The best children’s and YA books of 2023

From a bear who stockpiles dreams to a sisterhood of knights via a tiger sea captain, our critics pick their favourite titles for children and young adults

Oath and Honor review: Liz Cheney spells out the threat from Trump

The former congresswoman, a conservative Republican, was purged by her party. Her memoir makes chilling reading

The Squad review: AOC, the rise of the left and the fight against dark money

Ryan Grim provides an exhaustive account of challenges faced – and sometimes failed – by the US progressive stars

The best fiction of 2023

From Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting to Zadie Smith’s The Fraud, and a companion to Nineteen Eighty-Four – this year’s fiction highlights

Five of the best music books of 2023

A celebration of dance music, a homage to the Cure, a deep dive into Black punk and more

Making It So by Patrick Stewart audiobook review – from Shakespeare to stardom

The actor narrates his remarkable journey from a difficult childhood in West Yorkshire to finding fame in Hollywood

Five of the best translated novels of 2023

Javier Marías’s final book, a love affair in 1980s East Berlin, reincarnation in France, a story of obsession and a South Korean romp

The Archies review – Riverdale goes to India for goofy lessons in capitalism

Relocated to north India in 1964, the comic-book class struggle here comes complete with romance and brilliant choreography

The Enormous Crocodile review – Roald Dahl’s dastardly reptile stalks the stage

This production for over-fours has clever touches, lively performances and splendid puppets but the songs and the story grow monotonous

Five of the best young adult books of 2023

Tales of homecoming, forbidden love, dangerous adventures on an island of ghosts and more

The best memoirs and biographies of 2023

The rise of Madonna, Barbra Streisand in her own words, plus the stormy relationship of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are among this year’s highlights