Pop’s Picks: Best 5 Books of 2022

Almost eight years ago, when I moved into my current home, I started a website and blog where I posted my published novels and used the blog to review books that interested me. In 2022 I read and reviewed 15 books from science fiction, psychological thrillers, paranormal thrillers, and a few romances. Below you’ll find four of the best books I reviewed this year plus my own novel, The Lip Reader, which won first place as an inspirational novel. It’s that time of year where we give thoughtful presents to loved ones, friends, and acquaintances. Why not a book? 

214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion.    

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3hAFdVG

Publication Date: April 6, 2022

Book Length: 274 pages

The full review can be read at: shorturl.at/pBHSU

214 Palmer Street, a gripping psychological thriller that is impossible to put down; and if you do, you’re forced to think about the next twist and turn in this superbly written suspense novel. 

Sarah Aden is married to the owner of Aden Luxury Car dealership, Kirk Aden, a rich doting husband. When he’s called to the hospital because his wife is assaulted in her own backyard, he’s at her side immediately. When Sarah is released, she needs months of therapy and counseling to recover from the head injury. 

With time on her hands during her recovery, Sarah learns her husband has been keeping secrets from her, so she searches for the truth behind the suspicious disappearance of Kirk’s teen buddy.

214 Palmer Street is a psychological thriller that doesn’t take a break with intriguing plot twists until the final dramatic climax.  

Going Home at Your Age by Jacqueline Diamond

 

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Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3PxGARz

Publication Date: August 1, 2022

Book Length: 253 pages

The full review: http://michaelthal.com/the-reunion/

Sara Matchett is approaching her 50^th birthday and thinks it’s time to return home after being away for close to three decades. She realizes that years ago she was a teenage drama queen. When hurt by her best friends and sisters, she lashed out with bridge destroying letters and then ran-away to marry an older man. 

Now, with maturity to bolster her confidence, Sara leaves the shelter of Tennessee to return to her Southern California roots and make amends to the people she hurt. 

My biggest issue was recalling each character’s relationship with Sara, but Diamond does an excellent job of reminding her readers through descriptive prose. I found the novel hard to put down; a worthy investment for any reader who understands the importance of family. 

The Lip Reader by Michael Thal 

Purchase Link: shorturl.at/nqrv4

Publication Date: November 1, 2021

Book Length: 226 pages

The full review: http://iloveuniquebooks.com/book-review/the-lip-reader

The plot revolves around Zhila, a hearing-impaired girl born to Jewish parents in Tehran, Iran. Zhila had to contend with not just her disability but also a very hostile environment. Surviving a murderous regime and ultimately arriving to the shores of the United States may have seemed like an end to her predicaments, but the battle was far from over.

This story is a powerful reminder that truth sometimes can indeed be stranger than fiction! It would be difficult for even the most hard-hearted to go through The Lip Reader without at least being emotional and feeling moist in the eyes. Lest I forget, there are equally lots of witty lines interspersed throughout the course of the book that would literally have you rolling on the ground with laughter. 

A striking feature that makes this book a lot more interesting to read, is the analytical and refreshing way it was written. Thus, it comes natural for the reader to not just like the protagonist but also to easily relate with her worldview.

The Lip Reader is a masterpiece you wouldn’t want to miss for anything!

Just a Bit of Magic by Barb Bissonett

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3V5vJj0

Publication Date: March 15, 2020

Book Length: 453 pages

The full review: http://michaelthal.com/magic-in-ontario/

Nestled along a cobbled path amongst a copse of trees is a cottage on the outskirts of Jared, Ontario. Jenny, a self-proclaimed hedgewytch, lives there. Through her magic mirror she sees the arrival of Miranda and Molly, two young college students renting a room in a local boarding house while attending the nearby university. Molly is studying to become a teacher and Miranda a nurse. 

Jenny turns out to be a very wise woman in her 60s. She’s a tiny woman with a huge heart coupled with a lot of common sense. She explains to the girls about a hedgewytch: a witch that works mainly with plants and herbs to make potions and herbal remedies that she sells. This reader couldn’t help but admire the woman, but Molly has doubts about her that aren’t resolved until the dramatic climax.

Just a Bit of Magic is a perfect book for book clubs to read and discuss. And the men out there would learn a lot if they read it, too, for they will develop a better understanding of women and the affect they have on the females in their lives. 

Our Trespasses by Michael Cordell

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3WvodPv

Publication Date: October 15, 2021

Book Length: 247 pages

The full review: http://michaelthal.com/%EF%BF%BCa-spine-tingling-thriller/

The Davis boys, Matthew and Jake, are identical twins with a rare gift. They have such a strong psychic connection that one can feel the emotional stresses of the other. In the opening scene, author Michael Cordell expertly shows toddler Matt experiencing great pain on his mother’s kitchen floor, but there’s no sign of trauma. Ma Davis hunts for Jake and finds him on the barn floor crying because he stepped on a nail. 

Flash forward twenty-four years and we find Matt flipping burgers in a Brooklyn, New York diner. Matt hasn’t been back home to Hatchett, Nebraska for a decade in an effort to cut the link with his brother. Now a searing pain like never experienced envelopes him. When the seizure passes, Matt knows Jake is dead. 

Amazon best seller, Michael Cordell brings us a supernatural thriller, Our Trespasses: A Paranormal Thriller that is impossible to put down. The character development is wonderful as we slowly learn Matt’s true reasons for leaving home. The settings are well described, and the plot will keep you breathless. 

If you enjoyed this blog post, there will be more in 2023. Receive a free subscription for my blog at http://michaelthal.com/blog/. Your privacy will be protected.