My Keys On: Writing, Illustrating, and more: Totally Awesome Reads This Year

Monday, December 11, 2017

Totally Awesome Reads This Year

This year has been a year of totally awesome reads. I wanted to give a few shout outs to just a couple of these books along with a list of the books I got the pleasure to read. I totally recommend them all.

First up: Mustaches for Maddie, by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown Morris. Oh, my goodness, I don’t know where to start. I felt so many things while reading this book. I got chocked up several times and found myself laughing out loud other times. This is one of those books that will become a family favorite—and I can’t wait to start reading it to my girls. The voice throughout was incredible. Maddie’s character is funny, imaginative, and heart-stealing-good. I loved the themes, the trials, the triumphs, and the overall story. It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful! My favorite moments are when we get to leave our everyday world and enter the imaginary world that only Maddie can see, from pretending to be a super ninja with alien powers to battling an even bigger monster (a brain tumor). This book had one of the strongest, emotional endings I have ever read. I loved it!

Second: Mysteries of Cove: Embers of Destruction, by J. Scott Savage. Kids fighting for freedom atop mechanical dragons—count me in! This was the third and final book of the Mysteries of Cove series and it was amazing! What I liked most about this book was how everything tied right back into the first book, creating the perfectly rounded story. My mind was blown by the imagery and imagination, the themes and conflicts—overall an awesome experience for any reader of any age. This series is now a family favorite we’ll read again and again!

I’ve had the pleasure to read so many more amazing books this year. My favorites always tend to be the ones geared toward middle-grade readers. I think it’s because I love clean fiction that reminds me of how awesome it is to be a kid. I also love clean suspenseful books. Below is a list of most of the books I had the opportunity to read (some of them I’ve read before but decided I needed to read again—they are that good). I hope you can at least pick up one of these books to start your new year of with.

The W.H.O. Files: Potions in the Pizza, by Mikey Brooks (I’ve read this one 3 times to my daughter since it came out in April. I am so happy she loves my book)

Mustaches for Maddie, by Chad and Shelly Morris

Mysteries of Cove: Embers of Destruction, by J. Scott Savage

Fablehaven Series, by Brandon Mull

Dragonwatch, by Brandon Mull

Wrath of the Storm, by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Adventurers Wanted: The Axe of Sundering, by ML Forman

Adventurers Wanted: Sands of Nezza, by ML Forman

Adventurers Wanted: Albrek’s Tomb, by ML Forman

Adventurers Wanted: The Horn of Moran, by ML Forman

Adventurers Wanted: Siathbog’s Gold, by ML Forman

One by One, by David A. Bednar

The 13^th Reality Series, by James Dashner