Dear Readers,

If you’ve finished The Encanto and are looking for something to read while you’re waiting for LA FOG part two, Wayob’s Revenge, to come out next year, here are my five favorites of the books I’ve read in 2021:

5. The Guardians – John Grisham. A rich story that sheds light on a real-life group of lawyers who help innocent victims incarcerated by miscarriages of justice.

4. Squeeze Me – Carl Hiaasen. A wonderfully funny allegory of the times we live in, and an inside look at what I always knew to be the true Florida.

3. Later – Stephen King. A boy struggles to maintain an ordinary life in spite of his extraordinary ability that others force him to use, and the more he uses it the more dangerous it becomes.

2. The New Iberia Blues – James Lee Burke. Burke’s poetic writing transported me out onto the bayou where I found myself immersed in his colorful characters, including one very original villain with a strong moral code.

1. The Man from St. Petersburg – Ken Follet. An unusual thriller, with lovers torn apart, where the would-be villain discovers he’s still human after all, and becomes a hero.