December 2020 Reads

This is my final reads post for 2020 (though a little late, I know). In addition, I think I’m going to move over fully to putting my thoughts into reviews on my Goodreads page.
Hole In the World by Brian Keene
In this prequel to the Lost Level, a bus taking a group of strangers from the airport to a hotel in a snowstorm travels through a portal and lands in the Lost Level. This story is full of action and introduces some of the objects that Aaron finds in the Lost Level books. A fun part of the book is recognizing the names of real friends of the author.

The City & The City by China Mieville
This book is a little confusing at first, but not far in it becomes clear that there are two city-states that share the same geographic location and people in one city are required to ignore anything in the other, as if it didn’t exist. This is the setting for a murder mystery that crosses back and forth between the cities and makes for a twisted and interesting novel.

Hunger on the Chisholm Trail by Mike Ennenbach
Can a monster hunter defeat an unstoppable creature in this bloody story on a cattle trail? The monster is creepy gory fun. The characters are interesting. I enjoyed this entry in Death’s Head Press’s splatter western series.

Lola on Fire by Rio Youers
I got this ARC from Goodreads! This is the best action movie I ever read. The opening and closing chapters are absolute madness. Between these bookends is a chase with lots of twists and turns. This was one of my favorite books of 2020.

The Last Druid: Fall of Shanharra 4 by Terry Brooks
Bittersweet. That is the best description I have for this after having read Shannara for thirty years. In this final volume of the Fall of Shannara and of Shannara itself, all of the threads that have been setup through the first three books are yanked, cut, and tied. I’m satisfied with this conclusion and I’m glad such a long fantasy series gets an ending.

November 2020 Reads

Except for the first entry in this month’s reads, it seems that I was on a bit of a series binge. I hope Extinction Peak gets a sequel, but it is a new book, so that remains to be seen. The French Widow is book 9 in the Hugo Marston series, Return to the Lost Level is book 2 in the Lost Level, Darkwalker: Deep City is book 3 of Darkwalker, Inside the Asylum is book 3 of Kathy Ryan, Wilted Lilies is book 1 of a two-parter, and Worse Angels is book 3 of Isaiah Coleridge.

Extinction Peak by Lucas Mangum
Dinosaur carnage. Human evil. Never-ending fun. I loved this book. Can’t wait for a sequel (I hope for one)!

Wilted Lilies by Kelli Owen
A girl tells her story of how she escaped from a killer, but can she really talk to the dead? This is an interesting little mystery story. I liked it and look forward to reading the sequel (Passages).

The French Widow by Mark Pryor
This is the latest mystery in the Hugo Marston series. In this case, Hugo is under scrutiny after a public shooting, while he also tries to solve an attempted murder. In this novel, we also get to see some POV from the killer, without giving away the person’s identity. I enjoy this series. It’s like a comfy chair that I get to sit in from time to time.

Worse Angels by Laird Barron
This is the third mystery in the Isaiah Coleridge series. While investigating a supposed suicide, Isaiah comes up against some nasty characters, and perhaps even the supernatural. This is a solid entry in the series and worth a read.

Into the Asylum by Mary SanGiovanni
In this third installment of the Kathy Ryan series, Kathy has to face down cosmic entities that are being made manifest inside the asylum where her brother is incarcerated. Mary SanGiovanni can be counted on to bring the cosmic horror and slow burn that leads to a wild finish. This is a great series with an interesting protagonist.

Return to the Lost Level by Brian Keene
Picking up where The Lost Level ended, Aaron leads his new family on a chase after the snake-like Anunnaki who raided their village and took prisoners. This sequel is full of more action and more strange findings within the lost level, and more dinosaurs too. Loved it.

Darkwalker 3: The Deep City by John Urbancik
Jack is sent to Silver Blade to rescue his friend Nick, who has disappeared in the silver mines. I enjoyed this continuation of the adventures of Jack Harlow.

October 2020 Reads

For October, the month of Halloween and horror, I decided to focus on horror. The one exception was the first book, A Single Swallow, that I picked up through the Kindle Select program, and even it has ghosts. I started the book toward the end of September, and decided to finish it despite my plan to read all horror. Also slightly out of place is Keene’s fantasy novel, The Lost Level, but as it fits neatly into his horror mythos, I don’t think it’s a misfit.

A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling
Three men (and two dogs), all ghosts, have gathered to reminisce about a woman they all met and fell in love with in Sishiyi Bu in China, fending off the Japanese during WWII. I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The tone and the approach are different from my typical reading and that’s a good thing.

 

The Nightrunners by Joe R Lansdale
For the first few chapters, this appears to be a straight-forward teenagers behaving badly thriller. When the God of the Razor is introduced, things take a much darker, and more interesting, turn. This is Joe his-own-self at his horror best.

 

 

The Magpie Coffin by Wile E Young
Wile E Young kicks off the Death’s Head Press Splatter Western series in style. Covington and his brother made a deal with the devil and now he has to live with the consequences. In this adventure, he is tracking down the white men who murdered his Native American mentor and there will be bloody vengeance. Well worth a read.

The Light At the End by John Skipp and Craig Spector
The Original Splatterpunk Novel. This novel is just plain fun. A group of people have come to believe the same thing – there is a monster in the subway system and the police can’t help. They mastermind a plan to stop the evil, but can they pull it off. I love this story. Highly recommended.

 

The Living Dead by George Romero and Daniel Kraus
A zombie novel from the late, great master of zombies. Full of vibrant characters, both living and dead, packed with action, and threaded with questions of what it means to be human. This is a doorstop of a book, but worth reading.

 

The Lost Level by Brian Keene
The Lost Level of the Labyrinth, from which no one escapes. Aaron Pace has found himself there and must face creatures and creations from all over the multi-verses in order to stay alive. This is pure pulp and pure fun.

 

Twice Upon an Apocalypse edited by Rachel Kenley
21 Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos inspired by fairy tales. There were a few tales here where I was not familiar with the source material, but for those that I knew, a lot of the fun was trying to figure out how the author was going to spin it. This a fun book, but is also a great collection of Cthulhu stories.

 

The House by Edward Lee
The Pig and it’s follow-up, The House. I kept hearing about this book and finally decided to sit down with it. This is NOT for the squeamish, the prudish, or the easily offended. The stories hold together despite some of the implausible and often bizarre behaviors of the characters and situations.

October 2020

Wow, was it really at the end of June that I last posted anything? This year has been a true tire fire. I’ve been working from home since the middle of March. I could go back to the office now a few days a week, but I would be dragging equipment (docking station, mouse, keyboard, a monitor, etc) back and forth for the work from home days. Up to the beginning of September, work was busy. The entire team I work with were putting in 50-60 hour weeks every week on a project. That has slowed back down now, thankfully. Also work-related, I spent a number of hours in May through August studying for and completed a certification exam in mid-September.

I haven’t been writing lately. Like many, I haven’t had the energy or will to do so. Unlike the pros, though, I also don’t have the daily habit formed. I’m trying to get back into the mindset now, with NaNoWriMo around the corner. I plan to write another novel this year in November. I’m planning it now.

My reading also slowed during these last few months. Instead of the usual format, I’m going to put the list here. I have a stack of horror novels for October, and I will be getting back to my regular monthly update at the end of the month.

The Innswich Horror by Edward Lee

All the Rage & Hosts by F. Paul Wilson (Repairman Jack 4 & 5)

Behind the Door by Mary SanGiovanni

The Last Zombie & Darkness on the Edge of Town by Brian Keene

To Watch is Madness by Bob Pastorella (a short story)

Crooked River by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (a Pendergast novel)

True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik

Asleep in the Nightmare Room by TJ Tranchell

Attack of the 50 Foot Indian by Stephen Graham Jones (a short story)

At the River by the Temple by John Urbancik (a short story)

100 Word Horrors 3 & 4 ed. by Kevin J Kennedy

Pimp My Airship by Maurice Broaddus

Gyo, Uzumaki, & Tomie by Juni Ito (graphic novels)

That seems like a lot, but it covers July, August, and September. By contrast, I have 8 books in my pile for October.

 

May/June 2020 Reads

I was halfway through two of the larger volumes in this list at the end of May, so I decided to put this off a month and include it all together. Since I’m at home all of the time now, I’ve also been working on some of the home projects that have been put off, so my reading pace has slowed.

If It Bleeds by Stephen King
Four novellas from a true master of storytelling.
Each story in this novella has something to offer and I enjoyed each, especially seeing Holly Gibney again in the title story.

 

 

Saint Sadist by Lucas Mangum

In this Splatterpunk nominated novella, Courtney is pregnant with her father’s baby and runs away. She is saved after a car crash by a cult, but it was easier getting in than getting out. This is another great entry from Lucas.

Tapteum Lucidum by Sisters of Slaughter

A group of high school boys are camping in the woods. When one of them cuts a tree down, a seemingly innocent act, which unleashs ravenous monsters on themselves and their town of Brush Mill This is a terrific entry in the creature feature arena.

 

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
An evil government has set up an annual contest in which students from a random class are taken to a remote location, given weapons, and told to kill one another until there is only one left standing. This book is brutal, but also filled with heart. The story is not about the students killing one another, but about their fight against a repressive government that means them harm.

Battle Royale Slambook ed Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington
This is a collection of essays about Battle Royale. They cover a range of topics – the book’s place in Japanese literature, wrestling, ultraviolence, oppressive government, etc. – and each is worth a read. There are a lot of spoilers throughout for the book, so I would read that first. Well worth a read after finishing Battle Royale.

Reprisal by F Paul Wilson
Set a couple of decades after Reborn, this book is a direct sequel to it. Lisl is a professor in North Carolina and has formed a friendship with the groundskeeper, Will. Rafe is a psychology student who sweeps her off her feet. But neither Will nor Rafe are who they seem. While we, the readers, learn early who everyone really is, the characters do not, and that helps build the tension until the final confrontation. Now, to catch up with Repairman Jack…

Midnight Pals by Bitter Karella
Midnight Pals started (and continues) life as a twitter feed (@midnight_pals) as an homage to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. In Midnight Pals, famous, infamous, and not as famous horror authors tell stories around a campfire. This series is hilarious and well worth following and reading. While I’ve not read every author that shows up, of the ones that I have read, I can say that Bitter does an excellent job capturing their voices.

April 2020 Reads

Reborn by F Paul Wilson

Jim Stevens inherits an estate from a deceased scientist. Several people are feeling the signs that evil is coming. When these intersect, chaos reigns.

 

Clickers Forever an Anthology

This is a wonderful tribute anthology to the late J F Gonzalez. Many authors have contributed short stories set in his worlds, essays, and personal memoirs. A few short stories of his also appear. If you are a fan of his, this is an anthology you need to read.

 

Triangle of Belief by Brian Keene

This is  a short treatise in which Brian lays out his personal belief system, his personal experiences and how they have shaped it, and an encouragement to all to find your own. There is no knocking against religion or others’ beliefs here, but a heart-felt essay about our shared humanity.

Captains Outrageous: Hap and Leonard 6 by Joe R Lansdale

Hap saves a girl from a thug. She happens to be the daughter of the owner of the chicken farm he guards. He and Leonard decide to take a cruise to Mexico on the reward money, and become entangled with a warlord. This book is a bit more brutal than past entries, but a joy to read nonetheless.

 

Burning Sky by Weston Ochse

Starling, AKA Boy Scout, and his team keep running into people who know them and are having a shared dream. They decide that they need to return to Afghanistan, where something happened to them, so they can save themselves. This is some great modern day war sci-fi. Awesome read.

Inkstained by John Urbancik

On three separate occasions, John wrote a story a day for an entire year. He called these stories Inkstains. Then, he ran a 100-episode podcast, where talked about what he learned about writing and about life, and read some of those stories. In Inkstained, he has condensed all of that learning into a single volume, a unique perspective on one man’s journey through his art and the lessons he has learned and want to pass on. Well worth reading, regardless of your chosen art form.

 

March 2020 Reads

Like so many others, I have been in a shelter in place for most of March and into April. I have been more fortunate than so many others in that I have been able to work from home and am still employed. In light of the pandemic, this list of the books I read seems unimportant, but I’m continuing nonetheless.

NOTE: I realized a couple of days ago that we were a week into April and I had not yet completed this entry. This quarantine, stay-at-home, social distance thing has thrown me more than I know.

Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I had heard of this book, but knew little about it. It is an odd tale of a decidedly unlikable character and his outrageous adventures in New Orleans. I did not dislike the book, but I don’t understand the wide appeal either. I suppose I am lukewarm toward it.

 

Final Option by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison

Juan and the crew of the Oregon face an old nemesis from Juan’s past, one who has created his own version of the Oregon.

I was saddened to learn of Mr. Cussler’s death. As with the others in this series, I listened to the audiobook of this one. It is a fitting end to the series (I hear there is one more, but it will not be out for months and I don’t know if I’ll have the heart.)

The Horror Stories of Robert E Howard	Bran Mak Morn: The Last King of Robert E Howard
Two audiobook collections from Robert E Howard. There are a lot of great stories in these collections. I enjoyed the variety and particularly the Lovecraftian tales.

Rumble Tumble by Joe R Lansdale

Hap and Leonard decide to help the daughter of Hap’s new flame, Brett, a girl caught up in prostitution. There is a bit of humor and a lot of action in this entry of the series. I, of course, enjoyed it.

 

The Touch by F Paul Wilson

When Dr. Alan Bulmer is touched by a dying vet in the hospital, he feels an electric charge. Now, he finds that he is able to heal with a touch. But it comes with a price – a price that a power-hungry senator is willing for him to pay.

I’m catching up with the Adversary Cycle before jumping back over to the Repairman Jack series. While the themes are similar, the Adversary Cycle is much darker than the few RJ books I’ve read so far. I know RJ will get there as these series collide in Nightworld, but that will be months from now for me.

Clickers vs Zombies by Brian Keene and J F Gonzalez

Set in an alternate earth of the labyrinth, the Clickers rise from the oceans and Ob breaks through the barrier. Humanity is caught in the middle. Like its predecessors, the authors’ glee at writing this series is evident. Loved it.

 

End of the Road by Brian Keene (With On the Road with Brian Keene chapbook from John Urbancik)

This book. When it was a series of blog entries on Cemetery Dance, this is the book that started me writing again. In a rare move, as soon as this book arrived, it went straight to the top of by TBR and I read it in three days. I’ll almost certainly read it again one day. The friendships herein are what speaks to me most. I love this book.

February 2020 Reads

For February 2020, I focused on reading books by female writers for Women in Horror Month.

Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin

Wizard of EarthSea	The Tombs of Atuan	The Farthest Shore
Tehanu	The Other Wind	Tales of EarthSea

I listened to this series via audiobook from my local library. These are classic fantasy – wizards, dragons, and magic. I enjoyed this series.

A Weird Wildish Space by Mary SanGiovanni

This non-fiction collection of Mary SanGiovanni’s work is essential reading. I learned a lot about the history and the craft of horror writing. Highly recommended.

 

Chaos by Mary SanGiovanni

A portal to a dark dimension beneath a new apartment complex? Creatures that have no sense of order? Insanity ensues. This one is a must-read.

 

 

Floaters by Kelli Owen

I loved Teeth by Kelli Owen. Now, she has done it again with this book. Bodies occasionally float to the surface in the Great Lakes, but when several bodies begin showing up, some with strange wounds, it is up to policewoman Carly to find out what is killing them. This is a terrific cryptid story. Loved it.

 

White Picket Prisons by Kelli Owen

When a letter arrives from his long lost sister, Detective Mark Baker feels that he has to go to her. His pregnant girlfriend insists on going with him. But things are not perfect in this seemingly perfect little town. This is a simple thriller that makes you think about actions and consequences. Recommended.

 

Reception by Kenzie Jennings

If this book is any indication, Kenzie is going to be a force in horror. This story is a bloody, gory good time with lots of shocks and twists. Can’t wait for her next story. This novel is also a contender for a Splatterpunk award for best novel.

January 2020 Reads

To start off January, I started the Adversary Cycle by F Paul Wilson, continued the Clickers series by J F Gonzalez and Brian Keene, caught back up with Stephen King, and branched out into some audiobooks with Unbury Carol, Double Dead, and World War Z. As I mentioned in last month’s reads, this year I plan to catch up to some series work that I have fallen behind on instead of counting how many books I can read.
February is Women In Horror month. In honor of that, this year, I plan to read books written by women, though I will be listening to the audiobooks of the EarthSea cycle, a fantasy series from Ursula K LeGuin.

Unbury Carol by Paul Tremblay

In this weird western, the titular Carol has an illness in which she occasionally falls into a deep coma that is like death. When this happens before she can tell her maid, the only one who can save her from her husband is an old flame, outlaw James Moxie. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, especially the character of Smoke, a deranged cripple who has been hired to stop Moxie from saving Carol. That man is pure evil with a twisted sense of humor.

World War Z by Max Brooks

I listened to the audiobook of this work, which I learned later is an abridged version. Normally, I hate abridgements, but I did enjoy this audio experience. A stellar cast takes on the various roles in this collection of essays talking about the zombie apocalypse – how it started, how it was fought, how it was won, and some of the horrible things people had to do and see to survive. Some of the stories are gory and bloody, some are heartbreaking, some are bizarre, but all of them are well performed.

Complete Double Dead by Chuck Wendig

The idea behind this book intrigued me. The vampire Coburn is awoken in New York, to find that he has slept through the zombie apocalypse. When he finds a small group of survivors, they make a deal with him. They’ll feed him their blood if he protects them from the zombies as they travel to the West Coast. But, what happens when a zombie bites a vampire? Chaos ensues. This book is brutal, bloody, and damned funny. Highly recommended.

Clickers III: Dagon Rising by J F Gonzalez and Brian Keene

Jennifer is recovering from the events of Clickers 2 on the island of Naranu, when the beach is swarmed by clickers and Dark Ones. Both are surprised to see the other there. Tony is in witness protection, but that doesn’t stop a group of government spooks from grabbing him and dragging him to Naranu, where, he’s told, he has to save the world. This book fully merges J F Gonzalez’s Clickers universe with Brian Keene’s Labyrinth series. Loved it.

The Institute by Stephen King

Luke Ellis is a brilliant pre-teen who also has a small amount of TK (telekensis), enough that a secret organization kidnaps him and takes him to the Institute in the deep woods of Maine. The Institute has been collecting children who have TK or TP (telepathy) abilities for decades, and for a purpose that is not revealed until late in the book. This is one of the best Stephen King books in a long time (along with The Outsider).

The Keep by F Paul Wilson

During World War II, a regiment of the German Army is tasked with holding a keep in the mountains of Romania. Crosses are embedded everywhere in the keep. When one young officer gets greedy and tries to remove a cross made of precious metals, he unleashes an ancient evil. There are so many great characters in this series, but one of the things that I found most intriguing was the deep separation and hatred between the members of the regular army and the Nazis. I don’t remember ever learning in school that there was a difference between the two.

December 2019 Reads

I finished 2019 with 87 books read. That was three short of my goal, but I had a couple of short months due to family health and then NaNoWriMo.

For 2020, instead of attempting to read a number of books, I have plans to read a specific set of books, including catching up with Hap & Leonard, Repairman Jack, and Brian Keene’s Labyrinth, and various works by Mary San Giovanni, Edward Lee, Kelli Owen, and several others. I also plan to finish a few more volumes in the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian. It’s taken me 18 years to read the first 8 books. Not because they are bad, but because I read them slowly. I’d like to read at least 6 of them this year and finish them next year.

I read seven books in December.

Left For Dead/Fall From Grace by Kelli Owen

LFD: A man raped her daughter, Grace, and now Susan is getting her revenge.

FFG: Grace is grown up, but not well-adjusted. To all appearances, she is a sorrowful young woman. Inside, she is a killer.

I enjoyed these two shorts that tie to one another around the central character of Grace. The first story is written in third person, the second in first person as Grace. Both of these stories are brutal and full of cringe moments. Amazon has banned the book, but if you can get a copy, it’s worth it.

Cry Down Dark by T J Tanchell

After his ex-wife Diana dies, an author buys the house she grew up in, in the town she loved. While he waits for her spirit to visit him, the residents of the town treat him with more and more enmity. This short read is enjoyable and ends with a bang.

 

Sea of Greed by Clive Cussler

The world’s oil wells are being blocked by a mysterious and dangerous gas, but an entrepreneur has an alternative energy source to offer. Kurt Austin, though, believes she may be behind the loss of oil. This is another exciting adventure in the NUMA files series.

Shadow Tyrants by Clive Cussler

The Oregon crew find themselves facing assassins, a group of mystery men pulling the strings, and a threat against the world. This is another thrilling adventure in the Oregon Files series.

 

As Seen on TV by Johnwayne Comunale

A serial killer who is obsessed with As Seen on TV products learns that his neighbor has an odd new tenant, one who seems to be interested in him. This is a psychotic romp, and a great deal of fun. Highly recommended.

 

Zombies vs. Aliens vs. Robots vs. Cowboys vs. Ninja vs. Investment Bankers vs. Green Berets by John Urbancik

This is a ludicrous, over the top romp about the end of the world. Hilarious, gory, action-packed. This book is a lot of fun.

 

Making of a Shadow by John Urbancik

A woman goes to a bookseller, looking for her father’s book, a rare volume that she has never seen. She has no idea what it will take and the cost she will have to pay to get her copy. Moody, strange, and full of magic. This is a good story and well worth a read.