MY 2015 IN BOOKS!

2015 was another good year in books, where I read just under 100 books of varying length and genre! Here are the ones I wanted to highlight:

FAVORITE NOVELS I READ IN 2015:

*The Book of Night Women by Marlon James

Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich
The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout
American Tabloid by James Ellroy
The Whites by Richard Price

   

WORST NOVEL I READ IN 2015:

Skinner by David Bernstein

 

FAVORITE NOVELS PUBLISHED IN 2015:

*Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich

The Whites by Richard Price

MOST ENTERTAINING NOVELS:

*Savage Season or Bad Chili by Joe R. Lansdale

The Wheelman by Duane Swierczynski
Butch Fatale, Dyke Dick: Double D Double Cross by Christa Faust
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

FAVORITE STORY COLLECTIONS:

*Love and Other Wounds by Jordan Harper

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson
In the Season of Blood and Gold by Taylor Brown

FAVORITE SHORT STORIES:

*"Dress of White Silk" by Richard Matheson

"Whorehouse Piano" by Taylor Brown
"The Confidential Informant" by George Pelecanos
"Lucy In The Pit" by Jordan Harper 
"Playing Dead" by Jordan Harper 

FAVORITE NOVELLAS:

*Every Shallow Cut by Tom Piccirilli

The Rain Dancers by Greg F. Gifune
With Fury In Hand by Lee Thompson
Saint Homicide by Jake Hinkson

FAVORITE CRIME NOIR:

*Every Shallow Cut by Tom Piccirilli

The Posthumous Man by Jake Hinkson
Hell Hath No Fury (aka The Hot Spot) by Charles Williams
Hell on Church Street by Jake Hinkson
The Cold Kiss by John Rector

FAVORITE HORROR:

*Suffer The Children by Craig DiLouie

Crawl by Edward Lorn
Come Closer by Sara Gran
The Underdwelling by Tim Curran

FAVORITE BOOK SERIES:

The Hap and Leonard Series  by Joe R. Lansdale


MOST IMPRESSIVE PROSE/WRITING:

*Benjamin Whitmer in Pike

Glendon Swarthout in The Shootist
Marlon James in The Book of Night Women and John Crow's Devil


FAVORITE AUTHORS I DISCOVERED THIS YEAR: 

*Jake Hinkson

Tom Piccirilli
Benjamin Whitmer
Christa Faust

FAVORITE BOOK HEROES:

*Lilith from The Book of Night Women
 
Hap Collins and Leonard Pine from Savage Season and The Two-Bear Mambo
John Booth from The Shootist
Hugh Glass from The Revenant

FAVORITE BOOK VILLAINS:

*Simon Holly from Bull Mountain
 
Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard from Mixed Blood

Favorite Books that I Read in 2014

So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and post my thoughts on what I read this past year. Keep in mind, I haven't read that many 2014-released books this year, so a lot of these are just my favorite books that I personally read this year. Many people might not care, but maybe this can at least be a good record for myself of my taste in 2014. And maybe a few people out there might discover a new book or author to read!


Favorite Novel I Read in 2014:

TIE:
The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz


Notable Mentions:
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley



Favorite Novel Actually Released in 2014:

Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore by Walter Mosley
*It's not like this book was drop dead perfect or anything (as I said, I didn't read man 2014 releases this year), but for some reason this one really touched me.

Notable Mentions:
The Martian by Andy Weir
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James


Favorite Author Discovery:

James Ellroy (books read: The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere)
*Ellroy is everything I want in an author: detailed characterization and plotting, great dialogue, crackling prose. Why I took so long to read him I have no idea

Notable Mentions:
Junot Diaz
Jim Thompson
Gabriel García Márquez
Lawrence Block
Megan Abbott


Book that Lived Up To Its Hype:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
*Gone Girl is just as twisted, enthralling, and exciting as everyone claimed


Biggest Disappointment:

S. by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams
*S. had such an awesome concept and gorgeous book design, but it fell totally flat, and strangely boring.


Book That I Deserves a Re-Read:

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
*Although I admired it, I feel that I didn't read it at the right time, and possibly missed out on really enjoying it. Re-reading soon!


Favorite Crime Novel:

The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy


Notable Mentions:
Eight Million Ways To Die by Lawrence Block


Favorite Noir:

Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliot Chaze
*This book is a perfect noir and should be considered a classic. Lean prose, a cool title, kinky sex, violence, a heist, tragic lovers, and a great ending!

Notable Mentions:
A Hell of a Woman by Jim Thompson
Pick-up by Charles Willeford



Favorite Series That I Started and I'm Most Excited About:

Matthew Scudder Series by Lawrence Block
Crissa Stone Series by Wallace Stroby



Creepiest Novel:

The Deep by Nick Cutter


Most Entertaining Novel:

The Thicket by Joe Lansdale

Notable Mentions:
The Martian by Andy Weir


Favorite Short Story:

"Going To Meet The Man" (from the collection Going To Meet The Man: Stories) by James Baldwin


Favorite Short Story Collection:

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz

MY FAVORITE BOOKS by Dennis Lehane

My Top 10 Favorite Books by Dennis Lehane

1) Mystic River

2) Gone Baby, Gone

3) The Given Day

4) Shutter Island

5) Darkness, Take My Hand

6) A Drink Before The War

7) Live By Night

8) The Drop

9) Prayers For Rain

10) Moonlight Mile

Favorite Novels by Stephen King

My Top 10 Favorite Novels by Stephen King

*excludes novellas, short stories, and collections*

1. The Stand

2. The Green Mile

3. The Long Walk

4. The Dead Zone

5. 11/22/63

6. Pet Sematary

7. Under The Dome

8. 'Salem's Lot

9. Misery

10. The Dark Tower Saga

Favorite Novels by GEORGE PELECANOS

My Top 10 Favorite Novels by GEORGE PELECANOS

1. Shame The Devil

2. Down By The River Where The Dead Men Go

3. The Big Blowdown

4. The Turnaround

5. Hard Revolution

6. The Night Gardener

7. The Sweet Forever

8. Hell To Pay

9. Shoedog

10. Soul Circus