19 Adventurous Reads From The Amazon Top Books List For 2023

Amazon Top Books For 2023

All The Sinners Bleed

I was raised to never judge a book by its cover, but I'm pretty sure the rules don't apply to actual books. At first glance, All The Sinners Bleed seems like it has an ominous tone with its blood-orange moon housed between tree limbs. It's one of those assumptions that ends up being right because All The Sinners Bleed is all about uncovering a small town's darkness.

Can Titus Crown — Charon's first Black sheriff — confront his own past in order to solve a murderous plot? Read this edgy novel by S.A. Cosby to find out!

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

If you can't get enough of small towns with hidden murders at their core, you'll love getting lost in the pages of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Set in Chicken Hill, this novel is about what happens to marginalized people who aren't afforded the same opportunities as others. It's full of hope, sadness, and secrets that threaten the polished exterior of the privileged residents in it.

Small Mercies

In the hot and sticky town of Boston, Mary Pat Fennessy does everything she can to make ends meet while raising her daughter Jules. But, things take a turn for the worst when Jules goes missing and a young black man ends up dead. Not caring who she bothers, Mary sets out to find out what happened to Jules — except she catches the eyes of the Irish Mob. Will she find out what happened to Jules or will she go missing too?

The Berry Pickers

Get ready to cover your mouth with both hands because The Berry Pickers is a shocking novel that'll leave you speechless. When the youngest daughter of Indigenous berry pickers goes missing, her family feels the effects of her disappearance. However, there's more to the story because it's later revealed that another young girl is caught between the throes of privilege and questioning who her family truly is. Could her story overlap with the missing daughter of the berry pickers? Pick up a copy to find out!

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime And A Dangerous Obsession

A desire to admire the finer things in life leads Stéphane Breitwieser to commit crimes that took almost a decade to solve. As cunning as he is, his desire leads him to become unhinged and threatens to destroy everything around him. It's a beautifully tragic novel that will remind readers that too much of anything can lead to disaster.

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean Book 1)

What would life be like if you wanted to spend your days surrounded by scrolls and books only to be thrust into a war you never asked to be a part of? In Fourth Wing, Violet Sorrengail seeks to make sense of this question when the commanding general of Basgiath War College — also known as her mother — decides it's time for her to take up the task of riding a dragon.

It's a perilous journey filled with near-death experiences, love, and hidden knowledge that will change everything Violet thought she knew.

Wellness

Wellness earned a spot on Oprah's Book Club, so it comes as no surprise that it made it to Amazon's top list of books this year. Centered around college sweethearts Jack and Elizabeth, it forces expectations to confront reality. I think it's worth reading given how often we wonder how two lovebirds could decide to stop loving each other after spending decades together.

King: A Life

Taking a break from fiction, King: A Life is a poignant biography that unfolds Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life in a brand new way. It makes sure to highlight the wonderful things he did during the Civil Rights movement, but it also takes a closer look at Dr. King as a person.

The Covenant of Water

The Covenant of Water is yet another book that made it to Oprah's Book Club list. It focuses on a family's curse that results in the drowning of someone every generation. Set in Kerala (South India), The Covenant of Water begins following a young girl who is faced with mourning her father's death and marrying a much older man. Later known as Big Ammachi, the young girl experiences a life that changes the course of her family's history.

Holly

I'm sure I've written this before, but I'm a huge fan of Stephen King's work so I'm excited to talk about Holly. It follows a familiar heroine named Holly — of course — who finds herself knee-deep in a shocking missing person's case. When Penny Dahl requests Holly's help to find her daughter Bonnie Dahl, Holly is led to the prestigious professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They look like everything society should aspire to be, but are monstrous underneath the surface. Will Holly be able to prove they're not the picture-perfect couple everyone thinks they are or will she run out of time?

Hello Beautiful

The worlds of William Waters and Julia Padavano collide, resulting in something that can be described as chaos. Unfortunately, their love results in a decades-long tension that wrecked the close bond Julia used to share with her sisters. Will they be able to rebuild the love they used to share or is all hope lost? Read Hello Beautiful to see how the rest of the story unfolds.

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

When two different barely put together ships sail onto an island months after each other, confusion ensues. One group of 30 sailors weaves a tale that makes them looks like knights in shining armor, but the other group is adamant that they're lying. It's a novel that looks at what happens when humans aren't face with any rules to govern them.

Let Us Descend

Let Us Descend follows Annis — a young slave sold by her father — as she journeys from one place to the next. She's held together by the memories of her mother and grandmother while also being led by other-worldly spirits.

Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight For Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland

Flee North tells the incredible tale of Thomas Smallwood — a former slave — as he joined forces with activist Charles Torrey. They defied the odds and helped slaves escape treacherous conditions while facing formidable foes like Hope Slatter. It unlocks a painful part of America's history that some would rather ignore and shines light on those who risked everything so others could be free from inhumane acts.

Age of Vice

Age of Vice follows the terrible ways one family funds its success. Highly respected and feared, the Wadia family has kept a sharp eye on the town around them. However, a chance encounter finds a servant, an heir to the family fortune, and a journalist strangely connected. Will they be change the future of the Wadia family or will they give into the greed that's running rampant?

The Future

There's a saying that implies when we think one situation is bad, we just may find that grass isn't greener on the other side. This is true for Martha Einkorn in The Future. Daring to leave her cult life behind, she runs into a bigger corporation that has a sinister desire to be in charge of every aspect of life. On the other hand, Lai Zhen's life is saved by a design of the corporation Martha works for.

Will the two women find an ally in each other or will they face separate paths?

Bright Young Women

Pamela Schumacher and Tina Cannon are two unlikely allies who find themselves hellbent on solving a string of murders committed by the same person — at least they're convinced it's the same man. Bright Young Women follows them as they embark on a dangerous journey that leads to a final showdown that changes the course of history.

Pomegranate

Ranita Atwater's journey begins with a bleak outlook. After all, she was convicted for having opiates on her person. But, she's determined to live life differently after being inspired by the woman she fell in love with — Maxine. Changing how she looks at herself is one thing, but confronting the awful things she did as a result of her addiction is another. Will she remain committed to being a better person or will she break under the pressure of making up for lost time?

The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel (Molly the Maid)

Molly Gray is an exceptional maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, which is why it's downright ludicrous when an esteemed guest dies. With the investigation underway, Molly realizes she'll have to confront a past that includes the dead guest — author J.D. Grimthorpe — to help solve his death.