Fun Reads Friday: 2023 Favorites!

I read many delightful books in 2023, and I bet you did too. I’m excited to see what new books we discover in 2024. Let me know some of the titles you enjoyed in the comments below. Here are a few of my favorites from this last year.

WE OWN THE SKY

We Own the Sky, by Rodman Philbrick which is set in Maine in the 1920’s, where the KKK and their influence is growing. Davy, and his big sister, Jo, are two orphans who join a flying circus. But being French Catholics have put a mark on the two orphans, and soon the KKK set their sights on the two kids. When they get mixed up in a revenge plan, the KKK kidnap Davy and Jo and holds them hostage. Can they escape with their lives? Check out We Own the Sky to find out.

THE VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, by Carolyn Carlson. If you are looking for a quirky tale of piratical adventures, definitely check out this series. It’s about Hilary Westfield, a high-society girl who wants to be a pirate, but her own father, and a whole crew of villainous pirates and mutineers want to stop her. It features a talking gargoyle, lots of magic that goes wrong, friends who are loyal to the end, and a spunky finishing school dropout who just wants to sail the high seas. If you’re an audiobook fan, I also recommend checking out The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates in audio as the narrator, Kathrine Kellgren, is extremely talented with the different character voices.

THE VANDERBEEKERS OF 141ST STREET

The Vanderbeekers of 141^st Street, by Karina Yan Glaser. If you want a story with heart; if you want tears and laughter; if you want kids working hard to save their family home, check out The Vanderbeekers. This family of seven has been given their eviction notice, and they are to leave right after Christmas. But these five determined kids will stop at nothing to prevent that from happening, including getting signatures on a petition, leaving gifts at the landlord’s door, and investigating the landlord to see what his deal is. Each kid in unique and well developed, and you can’t help but cheer them on as they try to save their home.

First, The Conjurer is the first book in the Kenworthy Cure. Ellie Kenworthy has accepted her fate as the nerdy middle school loner who practices enchanting in secret. Then a mystic scientist called the Alchemist changes everything when she kidnaps Ellie’s cousin, Abe. While their parents search for Abe, Ellie and her older brother Liam flee to the safety of Enchanted Gorge Ranch. The ranch is full of strange mysteries, like wicked weeds that love to trip passersby, and a raccoon with a peculiar love for the grouchy cowboy, Crowley. But while the ranch is fun to explore, there is no time to mess around. Because of the Alchemist’s actions, Liam is in danger of explosive magical overload. Not only that, the ranch is full of people keeping secrets. Even Enchanted Gorge Ranch might not be safe from the Alchemist. Can Ellie help save her family, all while figuring out the confusing and dangerous world of magic?

Here’s to many more fantastic books in 2024!

Happy Reading!!