Top 10 Reads from BookHookup 2023

 As we step into a New Year, it's the perfect time to look back at the best books (IMO) I read last year. For those looking for their next read, here are Book Hookup's Top 10 recommendations from 2023.

The following list in not in order by most to least favorite. They are actually in reverse order of when I read them.

 1.      Fantasy: Pariah’s Lament by Richie Billing

A fresh coming-of-age fantasy drama rife with fast-paced battles, kings, kingdoms, and medieval-style politics. A new favorite author.

Pariah's Lament review on TikTok

2.      Fantasy: Dream Walker Chronicles (Books 1-3) by Christopher Patterson

The epic nature of this story’s setting, characters, and plot were both engaging and enthralling. I didn’t want it to end. 

 

3.      YA Action/Adventure: There’s No Basketball on Mars by Craig Leener

The protagonist, Lawrence Tuckerman, is a high-functioning autistic teen and the story is told from his POV. The author does a great job of bringing the reader into his head to understand his actions and motivations in this YA action-adventure as he creates a neurodivergent protagonist in Lawrence who is loveable, sensitive, quirky, and a math genius with a dream of manning Earth’s first mission to Mars one day.

No Basketball on Mars review on TikTok

4.      Christian Coming of Age: Nellie’s Gold by Danie Marie

An inspirational coming-of-age story that follows tomboy Nellie Ward from childhood to adulthood as the youngest child of four. The captivating storytelling, gives the reader a fly-on-the-wall experience back to the late 1940s, into the 1950s, in historic Folsom, California, where red-haired, freckle-faced Nellie Ward loves to read books while sitting in her favorite tree. But home life for this Ward family is not picture perfect. Nellie shares a room with her three older brothers, with only a linen curtain hanging between them for privacy. Her Papa is an abusive drunk and her mother is a Christian woman who prays for them all while making home life the best she can.

Nellie's Gold Review 

5.      Christian Historical Romance: An Unlikely Belle by Danie Marie

Well-written characters that are likable but flawed combined with family secrets on the Stirlingshire Estate. Maddy (the protagonist) isn’t ashamed of her humble standing, or her work in the stables with her brother Nate, but her life changes when Elizabeth Stirlingshire, daughter to the Viscount, accepts Maddy as her best friend. Maddy is invited to participate in social events above her standing. Dressed in Elizabeth’s clothing, Maddy fits right in, and soon her dance card is filled with young men who have no idea of who she really is. 

 

6.      Montpelier Tomorrow by Marylee MacDonald: Women’s Literary Fiction

An emotionally charged, heart-wrenching story that grabs you like a riptide and drags you along through the everyday life of Colleen Gallagher, a mom in her mid-50s who was widowed in her 20s as she was expecting her third child. As the story opens, she is working toward retirement. But life takes a turn when she visits her adult daughter, Sandy when her second baby is due. That’s when Colleen learns that her son-in-law, Tony, has been diagnosed with ALS. None of them understands the impact of what this will mean to their future, but it doesn’t take long for the fatal disease to start to steal Tony’s abilities to function. It’s a reminder that a mother’s love can fix everything. I loved MacDonald’s writing style and I recommend this book to people who enjoy Women's Literary Fiction that touches the heart, those who have been affected by ALS, and caregivers currently caring for someone suffering from a devastating disease.

7.      Futuristic Fantasy: Neglected Merge Trilogy by Eve Koguce

These books can be read as stand-alone stories, but knowing the backstory adds depth to this suspenseful fantasy series filled with plenty of drama. Koguce weaves all the plot threads and relationships to a satisfying conclusion. I enjoy her writing style, her world-building, and the personalities of the Winged Ones as they learn to interact with the Wingless and vice versa.

Where David Threw Stones review on TikTok

8.      Historical Paranormal WWII Fiction: Where David Threw Stones: A Haunting WW2 Tale of Courage, Love, and Redemption by Elyse Hoffman

I have read several from this author and haven’t read a bad one yet. Where David Threw Stones is one of those treasured reads I plan to read again. The plot takes place 30 years after WW II and is a blend of historical fiction infused with mystery and suspense merged with fantasy to create a captivating WWII story of the cursed German town of Brennenbach.

 

9.      Emperor by John Fullerton: Action/Adventure Political Mystery

Reads like today’s news behind the news. This thriller takes the reader behind the political curtains in Beijing and Washington, DC, and delves into the world of international espionage and intrigue as events build toward WWIII. The narrative is so authentic and well-researched it reads like a prophetic foretelling of events before they unfold on the world stage. This spy thriller stays with you even after you finish the book. I didn’t see the end coming. Loved it.

10.  Castle Brave by Hawkings Austin: Military Fantasy

Includes well-known fantasy races like elves and dragons and offers new races like the Vanir, Numen, Aesir, and Jotuns. The plot is rich with magic and futuristic tech. Told from a first-person point of view, but not with a single narrator. The reader gets to hear from each member of the squad. Each chapter delivers the story from a single perspective. It feels like a first-person shooter game that lets you get into the heads of the team members, know and understand their tech, weapons, background, what they are up against, and how they feel about it. This first-hand information draws the reader in. Provides an understanding of what motivates them. Know their strengths and weaknesses. It builds an emotional connection and makes you care.

Entertaining YA action adventure fueled by a neurodivergent protagonist

There’s No Basketball on Mars by Craig Leener surprised me. It’s one of my favorite reads for 2023 and a must-read. The protagonist, Lawrence Tuckerman, is a high-functioning autistic teen and the story is told from his POV. The author does a great job of bringing the reader into his head to understand his actions and motivations in this YA action-adventure as he creates a neurodivergent protagonist in Lawrence who is loveable, sensitive, quirky, and a math genius with a dream of manning Earth’s first mission to Mars one day. 

 

 

About the book: There’s No Basketball on Mars

At the start of the book Lawrence’s life is ultra routine. He doesn’t have many friends, and he doesn’t like people asking him questions. In fact, he doesn’t even like talking to people. Instead, he writes notes. His repetitive life goes out the window with a visit from the SFC (Strategic Federation Council) which is loosely affiliated with NASA. They want to include him on a top-secret manned mission to Mars and he accepts.

This is a hero’s journey of cosmic proportions. The mission depends on his mathematical prowess. The rocket science is no problem. It’s actually a strength that plays well with his autism. The question is can he navigate being out of his routine and be a working part of a team that requires communication? 

 

 Book review: There’s No Basketball on Mars

The author’s detailed writing style provides a learning experience that educates readers about people on the autism spectrum through Lawrence’s perspective on life. I recommend this book to young and old who enjoy imaginative action-adventures like The Goodbye Kids. There's No Basketball on Mars is an entertaining read and as I said one of my favorites of 2023 and am happy to give it five out of five stars.

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I received a copy of this book through Blackberry Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the Author: Craig Leener

Despite being relatively earthbound most of the time, Craig Leener has long maintained a keen interest in space travel. He’s also a big fan of basketball, having immersed himself in the game since his youth as a player, coach, referee, fan and, later in life, as a sportswriter. Craig has an above-average ability to go to his left and maintains a solid perimeter jumper. His free-throw percentage on his backyard home court is an implausible 87%—and to this day, that number remains 100% officially unverified. And what the author lacks in foot speed, leaping ability and defense, he makes up for in court smarts and postgame snacks. Craig is a lifelong opponent of the instant replay in sports. He maintains this contrarian point of view because of the intrinsic value he places on the human element’s potential to influence the outcome of athletic competition, inadvertently or otherwise. Craig holds degrees from Los Angeles Valley College and California State University, Northridge. He sits on the board of directors of CSUN’s Journalism Alumni Association and serves as the organization’s director of scholarships. Although Craig possesses an innate curiosity about what might reside beyond the heavens, he lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles with his truly otherworldly wife, Andrea. There’s No Basketball on Mars is his fourth young-adult novel, following the publication of the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy.

https://craigleener.com/

https://twitter.com/CraigLeener

Engaging and unpredictable YA fantasy

The story opens in 1864 London, where we meet a fifteen-year-old orphan by the name of Anna Addison. Her hopeless existence of living at an orphanage and working in a sewing sweatshop is brought to an abrupt end at gunpoint, and she is carried off to a new world where she learns she has magic powers and attends Fearghus Academy for training. 

This story is a true hero’s journey as she makes friends, grows in her knowledge and experience, and transforms into someone new with friends, powers, and challenges. The school sends its gifted students on dangerous missions to locate artifacts, but this transformation comes at a high cost–the loss of a good friend. The loss troubles her. She struggles with guilt, thinking that she should have been able to save her friend. Overcoming this is part of her transformation and growth. During the process, more questions are raised with underlying mysteries.

Fearghus Academy: October Jewels is an action-packed young adult adventure filled with magic, evil foes, and the normal challenges that come with navigating teenage life. The plot is engaging and unpredictable. I did find it challenging to keep track of so many characters introduced all at once, but I figure that’s about how it feels when you move to a new world and a new school.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it.