6-Star Books
Favorite Book Reviews of 2023
What’s a 6-Star Book?
As I said before, I read and review lots of books. Though I give out a ton of 5-star reviews, every now and then I’ll read a book that I wish I could give 6 stars. These are the books that I honestly couldn’t put down when I was reading them. The books that I found myself thinking about long after they were finished. Today, I’d like to share with you my favorite 6-star books from the past year. I have many more from previous years but these are the most recent. All of these were published in 2023.
It’s important to point out that none of the authors mentioned below are very well known. I don’t intentionally seek out books by unknown authors, that’s just the kind of books that are offered to me, and that’s fine with me. My experience has been that fame has nothing to do with how good an author is.
You can trust me on this; every book on this list is worth reading. I am not getting any kind of financial kickback for recommending these books. I’m sharing this list with you simply because I love these books and I think each one deserves to be discovered by more readers. They’re listed in no particular order.
Starlite by Jonathan Latt
The story centers around Bevil Cyrex, a young man from a good family who spends more time flying through space in his beloved spaceship than staying at home with his loving family whose main concern is to find him a mate. On one of his space adventures, he stumbles upon an old space station/hotel called The Starlite. It’s been abandoned but Bevil is amazed to find it in great shape. He decides to make The Starlite his new home. This new project brings Bevil lots of joy, new friends, and a newfound purpose in life. It also brings lots of trouble in the form of killer space pirates and military troops that see the strategic value of owning such a place. Becoming the owner of the Starlite was the easy part. Now, Bevil has to keep everyone else from stealing it from him or, even worse, blasting the place to smithereens.
Lost Bits by Kerry Nietz
A robot named 404 wakes up in a junkyard after many years of being disabled. He sets out on a journey to find the people and things in his past that once gave him purpose. Along the way he meets up with a variety of other robots of all shapes and sizes, some friendly, some not so friendly. The world around has changed for the worse making his search dangerous and nearly hopeless. Even so, 404 pushes on, desperate to fulfill the purpose he was created for.
The Last Vanguard by Shawn PB Robinson
This book is for younger readers, I’m guessing ages 10 through 16, but older readers would enjoy it as well. The Last Vanguard is the beginning of a new epic fantasy series called The Sevordine Chronicles. As of this writing, I’ve read 3 of the 5 books in the series and I can honestly tell you that so far the story has been very exciting and lots of fun. In the Last Vanguard, six servants from a royal castle volunteer to go on a quest. The teenage boys and girls set off on a journey they expect to be a pleasant diversion from their boring lives. However, they quickly discover that there is more to this quest than any of them knew. Danger lurks around every corner and soon, our heroes find themselves running for their lives. Along the way, they will meet new friends and be chased by new enemies. The teens will learn how to fight, wield magic, and find new strength within themselves they didn’t know they had.
Summerday by Christopher St. John
Humans have destroyed themselves, leaving behind animals to compete for survival and power. Rabbits are the main focus here along with several other smaller species of animals who assist in their cause for freedom. The Summerday wolf clan and an assorted group of other predators are the enemies. It's the hunters versus the hunted. Through several exciting events, the strong and brave leader of the rabbits, Anastasia, inspires her nation of smaller animals to do something that no rabbits, squirrels, mice, or songbirds have ever done before; fight for their lives.
This is part 2 in the series but I haven’t read the first book, War Bunny. However, I never felt like I needed to read that book. I’m sure War Bunny is a great book, but Summerday gave enough backstory in a very natural way that it felt like a stand-alone novel.
The Zone by Stu Jones
The Zone is a section of a futuristic city that has been walled off and designated as the stage for an elaborate reality TV show. It pits violent criminals against an elite group of men and women, armed with high-powered weapons, computers, and armor, called The Enforcers. The story follows Chance Griffin, an honest street cop who is chosen to become the newest enforcer. Chance accepts the challenge, only because of promised benefits to his wife and newborn son. Chance initially does well as an enforcer, but he soon becomes aware that nothing on the TV show is what he expected. He must trust his wits and the loyalty of a few friends to stay alive.
Nemesis Rising by Adam Golob
Sam, a mild-mannered school teacher is framed for murder. In the futuristic society where he lives, the death penalty has been eliminated. Instead, they send the worst criminals to a prison city called Zynum. It’s a lawless place where anything goes. Once a person goes in they never come out, it appears that Sam’s life is over. As expected, the evil inhabitants of Zynum get the best of Sam at first. But one day, amid the dark dirty ruins of the city, he meets someone who changes the downward trajectory of his life. Sam now has a spark of hope. In time, that spark will turn into a raging fire.
CAGED ANIMALS
Story Recap
Mark was just taken away from his cage and the other teens. Now, against his will, he is riding alone with one of the giant aliens. The collar and leash attached to his neck make it clear that he’s being treated as some sort of pet. After some initial struggle with his giant captor, Mark now sits behind the alien, sulking and waiting to see what horrible thing will happen next.
The Party . . . . Part 13 of CAGED ANIMALS
Sitting behind the giant alien he’d named Scarface, Mark felt utterly alone. The collar around his neck and the leash that went from the collar to Scarface’s belt were a constant reminder he was anything but alone.
Scarface remained occupied looking at his rock tablet while the vehicle they sat on hovered in place inside the warehouse. After several minutes of nothing happening, Mark’s nerves relaxed a little and his mind began to think back to home. A memory played in his mind of another time he sat quietly waiting for someone to decide his fate.
He was riding in the back seat of his dad’s SUV. The hum of the engine was the only sound on the long ride home. In the driver’s seat was his dad who was unusually quiet with his gaze fully on the road ahead. Mark’s mom was in the passenger seat, also looking straight ahead. They’d left his younger sister at a friend’s house for the evening. It was almost 2:00 am, and the city streets were nearly empty of cars. The inside of their car was dark except for the passing lights of street lamps that swept through the car at regular intervals.
Mark was in trouble and he knew it. He dared not speak because it would only make matters worse. All he could do was wait for his father’s wrath. Not that his father was a violent man, nor was he known to have a temper. But in his own controlled way, Mark’s father had a way of expressing his anger toward Mark that hurt just as much as if he yelled and threw things at him. Neither of Mark’s parents had spoken a word since picking him up ten minutes earlier. Tension filled the car’s interior like a thick fog.
They pulled into their driveway and Mark felt a touch of relief at seeing his home. Just inside the front door and then a short trip up the stairs he’d be safe behind the closed door of his room.
He started to reach for the car door handle when his dad’s firm voice stopped him cold, “I’m disappointed in you, son.”
Those were the words that Mark hated hearing the most, coming from the man whom he had always loved and respected more than anyone else. He lowered his head and did his best to prepare himself for whatever his dad had to say.
“We’ve trusted you and given you plenty of freedom and now we learn that you’ve … lied to us?”
The incident that his dad was referring to was Mark’s presence at a party earlier that evening. It was at Kent’s home, timed just right to take advantage of Kent’s parents’ absence. It was the kind of party that Mark had only heard about secondhand in the past. The kind where “everyone” was there and the ones in attendance had the time of their life doing the kinds of things they loved to tell their friends about the next day at school.
This time, by some miracle, Mark was invited. Not that he was personally invited, but he and Ernest happened to be talking to students who were more popular than they were when Shay and her boyfriend, Guy walked up and invited them to the party. Guy then looked at Mark and Ernest and said, “You guys can come too if you want.”
Mark nodded his head in the affirmative just like the others in the group were doing. When nobody objected to him and Ernest agreeing to be there, they took it as a sign they were truly invited.
The only real problem was that Mark’s parents would never agree to let him go to the party, at least not without his dad accompanying him. There was no way Mark was going to show up anywhere with his dad at his side. Not that it had anything to do with how much he enjoyed being with his dad. It was more a matter of not wanting to look immature. Mark made up his mind that he would not let this opportunity slip by. He may never receive another invitation to a party with the popular kids.
He had never outright lied to his parents before, but this would have to be the exception. His clean record became the tipping point in his decision to go ahead with the lie. He reasoned that if he did get caught, the worst they would do was give him a stern warning since he had never lied before.
He told his parents he was going to Ernest’s house for a sleepover. That evening, he and Ernest rode bikes to Kent’s house across town. They arrived at 9:30 pm and the place was already packed with teens from his school. Music was blaring with couples gyrating together in the living room. A few were trying to keep with the beat while others were more interested in pressing their bodies together while standing upright.
As Mark and Ernest walked into the living room of Kent’s house, they immediately saw Shay, standing close to Guy, a tall lanky guy with thick blonde hair parted neatly on one side. He had an easy-going personality that most people liked.
Mark knew Guy better than he did Shay. He had been in an English class with Guy during his Sophomore year. Their assigned seats were close enough to each other that Mark could easily hear Guy and one of his friends joking back and forth during class. Mark, along with a few other kids laughed along with their jokes.
As Mark and Ernest walked into the living room at the party, Mark held up one of his hands in an awkward “hello” gesture aimed at Guy and Shay. She only smiled politely but Guy said, “Hey, what’s up, Garner.”
“Sorry, we’re late,” was all Mark could think to say.
“No problem,” Guy said. He looked at Shay and said, “You know this guy, right?”
Her eyes showed confusion while she smiled and said, “You’re in one of my classes, right?”
“Right. Mr. Green’s math class,” Mark said.
“Oh, yeah. I think you helped me with a problem once.”
Mark replied nervously, “Yeah. That was me.”
She shrugged playfully and said, “What can I say? Math isn’t my strong suit.”
The two of them laughed, and Mark smiled, enjoying their interaction. Guy extended his hand to Mark and they shook hands. With sincerity, he said, “I’m glad you’re here, Garner. And thanks for helping my girl.”
Mark shook his hand and said, “No problem at all.”
Then Guy leaned closer to Mark and spoke at a lower volume like it was a secret but he obviously wanted Shay to hear him, “She needs lots of help. Believe me.”
Shay shoved him playfully and Guy turned his attention back to her, pulling her into a hug.
Mark knew his moment to converse with the two was over, so he caught up with Ernest who was already standing next to the food table.
An hour and a half passed and Mark and Ernest were still standing next to the table. A bowl of Chex Mix that contained chocolate along with cereal and nuts turned out to be the perfect snack to munch on while they made idle conversation with each other about the goings-on around them. They were amazed at how badly kids behaved when no adult supervision was present. Shay and Guy had long since left the room and gone upstairs. Mark and Ernest considered going up to the second and third floors where more than half of the party was taking place, but they kept hearing people yelling playfully and the sounds of large objects thumping on the ceiling above them. They both decided they’d be better off staying away from the ruckus.
The main person they were enjoying watching was Kent. About every ten minutes, he’d pass through the downstairs living room, walk around a little, and then go back upstairs. What made it most interesting was that he always looked like he was mad at someone. They couldn’t figure out what he was doing. Watching him gave them plenty to talk about. Each time he passed them, their ideas about what he was doing got more and more ridiculous. After about an hour of that strange behavior, Kent went upstairs and didn’t come back.
Mark and Ernest made occasional chit-chat with some kids they knew from school as they stopped by to grab a snack, but for most of the evening, it was just the two of them talking and eating. Eventually, they both got bored and their stomachs were telling them they had to stop eating. They agreed they should leave soon but Ernest said he needed to use the restroom before they headed home. Ernest walked away in search of an open restroom and Mark reached for the veggie tray for the first time since arriving.
Five minutes passed and Mark was beginning to wonder what had happened to his friend. He was thinking about going to find him when he heard a male voice yell, “Ahhhh,” followed by a KA-THUMP sound.
Mark jerked his head in the direction of the sound that came from the swimming pool area behind the house. He rushed toward the sliding glass doors that went out to the backyard and the pool. Mark was the first to reach the doors and he slid them open. Several other teens were right behind him as he stepped into the pool area. He stopped, shocked at what he saw. There, sprawled out on the white cement, was the unconscious body of Guy. He was lying on his back with his eyes open, looking at nothing. A pool of blood was growing beneath his head. One of the popular football players, the big black teen named Tyrone, was already there at Guy’s side when Mark and the others arrived. Tyrone was bent over the body, checking for a pulse. Mark watched in shock as Tyrone looked up at them with sadness in his eyes and said, “I think he’s dead.”
Then, Mark heard the gut-wrenching scream of Shay. He looked up and saw her standing on the balcony two stories up, looking down. She covered her face and sobbed uncontrollably. Turning away, she was pulled close by Kent. He put his arm around her and she cried into his chest. They moved away from the balcony and Mark could no longer see them.
The scene was chaotic after that. Soon, Ernest returned and was standing next to Mark, gawking at the scene. They looked at each other in unbelief. The police arrived within minutes.
Mark and Ernest waited for the police to allow them all to go home. They both knew there would be no way they could hide their presence at the party from their parents, now that there had been a fatal accident. The idea of Mark’s parents finding out he lied to them made him feel sick, but not as sick as what had just happened. He didn’t really care anymore if his dad was mad. He just wanted to go home and get away from the nightmare that the party had become.
The car engine quietly rumbled, as Mark tried to build up the courage to reply to his dad. Finally, he said, “I’m sorry I lied to you Dad, Mom. It was a really stupid thing to do.”
He had hoped his admission of guilt would soften his dad’s mood, but it was not to be so. His dad’s voice remained calm but had an unmistakable tone of correction to it, “Yes, it was a stupid thing to do. When you put a bunch of unchaperoned teenagers together they do all kinds of crazy things. That could have been you that fell off the balcony.”
“All I did the whole time was stand next to the food table and talk to Ernest,” Mark protested.
“I don’t care what you did there. All I care about is that you were there. Period. I can’t believe you lied to us, Mark.”
As if to jab the knife in a little deeper, his mom looked back at him from the front seat with tears in her eyes and said, “It breaks my heart, Mark. How could you?”
Feebly, Mark responded, “But I’ve never lied before. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
His dad responded with a raised voice that told Mark he’d reached his limit. “No it doesn’t and this conversation is over. You’re grounded for the next month. No friends, no cell phone.”
Mark knew his time to argue had ended and to do so would only extend his punishment. He quietly handed his phone to his dad, refusing to look him in the eye. He sat still in the back seat, stewing. All kinds of arguments filled his head that wanted desperately to be spoken but he kept his teeth clenched and a stone-faced expression on his face as his parents exited the car and went inside the house. In a subtle act of rebellion, he remained in his spot in the car for another ten minutes before finally walking into the house. He quietly passed his parents in the kitchen, refusing to look at them, then went up the stairs to his room.
In Mark’s mind, he returned to his present situation, tied to a giant alien, sitting on a hovering vehicle with no freedom and no hope of escape. He stood up and kicked the surface of the vehicle, letting out some of the anger that he felt. The painful memories of his past coupled with the hopeless situation he was in were almost too much to handle. He turned to face the alien who was still sitting with his back to Mark and he felt the urge to do something stupid like punch it or kick it. The anger that Mark felt was building within his chest. He was just about to take a step toward the alien when he saw it put the flat device down and push one of the buttons next to the steering stick.
The hovering thing they were on moved forward. At the same time, the large door on the wall slid upward, letting in light. Mark steadied himself by spreading his legs wider to keep from falling over. He and Scarface rode their vehicle out of the building and into a bright sunny day.
Watch your email next Friday for Part 14 of Caged Animals, “Alien Town.”
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Another great post! I can't help but think that I want to read some of those books you listed above! :)