This is just my list of things I have read this year – since January 1, 2008. Some of the books are for school, some for personal development and growth, and most are just because I like to read. A “P” after the author’s name means it was a “program” book (WPF), and a “G” means it was read for my writing group (The Dead Horse Society).
On Deck:
In the Woods – Tana French (P)
Comedy Meaning and Form – Robert W. Corrigan
Lovecraft – A Study in the Fantastic – Maurice Levy
Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monsters – Judith Halberstam
Art of Darkness: A Poetics of Gothic – Anne Williams
The Rise of the Gothic Novel – Maggie Kilgour
Werewolves – Leonard R. N. Ashley
The Werewolf Book – Brad Steiger
Reading Now:
Small Favor - Jim Butcher
The Vampire Lectures – Lawrence A. Rickels
Read This Year:
The Devil You Know – Mike Carey
***Near future urban fantasy
Demons and ghosts are real, and some humans – such as our hero, Felix, can communicate and deal with them as sort of exorcists.
Bet me – Jennifer Crusie (P)
**Romance / chick lit
Baltimore Or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire – Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
****Horror
Set in the years after WWI. A young soldier, Baltimore, unwittingly draws the attention of vampires, has to spend the rest of his life hunting them.
The Somnambulist – Jonathan Barnes
**Dark fantasy/mystery
This is a weird book, and hard to classify. In gaslight era London, an aging illusionist (and erstwhile detective) and his albino companion are tasked with solving a bizarre mystery.
Duma Key – Stephen King
***Contemporary horror
I thought this was a good book – much more well-thought-out and literary than his previous offerings (save Liesey’s Story). Some of the creepiest scenes on record (little ghost girls just ain’t right!).
Shifter – Judith and Garfield Reeves Stevens
*****Urban Fantasy
I LOVE this book and this series! Read the updated version if you can. A middle-aged playboy anti-hero and his anti-heroic cadre do the right things for some very wrong reasons. Other dimensions, werewolves, oldey-timey fantasy elements, contemporary horror, cool science – it’s got it all.
Dark Hunter – Judith and Garfield Reeves Stevens
*****Urban Fantasy
Did I mention I love this series? Martin the werewolf is the MAN (sorta). Read this. Love it.
Night Feeder – Judith and Garfield Reeves Stevens
*****Urban Fantasy
Wow. I really really like this. I thought Martin the werewolf thing was the man. But now there’s this kick-ass vampire paladin type who has just stolen my heart. Sigh. Can’t wait for book four.
World War Z – Max Brooks
*****Zombie (horror? Post apocalyptic near future urban fantasy? not sure…)
This is the story of the great world conflict against zombies. It is told from the perspective of a journalist sent out after the war to chroicle what happened, start to finish. It’s a series of essay-like interviews and it’s GOOD.
Mark of Damnation – James Wallis
***”High” Fantasy
This book is set in the Warhamer Fantasy universe. I generally try to stay away from books based on RPG worlds, but my husband said this was good. He was right. For the unitiated, WF is a much darker place than the D&D world. You can die – heroically, tragically, or just because you got run down by a cart. Regular dude does his job, finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time dealing with the wrong cadre of mutant evil chaos worshippers and then gets recruited into a secret society, which in turn ticks off the wrong people, and he gets hosed. Bad. These are his adventures.
Once Bitten Twice Shy – Jennifer Rardin
****Urban Fantasy
I can’t believe I actually picked this book up. It was the least offensive looking of the “I’m a sexy vampire hunter chick” books, and I was doing a study that included those – so I read it. Glad I did. It’s fun – but totally fluff. Kick-ass chick and her vampire partner are bounty hunters for the CIA. Ridiculous? Yes. Fun? Also – yes.
Another One Bites the Dust – Jennifer Rardin
****Urban Fantasy
What can I say? I like these. THat’s right – I’m not afraid to say it. Give me more cheese, please.
Biting the Bullet – Jennifer Rardin
****Urban Fantasy
Well, I’m hooked. I am actually looking forward to book 4 this August (yes, I know the release date). It’s crap – but its happy fun crap. Blurg.
Topper – Thorne Smith (P)
****Urban Fantasy (but old)
This book may well have sort of started the popular urban fantasy thing – but it was written in the twenties. Boring white bread guy is shown how to live by a couple of ghosts. Good – DATED – fun.
Queen of Bedlam – Robert McCammon
***Mystery
This book flirted with the supernatural, but never actually closed the deal. Just a cool mystery set in 1700s New York.
Worlds of Wonder – David Gerrold (G)
***NonFiction
One author’s take on how to write in the spec fic genres.
Mucho Mojo – Joe R. Lansdale
***Mystery
This is a sort of noir book set in contemporary times. I enjoyed much of his characterization and his unflinching honesty about his setting (to the point of driving the PC police to distraction). It was somewhat predictable, but a good read nonetheless.
The Metatemporal Detective – Michael Moorcock
***Dark fantasy gaslight mystery….thing
This book pits a special sort of time-traveling (kinda) secret agent against Moorcock’s iconic antihero Elric in a series of episodic mysteries. Sort of HG Wells meets Sherlock Holmes, with a bit of Verne thrown in. Or something. Very interesting. I enjoyed it.
Kitty and the Midnight Hour – Carrie Vaughn
***Urban Fantasy
Sigh. I hate to admit it, but I found this somewhat entertaining. It’s a werewolf story this time, rather than vampire. The intriguing thing for me (actually Max found it for me) was that the protag is a female late night DJ who found herself afflicted with lycanthropy because she was ANOTHER kind of victim first. The fact that she sort of fought against being a victim throughout AND that she was a DJ made it a new take – at least for me – on the genre.
Vampire$ – John Steakley
****Urban Fantasy sorta thing….
This was the book on which John Carpenter’s Vampires was LOOOOOOOOSELY based. Very loosely. Unrecognizably loosely. Now, I still like James Woods’ take on Crow, but the book is really much better. I really enjoyed it! No “really sorry I gotta suck your blood” pretty brooding vampires here! Vampires are BAD. End of story. We kill them. For cash. Lots of cash. Oh – and we’re funded by the Catholic Church!
The Throwback – Tom Sharpe (P)
***Literary Satire
Kitty Goes to Washington – Carrie Vaughn
***Urban Fantasy
Bored of the Rings – Harvard Lampoon, Henry Beard and Douglas C. Kenney (P)
*Fantasy Satire
The Most of PG Wodehouse – PG Wodehouse (P)
**Literary Satire
Writing Humor: Creativity and the Comic Mind – Mary Ann Rishel (P)
***Non Fiction – How-to Writing Reference
One Foot in the Grave – Jeaniene Frost
*Paranormal Romance
Installing Linux on a Dead Badger – Lucy A. Snyder
***Spec Fic Humor / Satire
Gil’s All Fright Diner – A. Lee Martinez
****Humorous Urban Fantasy
Kitty Takes a Holiday – Carrie Vaughn
***Urban Fantasy – Werewolves
On Writing Horror – The Horror Writers Association and Mort Castle (P)
****Non-fiction / Reference / Craft
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch (P)
**Fantasy / Picaresque
Sir Apropos of Nothing - Peter David (P)
*Fantasy / Annoying Crapfest
In the Company of Ogres - A. Lee Martinez (P)
**Fantasy / Humor
Goblin Quest - Jim C. Hines (P)
***Fantasy / Humor
Frederica - Georgette Heyer (doesn’t really count – a re-read for brain candy)
****Regency Romance / Relaxing Fluff
Cousin Kate - Georgette Heyer (brain candy)
****Regency Romance / Relaxing Stuff
Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint – Nancy Kress (G)
***Non-fiction / Reference / Craft
The Writer’s Journey – Christopher Vogler (G)
*****Non-fiction / Reference / Craft
Going Postal – Terry Pratchett
*****Fantasy / Satire – reread
Making Money – Terry Pratchett
*****Fantasy / Satire – reread
Blood Read – John Gordon and Veronica Hollinger (P)
**** Non-fiction / Reference / Craft
The Biology of Horror – Jack Morgan (P)
*****Non-fiction / Reference / Craft
Bitten to Death – Jennifer Rardin
*****Urban Fantasy / cheesy vampire goodness
