The Best of the Best 2022: Lit List Short Reviews and Other Projects

 The Best of the Best 2022: Lit List Short Reviews and Other Projects

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

It's that time of year again. When I weigh and consider my favorite books of the year. I would like to extend a hearty thank you to all the authors, publishers, promoters, and Readers who help make this blog possible.

In fact, this year saw a tremendous growth in reviews for other sources as well as this blog. I was only able to do one Classics Corner this year (which will hopefully be part of an annual list). In fact this is the first time that I have made a separate list for mostly short reviews and other projects that I did for other sources.

If the review is on my blog, the link will be provided. If not, the link will connect to a Goodreads review.

Now on with Part One of my annual Best of the Best reviews.

20. The Aging Game: How to Come Out a Winner Over 100 Anti Aging Tips by Lynne Hardy ND, CNC

A wonderful self-help book that discusses how we can face aging positively and still live healthy productive lives. Hardy includes dietary and exercise needs as well as other ways one can improve their lives as they grow older.

Some of the best tips rely on how the Reader can maintain a better mental and emotional outlook like reading and solving puzzles to improve memory and getting involved in community activities to prevent loneliness. It's an all encompassing comprehensive book that covers the various facets of aging.

19. After The Apocalypse The Kim and Kaya Chronicles by Scott W. Kimak-This is a very short dystopian novella about Kim, a young woman who lives in an underground society with her parents and dog.

Though short, this book is filled with touching moments between Kim and her parents as well as between her and her dog, Kaya.

This shows that no matter how tough things get, what really matters is the relationships that are still maintained whether through family, friends, or human and animals.

18. The Mysteries Inside My Head by Lawrence J. Epstein

This is a suspenseful and exciting mystery in which Robert Burnside, a mystery author teams up with Matthew Cresson, a developmentally disabled teen to solve the murder of a man who appears to be a homeless transient.

While the mystery is solid, what is particularly memorable is the relationship between Matthew and Burnside. Their mutual love of mysteries creates a bond between them. Matthew encourages Burnside to open up and confide in people more, while Burnside encourages Matthew to fulfill his greatest potential and that he can succeed despite other's perceptions of him. It's a true mentor/student relationship.

17. How to Survive Ghosts, Cats, and Psychopaths (A Delia Sanchez Mystery) by Diana K.C. Gill

Another great short mystery. Former police officer, Delia Sanchez buys a fancy estate that is complete with two cats and a ghost.

There are genuinely spooky moments, particularly between Delia and the ghost, Elise Vander Loring. Elise is capable of psychological manipulation as she changes her form to become people in other's lives so her victims are forced to relive their worst fears and darkest secrets.

16. The Pulling, Pushing, Climbing, Falling Down Tale of Maui and His Back Legs Written and Illustrated by Peggy Arndt 

Peggy Arndt's book is a sweet picture book about Maui, a house cat who loses the use of his legs. Through much perseverance, Maui is able to overcome his injury and go back to his normal, curious, and adorable self.

This is a beautifully illustrated charming book that any animal lover will understand especially if they are cat people. The pages of Maui deprived of his favorite activities like playing in the sink and chasing lizards will move anyone who has a cat.

15. Suspended Animation by Carly Rheilan

Rheilan's tense short story concerns a prisoner's torturous time in captivity.

The writing is almost dark poetry as the Narrator is in suspension trying to get out. They compare themselves to a spider in their web trying to use their suspension for survival, defense, and a means for escape

14.  Deus Ex by Miles Watson 

Miles Watson is a brilliant short story author and this is among his finest works. Magnus Antonius Magnus, dictator of the world, is at the point where the rest of the world is rebelling against him. Magnus is on the precipice of losing it all.

While it would be nice to expand Magnus' story to see how he got his start and ruled the world, the focus of the story is the end. What happens when it all comes crashing down. Magnus is a terrifying and somehow understandable character as he is faced with the demise of his empire.

13. Taming Fear in the Age of COVID by Dr.

Winfried Sedhoff 

In this day of pandemics and economic stress, fear is all around. This book helps the Readers confront their fears and find ways to fight them.

Among the tips, the most fascinating are the ones that reduce imaginary fears into fictional creatures. That way those fears can't increase. They can be minimized to the point that they can be defeated. There are also ways of organizing steps to get out of real fears so that the reader can break their fears down to smaller increments as they face them.

 

12. Creating Abundance and Living Generously by Anne Denys

This book helps the Reader face the troubles in their past and live a much better present.

One of the more effective tactics in this book is how Denys uses her own personal history and troubled childhood to provide advice. Some people learn by personal experience and use that experience to teach others. Denys excels at that.

11. Write Yourself Out of This One (Samantha Jamison Mystery Series Book 12) by Peggy A. Edelheit

It has a humorous premise of a young mystery author being assisted by three senior women who are a composite of The Golden Girls and Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote. The mystery itself is pretty dark in contrast. Samantha Jamison is being stalked by someone who leaves her creepy gifts like a tombstone with her name and a potential date of death. She and her friends, Hazel, Martha, and Betty, are determined to find out who this stalker is.

The four characters are a fun great bunch that play off each other with humor and an honest mentors-protegee relationship. There are however some creepy haunting moments that keeps this cozy mystery from being too gentle and cozy.

10.  Moral Stories by Grandma by Ravish Shetty 

A charming series of folktales that teach valuable lessons like kindness, knowledge, courage, and other virtues.

The stories are short and easily read so the young readers can enjoy the action and characters. The illustrations, especially of the animals, are bright and engaging. This is a great read for children and adults to enjoy together.

9. Imagine a Kinder Gentler Hitler: An Utter Fantasy by Rob Santana

Rob Santana is an expert at writing books in which Readers are made to expect the unexpected and this one definitely fits.

It is styled as a children's book for adults which creates an alternate history in which Adolf Hitler is no longer a raging genocidal Anti-Semitic dictator but a kind hearted forward thinking leader who uses innovation and progress to pull Germany out of the post-WWI Depression.

This is a bizarre, oddly illustrated, but interesting look at how history could have been.

8. Mirror Meditation: The Power of Neuroscience and Self-Reflection to Overcome Self-Criticism, Gain Confidence, and See Yourself With Compassion by Tara Well, PhD

This book advises the Reader to look in the mirror and analyze how they view themselves. 

Well's advice helps us to acknowledge what we like about ourselves, change what we don't, and especially improve our self image. Many of the tips center around our Anxieties and how we can minimize them. It helps to create a better person both inside and out.

7. Healthy Fashion: The Deeper Truths by Alyssa Couture 

Clothes not only make the person, but can help preserve their health and the world around them. Couture believes in this fascinating book.

Couture suggests that her Readers wear clothes that are environmentally safe, made of natural materials, and fit the wearer's personality rather than be mass produced and synthetic trends.

The different varieties of cultures, styles, patterns, and prints give a fascinating array of individuality for the wearer to choose from. Couture encourages us to celebrate our uniqueness with our clothing.

6. Alternative Ulster Noir: NI Crime Stories Inspired by NI Music  by Simon Maltman 

This is a brilliant crime anthology that takes a dark humorous tone to the suspenseful mysteries and crimes that occur in the Northern Ireland setting.

The stories are frightening with their graphic depictions of violence and murder but there are clever touches in each story. The authors throw everything into their works like referencing music and inserting celebrities and even the authors themselves into the thick of the action. It's a dark, humorous, and memorable approach to the murder mystery anthology genre.

5. The Devil Took Her: Tales of Horror by Michael Botur

This anthology is more interested in horror caused by human monsters rather than supernatural ones. This book has several stories where characters are tortured physically and mentally in some of the most gruesome ways.

What makes this book terrifying is the pain that people, human beings, commit on each other or themselves. It is filled with enough nightmare fuel to keep Readers up for several nights.

4. Bashert by Larry G. Goldsmith 

This is a sweet humorous love story between Michael, an attorney and Shira, a college student, who meet at Woodstock. Their romance turns into a marriage that is rocked when Shira's father is implicated in a scam involving helping immigrants out of the Eastern Bloc and Soviet countries.

There is a truth in this book that is often lost in romances that end with marriage. Michael and Shira's story is filled with personal details about changing schedules, conflicting Jewish traditions, and arguments that result in days of cold looks and silent treatments. Those days of marriage are filled with the minutiae of everyday life that are often overlooked in other romances.

The political subplot plays into the controversies about immigration that unfortunately still exist. There are many Americans who were and still are anti-immigration, considering them enemies of America (often ignoring that except for Native Americans, they were also from families of immigrants). Some take advantage of them by giving them fraudulent documents, forcing them into hard labor for minimal pay, or trafficking them for sex work. Bashert shows how these con artists take advantage of not only the immigrants themselves, but charitable Americans who work with them. 

3.Druidess: The Gates of Eden by Theophilus Monroe

A fascinating modern fantasy that depicts three young people using their magical heritages to fight against evil.

The three are: Joni Campbell, an Irish-American teenager who is descended from a long line of druids, Isabella, the ghost of a former slave girl who has ties to Voodoo and has to fight her sister who is using the practice for revenge, and Roger Thundershield, a Choctaw Native American teen who is learning about the spiritual path of his ancestors. The three have to fight Isabella's sister Messalina who is being used and manipulated by Baron Samedi, a clever spirit who feeds on her hatred.

The book takes a look at the various spiritual paths of the various characters and how their heritages played into their uses of magic. 

Characterization is also strong as many of the characters are faced with moral choices that are subtle and nuanced. Even Messalina is written as a figure who is understanding and empathetic in her rage. Druidess walks a fine line between fantasy and reality and does both admirably.

2. Sky Curse Book 1 of The Chosen Five by Janet Kravetz

This is a fascinating science fiction novel which features characters faced with moral choices between helping others or themselves.

Six people and one android are recruited to travel to Mexico to find a set of crystals that will help stop an impending apocalypse.

The book is a clever blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy. It is awash with technology. One of the main characters is Cecilia, a dream technologist who creates dreams for other people. Her sister, Malee, is an android. There is also Alex who creates a holographic sport based on Quidditch. There are many who are against the overabundance of technology.

The fantastic elements kick in when the crystals are found. They open up psychic abilities within the characters as they encounter their worst fears and hidden guilt. The technology of the new world is stripped away to reveal the magic of the old world.

As mentioned, there is a strong sense of morality and ethics as each character is faced with the choice of using the crystals for their own gain or to help the world around them. Some make selfish decisions and pay the price and others do not. It's a book that asks the same questions of the Reader.

1. The Enchanted World Series Books 1-5 (Wizards and Witches, The Story of Christmas, The Fall of Camelot, Dragons, The Lore or Love) by Brendan Lahane, Tristan Potter Coffman, and The Editors of Time-Life Books

This is the lone Classics Corner article that I did this year. Hopefully, I will make this an annual tradition of reviewing five of the books in the series by discussing the contents of each book and expanding on my favorite stories and characters.

If you remember Time-Life Books then you remember The Enchanted World, one of the most popular series in the publishing company and certainly its crown jewel. It focuses on myths, legends, folklore, and fairy tales organized by subject.

This review covers the first five books in the series and explores topics like Witches and Wizards, Christmas, Camelot, Dragons, and Love Stories.

Readers will learn of various stories and characters like Taliesin, Baba Yagga, St. Nicholas, The Nutcracker, Merlin, King Arthur, Morgan Le Fey, Tiamat, Asian and European dragons, Camaralzaman and Badoura, and Aucassin and Nicolette. Each book is gorgeous with beautiful illustrations that make these stories verbal and visual feasts.  If you are fan of folklore, you don't want to miss it!

Honorable Mention:, If Your Mouth Could Talk: An In Depth Guide to Oral Health and Its Impact on Your Entire Life by Dr. Kami Hoss, Newton Gritters I: The Foundation by Eddie Beasley Jr., Wolf at the Door by Joel McKay, Echoes in the Dark by P.L. McMillan, Beyond The Sushi Chef: The Ultimate Bible for Mastering Nigiri Sushi from The Sushi University, The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Cookbook For Beginners: 600 Anti-Inflammatory Recipe with 21 Day Meal Plan to Reduce Inflammation by Fernando K. Rankin, Guide to Software Projects for Business People by Jonathan P. Crosby, The Ultimate Instant Crock Pot for Beginners by Phillip D. Roman

So that's all. As always, Happy Reading!