My Top Ten Books of 2012

2012 was a decent year for horror, scifi and bizarro fiction. While a couple of my favorite authors (Bentley Little and Charles Stross) left me wanting (a rarity for both of them), there were plenty more to pick from, and this list took a while for me to get together in its final order.

Out of the 78 books I read in 2012, here are my 10 personal favorites with links to my original reviews. Enjoy the countdown...

10) SKIN GAMES by Adam Pepper - For anyone out there who still thinks a self-published novel can't be done right, check this baby out: An Engrossing Mob Story

9) WUFTOOM by Mary G. Thompson - An exceptional debut novel and another YA title that's as cool for adults as it is for YAs: Creepy Crawly Goodness

8) BOWL OF HEAVEN by Gregory Benford and Larry Niven - My recent thirst for scifi was heavily quenched by this killer collaboration: A Smart, Monster-Filled Epic Beings...

7) TORTURED SPIRITS by Gregory Lamberson - Most series run out of steam after the 2nd or 3rd title. But with this 4th installment of Lamberson's Jake Helman Files, the author went totally epic: Helman's Fourth one of the Finest (Note: review here is at the top of the page).

6) TENTACLE DEATH TRIP by Jordan Krall - Krall released a bunch of bizarro titles this year, but this was his most satisfying: Buckle Up...

5) THE MEN UPSTAIRS by Tim Waggoner - One of the most versatile writers around once again shows he can blend horror and the bizarre like no one else: One of the Genre's Most Demented Minds

4) DESTROYER OF WORLDS by Daniel G. Koehane - Koehane's third novel left me speechless. He's one of those writers I'm expecting big things from: The First GREAT Novel of 2012

3) STILL LIFE: NINE STORIES by Nick Kaufman - Some may think the final paragraph of my review for this is a bit much. But it isn't. These tales simply KILLED: Kaufman's Killer Collection

2) THE LAST KIND WORDS by Tom Piccirilli - Pic is one of those writers who never gets stale. If you've been following his crime noir novels the past few years, you'd agree with me. THE LAST KIND WORDS is easily one of his best: Don't Miss This...

1) WESTLAKE SOUL by Rio Youers - There are several reasons this one has made so many top ten lists for 2012, primarily because it packs an emotional wallop that's second to none. Youers' personal horror story scared me to the bone, drew tears, and made me appreciate what I have in life. This is a special novel that should be read by everyone who loves dark fiction: The BEST Novel of 2012 (NOTE: My review here is followed by an interview with the author).

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

There were a few other books that I felt needed to be further pimped:

1) A REQUIEM FOR DEAD FLIES by Peter Dudar - Dudar's debut ghost novel does not read like a first novel, gets the chills going, and is a lot of spooky fun: Hey Waiter! There's a Fly in my Bourbon!

2) THE LOLA QUARTET by Emily St. John Mandel - When I'm not reading horror, scifi, bizarro, or non-fiction film books, I'm a sucker for a good literary novel. Mandel's 3rd is simply fantastic. I never wrote a review for it but if you want to see unique characters crafted so real you can almost feel them, check this one out: The Lola Quartet

3) THE TROUBLE WITH HAIRY by Hal Bodner - Horror comedies are my faves, and Bodner's was easily the funniest I've read in 2012. The man needs some serious help!: Curse of the Queerwolf