Let’s start the new year by looking back at 2023! Last year Brianna recommended 27 books, but there were three that you all loved. Below are the top three books that were checked out in 2023. Here’s to 2024 and many more excellent books!
“The Davenports” by Krystal Marquis – Recommended in January 2023
This historical fiction follows a wealthy black family in 1910 Chicago. The Davenport name was built by their formerly enslaved father, and now the three Davenport children enjoy immense wealth and privilege in Chicago society. The eldest daughter Olivia is preparing to make an advantageous marriage, but a civil rights lawyer from Alabama may prove to be a distraction. Her sister Helen disdains society and spends all her time fixing horseless carriages with their brother John—without her parents’ knowledge. The narrative also follows Olivia’s best friend Ruby, who has been hoping for years for a proposal from John. With her family’s fortune dwindling, the match is more important than ever but may not even be what Ruby wants anymore. The final perspective is from maid Amy-Rose who grew up with the Davenport siblings. She’s been dreaming of owning her own hair salon, but faces challenges as a single young Black woman…especially if she falls in love with the wrong person. There are major “Downton Abbey” vibes, but the focus on a Black family allows the author to highlight issues like civil rights and racism while still celebrating Black achievements in the post-Reconstruction era.
“This Time It’s Real” by Ann Liang – Recommended in February 2023
Eliza is constantly moving from country to country for her mom’s consulting career and never feels like she fits in anywhere. So when she’s assigned to write about a close relationship for school, she decides to invent one. Her essay about meeting her devoted boyfriend gets posted on the school website…and goes viral worldwide. Now she’s got an internship offer from a prestigious literary website, and they expect her to continue to write about her boyfriend and offer relationship advice. Having a fake boyfriend is better than an imaginary boyfriend, right? Eliza approaches her classmate Caz Song—who also happens to be a television heartthrob—with a fake dating proposal, promising to help him with college application essays if he agrees to pretend to go out with her. Of course, you can guess where this is heading, but the beautifully written characters make it well worth the journey.
“Danger and Other Unknown Risks” by Ryan North and Erica Henderson – Recommended in April 2023
In the year 2000, the world ended. Sort of. Instead of technology failing like everyone expected, magic invaded the world and fractured it into different realms. While humans have a little control over magic, it seems to go rogue more often than not. Marguerite has been raised by her Uncle Bernard who lived through the cataclysm, and he has a plan to stabilize the world’s magic. She and her talking dog Daisy have been training and preparing for their mission of gathering the magical items Uncle Bernard needs, and they confidently set off on their quest. But saving the world isn’t nearly as straightforward as they expected. This dystopian graphic novel has a delightful blend of humor and action. Also, the talking dog is an absurdly fluffy Chow Chow—I’m pretty sure you should read it for that reason alone.
