Um OK… how do I do this… I don’t normally write book reviews because honestly, I’m not very good at writing them. 🙂 Still, I can’t help but share with you the 10 books that rocked my 2013. (Yes, this post is long overdue.)
Of course this list doesn’t include the anthologies that feature my own stories, silly 🙂 But it’d be awesome if you’d also check them out. They’re under the Published Works page. I have quite a few. I’m not as prolific as I should be because I’m well… for lack of a better word, lazy. In fact, I’m probably not going to bother proofreading this post before I hit publish. 🙂 🙂
Aaanyway, I’ve received some acceptances this January, so expect a few more stories. You’ve probably noticed that I’ve been focusing on horror lately. I’m still trying to find my genre. I haven’t been writing that long and you know that since you follow my blog and have been with me through this whole journey. Thank you for the support and the encouragement. And remember that if it doesn’t work out, it’s totally your fault because you filled my head with ridiculous totally unattainable dreams. lol 🙂
But seriously, my taste in books is pretty eclectic. So I’m sure you’re bound to find a gem or two on this list.
10 books that rocked my 2013 – January 2014
FANTASY
1) The Witcher: Times of contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski/ The Time of Contempt
Do you like political fantasy? Do you like monsters and mythical creatures? Action? Blood?
The Witcher Saga has always been a favorite of mine. I’ve waited patiently for YEARS for the original version to be translated to English. Dear God, FINALLY!
I love LOOOVE Geralt of Rivia.
It’s the second novel in the Witcher Saga so obviously, the story starts where the first book left off. Quality of prose may sometimes differ from the original Polish version but this one seems pretty good to me. Besides, the plot is just too damn fantastic that I don’t really care that much. Anyway, if you wanna read this, start with Blood of Elves. Or better yet, read The Last Wish first. The Last Wish is a collection of shorter stories.
HORROR
2) Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (the sequel to The Shining) but of course if you’re a horror fan, I bet you’ve already grabbed a copy.
3) NOS4A2 by Joe Hill – READ IT! READ IT! READ IT!!!! And I promise you Christmas will never be the same again.
FANTASY HORROR
4) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman’s style truly resonates with me. I’d read anything that’s written by Neil Gaiman.
YA HORROR
5) The Legend of the Pumpkin Thief by Charles Day– Here’s the awesome thing, I got a free copy of this book from the author himself! I also won a copy of his latest novel Deep Within. Yes, Charles Day is a great guy who also happens to be a terrific writer and a Bram Stoker Award nominated author. He totally changed my mind about YA novels. Hmmn I never really liked YA. I mean, I’m an adult, right? But did I like The Legend of the Pumpkin Thief? Loved it! It was easy to read and very entertaining. Nick, the main character, was a very likeable kid. Actually, I liked all the kids in this book even the bullies and especially Nick’s sister , Samantha. They felt like real kids to me. I had the pleasure of reading this book during Halloween. This story proved to me that small-town urban legends will never die. That kind of horror is not something that one simply outgrows.
VINTAGE HORROR
6) Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin – Yeah I’ve seen the film. You know I’m a fan of old Hollywood movies. But I didn’t bother picking up the book until 2013. Even if you’ve seen the film, still, I recommend that you grab a copy of the book and experience the different kind of horror offered by reading the words from the pages.
NOIR HORROR
7) Roman Dalton Werewolf PI by Paul D. Brazill – “Roman Dalton is undoubtedly one of the coolest characters ever created! Love Paul D. Brazill’s writing. The language is gorgeous and the atmosphere is just perfect.” – that’s my goodreads review. I also recommend reading other books from this author because he’s really great at creating kick-ass protagonists! I also really love the humor injected in his writing. Truly brilliant.
BIZZARRO FICTION
8) Monstrosities by Jeremy C. Shipp – “Jeremy C. Shipp is awesome. Each piece in this collection is sooo good! I like his writing style and the genre is pretty hard to classify… all i know is that the stories are all highly entertaining. My favorite is “Clown Hands” – he did something with clowns that’s so original and bizarre that I ended up being fascinated by them (though i still fear them, eek.) After reading this collection, I feel like I NEED to read every story written by this author. :)” – that’s my goodreads review. It’s like when you read one story and you just know that you’re going to forever be a fan of that author.
DYSTOPIAN
9) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – you’re probably like, “whuuut, you’ve just found out about this novel?” I know right, I could kick myself! To my defense, I wasn’t even born yet when this book was first published. But my god, it was disturbing! And so beautifully written. Read it if you haven’t already.
SCIENCE FICTION
10) Giselle a short story by David Stewart , one of my blog buddies from FF- I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few stories from this author before, so I expected no less than quality content. And guess what, Giselle did not disappoint! The plot was very engaging (Seriously, who doesn’t like time travel? Especially if it’s well explained) I finished the story in one sitting. Definitely worth reading.
umm that’s it. the truth is i’ve bought a lot of books last year and read like less than 1/2 of those books.also, i’ve read a few that were…well… rubbish. i really don’t bother reviewing those books or even listing them on my goodreads/amazon. anyway, i hope you find a book that you love from this list xoxo ❤
The Eclectic Eccentric 