Dedicated bookworms already know there's just no experience quite like getting lost in a good read. Whether you're the type who loves to walk in someone else's shoes through a well-penned memoir, scare yourself silly with a solid mystery or thriller, get all hot and bothered with a juicy new romance novel, hold your breath through the twisty turns in an exciting suspense, learn something about the past via historical fiction or explore new worlds through sci-fi or speculative fiction, there's bound to be something you'll love in this crop of the best new and most-anticipated books of 2023. Old favorites like Nicole Chung and Maggie Smith are back at it with breathtaking new work, and a whole host of debut authors stand ready to capture your hearts.

And if one of these titles isn't available yet, hit that preorder button anyway! Ordering books before they actually come out helps authors sell and promote their work, since it signals to bestseller lists and awards committees that readers are interested. It's especially helpful for marginalized, small press and debut writers, so if there's a book that has you especially jazzed, this is one instance where shopping can actually be considered a good deed. Now that's a win-win! And when you're done here, head on over to the GH Book Club to find even more feel-good reads. We'll keep your bookshelf stocked all year long.

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$30.00

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This stunning crime epic starts off with a car crash that leaves five people dead, a driver who wasn't supposed to be there and a lot of unanswered questions. More Qs emerge throughout as we come to know the wealthy Wadia family, loyal servant Ajay and journalist Neda, who all find themselves swept up in a complex, gasp-inducing drama that accelerates to an explosive ending. Block out some time: You won't be able to put this one down.

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$28.00

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Sure, Katrina knows every detail of her coworker Kurt's life, but that doesn't make her a stalker. And yeah, she followed him to a bridge late at night where she sees him jump to his death right after he tells her it's all her fault. But she's the victim here...right? This surreal mystery is perfect for fans of Severance or anyone who wishes their own workplace had a little more spice.

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$19.69

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The writer who brought us The Final Girl Support Group and The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires returns with the heartfelt, terrifying and yes, funny story of two siblings locked in a battle over selling their late parents' house. It just so happens that the house wants in on the wrestling match, and it's full of dolls who can't seem to stay put. Maybe put your kids' stuffies in the closet for this one.

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$26.00

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It's 1976 and three secretive siblings have been shot in the still-segregated town of West Mills, North Carolina. The authorities don't have a sense of urgency about the crime, but someone has a lot of questions for which she expects answers — Jo Wright, freshly back home from NYC and ready to take matters into her own hands. You'll find yourself rooting for the nosy self-appointed detective as she uncovers far more than she bargained for in her hunt for justice.

RELATED: 25 Books By Black Authors to Add to Your Reading List

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$26.00

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These 10 compelling stories follow characters that feel as real as I do, grappling with human struggles that feel both uniquely new and nearly universal. If you're looking for a collection that will touch your heart and make you look at your fellow humans more generously, this one's a can't-miss.

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$29.00

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Freaky Friday is all grown up in this heartfelt and heartwarming tale of two women in very different circumstances who get the chance to quite literally walk in each other's shoes after a bag mix-up at the gym. From the storyteller behind Me Before You comes a story of reinvention that just might inspire you to make a change yourself — just buy your own shoes.

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$27.99

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Kit, a young Cherokee girl, gets ripped away from what's left of her family and sent to a Christian boarding school just when she's most vulnerable. There, she suffers horrifying abuse but finds solace in her journal, where she records what happens to her and what she remembers about her past. It's a historical reckoning with a hint of mystery that keeps the plot past-your-bedtime propulsive.

RELATED: 20 Best Books by Native American Authors to Add to Your Bookshelf

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$25.00

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A queer feminist retelling of the 1970's film Taxi Driver, this one had me laughing loud enough to draw looks on the subway, and that takes some doing. It's a crackling social commentary on the social justice movements of our time, the gig economy, performative wokeness and who gets to speak on behalf of the disadvantaged. It's a fast-paced read that begs to be devoured.

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$28.00

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A privileged boarding school that covered up an old murder, a former student-turned-podcast host and guest professor who can't help digging up long-buried secrets, and all the fallout thereof? This psychological thriller hits all the high notes, complete with at least a few revelations you won't see coming.

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$28.00

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In this hilarious and heartwarming novel, the Ramirez family is still reeling after 13-year-old Ruthy disappeared 12 years ago. So when oldest sister Jessica spots a woman on a raunchy reality TV show that she swears is Ruthy, she just has to know for sure. Together with her mother Dolores and youngest sister Nina, they set off from Staten Island on a road trip that will show them just how much family means, even through some snort-inducing hijinks.

RELATED: 22 Best Books by Latinx Authors to Read Beyond Hispanic Heritage Month

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$28.00

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Fans of plucky heroines will find a lot to love in Sallie, the daughter of big-shot Duke and sister to the timid Eddie. When an accident leads to her banishment, everyone in their small Virginia town all but gives up on her. But Sallie returns nine years later ready to fight for her place in the family, and there's a lot of spunk in Sallie yet.

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$26.09

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Spooky season may have passed, but the occult obeys no laws of man, calendar included. In this fierce, feminist historical fiction, a London men's club claims to communicate with the dead, but their chicanery is threatened by an indomitable spiritualist who actually does. This is a gripping story you'll want to read in broad daylight, full of delicious scandal that goes all the way to the top, then back down into the depths of darkness.

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$28.99

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The past few years have caused a lot of us to question truths we'd previously taken for granted: Who is the "middle class?" When we say we're there for each other, what does that really mean? Who defines the "American dream," anyway? In this beautiful and thought-provoking memoir, Chung explores great depths of grief and rage as she takes a hard look at the pervasive inequality in American society and what community really means.

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$28.00

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Based on the unsolved mystery of a mass poisoning in 1951, this wonderfully weird book sees the residents of a small town lose their collective minds. Some say it's spoiled bread, some say it's a government conspiracy, but whatever the cause, mass hysteria has everyone vibrating at a fever pitch. And then an alluring new couple arrives in town, and things escalate even further. You'll just have to read to see what I mean.

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$28.00

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This is a memoir of a woman who recommits to herself after heartbreak, but it's also a meditation on patriarchal power dynamics, a mother's love for her children and what that means in today's world and how to bet on yourself, even and especially when we're told not to. If you expected Smith's latest to serve as a balm for the soul and a rallying cry for the heart, you won't be disappointed.