The Best Books of 2023, According to The Atlantic

The Atlantic has released its list of the 10 best books of 2023. The list, titled “The Atlantic 10,” is a roundup of books that not only made The Atlantic editors think, but were also compulsively readable.

In an introduction to the list, the editors said, “This year’s selections include a narratively ingenious novel about the human cost of colonialism, a collection of inventive couplets about what it means to be a couple, a probing history of the American dream, and two radically different memoirs of growing up, one a vivid story of encroaching mental illness, the other of intensifying religious zealotry. We were drawn to ambitious projects, and looked for writing that was clear and beautiful. Most important, we searched for books that you won’t be able to put down.”

To get started, here are five of the best books of the year, according to The Atlantic:

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

Beyond the Door of No Return by David Diop

Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

Emily Wilson’s The Iliad

In describing their process, the Atlantic editors said, “…we hold on tight to books because of the unique space they offer for ideas to roam. When we established the Atlantic 10 last year, our aim was to recognize titles that compelled us to keep reading at the same time that they made us pause and consider unexpected thoughts. Once again, we’ve sought out work that allows us to stand at arm’s length from the world, seeing its patterns — its wonders and its horrors — and giving us the distance to imagine new possibilities.”

To view the entire list, visit The Atlantic.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.