By Zibby Owens

Okay, there’s basically no possible way I can read all of the books on this list start-to-finish in the first half of next year, especially given that I’m launching my own publishing house, Zibby Books, opening a bookstore in Santa Monica, hosting two retreats, launching classes, overseeing podcasts in my network, and dealing with this very magazine, Zibby Mag. Plus, you know, my four amazing kids. Oh, and Kyle! Plus the rest of life, like all of us. Busy, full, crazy.

But! I am not deterred by the impossible. I will try to pay attention to and shine a light on all the books that look really good, books that if I had all the time in the world, I’d want to read next year. I know I’ll read parts of all of them; many will be covered on my podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books.

Some will keep me up well into the night. Some I’ll gently set aside after a few pages. Others I’ll clutch to my chest when I finish, my eyes closed, deeply sighing. A few will make me laugh out loud. A couple will make me cry. A handful could give me goosebumps. I’ll nod in recognition, I’ll cover my mouth in horror, and I’ll get to know hundreds of new characters and new authors. That’s why I try to do the impossible. Because behind each beautiful cover resides entire lives, unforgettable stories, and, inside, my own guiding light. (Not the soap opera.) This is where I find kindred spirits sprinkled all over the globe, leaving their marks on pages for me to decode meaning.

So here are the books on my radar for the first half of 2023. I have copies of most of these in my home library office already. Isn’t that crazy? I can barely move without knocking over a month-by-month stack on the floor. But I’m excited. For me, this is what 2023 is going to bring. New business. New books. New voices. New perspectives. New friends.

I can’t wait. Join me.

Click the book covers to pre-order the books or to listen Zibby’s past podcasts.