★★★★★ Dave Grohl -- former drummer for Nirvana, and founding member of the Foo Fighters -- shares stories of his life in rock in this memoir

★★★★★ A historical opus that examines the horrors of the Vietnam War and its turbulent aftermath through the eyes of a young female nurse.

★★★★★ A twisty plot-driven novel about a woman who manufactures a relationship, only to find she might be the one being played.

A running tally of my "Best Books of 2023", updated each time I finish a book throughout the year.

★★★★★ Another tightly crafted Southern Noir novel from Cosby packed with social commentary and memorable characters. Possibly his best yet.

★★★★★ It's long, but it's also a brilliant tour de force, presenting a multi-generational character study spanning nearly 80 years in India.

★★★★★ Set in a near-future society that feels all too possible, prisoners fight in gladiatorial death matches for a chance at freedom.

★★★★★ A masterful book, Lehane's best since Mystic River, set against the racial tensions of Boston school busing during the summer of '74.

★★★★★ A beautifully written character study of a cast of memorable souls that spans 30 years from the end of World War II until the mid-70s.

★★★★★ Perhaps the most-hyped book of 2023 lives up to it, as we follow the journey of a young girl as she attempts to become a dragon rider.

★★★★★ A stand-alone novel unrelated to her "Divide" series, author Dewes elegantly explores immortality, AI, and what it means to be human.

★★★★★ Harrow returns to top form with a genre-blending story of a young woman trying to scrape by in a town haunted by its past and secrets.

★★★★★ A stellar offering from author Harper about a missing woman and a history of complicated relationships among friends in a small town.

★★★★★ Both entertaining and helpful, Duckworth systematically lays out a plethora of evidence for why passion + perseverance = success.

★★★★★ When a young woman goes missing, kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel, her mother makes it her life's mission to bring them to justice.

★★★★★ A thoroughly researched examination of the exploits of Stéphane Breitwieser, the most prolific art thief the world has ever known.

★★★★★ An honest autobiographical account of a showbiz life, infused with humor, self-deprecation and a joie de vivre oozing from every page.

★★★★★ A story of a four tight knit girls at a small college turns dark when it seems they might have been involved with a frat boy's death.

★★★★★ El-Arifi builds on her stellar debut The Final Strife (my #3 book of 2022), and does so both ambitiously and successfully.

★★★★★ An exploration of relationships and friendships in Henry's most mature offering yet, centered on a week-long vacation in Maine.