I haven’t read many indie books in my lifetime, but I feel like 2023 is the year to change that. I’ve found so many amazing indie books on Twitter already, so I thought I’d share some of them with you! Here are 5 Indie Books to Read in 2023!
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5 Indie Books to Read in 2023
This Doesn’t Mean Anything by Sarah Whalen
This Doesn’t Mean Anything Synopsis: Spencer’s first semester at Ravens College is going surprisingly well. For starters, she actually likes her roommate and soon finds herself settling into a routine of eating all her meals with the same two people, studying in the library with Nick – an upperclassman she finds only a little insufferable, and hanging out at the local coffee shop.
Her new environment also means she’s trying new things – like Tinder dating. But Spencer can’t figure out why the idea of sex makes her want to run for the hills. That is, until she comes across the word “asexual,” and for the first time, she doesn’t feel so alone.
As Spencer and Nick begin to spend more time together, she realizes she doesn’t feel any panic or revulsion when they touch, and wonders if that means there’s hope for a fulfilling, loving relationship without sex.
But despite reciprocating her feelings, Nick has reservations of his own, leaving Spencer to wonder if the risk is worth it.
Of course, I was going to add any book with asexual representation to my indie books to read list. I follow Sarah Whalen on Twitter and any time she tweets about this book I just want to sob. It’s literally everything I want in a romance book and I am so happy it exists.
Heart, Haunt, Havoc by Freydis Moon
Heart, Haunt, Havoc Synopsis: Laced with romance, gothic imagery, Catholic mysticism, diaspora, and horror…
When lonely transgender exorcist, Colin Hart, finds himself challenged by an unruly haunted house in Gideon, Colorado, he’s kept awake by ghosts, demons, ghouls, and the handsome nonbinary owner of the house, Bishop Martínez.
Unlike the simple hauntings Colin is accustomed to, Bishop’s house is a living beacon, attracting a plethora of inhuman creatures, including a vengeful wolf-headed spirit who might be the key to quieting their sleepless nights.
But as a heartbreaking mystery unravels, Colin comes face-to-face with the past Bishop tried to bury, opens a closet full of bloody skeletons, and trips into an accidental romance.
As paranormally skilled as Colin might be, this particular haunting may be too messy for him to handle…
I recently finished reading this book and I had such a good time. If you can call being creeped out a good time. You always know a horror novel did its job after some weird nightmares. This was not only a good spooky tale, but there was a lot of love and hope in this book. I highly recommend it to all horror lovers, and even to those who don’t enjoy horror, you’ll enjoy this one. Definitely add it to your indie books to read list.
Tell Me How It Ends by Quinton Li
Tell Me How It Ends Synopsis: A coming-of-age cozy fantasy with a queer cast, witches, and tarot. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and Our Flag Means Death
Iris Galacia’s tarot cards do more than entertain gamblers.
With the flip of her fingers she can predict the future and uncover a person’s secrets. But under the watchful eye of her mother, she is on thin ice for pursuing a passion in the family business, and then cracks start to form until she eventually she falls through.
She is given an ultimatum — a test to prove her worth: earn a thousand coins or leave the business, and the family.
Enter Marin Boudreau, a charming young person who can scale buildings and break off doorknobs, who comes for her help to rescue a witch who’s been falsely imprisoned in Excava Kingdom.
And Marin is willing to pay a high sum for her talents.
But saving a prisoner from royal hands isn’t easy, nor is leaving home for the first time in eighteen years.
Now Iris must learn to trust in herself, Marin, and this new magical world, while racing the clock before the royals decide the fate of the witch, and before any secrets catch up to her.
I am so excited about this book. Cozy fantasy is right up my alley these days, and this one promises to have a unique magic system and characters you can really root for. I can’t wait to get my hands on it! This is definitely one of the indie books to read in 2023!
The Chase Begins by Aimee Donnellan
The Chase Begins Synopsis: A whimsical new-adult fantasy set in a queernormative world filled with mysterious bloodlines, chaotic magic, and powerful instruments of divine favour – where a war with the dragons has the Theocracy of Izirm on the brink of desperation, and a devout follower of the Scholar god is horrified to learn that their murderous ex has just escaped prison.
Lark will happily throw themself into danger for the sake of new knowledge, or helping another, and now even has a friend determined to get them out of tricky situations alive. Nightingale’s escape does not have them fearing for their own life… but for those of everyone else.
However, catching Nightingale will be no easy feat, and Lark’s heart remains far more conflicted than it ought to be…
I am a sucker for a good novella, especially fantasy novellas with morally grey (and slightly murderous) villains. This promises to be a good time, especially since it has dragons. You 100% need this book on your indie books to read list.
Junker Seven by Olive J. Kelly
Junker Seven Synopsis: Castor Quasar is a junker— a bounty hunter making a living off of collecting and selling valuable scrap. They live a quiet life, bouncing from job to job and not worrying about the brewing galactic rebellion.
Except, when they get a job offer for an irresistible amount of money, they find themself embroiled much deeper than expected. Their task? To smuggle transgender activist Juno Marcus across the galaxy under the watchful eye of the Intergalactic Police Force and a propaganda-informed galaxy.
It’s too dangerous to accept, but too valuable to refuse, and it doesn’t help that Juno herself is charming and beautiful. Agreeing drags Cas into a whirlwind race against those who want Juno dead to make it across the galaxy to safety, risking it all for a cause they can’t– or won’t– believe in.
Once again, a sci-fi book has me in a chokehold. It really is the superior genre (I said what I said) and I cannot wait to read Junker Seven. It sounds phenomenal and I immediately added it to my indie books to read list when I saw it on Twitter.
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Tell Me How it Ends sounds so quirky and interesting! I have a hard time regularly reading indie books since I don’t buy books I’ve never read and the libraries rarely have copies of these, but I’ll do my best to get my hands on at least this title soon!