I don’t talk much about real life on here anymore. It hasn’t been a great year, mostly due to various medical issues in the family, but we’ve had worse. I prefer to concentrate on the more pleasant aspects of life, most notably reading and writing. So with that in mind . . .
I read 167 books this year, not as much as some years but still a very respectable total. That includes more actual pulps and pulp reprints than I’ve ever read in a single year, so I’m pleased with that. Here are my top ten favorite books I read, in alphabetical order by author:
CASINOS, MOTELS, GATORS: STORIES, Ben Boulden
NORDIC AND FINN, Peter Brandvold
GUNSMOKE RECKONING, Joseph Chadwick
WEASELS RIPPED MY FLESH: THE ILLUSTRATED MEN’S ADVENTURE ANTHOLOGY, Robert Deis, Wyatt Doyle, Josh Alan Friedman, eds.
THE SHADOWED CIRCLE COMPENDIUM, Steve Donoso, ed.
HIGH FLIERS, MIDDLEWEIGHTS, AND LOWLIFES: DAVID GOODIS IN THE PULPS, Cullen Gallagher
THE COMPLETE CASEBOOK OF CARDIGAN, VOLUME 1, Frederick Nebel
THE SHADOW OF VENGEANCE, Scott Oden
NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD, Jason M. Waltz, ed.
HELL STRIP, Lee Richards (Lee E. Wells)
That’s the new, expanded edition of WEASELS RIPPED MY FLESH. I read the original version when it came out a number of years ago. When I was looking over my list of books read this year, there were many, many more that could have been included because I read a lot of really good books. As always, narrowing it down to ten was not easy.
As for writing, my production actually went up a little, although it’s difficult for me to comprehend how that happened. I don’t have an exact number, but I know I wrote right around three-quarters of a million words. I’m not expecting to write as much next year, or probably ever again, to be honest. I’d be perfectly happy to do half a million words in 2025 and after that? Well, some people actually retire, even writers. That’s starting to look very appealing to me.
But that’s on down the road, and for now, many thanks to all of you reading this for sticking with me. May next year be better for all of us.
9 comments:
Happy New Year James. Always enjoy reading your blog first thing in the morning. Keep them coming!!
Happy New Year James. Thank you for this blog and. All your books.
James,
You are one of the very few (only?) where 167 books read is “not as much as some years.” :-) Happy new year and here’s to another year of reading and writing.
We had a touch health year as well so I'm hoping that clears up in 2025. I will try to retire in the spring of 2026. I hope.
Hi James..! Old classmate of 1971 here in Washington State.. I hope to re-connect if I make a visit back to Texas before “Father Time “ shuts me down..🙂
Happy New Year, James. Wishing you better days ahead.
Awesome accomplishments, Jim, especially in a tough year. Thank you very much for reading NBNY!
James, a happy and prosperous 2025 to you and yours.
Many thanks for including our WEASELS anthology in your list, James! And for the novels you wrote last year that I enjoyed, like ARIZONA BOUNTY. Cheers!
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