Pop’s 5 Star Books of 2021

I read and reviewed 21 books in 2021. Below you’ll find five books published in 2021. Each book review will contain a purchase link plus stats that may interest readers.

Death Lake Motel by Rod Little

Kindle: $2.99

Print: $7.99

Published January 1, 2021

150 pages 

While driving up to the lake on a fishing trip, retired police officer Owen and his two best friends, Gary and Bob, face an intense storm and wrecked car. Inside the vehicle are two frightened teen girls, who they rescue and take with them. The group stop at the first motel they find for a landline to call for help, but the storm has knocked phones out of commission. But there’s a lot more problems they uncover than disconnected phones. The desk clerk is dead, and it’s not from natural causes.

Owen and two others in the group check other motel rooms finding dead bodies and blood in almost every room they check; thus beginning Rod Little’s 128 page novella, Death Lake Motel. 

Through descriptive writing, excellent characterization, and exciting plot development, Little writes a horror story with more twists and turns than a mountain road. Death Lake Motel is a quick read as you nibble your fingernails in anticipation of the next revelation. 

Don’t be Silly! At my Age?:  A Better Late Romance (Sisters, Lovers & Chances Book 2) By Jacqueline Diamond

Kindle: $3.99

Published: June 9, 2021

201 pages

Don’t Be Silly! At My Age? Focuses in on the relationship between Mandy Matchett and Richard Forbes. Richard is a local mystery writer and celebrity while Mandy is the nursing director at Rancho Allegro Medical Center in Southern California. Richard is 60 while Mandy is four years his junior. Is love possible for older people? That is the premise USA Today Bestselling Author, Jacqueline Diamond, explores.

I enjoyed reading about the couple’s connection and the juggling act they had to perform keeping their career, family, and the desire to be together separate. I easily related to their circumstance, for when I was 5o, I met the love of my life. From experience, I know that Diamond’s story is more real than fantasy. 

The novel is the second book in the Sisters, Lovers &. Second Chances series and is part of the Better Late Romance line featuring older couples. 

Mandy has never been married, but in a brief encounter between her cat and Richard’s old German Shepard, Mandy feels something that she hasn’t experienced in ages. Richard, who is working on his next book in his Drake Decker mystery series, is still lonely after the death of his wife Alice. When he meets Mandy, he wonders if this could be the woman capable of filling his heart again. 

Diamond reveals a sub-plot involving a writer’s life showing readers the reality of writing a publishable story. As a writer, myself, I can attest that transforming an idea into a publishable story takes time, determination, and a support group to keep one motivated and productive. 

After Mandy gets rejected by her boyfriend, who returns to his wife and children, she decides to write a pirate novel. When she learns that Richard Forbes conducts a writing class in the attic of a local bookstore owned by his father-in-law, Mandy decides to sign up. 

Don’t Be Silly! At My Age is a sweet romance that focuses on character development and the lives of two seniors with the maturity to know they have something special within their grasp. The characters do their best to make sure their love for each other evolves in a positive direction. 

The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion

Kindle: $4.99

Audiobook: $13.96

Hardcover: $18.99

Paperback: $11.69

Published March 3, 2021

326 pages

On a cold winter night Sharon Lemke, an elderly woman, scans the night sky to watch a lunar eclipse. In the corner of her eye, she notices something odd. Through her neighbor’s kitchen window, she sees a five-year-old girl washing dishes. Which was really weird because the Fleming family doesn’t include a little girl. 

A few weeks later, eighteen-year-old Niki, a former foster child moves in with Sharon. Niki is recommended by Sharon’s daughter, Amy, who thinks they will be good for each other. After Niki settles in, she notices something suspicious going on in the Fleming home, and the duo decide to investigate. 

Thus begins Karen McQuestion’s novel, The Moonlight Child. From first page to last, McQuestion keeps her readers riveted as she develops a gripping character driven plot. Her characterization is superb giving readers the sense they can actually hear the character’s voices. Take Suzette Fleming, the middle-aged woman controlling the Fleming household. The author delves into Suzette’s mind providing readers with a peek into the thinking of a sociopath that they immediately hate. 

As one reader states, “The Moonlight Child is a perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and tender moments of love,” which makes this novel superb. 

Of Flesh and Blood by Jeanne Bannon

Kindle: $4.99

Paperback: $15.99

Published September 8, 2021

260 pages

A hapless young soul, Stephan, is home in the Place Between Places terrified at the possibility of having to return to the earthly plane. His spiritual master has other plans. “Every soul must fall into flesh to learn and grow.” 

Unbeknownst to Stephan, those plans include a walk-in. Stephen is assigned to trade places with Eric Cargill, a grown man, whose memories flood Stephen’s mind as he assimilates a life he doesn’t understand, but somehow knows. 

Eric’s home is a run-down apartment he shares with Al in New York City. Al is a kind-hearted big lug happily spending his spare time eating pizza, chugging beer, and watching old movies. Eric works as a waiter at Mercer Kitchen. 

On his first day at work in Eric’s body, Stephen stares at a gorgeous socialite seated at one of his tables. Ignoring protocol, he engages in conversation with Lilah Daniels, a disturbed soul betrothed to psychopath Costas, a man hand-picked by her father for his family wealth. (Says a lot about dad, doesn’t it?)

Of Flesh and Blood is a love story that will keep readers engaged from start to finish. USA Today best-selling author, Jeanne Bannon will blow you away with her vivid descriptions, believable characters, and a plot that will make sense, even to the greatest sceptics. Expect your perception of life, love, and even death to be challenged. 

There is no way to prove Bannon’s vision of the Place Between Places, but when it’s your time, I bet you’ll flash back to that book you read, Of Flesh and Blood, and silently thank Jeanne Bannon for her inspiring novel.

The Lip Reader by Michael Thal

Kindle: $3.99

Paperback: $12.76

Hardcover: $22.99

Published November 1, 2021

242 pages

Since it’s not fair to review my own book, here’s what others have said about The Lip Reader:

Natalie Soine, Reader’s Favorite: “A well-researched and well-written with a wonderful variety of characters, places, and events. Zhila’s bravery, dedication, and determination are beautifully captured. I especially enjoyed the smooth flow of the story and the constant pace throughout, following the lives of Zhila, her friends, and her family. Easy to read with vivid descriptions and scenes which make it easy for the reader to form a visual of the story. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable novel, highly recommended.”

Big Al, Books and Pals: Although fiction, as author Michael Thal makes clear in the preface, this story is largely true. Names have been changed and I’m sure he had to take some liberties, taking guesses or coming up with a feasible way to piece things together at times, but for the most part this is the story of the author’s wife’s life. It’s real. That realness comes through in a good way. A lot of the story happens in a country and culture that I have no experience with added to the reading pleasure for me as I developed a slightly better understanding of life in Iran during the 1960s-80s. Getting a feel for what it is like to adapt to living in America for someone coming from another country and vastly different culture was also interesting. Last, having had a best friend who was deaf I appreciated the insights into what hearing loss is like. Definitely a book I’d recommend.

Kirkus Reviews: This autobiographical novel traces a deaf Iranian woman’s life through political and personal turmoil, love, and illness. Zhila Shirazi is doubly an outsider: Her family is Jewish, and she is deaf. Any kind of disability is viewed as shameful in her culture, so to pass for normal, Zhila becomes a highly skilled lip reader. Her condition demands constant vigilance, and even then, the world can be a dangerous place. Zhila copes well with her challenges, earning a degree in geology; in 1972, she begins work as a heavy-mineral specialist. Zhila and her family eventually make their way to the United States, though not before the new regime blinds and nearly kills her father. In Los Angeles, Zhila retrains as a certified nursing assistant and endures an abusive, short-lived marriage. At the age of 49, she meets Mickey Daniels, who’s also deaf. The Lip Reader is an absorbing story of resilience in the face of challenges. 

There were quite a lot of books published in 2021 and you just read about five of them. You can visit a motel that may be your last, get a glimpse of the afterlife, or uncover what deafness is really like. And don’t forget to check out these talented authors. They have each written other books you may enjoy.