No. 1 (for 2010), No. 57 (for 2009) - Midnight Tides

by Steven Erikson

Started: December 31, 2009
Finished: January 13, 2010

Notes: I've had this book for a while but been putting it off because it's so darn long, nearly a thousand words, but I like the author and am in the mood for some action fantasy.

Mini review: An excellent read. I was surprised how little actual combat there is in this book, at least until the very end. Most of it was sort of political intrigue with some religous and family elements tossed in. I was also quite surprised at the socio-political commentary put forth in the book, often leaning quite left (or, at least, anti-right), in my opinion. Not that I'm taking sides. Just found it interesting. The ending was a bit disappointing for me. Not that it was a bad ending, just that I felt it didn't quite live up to all that had come before. Still, I'll definitely be reading more in this series.

No. 56 - Some of Your Blood

by Theodore Sturgeon

Started: December 26
Finished: December 30

Notes: I picked this one up back around Halloween after reading the back content, plus the fact Sturgeon is known classic writer of the Golden Age of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Here is supposedly a realistic tale about a man dealing with vampirism. I'll see how it goes.

Mini review: A tale eeiry enough to shake you up a little. Not graphic, but very disturbing, delving into the depths of a disturbed mind. Modern horror writers could learn a lot from this, instead just more gore, gore, gore.

No. 55 - Midnight Falcon

by David Gemmell

Started: December 20
Finished: December 26

Notes: I took a short break, but now I'm back into some action reading. Plus, I put aside a lot of fantasy reading this past year, so now is as good a time as any to get back into it. And why not turn to one of the best? The late, great David Gemmell.

Mini review: Probably my favorite Gemmell read so far. A fine story that entwines several characters while still having one main character who stands out. My only complaint would be one I've noticed with all the Gemmel books I've read (this one only being the third, so far), and that's the he doesn't wrap anything up. There's a climax, and then three pages late his novels just end. In a way, that's a nice change of pace from some novels who have an ending akin to the Lord of the Rings movies (endless), but it is also quite jarring to the reader. After you've got to care for the characters, you want to see how things are going to turn out for them.

No. 54 - The Science of God

by Gerald L . Schroeder

Started: December 16
Finished: December 20

Notes: I wanted a little change of pace, a small break from fiction reading, so I turned to this book. It's by a biblical scholar who is also a physicist. The book's topic concerns the division of science and religion, and how they're really not as far apart as many would lead us to believe.

Mini review: One of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. Basically, the author has found several ways (through Biblical and scientific studies mostly) to merge the ideas begind creationism and evolution. For the most part, it seems to come together pretty well. I found a few things questionable, but only a few. But some of the science and mathmetics used were over my head. Still, much of what he wrote made sense. Most importantly, this book, more than any other I've read, opened my eyes to how different the Bible is in English than it is in its original Hebrew (or Greek, for the New Testament). It's almost as if, in some areas of the Old Testament, modern Christians have a whole bunch of stuff wrong, sometimes even basic beliefs. The subject matter is definitely worth further study.

No. 53 - Kull: Exile of Atlantis

by Robert E. Howard
artwork by Justin Sweet

Started: November 27
Finished: December 16

Notes: After my recent readings, I'm still in the mood for some old-fashioned Sword and Sorcery. Why not stick with the original master? I've read some of the stories in this collection, but there is plenty here of which I'm not familiar. Besides, I'm working on some fantasy short stories at the moment, and this keeps me in the right mood.

Mini review: Wow! That was just an awesome, rollicking ride of sword-slinging fun. I'd read a couple of those stories before, and they were still fun. More importantly, I discovered my all-time favorite Howard story, "By This Axe, I Rule." Great stuff.

No. 52 - The Hour of the Dragon

by Robert E. Howard

Started: November 16
Finished: November 25

Notes: For shame! For the most part, I've been neglecting my fantasy reading this year. Well, I've read enough about Robert E. Howard this year, so it's time I actually read something by the man. I've read pretty much all his Conan short stories, but I don't believe I've ever read The House of the Dragon, Howard's only novel-length work about his famous barbarian.

Mini review: Not a bad tale, but I fear Howard was a stronger short story writer than he was novelist. But, to be fair, he also had much more experience with short stories than novels. Who knows what would have came if he had lived longer? This book felt somewhat disjointed, but it all came together well in the end. King Conan loses his kindgom, but regains it in the end.

No. 51 - Selected Stories of O. Henry

by O. Henry

Started: November 13
Finished: December 13

Notes: O. Henry is generally accepted as one of the greatest American short story writers of all time, at least within literary circles. I read quite a few of his tales in school, but that's been years and years ago. I thought it was time I became reacquainted with him. Maybe he can teach me something.

Mini review: As can be expected, there was plenty of warm, homespun fiction here from the turn of the 20th Cenury. But what was surprising were a handful of tales that had a dark edge to them, or were out-and-out dark. I was happily surprised on more than one occasion. Every short story writer should become familiar with O'Henry.

No. 50 - Vespers

by Ed McBain

Started: November 8
Finished: November 13

Notes: Sort of sticking with the horror theme, I'm now turning to one of the 87th Precinct police procedural novels. Why is this one sort of horror? Because it apparently has the detectives of the 87th dealing with murderous Satan worshippers. Oh, joy!

Mini review: I didn't care much for this one until the very end. There was a side plot about a former hooker being blackmailed by a couple of guys that I found mostly distracting. But why did I like the end? For one thing, the main killer took me by surprise. For another, the ending was quite dark, perhaps the darkest I've yet read in a McBain novel.

No. 49 - Darkness, Tell Us

by Richard Laymon

Started: October 30
Finished: November 7

Notes: Just in the nick of time for Halloween, I'm getting into a horror novel. This particular author comes highly praised from other horror writers, including Stephen King and Ty Schwamberger, so I'm excited to finally get an opportunity to check out this author.

Mini review: Reminded me a lot of Dean Koontz, especially the plotting. The overall writing was a bit more literary than Koontz, and the characters more personable. However, this is just the first Laymon book I've read, so I'll have to check out more to get a better feel for his style. Will I read more? Sure. This book was a lot of fun and tense, though the real action didn't kick in until the last 30 pages. Then things got quite grizzly.

No. 48 - How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Started: October 21
Finished: October 29

Notes: My dad has been a fan of public speaking guru Dale Carnegie for decades, specifically this book, so I thought I would give it a try, especially since this is a motivational book of sorts. This non-fiction book was originally published back in the 1930s, but still has some following even today. My guess is it will be a bit outdated, but hopefully it'll still be an interesting read.

Mini review: The basic gist of this book is, "follow the Golden Rule." That's oversimplifying to some extent, but not too far off the mark. The writing style was dated, but not to the point of annoyance. The main ideas focused mostly on business relations, but there were also some chapters on marital relations, friendships, etc. Not a bad little book. Too bad not many people today seem to follow the advice given.

No. 47 - The Trial

by Franz Kafka

Started: October 8
Finished: October 20

Notes: This is another of those literary authors I've been meaning to try for years. The subject matter of this particular novel sounded of interest to me as it's about a man who is arrested and put on trial but no one will tell him what charges he faces.

Mini review: It's a shame the author died before this novel could be finished, because this could have been a major literary classic. As is, it's still a classic (as is the author), though it remains unfinished (though there is an ending ... it' just much of the middle is missing or only in part). I liked this book, though I don't believe I'd call it a favorite.

No. 46 - The Complete Plays of Aristophanes

edited by Moses Hadas

Started: September 25
Finished: October 8

Notes: I consider myself pretty well read in classical literature, though admittedly it's been years since I've dipped into any of the ancient literature or histories. Here I'm checking out Aristophanes, a Greek comic playwrite who lived about 2,500 years ago. Aristophanes has come highly regarded to me from a friends, specifically the play "Frogs." Besides entertainment, I also often read for educational purposes; hopefully this will be a little of both.

Mini review: Another book I'm glad to have read but also glad to have finished. Seems I've been reading a lot of those this year. Of the 11 plays here, "Frogs" was by far the funniest and my favorite, with "Birds" being the next best. While only one editor on this book, there were four or five translators, some of whom were quite good but others that were lacking. Glad I read it. There was some funny stuff here. And it was interesting to be reminded of how modern the ancient Greeks really were.

No. 45 - Dark Deceiver

by Pamela Palmer

Started: September 23
Finished: September 25

Notes: Stop laughing. Please, stop laughing. Yes, I'm reading a Harlequin romance novel, but at least it's one of their Silhouette Nocturne novels, which means it's a speculative romance novel, usually involving horror and/or fantasy elements. This is the first Harlequin I've ever read. Will it be the last? Probably, but who knows? I'm mainly reading this one for experimental reasons, to expand my writing and reading experience a bit, but I've also heard from women friends that Pamela Palmer is a good writer. Here goes.

Mini review: Actually, this was a pretty good book, the writing style reminding me of Dean Koontz from about 20 years ago (before he'd gotten boring and predictable). Of course, there were a few love scenes and such that felt a little juvenile to me, bu then I'm a guy and this is the first Harlequin romance I've ever read. Will I read another? I won't be jumping to do it, but this particular novel was the second book of a trilogy, so I might want to seek out the other two books.

No. 44 - Darkness Weaves

by Karl Edward Wagner

Started: September 20
Finished: September 23

Notes: I'm in the mood for some Sword and Sorcery, so this book by the noted horror/fantasy author Karl Edward Wagner is a natural. This is the first novel of his I've read, though I've been familiar with his short stories for years.

Mini review: Fantastic! Awesome! Not perfect by any many, but the best Sword and Sorcery novel I've read in a long while. The biggest problem was the editing job was just atrocious, but the writing was fun and dark in that 70s slightly unbelivable and comic-bookish sword and sorcery kind of way. I liked this novel even better than Wagner's short stories, so I'll have to search out some more.

No. 43 - Don Pendleton's The Executioner #365: Collision Course

by Nathan Meyer

Started: September 17
Finished: September 20

Notes: Thought I'd get back into a little Executioner action. Man, I've been reading plenty of pulp fiction of late, and that's what I consider The Executioner series, modern pulp fiction. In this one, Mack Bolan is on the trail of illegal arms dealers.

Mini review: This one started out a bit disjointed, but eventually the ball got rolling pretty good. Near the end is my favorite action scene in the whole book, but then the very ending felt cheesy to me.

No. 42 - Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard

by Mark Finn

Started: September 13
Finished: September 16

Notes: Having earlier this year read a biographical book about pulp writer Robert E. Howard, I was pleased to run across this book recently. I had to pick it up. I'm especially drawn to this one because it looks at Howard's life not only as a writer, but as a Texan and a man of his times. Also, I've not done a lot of non-fiction reading this year and thought it was time I did so.

Mini review: A truly fascinating and fantastic book. Fans of Robert E. Howard need to read this one, probably moreso than any other book about Howard. This book places Howard into perspective seen quite rarely, but in my opinion, the views of this book's author are more akin to the truth about Howard, his writing, his life and even his death than any show elsewhere. If all you know of Howard's writing is Conan and Howard's other sword and sorcery tales, you're missing out on a lot.

No. 41 - Doll

by Ed McBain

Started: September 12
Finished: September 13

Notes: I've still got some more Executioner books to read, but I don't want to get burnt out on them, so I thought I'd take a little break and turn to another pulpy favorite, Ed McBain. Besides, it's been more than a few months since I read any of McBain's 87th Precinct novels. This is one of the early novels in the series, from 1965.

Mini review: Another fun, quick read from McBain with lots of detective leg work and a little gun action. It was nice to have a read over with that fast.

No. 40 - Don Pendleton's The Executioner #341: Rebel Force

by Nathan Meyer

Started: September 7
Finished: September 12

Notes: After recent action-oriented readings, I thought I'd stick with it a little more. Plus, it's been a while since I've read many of The Executioner books, so I'm having fun delving back into the depths of Mack Bolan and his Endless War against the worst of humanity. As an added bonus, this one is written by my online writing bud Nathan Meyer. This is the first of his Bolan books I'll have read, though I've read some of his short stories.

Mini Review: What a rollicking ball of action! Seriously, if you like men's action/adventure reading with lots of gunfire, explosions, car chases, etc., then this novel is right for you. Worth checking out. Nathan Meyer did an excellent job.

No. 39 - Don Pendleton's The Executioner #357: Extreme Justice

by Mike Newton

Started: August 22
Finished: August 30

Notes: The Executioner series of men's action/adventure novels has been around for 40 years, originally penned by Don Pendleton. Pendleton passed away a while back, but the series has continued, written by a multitude of writers. I read a ton of these short novels as a teen, and from time to time I go through a spell where I delve back into them again. The series' overall plot concerns one Mack Bolan, a former U.S. soldier who fought in Vietnam. Mack returns home to find out his family has been killed because of the mafia, and he decides to go to war against the mob. After years of that, Mack turned his attentions to fighting terrorism and other evils throughout the world. This particular novel has Mack looking for a prosecution's witness in a trial against the mob in hopes of bringing the witness to trial before the mafia can kill the guy. I'm reading this one for fun, but also for a little research; I find the Executioner novels usually show how to write action scenes really well.

Mini review: The action started well and ended very strong, but the middle was pretty slow. It was nice to get back to reading some Mack Bolan again. I'll have to do it soon.

No. 38 - Rage of the Behemoth

edited by Jason M. Waltz

Started: August 21
Finished: September 7

Notes: It's with more than a little glee that I get to read this collection of Sword and Sorcery short stories featuring gigantic monsters. I like Sword and Sorcery. I like big monsters. And most importantly, I like the editor, who I've had the pleasure to work with on a few occassions, including when he published my story "Deep in the Land of the Ice and Snow" in the Return of the Sword anthology last year. Another nice thing about short story collections is I don't feel the need to read the whole thing all at once; I can read a story or two, then go read a novel or something else, then get back to the collection. Also, I'm familiar with the works of a good number of the writers in this anthology. So, what's there not to like?

Mini review: Fans of sword-slinging action need to read this, especially if they're also fans of big monsters. There are all different kinds of beasties to be found in these 21 tales. Of the stories here, three were my favorites, "Beyond the Reach of his Gods" by Brian Ruckley, "The Rotten Bones Rattle" by C. L. Werner and "Nothing Left of the Man" by Jeff Stewart. But those were just my favorite three. There are plenty of other tales of all kinds here, and each is great in its own way.