Looking for something to read? Here are more great books that I read in 2023, but didn’t have a chance to review. See other book recommendations in Book Reviews in the menu.

Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon. Whether you paint, write, or make films, you will be drawn to the author’s insights about life as a creative person. This book is probably not at all like you expect.

Beartown, Fredrik Backman. A pack of teen-aged ice hockey players hold Beartown’s dream of a national title in their hands. But a violent act and many accusations leave the town in turmoil and a young girl traumatized.

Loser, Jerry Spinelli. If you have never read Newbery Award winner Jerry Spinelli’s work, this would be a good place to start. Zinkoff is an intriguing character who isn’t aware how other kids talk about his unusual qualities. He doesn’t fit the typical mold of a sixth-grader, but that may be an advantage. Great story that will have you cheering for him.

The Labors of Hercules Beal, Gary D. Schmidt. Herc Beal must perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules. Schmidt, like Jerry Spinelli, is one of the best and most successful young adult genre authors around and he creates a fun-filled and compelling adventure about a middle-schooler. I doubt this will be the last Schmidt book you read.

History is All You Left Me, Adam Silvera. This gifted and bestselling author presents an emotional, riveting story about Griffin, whose boyfriend Theo moves to California for college, where tragedy takes his life and leaves Griffin in a hopeless downward spiral. What will it take to pull him out of it?