THIS YEAR I MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DEVOUR A BUNCH OF BOOKS AND I MANAGED TO READ OVER 120+ OF 'EM. This was aided and abetted by the four -- count 'em four - readathon/watchathons in which I participated this year: OLD SCHOOL APRIL, GIALLO JULY, GARBAUGUST and HOLIDAY HELL-A-THON (which is still ongoing). Various book-tuber channels re-awakened my love of old vintage paperback books from the 1970's and before and I purchased a slew of them. In addition, for the first time ever I became aware of Dell Mystery Mapbacks and bought a few DOZEN of them from the 1940s-1950's. Sadly, I only managed to read one of the mapbacks and it didn't make the cut for my top ten favourite reads this year but I'm sure I'll be delving into more of them in 2025. But for 2024, I managed to narrow down my 10 favourite reads and here they are; a combo of non-fiction and biography, horror and history, western and men's adventure pulpy goodness. So here, in order of preference, are my top ten favourite reads of 2024:
- AUTUMNCROW HIGH: FRESH HELL by Cameron Chaney
Booktuber Cameron Chaney (of the Yootuberz channel "Library Macabre") wrote a book of horror short stories a few years ago called AUTUMNCROW where it is Halloween every day. I thoroughly loved that book. Then he wrote the first installment of a projected YA series of horror books in the vein (heh heh) of FEAR STREET and POINT HORROR and this first installment was even better! It actually took my completely by surprise at just how good it was! I was expecting to like it but not love it as much as I did. Now I can't wait for future installments. " School is back in session at Autumncrow High. Will the class of 1994 survive long enough to graduate, or will the cursed town of Autumncrow devour them all?
Bailey Hagen is plagued by nightmares, blood-soaked visions of a boy seemingly from another time. He’s so handsome. So dark. So deadly.
When Bailey returns to school in the fall, she is horrified to learn that the boy from her dreams is real and is attending Autumncrow High. Are Bailey’s dreams a warning, some kind of premonition? Or has the boy truly escaped her nightmares? Only time (and murder) will tell . . .
In the AUTUMNCROW HIGH series, author Cameron Chaney takes you back to a town where every night is Halloween, while paying tribute to the young adult horror boom of the 1990s."
2. THE DEVIL IS HERE IN THESE HILLS: WEST VIRGINIA'S COAL MINERS AND THEIR BATTLE FOR FREEDOM by James Green
I sought this book out because I saw the awesome AMERICAN EXPERIENCE film of "THE MINE WARS" and wanted to read the main book upon which it was based. As usual, the book was even better than the film! This incredibly vivid history of West Virginia's struggle with their coal mines and attempts to unionize was absolutely fantastic. With such legendary figures as Mother Jones (whose autobiography I also read this year because of this book), this was a history of which I was totally ignorant. " From before the dawn of the twentieth century until the arrival of the New Deal, one of the most protracted and deadly labor struggles in American history was waged in West Virginia. On one side were powerful corporations and industrialists whose millions bought political influence and armed guards for their company towns. On the other side were 50,000 mine workers, the nation’s largest labor union, and the legendary “miners’ angel,” Mother Jones. Attempts to unionize were met with stiff resistance. Fundamental rights were bent, then broken, and the violence evolved from bloody skirmishes to open armed conflict. The fight for civil rights and unionization in West Virginia verged on civil war and stretched from the creeks and hollows to the courts and the U.S. Senate. In The Devil Is Here in These Hills, celebrated labor historian James Green tells this story like never before."
3. MY EFFIN' LIFE by Geddy Lee
This autobiography of the lead singer of Rush was beautifully written by Geddy Lee. My experience was elevated ten-fold by listening to him reading the audio book along with it. I believe the first 4 chapters focus exclusively on his parents and there experiences with the rise of the Nazis in Germany and their internment in a concentration camp. Geddy tells us beforehand that he's going to spend these first several chapters in this way and that, if we're uninterested or anxious to get to the Geddy Lee/Rush stuff, to just skip them. However, these chapters are some of the most interesting and beautifully evocative of the entire book; and the rest of the book is awesome too! "The long-awaited memoir, generously illustrated with never-before-seen photos, from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Rush bassist, and bestselling author of Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass.
Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll's most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.
Long before Rush accumulated more consecutive gold and platinum records than any rock band after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, before the seven Grammy nominations or the countless electrifying live performances across the globe, Geddy Lee was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, after his grandfather murdered in the Holocaust.
As he recounts the transformation, Lee looks back on his family, in particular his loving parents and their horrific experiences as teenagers during World War II.
He talks candidly about his childhood and the pursuit of music that led him to drop out of high school.
He tracks the history of Rush which, after early struggles, exploded into one of the most beloved bands of all time.
He shares intimate stories of his lifelong friendships with bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart—deeply mourning Peart’s recent passing—and reveals his obsessions in music and beyond.
This rich brew of honesty, humor, and loss makes for a uniquely poignant memoir."
4. THE INCREDIBLE LIFE & MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF DOROTHY KILGALLEN by Sara Jordan-Heintz
Columnist & "WHAT'S MY LINE?" TV panelist Dorothy Kilgallen was about to bust the JFK Assassination wide open when she died under mysterious circumstances. I, and many other people, have always believed she was murdered and this chunky tome by Sara Jordan-Heintz (springing from her acclaimed "Who Killed Dorothy Kilgallen?" magazine article is both a detailed biography of the reporter as well as an investigation into her death. "Since penning the widely acclaimed Midwest Today magazine article “Who Killed Dorothy Kilgallen?” in 2007, award-winning journalist Sara Jordan-Heintz has spent years researching this trailblazing woman.
"Dorothy Kilgallen may be best known as a panelist on the game show “What’s My Line?” but as a syndicated writer with the Hearst papers, her “Voice of Broadway” column was devoured by millions of daily readers. And as an investigative journalist, she covered some of the biggest stories and court cases of the mid-20th century, even securing a Pulitzer Prize nomination.
A pioneering television and radio personality, she was also a fashion icon, threw extravagant parties and engaged in feuds with famous men including Frank Sinatra, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and even a prominent Catholic priest.
After her friend President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Dorothy courageously challenged the official account of his death by doing a series of explosive articles that unearthed important new leads. Jack Ruby’s own lawyer, Melvin Belli, labeled her reporting “the ruin of the Warren Commission.” Dorothy was the only reporter to score private talks with the enigmatic Ruby. She vowed to blow the lid off the cover-up and expose the truth behind the Kennedy assassination, but died trying.
In her magazine article, Jordan-Heintz was the first to print the name of the man who romanced DK and then became the number one (unofficial) suspect when she died; the first author to present eyewitness interviews with people close to Dorothy who were never questioned by police; the first to get incriminating quotes from the suspected killer; the first to reveal shocking new forensic evidence of foul play.
THE INCREDIBLE LIFE & MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF DOROTHY KILLGALLEN is a biography and true crime drama that explores the complexities of Dorothy's private and personal lives, showcasing her work as a formidable reporter and astute observer of geopolitics."
5. STEVE BENTLEY'S CALYPSO CAPER by Robert Dietrich (E. Howard Hunt)
This is, I believe, the 8th novel in the "Steve Bentley" series written by real-life spy and Watergate co-conspirator E. Howard Hunt under the pen name Robert Dietrich and the only one I've read because it's generally considered to be the best of them. And I'm sure it is because this is a rip-roaring adventure of murder & intrigue set on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas where the accountant cum-detective has to solve a series of murders! Absolutely terrific! "Ex-spy and D.C. trouble-shooter Steve Bentley travels to the Virgin Islands, a tropical paradise where the weather is hot and the women are hotter...and life is murder… in his eighth thrilling adventure An old Cha-Cha fisherman finds the naked body of ex-casino boss Victor Polo floating off the Frenchtown docks and brings the corpse back to town. By noon, a Calypso band had penned a tune for poor Victor...and soon everybody on the island knows the Mistah Victor Polo was a Big Time Man He gable for money where evah he can Win lotta money, then lose it, too. Mistah Victor Polo, he all through..... But nobody knows why Victor Polo came back to St. Thomas... or why he was killed. And not many people care. Only the Virgin Islands Police. The Murderer. And Polo's old friend... Steve Bentley "A solid potboiler... it’s got enough stylistic flair, high-octane twists, and layered mystery that make it a perfect page-turner. Hunt’s execution is enjoyable; his prose is superb at times, reminding you that he beat out Gore Vidal and Truman Capote to win a Guggenheim Fellowship. It’s the kind of book that really grows on you, with the depth and complexity of the murder-mystery plot drawing you in." Battered, Tattered, Yellowed And Creased "As 'Robert Dietrich,' E. Howard Hunt wrote ten novels starring Steve Bentley, a Washington D.C. accountant who solves murders in private-eye style. The first thing to know about Bentley is that he isn't just a paper-pushing CPA. He's a Korean War veteran who was employed at one time by the U.S. Treasury Department. If you love vintage crime-fiction you should enjoy this tale." -- The Paperback Warrior"
6. ATOMIC WEREWOLVES AND MAN-EATING PLANTS: WHEN MEN'S ADVENTURE MAGAZINES GOT WEIRD by Robert Deis & Wyatt Doyle, eds.
A new obsession I stumbled upon this year is vintage men's adventure magazine and in particular the magazine "Men's Adventure Quarterly" which publishes themed-issues of pulpy-old MAM stories and this giant hardcover is an absolute joy! Weird, wacky & wonderful! I love ALL of the Men's Adventure Library books. "The men's adventure magazines of the 1950s, '60s and '70s left no male fantasy or interest unexplored. Among the mags' war stories, exotic adventure yarns, accounts of clashes between man and beast, and spicy tales of sadistic frauleins and tropical queens hungry for companionship were stories that added an extra dose of weird to the equation, emphasizing supernatural encounters, monstrous cryptids, demonic death cults, killer robots, vampirism, and, naturally, atomic werewolves and man-eating plants. Action-packed, larger than life, and illustrated by top talents in the field, including iconic Famous Monsters cover artist Basil Gogos and EC's Jack Davis! Edited by Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle, with contributions by Mike Chomko and Stefan Dziemianowicz. This latest release in The Men's Adventure Library series is available in softcover and expanded hardcover editions from New Texture. Both editions are fully illustrated, with context and commentary supplied by the editors."
7. THE MAN WHO STOPPED AT NOTHING by Paul W. Fairman
This is a rare instance of me reading science fiction but since it's ultra-pulpy and from the early 1960's I get a pass. This thoroughly original and interesting take on what happens to you in the after life was a hoot. Paul W. Fairman was an extremely prolific churner-outter of pop novels (including TV show tie-ins like THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY #4: THE GHOST OF GRAVEYARD HILL and the gothic THAT GIRL novel -- both of which I plan on reading in the new year). The scene picture on the cover of the novel actually happens in the book. Our hero Dorn finds that he is able to walk through walls but, as he's going into the bathroom of a showering female, he suddenly gets stuck halfway into the wall!!! Fun aplenty! "The Man Who Stopped at Nothing” is by veteran sci-fi author and editor, Paul W. Fairman. Caught between life and death — Dorn Lattimore was just your average working Joe taking a break from the wife and kids. Then BAM! He woke to find himself looking through a plate glass window enjoying a luscious nude, who was leisurely picking out her wardrobe from any number of department store mannequins. What followed was a madcap adventure of two soul mates literally trapped in the next level up, the upper plane between life and death."
8. UNRULY: THE RIDICULOUS HISTORY OF ENGLAND'S KINGS AND QUEENS by David Mitchell
British comedian David Mitchell has written an irreverant history of the collected bunch of wankers who have been kings and queens of England "from Arthur to Elizabeth I". It's laugh out loud funny and all of it's true! "A rollicking history of England's earliest kings and queens, a story of narcissists, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and more, from award-winning British actor and comedian David Mitchell
Think you know the kings and queens of England? Think again.
In Unruly , David Mitchell explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects’ destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear to us today in their portraits.
Taking us right back to King Arthur ( he didn’t exist), Mitchell tells the founding story of post-Roman England right up to the reign of Elizabeth I ( she dies), as the monarchy began to lose its power. It’s a tale of bizarre and curious ascensions, inadequate self-control, and at least one total Cnut, as the English evolved from having their crops stolen by the thug with the largest armed gang to bowing and paying taxes to a divinely anointed King.
How this happened, who it happened to, and why the hell it matters are all questions Mitchell answers with brilliance, wit, and the full erudition of a man who once studied history—and is damned if he’ll let it off the hook for the mess it’s made of everything.
A funny book that takes history seriously, Unruly is for anyone who has ever wondered how the monarchy came to be—and who is to blame."
9. GUNSWIFT by T.V. Olsen
This is the first western I've ever read! And i loved it. Of course, it helps that it's a revenge tale; one of my favourite thangs! A man's family is killed by a group of marauders and our protaganist relentlessly hunts them down. "They had reduced his home to ashes, killed off his family. Now he'd give them a taste of hell."
10. KUNG FU FEATURING MACE #1: THE YEAR OF THE TIGER by "Lee Chang" (Joseph Rosenberger).
I love the 1970's and I love kung fu/martial arts movies and this novel scratched that itch! This is the first novel in a series (and I have #2 and #3 still to read) which I first heard about due to a recommend by book tuber "The Book Graveyard" and this was pulpy fun! Mace comes to the U.S. and is almost immediately thrust into a clash with a criminal organization. Mace's uncle has a fishing boat and the local mob is trying to force him to use it to smuggle heroin into the country. I can't wait to read the next installments in the series. Each novel is named after a Chinese Year and I would love to get a reasonably priced copy of the 4th book in the series: "The Year of the Cock".
So there you have it! My fave 10 reads of the year. I've really had a lot of fun particularly with the men's adventure mags and pulpy adventure series and look forward to more of the same next year. I know Old School April and GarbAugust will occur again and give me an excuse (as if I needed one) to keep reading such trashy goodness!
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