The Final Gong

A Year of Reading 2021

 It's time to reflect on my year of reading for 2021.  It has become my annual tradition to spotlight my notable reads for the past year. It's a fun way to reflect on the best material I've had the honor of reading instead of making some inaccurate, ever-changing, or controversial ranked list.

I like to present those books that really stood out to me in the past year. I read thirty-eight books this year, two less than last year. The following are the books that have left an impact for one reason or another. They are presented in chronological order as I read throughout the year. I hope you will be inspired to check out any on this list that you haven't and discover those you wouldn't have ever considered.

And now, my most notable reads of 2021:

• The Writing Life: Reflections, Recollections and a Lot of Cursing by Jeff Strand (2020) Independently Published: I don't usually go for writing fiction but Jeff Strand's book on writing takes a different approach than most. Strand cut his teeth during a changing era and he's had a good degree of success in the digital publishing age. Not only do I admire his work, but also, his work ethic. A must-read for anyone writing and publishing in the digital age.

• Billy Silver by Daniel Volpe (2020) Independently Published: Real. Uncomfortable. Wet. Daniel Volpe exploded onto the extreme horror scene early in 2021 with his viseral book, Billy Silver. Its a gritty, honest tale that presents a protagonist that you have no right rooting for and yet, for some reason, you do. You feel left as disgusting a human being as Billy Silver is in the end. Great ride!

• The Slob by Aron Beauregard (2019) Maggot Press: The Slob is disgusting. This Splatterpunk Award nominated book tells the story of the most depraved, dehumanized serial killer ever. Picture an episode of hoarders but with kidnap victims and the remains of those who came before them. Yeah, that's The Slob. Gross.

• Hogzilla by Mike Baron (2020) Wolfpack Publishing:  Last year, Mike Baron's FLORIDA MAN earned its way onto my notable reads list. This year he has returned with an even stronger follow-up to its predecessor, HOGZILLA. Where Florida Man lacked a narrative direction, Hogzilla is a finely tuned machine of storytelling. All the while, never losing its bat-shit-crazy edge that made the original a sucess.

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  Bird Castles by Justin Grimbol (2019) Atlatl Press:  Justin Grimbol has appeared on every notable reads of the year list I've done. He's a fixture. Bird Castles is another charming, poetic, simple and beautiful addition to his pantheon of wonderful poetic prose. I look forward to presenting another Grimbol book on the list next year.

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  Zoltergeist the Poltergeist by Douglas Hackle (2021) Independently Published:  Douglas Hackle presents what he claims is the penultimate book of his catalog. Douglas Hackle is is own genre but for my money, Zoltergeist the Poltergeist is my #1 Bizarro Fiction book for 2021 and the only worthy candidate for the Wonderland Book of the Year. Plus, these this thing in a cabinet that's the creepiest fucking thing in a book ever.

• Things Were Easier Before You Became a Giant Fucking Mantis by Matthew A. Clarke (2021) Independently Published:  Had Douglas Hackle not gone and written the most brilliant Bizarro book since Danger Slater's I WILL ROT WITHOUT YOU, Matthew A. Clarke's charming, twisted tale of the trials and tribulations of inter-cryptid-alien-species love would have been my top pick for Bizarro book of the year. As it is, it sits at number two and still earns a privileged place on my list of notable reads for 2021.

• Mother Maggot by Simon McHardy (2020) Potter's Grove Press: To say Mother Maggot has had a complicated publishing history is an understatement. The initial appeal of this book, at first, was simply getting my hands on a copy. Mother Maggot kept getting deplatformed from any distribution platform it was placed on. And yet, it had incredible buzz for being the most disgusting book ever written. Finally I was able to snag a paperback copy before it was removed from the retail market again. What I read became a focal point for how, what and where I consumed my fiction ever since. Mother Maggot brought extreme horror back into province. It was the 'killer app' that field the early success of Godless.com (an extreme horror fiction distribution platform that doesn't give a fuck if you are offended.) Mother Maggot also gets my nod for Cover of the Year. Look at that bad-ass thang!

Honorable mentions for 2021 include: 

• EVIL BIGFOOT MONSTER by FF Monsoon, a book that figures into Jeff Strand's THE WRITING LIFE. 
• WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, Max Booth III's book turned big screen movie about a dysfunctional family trapped in a bathroom after a tornado strikes.
• THIS IS A HORROR BOOK, Charles Austin Muir's short story collection that packs a whallop.
• THE DEMON, THE DUMBWAITER AND THE DOUCHBAG, newcomer Sal Cangemi's bizarro tale of an apartment building tormented by a fuzzy demon. Its a Troma movie told in words not celluloid.

This year, only two books of the thirty-eight I read earned my elusive 5-star rating.  I hope I'm not becoming too much of a curmedgion in my old age. This year, I found the books I reached for were different than years prior. A new crop of extreme horror has made a lot of people take notice, myself included. A new distribution platform, Godless.com, has fueled a lot of that attention. Godless is a disruptive force and so far has proven to be a game changer for a lot of readers. Much of what is offered on Godless is very short and inexpensive fiction, much of which I deemed too short to quantify as a read on Goodreads. I may have to do a separate list for the short Godless stuff next year because it still deserves attention and recognition.

You can check out the complete list of the books I read in 2021 on Goodreads.
You can check out my notable books read from 2020 HERE.

Try on Uncomfortable Shorts

 

Uncomfortable Shorts is a collection of eight irreverent, irregular and irrational short stories. Try on these ill fitting tales that squeeze into horror, cosmic, comic and corny niches.

One size fits none. No refunds. No exchanges. No exceptions.

Pork Roll, Egg & Sleaze: A group of urban explorers find themselves on an adventure that turns into a horror movie.
My Date with the (Non)Word, Ans: An unlikely relationship with an autocorrected word.
Eat Sh*t and Die: An over-the-top tale of cosmic horror in a quiet New England town.
You Can Catch More Flies with Honey: There's more than one way to catch a fly. But which way is best?
There's a Frenchman in My Mayonnaise: A quirky tale of a hangry man who's attempt to make a sandwich sidetracks his entire life.
Conrad Lubbox is Out To Get Me You Stupid Idiot: You sure have a lot of questions about why I let Conrad Lubbox's dog outside.
Dick Sick: Preston isn't feeling well. He's sneezing, coughing and pooping penises out of every orifice.
Inflate: A Zen yogi leads the way to Nirvana (and not the Kurt Cobain kind.)

Uncomfortable Shorts is available now in paperback from Amazon.


The digital Uncomfortable Shorts eBook is available for only 69 cents exclusively through Godless dot com in your preferred file format. (.pdf .mobi & .epub)

Are We Reading Bizarro? (Part 2)

This week, in my ongoing series, "Are We Reading Bizarro?" I've decided to dig a little deeper to see if I could pull the number of people reading Bizarro fiction up. In the first week I used purely anecdotal evidence from my Goodreads feed over the course of a few weeks to surmise that only three of the people I am connected to on Goodreads were reading Bizarro or Bizarro adjacent titles.

Are We Reading Bizarro?

This week I decided to up the ante a little bit. I am still using Goodreads as my measurement but instead of relying solely on what passed through on my news feeds, I dug through my friends list (812 members as of this posting), page by page to see of those reporting the titles they're reading, how many I could count off that were Bizarro or Bizarro adjacent.

The number I wound up at: 5.

Digging In Deeper For The Numbers

An interesting thing happened while I was combing through all twenty eight pages of friends statuses, There were far more than five people who's status reported they were reading a Bizarro or adjacent title. The problem was there were more of those status updates that were year old (roughly in the range of 2013 through 2017.) Obviously, I couldn't count those as people currently reading Bizarro. What I can say is that there are way more of those old statuses reporting reading Bizarro than there are currently.

I can't say that means anything or not. But, it could be an indication that we were reading much more Bizarro years ago looking at those snapshots back over years past than we are now. Again that is purely circumstantial evidence and obviously not concrete. 

I can also say that, after my first blog post in this series, several people stepped up to report that they were currently, recently or intend to soon, read a Bizarro or adjacent title. That is encouraging.

I myself, am about to finish up my first experience with Kurt Vonnegut and I have two Bizarro or adjacent titles up next in my reading queue.  As always, if you're reading Bizarro or adjacent let me know! I know someone reported trouble replying directly to the blog so let me know on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or wherever we interact!

Up next for Mr. Frank

It's a weird time to be alive but a great time to get in more reading! Be well and read weird.

Are We Reading Bizarro? (Part 1)

In recent weeks, in the writer/reader circles that I tend to run in on social media platforms, I've witnessed a call to action to return Bizarro Fiction to the prominence (its "relative" prominence) it once enjoyed. Now, there can be no doubt the genre has been experiencing a decline both in readership and in new material released under the genre label.

Are you reading weird?

But I've read several blog posts, status updates and I have even done a podcast interview on the discussion of what can be done to bring attention back to Bizarro Fiction. In the face of a genre in recession, people are starting to take a positive, pro-active approach and bring Bizarro back from the proverbial dead.

All the "Rah! Rah!" is great. It really is. It needs to continue. But, bottom line, until people start picking up Bizarro books, reading them and talking about them, things simple won't change. Which brings me to what I want to accomplish here.

I've been monitoring for a few weeks now, my Goodreads feeds with an eye on one metric in particular. How many people are reporting that they are reading a Bizarro (or Bizarro "adjacent") title? The fact of the matter is that I'm simply not seeing all the "Rah! Rah!" translating into people picking up Bizarro books.

That is, until today, March 18th, 2020. Today I can report to you that in the past 24 hours I have seen reading activity on three Bizarro or Bizarro adjacent titles. Of course, that is by my definition and parameters. I would say there is one, unquestionable Bizarro title and two adjacent titles of the three.

So, is it progress or happenstance? That's why I'm starting this little blog series. It's all just an idea. I'd like to try to report at least once a week if not more. We'll see how this goes. Let's keep in mind this is pretty anecdotal. I am basing this off my own Goodreads feeds and my own definitions of what constitutes a Bizarro or Bizarro adjacent title.

If you're reading Bizarro or adjacent, please, let me know in the comments. Let me know if you're planning on reading something Bizarro soon. Or maybe you're considering a Bizarro title, let me know about that too!

Happy Ready!

Catcoin: A Fictional History of a Cryptocurrency

Catcoin: The Fictional History of a Cryptocurrency

What if someone turned cats into cryptocurrency? That is the premise of the new book, Catcoin: The Fictional History of a Cryptocurrency. It's the story of Bitcoin, but with cats.

One is a cat. One is money. One is Catcoin, a cryptocurrency. Follow the history of an unlikely cat which becomes the primary coin in an economic revolution that will change the world. Catcoin is a globe trotting tale that reveals the history of a new money that changes the way people spend money and disrupts the way banks do business and tips the scales of the balance of power held by world governments. Friendships are forged, lovers are loved and Durian fruit is smashed. Enrich yourself in the history of Catcoin, the world's first feline-based cryptocurrency.

The new novella from Frank J. Edler. It can be described as Action/Adventure, Techno-thriller and Comedy/Humor. A sound investment on Kindle eBook and Paperback. 

A Year in Reading 2019

Its time to reflect on my year in books for 2019. This is my favorite annual blog post. It has become my annual tradition to spotlight my noteable reads for the past year. I think it's a fun way to reflect on the best material I've had the honor of reading instead of making some inaccurate, ever changing and God forbid, controversial ranked list.

I like to present those books that really stood out to me in the past year. I managed to ready forty one books this year, one more than the previous year. The following are the books that have left an impact for one reason or another. They are presented in chronological order as I read throughout the year. I hope you will be inspired to check out any on this list that you haven't and discover those you wouldn't have ever considered.

And now, my most notable reads of 2019:

• BANG UP: A FILTHY COMEDIC THRILLER by Jeff Strand (2018) Jeff Strand: This book didn't seem to connect with fans of Jeff Strand's more comedic horror books but I loved it for the off-the-wall comedic romp that it was. If I were going to read erotica, it would all have to be like this. A solid 4.75 star effort.

• MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM by Grady Hendrix (2016) Quirk Books: There has been a lot of buzz around Grady Hendrix since Horrorstor and Paperback's From Hell. Instead of starting there, I decided to start with this. If everyone is talking about those other books and this one made my notable reads for 2019 list then I best get cracking on the other's for 2020.

•  IMPOSSIBLE DRIVEWAYS by Justin Grimbol (2018) Atlatl Press: A perennial favorite of mine. Justin Grimbol always delivers with his unique brand of poetry/prose story telling. There is charm and beauty in the uncomfortable truths and honest observations of the poet laureate of the weird and wacky.

• OF FOSTER HOMES AND FLIES by Chad Lutzke (2019) Poltergeist Press:  Last year, Chad Lutzke made my list of notable reads with OUT BEHIND THE BARN, a collaborative effort with John Boden. I wanted to be sure to read a solo effort from Lutzke. OF FOSTER HOMES AND FLIES is, without a doubt, my favorite read of 2019. This is the only 5-star rating I awarded this year. I love that the world is slowly starting to discover this extremely talented horror author. I expect to see more awareness and great effort from him in 2020.

• A CONFEDERACY OF HOT DOGS by Christoph Paul (2017) Clash Books:  I've been meaning to read this one forever. I put it off afraid that it would read as an inside joke. The protagonist, Phil LoPresti is a real person and the character is based on that real person. Hence my apprehension of that turning out as an inside joke. But, I did finally commit to reading it and the result was it was my favorite weird/bizarre read of 2019. I think this will translate well and not come off as an inside joke to those in the know. Its simply fucking funny.

• BITCOIN BILLIONAIRES by Ben Mezrich (2019) Flatiron Books:  Ben Mezrich updates and turns the tables on his notorious book, THE ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRES. Where that book left the Winklevoss twins looking like the devil incarnate, BITCOIN BILLIONAIRES recasts them as the brilliant entrepreneurs that they are in real life. I have a love a affair with the story of Bitcoin and this telling of the Winklevoss twins story in cryptocurrency with gorgeous, sexy and Romantic. I've fallen in love with it that much more.

•  JURASSIC FLORIDA by Hunter Shea (2018) Lyrical Underground: Beautiful in its simplicity. This is a giant monster book. That's all. Its a great story wrapped around a giant iguana monster book set in Florida. Hunter Shea keeps it simple stupid (k.i.s.s.) and pulls off a notable read for 2019 in the process. 

• TERROR MANNEQUIN by Douglas Hackle (2019) Douglas Hackle: Douglas Hackle turns in a darker, more horror focused offering for 2019 and the result is TERROR MANNEQUIN. This title wins cover of the year handily. Its also backed up by one weird, twisted story full of macabre crazy. This book feels like its own new thing and others will only follow suit. Read the original, whatever it is!
  
  
   

• POPSICKLE HEART by J. Peter W. (2018) DP Books:  POPSICKLE HEART by J. Peter W. represents the sleeper hit of 2019. A full on, bizarro tale of one clown's struggle against the world. So bizarre, so weird, so artistic and visceral. Great weird writing, it's time everyone found out that J. Peter W. has got the write stuff. Dip your pink little toes into this quiet gem.

Honorable mentions for 2019 include: THE WARRIORS by Sol Yurick, a classic that I finally got around to reading: different but as good as the classic film inspired by the book. PRESTO! by Penn Jillette a different type of diet book. F*CKED UP STORIES: VOL. 1 edited by Ira Rat, a stand out DIY 'zine that wasn't big enough to warrant a mention of the main list but still a standout offering in short form for 2019. And lastly, Tim Meyer's LIMBS a twisted tale that simply fell one slot shy of getting main stage recognition.

2019 was punctuated by the fact that I only rated one book at 5 stars. And yet, I probably awarded the most 4-star reviews in a given year at the same time. Lots of great books but just one super stand out. 2020 promises to have more great reads in store. Weird will rise again and horror is sure to birth new great names. Catch ya in 2021!

You can check out the complete list of the forty books I read on Goodreads.
You can check out my notable books read from 2018 HERE.

A Year In Reading 2018

Its time to reflect on my year in books for 2018. This is my favorite annual blog post. It has become my annual tradition to spotlight my noteable reads for the past year. I think its a more realistic way to reflect on the best material I've had the honor of reading instead of making some inaccurate, ever changing and God forbid, controversial ranked list.

I like to present those books that really stood out to me in the past year. I managed to ready forty books this year and the following are the books that have left and impact for one reason or another. They are presented in chronological order as I read throughout the year. I hope you will be inspired to check out any on this list that you haven't and discover those you wouldn't have ever considered.

And now, my most notable reads of 2018:

• IN THE COMPANY OF OGRES by A. Lee Martinez (2007) Tor Books: The first book I awarded five stars in 2018. In The Company Of Ogres was my return to A. Lee Martinez, a writer whose work is near and dear to me. Style-wise, my own writing most closely resembles his work. It had been a few years since I read any of his books and I was not disappointed by this comic fantasy gem. 

• BUYING ILLEGAL BUGS WITH BITCOIN by George Billions (2017) George Billions: I picked up this book because I have a mild obsession with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. I was happy to find a fiction book based around the subject matter. I was blown away by the story itself. George Billions is the writer I am most excited about in 2018. This book is brilliant, if you read no other book on this list, read BUYING ILLEGAL BUGS WITH BITCOIN. For those who want to keep score, this is my favorite read of all in 2018.

•  CRAWLSPACE by Dan Padavona (2016) Dan Padavona: Crawlspace was my early pick for best horror read of the year. Though, in the end, it didn't top my list, it's still a solid, creepy horror story with an 80's throwback feel. The titular crawlspace in the book was a creepy area I could relate all too well to as I once lived in an apartment building with a very similar artitecture. This was my first dive into Dan Padavona's work and I look forward to more creeps and chills when I dive back into his work again.

• CYCLOPS ROAD by Jeff Strand (2016) Jeff Strand:  There were three strong contenders for my favorite read of 2018. Cyclops Road was one of those three. This my my first experience with a full-on Jeff Strand novel and it was glorious. Its fantastic, funny and captivating. An honest-to-God page turner of a book that will not let you put it down until you find out if there is a cyclops at the end of the road. A must read book no matter what your taste in reading.

• DIE EMPTY by Kirk Jones (2017) Atlatl Press:  Die Empty was a book I knew I wanted to read as soon as I read the synopsis. This is the third of three books that were far and away my favorite reads of 2018. Die Empty shines in its ability to pull off the 2nd person point of view, only one other book that I've read has accomplished that feat and Kirk Jones may have just done a better job. If you've lived some life and can appreciate the ups and downs it throws at you, you need to experience Die Empty.

• OUT BEHIND THE BARN by John Boden & Chad Lutzke (2018) Boden/Lutzke:  One of the few books I read that was published in the current year. This little book packs a powerful wallop. It is my pick for favorite horror read in 2018. A genuine page turner that you will plow through to get to the shocking conclusion. It has one of those Sixth Sense type endings that will take your breath away. Gorgeous horror.

•  COME HOME, WE STILL LOVE YOU by Justin Grimbol (2017) Atlatl Press: Justin Grimbol makes back to back appearances on my year end list. Come Home, We Still Love You is poetry told in prose. It is signature Grimbol. There is charm, discomfort, humor and hefty doses of reality in these little vignettes from snippets of Justin's life and relationships. It's beautifully real even when it's (maybe) not. Justin Grimbol is a man who can wield words like a gentleman caller with a box of long-stem roses. You will melt.

•  PERSON by Sam Pink (2010) Eraserhead Press:  A sleeper hit, for me. This book had sat for a year and more unread. I was inspired by a facebook post to reexamine my desire to read it. Though the opening chapter made me want to close it and put it back on the shelf, I read forward and from chapter 2 through to the end, Person was glorious. It was everything I enjoy about bizarro fiction and is exemplary of the genre during is golden era. 

•  SKULLFACE BOY by Chad Lutzke (2017) Static Age Books:  Skullface Boy had all the buzz through 2018 in the horror circles. After falling in love with Lutzke's collaboration with Joh Boden, I knew I had to read Skullface Boy. It is equal parts horror, coming of age, bizarre and road trip. But what makes it truely work is just how real the inprobable character Skullface Boy is. Skullface Boy is an adventure full of trials and tribulations that we all wish we could face, it would give us as much character as he has. You must read this book in 2019 if you haven't in 2018.

There they are, the cream of the crop for 2018. A few honorable mentions that didn't make the list are: AUNT POSTER by John Wayne Comunale, THE MORBIDLY OBESE NINJA by Carlton Mellick III, Ray Bradbury's SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (my first read of the classic) and TEXAS CHAINSAW MANTIS by Kevin Strange. 

My To Be Read pile for 2019 is already threatening to topple over. I'm sure I will get derailed along the way, as I always do, with an array of simply-must-read work that will debut in 2019.

You can check out the complete list of the forty books I read on Goodreads.
You can check out my notable books read from 2017 HERE.

A Year In Reading 2017

Like many, I enjoy reflecting on the many titles I've read over the past year. Thank goodness for Goodreads.com where I can actively track the books I've read over time. As has become tradition, I'd like to present to you my notable reads for the year 2017. Sure, everyone is doing it but here's my hook: These are the books I've read and enjoyed in 2017 but were not necessarily published this year.
The fact of the matter is, I probably read more books not published in each given year than those that are published in the current year. I'm always impressed with those who focus on reading mostly new books. Of course, this is coming from a chronically slow reader. There are just so many great books out there and even if I were a fast reader, there are just too many great books to get to that you couldn't possibly get to in any given year. 

So, let's get on with my list of notable books I've read in 2017! These are listed chronologically in order read from January through December.

• THE HOTTEST GAY MAN EVER KILLED IN A SHARK ATTACK by Douglas Hackle (2016) Douglas Hackle: I started the year off reading  Douglas Hackle's first long form story because I'd seen so many other fans of Bizarro say this was a strong contender for top Bizarro book of the year. Ya know what, they were right! This is a jolly good story about a sentient sled, the detached arm of a famous rock star, a polar bear-headed keytar player and a not-so-hot gay guy who take off on a road trip of epic proportions. It is as awesome as it sounds!

• TANUKI TANGO OVERDRIVE by Arthur Graham (2016) Arthur Graham:  Arthur Graham is an author and editor that's been in the bizarro game for quite sometime. Since stepping away from Rooster Republic Press he's gone on to edit the Horror Sleeze Trash Zine as well as focus more on his own writing. Tanuki Tango Overdrive was a fun romp that took me by surprise. It's a funny, over-the-top action adventure similar to A. Lee Martinez. Check out this hidden gem for a good laugh. Oh yeah and Tanukis are real and they have giant balls. Really!

• THE NIGHTLY DISEASE by Max Booth III (2016) Perpetual Motion Machine:  Originally published by the now defunct DarkFuse and since reissued by Perpetual Motion Machine, THE NIGHTLY DISEASE was another book I made a point of reading due to all the hype I'd seen the previous year on this darkly funny tale of life as a hotel night auditor. This is the type of book that takes you behind the scenes of a job you never knew could be so interesting. Okay, so, maybe author Max Booth III punches up the action from the true, ordinary and mundane night to night life on the job. But, if you've read Confession of a Hotel Night Auditor blog then maybe you realize there is an uncomfortable amount of truth to this dark, bizarre thriller.

• THE FIRST CUT by Chuck Buda (2016) La Cigolli Publishing:  Every year there seems to be at least one book I read that I enjoy even thought it has a lot of technical flaws. This year, Chuck Buda's The First Cut is that book. I loved the story and the characters in The First Cut. This is a very graphic, sexually perverse and violent story. It also represents a maturing in the storytelling skill of the author. I gave it three stars at first because of a few technical aspects that I felt hurt the overall reading experience. However, in the end, many months later this book still sticks to me. I can't wait to read on further in the series and see how it all plays out.

• HOME IS WHERE THE HORROR IS by CV Hunt (2017) Grindhouse Press:  CV Hunt is on the list again this year after winding up on last year's list with my uber-favorite, Ritualistic Human Sacrifice. I didn't think Hunt could follow-up such a strong book but Home Is Where The Horror Is is as nearly as strong an effort as the aformentioned book. This is a very real, very visceral story with vivid characters and a rather unique monster. Great horror and a book actually published in the year I read it! This one stuck to my ribs as well since reading it.

• HUSK by Rachel Autumn Deering (2016) Tiny Behemoth Press:  Yet another book I read to catch up on the buzz books of 2016. I wanted to grab a signed copy of this at a convention Deering and I were both at but unfortunately I was also vending books at a table and never had the opportunity to meet her. Nevertheless I grabbed the digital copy and found out what all the hubbub was about. In some ways this was similar in tone and feel to CV Hunt's Home Is Where The Horror Is and it's still unique unto itself. The monsters battled in this one come from within. Right. Right? Right!

• MINIVAN POEMS by Justin Grimbol (2016) Thicke & Vaney Press: This is exactly what it says it is, a book full of poems about minivans. Yet, you still cannot prepare yourself for the wonderful poems held within. These are very short, bite-sized poems that are an ode to minivans, country living, down-home folks, loved ones and butt. Lots of butts. I am not one for poetry at all but Justin Grimbol makes poetry a wonderful art accessible to everyone. I need more Minivan Poems in my life. And a hard copy of this book to put out on my coffee table.

• SPUNGUNION by John Boden (2017) Dynatox Ministries:  Right at the end of the year I read two fantastic books. Spungunion is one of those books. This one took me by surprise. I'd read another of Boden's books last year. I saw this title and thought the premise sounded pretty cool. The introduction by Bracken MacLeod stresses that no two John Boden stories are alike and boy is that the truth. Spungunion is nothing like Jedi Summer (the book I mentioned previously). Spungunion is some folksy, truck, road trip horror. The writing is keen and vivid. The prose is poetry. It's a short book but it packs a wallop. This is like Convoy if Convoy was a surreal horror thriller.

• IS WINONA RYDER STILL WITH THAT DUDE FROM SOUL ASYLUM? AND OTHER LURID TALES OF TERROR AND DOOM!!! by Douglas Hacks (2017) Douglas Hackle:  I start and end with Douglas Hackle. The only author who I read two of their works in 2017 and both knocked it out of the park. This book is a collection of absurdist short stories, the realm in which Hackle really shines. This should be taught in Bizarro lecture halls the world over. Perfection of the genre. This is how weird fiction is done.

So, there you have the top of my reading list for 2017. I don't like to stamp the list at 10 or 20 or anything like that. This is just the most enjoyable reads of the year. The list is longer than last year's which only featured six books. This year come in at nine. I put away more books than I did last year and I think overall I read a lot more quality stuff that the previous year. 

Some honorable mentions that didn't make the list would be: SUNFALL by Tim Meyer, Chad Scanlon and Pete Draper. M.R. Tapia's THE DIE-FI EXPERIMENT. JOHN WAYNE LIED TO YOU by John Wayne Comunale, VERY TRUE STORIES STARRING JEFF O'BRIEN by Jeff O'Brien. And CHILDREN OF THE DARK by Johnathan Janz.

I've already got a full reading list of what promises to be top notch shit for 2018. If the titles I have at the top of my To Be Read pile are any indication of the year in reading to come, it will prove to be a banner year in reading. Hope you're year in reading will be grand as well.

You can check out my full list of books read for 2017 HERE.

BRATS IN HELL: The Wurst Book Ever Written

BRATS IN HELL: The Wurst Book Ever Written premiers Tuesday, May 30th. Available now for pre-sale, exclusively on Kindle eBook.

BRATS IN HELL is a book that has been three years in the making. Back in the summer of 2014 I sat down with the intention of writing one thousand words a day for 50 days to wind up with a 50,000 word novel in just under two month's time. Well, the story would end up just over 60,000 words and I took just a tad longer than two months to complete it. The end result was a story I was happy with, BRATS IN HELL.

What to do with the story now? I shopped it around. At first, I submitted it to a couple of publishers who said they would be receptive to reading it but alas, it fell on deaf ears, or eyes. I began compiling a list of publishers that I thought might have interest in the story. I submitted to horror publishers, bizarro publishers, weird fiction publishers and a speculative fiction outlet or two. All passed.

Admittedly, I feel BRATS is an odd fit for most publishers. Too strange for straight horror presses, too slapstick for serious speculative and dark fiction outlets and not quite weird enough for the more focused bizarre and weird fiction publishers.

I wrestled with self-publishing it all the while. Early on I felt I needed the skills of a publisher to present the book in the best light possible. But over the past two and a half years, I've self published a short story collection and novella length book. And I got progressively better at it. I've found a solid editor and a cover artist who understands me on a genetic level. I, myself, have gotten good at interior layout for both print and digital editions. So much so that I'm now confident I have the ability to make the book look as good as most any indie press would be capable of producing.

On Tuesday, May 30th, I will unleash the horde of demons collectively knows as BRATS IN HELL upon the world. Fuck it. I love the book and I want it to be out there. It's a great story, it really is. It's available for pre-sale right now. You could order it right now and have it waiting for you first thing on Tuesday morning when you wake up to face another day. You could flick it open on your favorite reading device and forget all your troubles for a few minutes or hours. You could immerse yourself in a world where the demons of Hell have everyday problems like you do. It is Hell, after all.

Also, if you haven't had a chance to read my other work, I've added some incentive ahead of the BRATS IN HELL release. Right now, DEATH GETS A BOOK, is only .99 cents on Amazon Kindle. Now is the prefect time to grab DEATH and get to know my silly, scary style of storytelling. You could also pick up SCARED SILLY, my short story collection which is always .99cents anywhere you buy eBooks.

At the moment, I don't have any appearances scheduled ahead of SCARES THAT CARE in Williamsburg in July. That maybe your first opportunity to score a signed copy of the book. If there are any opportunities that pop up ahead of that, you're going to need to sign up for my newsletter (find the sign-up in the upper right of this page) to be one of the first to get news of my latest appearences, signings and releases.

Until then, don't forget to pick up BRATS IN HELL, it's the WURST book ever written. Who wouldn't want to read that! Find it HERE!