Welp, we’re halfway through the year already. How’s your reading challenge going? Whether you’re looking to up the pace or keep chugging ahead, here are some of my favorite reads from 2023 so far!

All purchase links are through Bookshop.org.Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org. I will earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.

Picture Books

• Where Wonder Grows by Xelena Gonzàlez. Beautiful illustrations, lyrical story, intergenerational relationships. Definitely worth a read aloud, again and again. Purchase here.
• Just Like Grandma by Kim Rogers. Grandma and granddaughter learning from each other, lots of intergenerational love. Perfect bedtime, daytime, anytime read! Purchase here.
• Remember by Joy Harjo. Lyrical with gorgeous illustrations, this heart warming picture book is sure to be a favorite with adults and kids alike. Purchase here.
• Be A Good Ancestor by Leona Prince. I want to frame every page of this book and hang it on the wall so I can see it all day, every day. Gorgeous from start to finish. Purchase here.
• Stolen Words by Melanie Florence. Oh my heart. I still think about this book, and always will. Purchase here.

Chapter Books

• She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller by Traci Sorell. This biography is told in stories, so that learning about this incredible woman is accessible and approachable for all ages. Purchase here.
• Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker. Okay, confessino: I haven’t read this this year. But I read two books in this series last year and they are so laugh out loud funny I grabbed Pennypacker’s latest middle grade from the library without even reading the synopsis. Clementine is worth your time! Purchase here.

Middle Grade

• The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt. Full review here. Emotional, hilarious, plenty of history references? Love it. Purchase here.
• Diamond Willow by Helen Frost. This novel in verse is beautiful and thought provoking, with interesting interstitials. Purchase here.
• Class Act by Jerry Craft. This graphic novel is the second in the New Kid series, and is just as marvelous as book one. Purchase here.
• The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat. This graphic novel will send adult readers back to middle school in the most visceral of ways, and will pull young readers in just as thoroughly. Purchase here.
• Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas. Full review here. Fast paced and full of action, this novel is un-put-down-able. Purchase here.
• How to Find What You’re Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani. Sisters, friends, and how the Loving decision changed one family’s life. Purchase here.
• When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn. Full review here. This is an excellent one to read at the same time as your young reader, or on your own. Incredible, full of heart, won’t ever leave you. Purchase here.
• Heroes of the Water Monster by Brian Young. Full review here. The sequel to Healer of the Water Monster, Heroes brings up important Indigenous issues while staying true to the story. Unforgettable. Purchase here.
• One Giant Leap by Ben Garner. Full review here. This action packed, space-centric book is perfect for kid scientists and anyone who loves space. Purchase here.

YA

• Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith. I love how characters from other CLS books visit these pages; it’s always lovely to see them. A perfectly spooky book with a thought-provoking plot, a mystery, and of course wonderful characters. Purchase here.
• Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. Indigenous heist with an incredible means vs ends discussion? Sign. Me. Up. Purchase here.
• Boundless, edited by Ismée Amiel Williams. Full review here. This incredible short story collection focuses on identity and belonging. Beautiful, poignant, relevant. Purchase here.
• You Wouldn’t Dare by Samantha Markum. Full review here. The setting, the friendships, the drama (literally– there’s a play!). So much fun, so much depth. Purchase here.
• Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park. Full review here. Alejandra Kim’s voice still lives in my head rent free months after reading this, and I’m not mad about it. Purchase here.
• Man Made Monsters by Andrea Rogers. This award winning short story collection, all tied together by a family lineage, is my first foray into horror and was totally worth it. I still think of these characters and their stories months later, and not even just in a late at night, still mildly afraid way. Purchase here.

Adult

• The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley. Incredible character development, a fun, fast paced story, and just utterly delightful. Purchase here.
• No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. Full review here. This love letter to books and reading is engaging and feels like a warm hug. Purchase here.
• Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn. Full review here. Lovable dogs, lovable people, lovable setting. Purchase here.