Play, a doctor and a child psychologist, both dads, introduce parents to the benefits of physical play for young children.
With activities for everyone from toddlers to kids ages 12 and up, you’ll build a foundation for a lifetime of enriching physical play.
Preorder now from your favorite retailer!
KIDS
Kick off your reading now:
Hunters of the Lost City by Kali Wallace
“Reminiscent in feel to Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon, this lovely fantasy introduces a complicated, brave, and believable heroine. . . . An absolute delight.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Packed with shocking twists, frightening monsters, and dark magic, this is a page-turning fantasy adventure for middle-grade fans of Holly Black and Tamora Pierce.
Anticipated reads:
On sale 3/28/23: Hanging with Vampires: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural by Insha Fitzpatrick
Are vampires real? Crack open the coffin on this great middle grade read.
Discover everything about vampires in this laugh-out-loud nonfiction handbook packed with spooky legends, fascinating history, and weird facts perfect for middle-grade readers and mythology fans!
Hanging with Vampires is the first book in the Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural series, a hilarious and haunting exploration of how myths and legends shape our lives. Sink your fangs into vampire lore and literature with enchanting illustrations and fun activities, like making garlic bread. It’s a spooky world out there–grab your guide, and let’s go!
Look for the next volume, Chilling with Ghosts, for another frightfully good read!
Preorder Hanging with Vampires from your favorite retailer.
On sale 4/11/23: A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn
A timeless story of family, memory, and identity 🍲 💫
When You Reach Me meets Love Sugar Magic in this unforgettable middle grade novel where time travel, family recipes, and family secrets collide.
Brimming with heart and interspersed with seven family recipes that readers can make themselves, this is a story to savor by rising Korean American author Flora Ahn.
“Seasoned with humor and a rich setting, A Spoonful of Time is an enchanting novel about family secrets, friendships, loss, and food that transports us to the past. Warning: don’t read while hungry!”—Lynne Kelly, author of Song For a Whale
Preorder now from your favorite retailer!
YOUNG ADULT
Anticipated read:
On sale 7/11/23: Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best
A wanted thief. A murdered emperor. A killer somewhere on the station. Knives Out goes sci-fi in this gripping YA mystery set in space, perfect for fans of Nina Varela and Tamsyn Muir.
As an expert thief from a minor moon, Cass knows a good mark when she sees one. The emperor’s ball is her chance to steal a fortune for herself, her ailing father, and her scrappy crew of thieves and market vendors.
Her plan is simple:
1. Hitch a ride to the planet of Ouris, the dazzling heart of the empire.
2. Sneak onto the imperial palace station to attend the emperor’s ball.
3. Steal from the rich, the royal, and the insufferable.
But on the station, things quickly go awry. When the emperor is found dead, everyone in the palace is a suspect—and someone is setting Cass up to take the fall. To clear her name, Cass must work with an unlikely ally: a gorgeous and mysterious rebel with her own reasons for being on the station. Together, they unravel a secret that could change the fate of the empire.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Kick off your reading now:
How to Win the War on Truth: An Illustrated Guide to How Mistruths Are Sold, Why They Stick, and How to Reclaim Reality by Samuel C. Spitale
Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath meets Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe in this illustrated guide to navigating today’s post-truth landscape, filled with examples of modern-day propaganda campaigns.
Filled with cleverly illustrated real-world examples of propaganda in all its forms, How to Win the War on Truth will help you see the world with clear eyes for the first time. Because when it comes to preserving democracy and fighting for our rights, it’s essential that we do.
