Unlike the worst list my best of was really hard to narrow down. I only completed 35 books but as I discussed in my previous post in general, I enjoyed most of what I read. To compromise with myself there is an honorable mentions section this time featuring books that didn't quite make the cut. With that out of the way these are my Top 5 Best Reads of 2019!
5) The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson
Written by the same author as future genre classic The Troop, this slim but emotionally rich meditation on memory and loss made me cry like a baby. On the surface about a man's memories of his summer adventures with a quirky uncle it unfolds into so much more successfully combining the myths of childhood with the real spectres of growing up and untimely death. This would rank higher but I was expecting this to be actually horror instead of a coming of age story but it still deserves to be on this list.
4) Monster by Christopher Pike
This YA Horror was insane in the best way possible. Opening with the most surprisingly violent shotgun death and amping up from there, this space vampire high school thriller was a literal blast. Featuring an impressively hefty death count and a more impressive break neck pace Pike will not allow breathing room for you to realize how dumb this is and it works beautifully. So turn your brain off and enjoy this bloodsoaked space vampire take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
3) Hell Fire by John Saul
This was my introduction to John Saul and my God it was a great one. As I mentioned in my review of Cry For the Strangers I kind of consider his output in the genre like meatloaf in that it's comforting and dependable. Why is it comforting? Because you know exactly who's bad, who's good, and you get a spin the wheel generic spooky location like Hell Fire's abandoned textile mill where child workers died. But what prevents this from being boring? John Saul. He has a way of writing genuinely likable everyman characters and pitting them against bad guys you love to hate so it's ultra satisfying when they die. Add to this great violent set pieces and Saul's particular vendetta against children that gives the sense no one's safe even though you kind of know someone will survive. If you have a hankering for the horror equivalent to a beach read track down some of his vintage paperbacks you're in for a treat.
2) Blanky by Kealan Patrick Burke/ Tribesman by Adam Cesare
This pair of novellas were so good I decided to give them both the number 2 spot. Blanky made me so viscerally freaked out over baby teeth that it had to be on this list and Tribesman was such a solid homage to Italian cannibal exploitation flicks that it deserved mention. Both of these also deserve to be gone in kind of blind but I will say Blanky is the most terrifying even though I think the ending is kind of a cop out but it features some skin crawling imagery. Tribesman is basically a cannibal exploitation flick in book form with the behind the scenes drug fueled, seat of their pants guerilla film making style of those films discussed as well. If you're sensitive to violence Tribesman might not be your vibe but it's so over the top that it's more similar to watching an 80's horror movie.
Honorable Mentions:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
I reviewed this in full on the blog but it honestly came down to this didn't scare me. Beautifully written, resonant, and worth all the praise but I want some chills in my horror.
The Legacy by John Coyne
A novelization of a movie I have never heard of The Legacy is a delight. This is vague as hell with whatever supernatural mumbo jumbo is happening and why it's happening. But who cares when the death set pieces are so much fun? Goofy, violent, and a great one sitting read. If you come across a cheap copy it's worth picking up and is a fun horror treat.
Top Read:
1) The Terror by Dan Simmons
One of the most literate novels I have read in years and terrifying to boot The Terror is a masterwork. Spinning a what if explanation for the disappearance of a real Arctic expedition, the historical accuracy builds the tension and mounting horror of an increasingly desperate crew ice locked far from home before anything supernatural truly happens. Layering mysticism, commentary on colonial encroachment, and some truly brutal horror set pieces this novel is an exhilerating ride. Although some may be put off by its slow burn approach I promise what it builds to is fantastic. There are also complaints regarding the book's ending and specifically a character's arc to that ending. I personally loved it and thought it was a well thought out full circle from colonial dominance back to the embrace of natural cycles and native culture. Not everyone will be on board with that especially if they are expecting more of a straight forward man versus nature creature feature. For me it hit all the right beats and I knew it was going to be my top read immediately.
Well those are my Top 5 Best Reads of 2019! Have you read any of these books or are now interested in seeking them out? If so the comments are open. As always to be alerted to the latest on this blog give me a follow or subscribe. 'Til next time!
5) The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson
Written by the same author as future genre classic The Troop, this slim but emotionally rich meditation on memory and loss made me cry like a baby. On the surface about a man's memories of his summer adventures with a quirky uncle it unfolds into so much more successfully combining the myths of childhood with the real spectres of growing up and untimely death. This would rank higher but I was expecting this to be actually horror instead of a coming of age story but it still deserves to be on this list.
4) Monster by Christopher Pike
This YA Horror was insane in the best way possible. Opening with the most surprisingly violent shotgun death and amping up from there, this space vampire high school thriller was a literal blast. Featuring an impressively hefty death count and a more impressive break neck pace Pike will not allow breathing room for you to realize how dumb this is and it works beautifully. So turn your brain off and enjoy this bloodsoaked space vampire take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
3) Hell Fire by John Saul
This was my introduction to John Saul and my God it was a great one. As I mentioned in my review of Cry For the Strangers I kind of consider his output in the genre like meatloaf in that it's comforting and dependable. Why is it comforting? Because you know exactly who's bad, who's good, and you get a spin the wheel generic spooky location like Hell Fire's abandoned textile mill where child workers died. But what prevents this from being boring? John Saul. He has a way of writing genuinely likable everyman characters and pitting them against bad guys you love to hate so it's ultra satisfying when they die. Add to this great violent set pieces and Saul's particular vendetta against children that gives the sense no one's safe even though you kind of know someone will survive. If you have a hankering for the horror equivalent to a beach read track down some of his vintage paperbacks you're in for a treat.
2) Blanky by Kealan Patrick Burke/ Tribesman by Adam Cesare
This pair of novellas were so good I decided to give them both the number 2 spot. Blanky made me so viscerally freaked out over baby teeth that it had to be on this list and Tribesman was such a solid homage to Italian cannibal exploitation flicks that it deserved mention. Both of these also deserve to be gone in kind of blind but I will say Blanky is the most terrifying even though I think the ending is kind of a cop out but it features some skin crawling imagery. Tribesman is basically a cannibal exploitation flick in book form with the behind the scenes drug fueled, seat of their pants guerilla film making style of those films discussed as well. If you're sensitive to violence Tribesman might not be your vibe but it's so over the top that it's more similar to watching an 80's horror movie.
Honorable Mentions:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
I reviewed this in full on the blog but it honestly came down to this didn't scare me. Beautifully written, resonant, and worth all the praise but I want some chills in my horror.
The Legacy by John Coyne
A novelization of a movie I have never heard of The Legacy is a delight. This is vague as hell with whatever supernatural mumbo jumbo is happening and why it's happening. But who cares when the death set pieces are so much fun? Goofy, violent, and a great one sitting read. If you come across a cheap copy it's worth picking up and is a fun horror treat.
Top Read:
1) The Terror by Dan Simmons
One of the most literate novels I have read in years and terrifying to boot The Terror is a masterwork. Spinning a what if explanation for the disappearance of a real Arctic expedition, the historical accuracy builds the tension and mounting horror of an increasingly desperate crew ice locked far from home before anything supernatural truly happens. Layering mysticism, commentary on colonial encroachment, and some truly brutal horror set pieces this novel is an exhilerating ride. Although some may be put off by its slow burn approach I promise what it builds to is fantastic. There are also complaints regarding the book's ending and specifically a character's arc to that ending. I personally loved it and thought it was a well thought out full circle from colonial dominance back to the embrace of natural cycles and native culture. Not everyone will be on board with that especially if they are expecting more of a straight forward man versus nature creature feature. For me it hit all the right beats and I knew it was going to be my top read immediately.
Well those are my Top 5 Best Reads of 2019! Have you read any of these books or are now interested in seeking them out? If so the comments are open. As always to be alerted to the latest on this blog give me a follow or subscribe. 'Til next time!
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