25 of The Best Kindle Unlimited Books to Read in 2023

Next comes another graphic memoir that is absolutely worth reading! They Called Us Enemy talks about George Takei’s time in an American concentration camp for Japanese people during WWII. He was only four when every person of Japanese descent in the west coast was sent to these “relocation camps.” His parents were just trying to get by on a daily basis, and it was especially hard for him to understand what was going on as a child. The graphic memoir jumps around from that period of time to the present. Where it also discusses the repercussions of growing up behind barbed wire. 

This is a story about love, survival and redemption set in 1940s Shanghai. The Last Rose of Shanghai follows Chinese heiress Aiyi and Jewish refugee Ernest. They meet in the streets of Shanghai, when she hires Ernest to play the piano at her Jazz club. Soon after, he becomes quite famous, making Aiyi’s club the newest sensation. Slowly but surely, the two start to develop feelings for each other — even though she is already engaged. As war starts to escalate, Ernest and Aiyi will have to decide what they value more: their love or their survival.

The Night Tiger will transport you to 1930s Malaysia. The story follows two people with a common goal: to return a severed finger to its owner. On one side there’s Ren, an 11-year-old whose master just died. He tasked Ren with finding the finger he lost years ago right before he died. Then there’s Ji Lin, who moonlights as a dancehall girl to help pay her mother’s debts. That’s how she came upon a horrific gift: a severed finger. It feels like a very bad omen, so she enlists the help of her stepbrother to return it to its owner. Both Ren and Ji Lin have 49 days to complete their task — as they also avoid the strange tiger that has been prowling through town.

Next comes a great work of historical fiction that incorporates magical elements. Translated from Spanish, The Murmur of Bees follows a boy named Simonopio. He was found as a baby, with a cleft palate and covered in a blanket of bees. A couple named Francisco and Beatriz Morales adopt him, and Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder, partly because of his powers. The boy can see visions of the future, and he’s always protected by a swarm of bees. Both gifts will help Simonopio keep his new family safe as his destiny unravels before him.

This sprawling literary fiction jumps around from the present day to the 1800s, from Cuba, to Mexico, to the U.S., following five generations of Cuban women. It especially focuses on Jeanette and her mother Carmen. Carmen escaped Cuba years ago, leaving her own mother behind. Now she’s trying to give Jeanette a life worthy of the American Dream. But all Jeanette wants is to understand her family’s past. Their lives will also intersect with two immigrants from El Salvador named Gloria and Ana. How? You’ll have to read it to find out!

Several of Stephen Graham Jones’s books are available in KU — including the more experimental The Last Final Girl! Written like a screenplay, this novel tells the story of Izzy. She’s a Slasher aficionado who suddenly gets to live her very own horror movie. It all begins when homecoming princess Lindsay survives the attack of a man in a Billie Jean mask. She’s a final girl — and not the only one. With the masked killer still on the loose, who will be the last final girl?

Next, how about a thriller set in the publishing industry? The Other Black Girl follows Nella Rogers. She’s an editorial assistant, and the only Black woman at Wagner Books. That is, until Hazel arrives. Hazel quickly becomes the office darling, and that’s when a string of menacing notes start to appear on Nella’s desk. Could Hazel really be responsible for those notes? Either way, Nella becomes obsessed with finding out the truth — and it might cost her a lot more than her career.

Razorblade Tears follows two fathers bent on revenge for their murdered sons. On one hand there’s Ike Randolph, a Black man who has been out of jail for 15 years. His son Isiah and Isiah’s white husband Derek were brutally murdered. Enter Buddy Lee — Derek’s father and another ex-con. Grieving and desperate for justice, Buddy and Ike join forces to find out who killed Derek and Isiah. Their path will be bloody and violent, but they won’t stop until they rain vengeance on whoever killed their sons.

What do you get when you mix a historical reimagining with elements of fantasy? Well, She Who Became the Sun of course! Set in 1300s China, the story follows Zhu Chongba. She is destined for nothingness, while her brother is destined for greatness. But when he unexpectedly dies, she decides to take his name and his fate. With a burning desire to survive and thrive, she’ll do anything to get what she wants and avoid her own fate.

This is not the only Becky Chambers book available on KU, but it’s a great place to begin reading cozier sci-fi! The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet follows Rosemary Harper and the ragtag crew of the Wayfarer. The ship has seen better days, but it’s the perfect opportunity for Rosemary to let go of her past and travel across the galaxy. Things take a turn when they are offered the job of a lifetime: tunneling wormholes through space. It’s a lucrative yet dangerous enterprise, but they accept the offer, which sends them on the adventure of a lifetime.

Everyone’s favorite Murderbot is available on KU! All Systems Red is the first novella in a series that follows the sarcastic and hilarious SecUnit. In this particular story, Murderbot is supplied to a team of scientists working on a distant planet. What they don’t know is that it has hacked its governor module and given itself free will. Murderbot doesn’t like humans all that much. But it’ll work hard to keep its new friends alive from those who want the resources of this planet for themselves.

For anyone who wants a softer magical element, this amazing book translated from Japanese features time travel! Before the Coffee Gets Cold is definitely one of the best Kindle Unlimited books for this 2023. The story is set in a café in which you can travel back in time to visit your loved ones — as long as your coffee stays warm. The novel follows four characters who go back for different reasons: to confront the one who left them, to receive a letter, to see someone for the last time, and to meet the daughter they never knew.

For those of us who love culinary romance novels, Digging Up Love is a sweet must-read! The story follows Alisha Blake. She’s an ambitious baker who helps out in her grandfather’s restaurant. One day, a dinosaur fossil is unearthed in her backyard, which is how the handsome paleontologist Quentin Harris winds up in her small town. Alisha and Quentin immediately like each other, but fate might have other plans — and Alisha’s definitely scared of falling in love.

Last but absolutely not least, Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is absolutely one of the best Kindle Unlimited books for 2023! The story follows August, she’s cynical about the supposed “cinematic magic” of New York City — until she meets Jane during one of her subway commutes. August immediately develops a crush on Jane, and soon finds out that the cool rocker aesthetic Jane wears isn’t merely a stylistic choice. Jane is from the 1970s, and she was literally displaced in time. August vows to help her, even if they might never see each other again.