Today, I finished “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be”, which is the 44th ‘adult’ book I’ve read this year (in addition to 12 Three Investigator books) and, as we tick down towards Christmas, I thought now might be a good time to consider my Top 10s.
I set myself a tough target in 2009, to read 24 books and 12 Three Investigator mysteries. I’ve sailed past that, obviously and it’s been a damned good reading year for it. Since I tend to read in different areas, I’ve separated out the fiction and non-fiction and haven’t completed listings for the comic books or TTI mysteries.
So without further ado, here are my top 20 novels of the year (so far!):
1. Different Skins, by Gary McMahon
2. Chasing The Dead, by Joe Schreiber
3. We All Fall Down, by Simon Wood
4. They (unpublished), by Gary McMahon
5. The Turtle Boy, by Kealan Patrick Burke
6. Promised Land, by Robert B Parker
7. Hugger Mugger, by Robert B Parker
8. Johnny Gruesome, by Greg Lamberson
9. Crimson Orgy, by Austin Williams
10. Tide Of Souls, by Simon Bestwick
11. Stardust, by Robert B Parker
12. The Dare, by John Boyne
13. Vardoger, by Stephen Volk
14. Stories We Could Tell, by Tony Parsons
15. Covenant, by John Everson
16. The Nightwalker, by Thomas Tessier
17. Live Girls, by Ray Garton
18. The Hides, by Kealan Patrick Burke
19. Shrink Wrap, by Robert B Parker
20. A Savage Place, by Robert B Parker
horror - 11 books
crime/thriller - 6 books
drama - 3 books
(note - this was a year of good choices and with less reading volume, several of these books would have easily been my number one choice).
Non-fiction (so far !):
1. Skywalking, by Dale Pollock
2. The Life & Times Of The Thunderbolt Kid, by Bill Bryson
3. On The Road, by Frank Skinner
4. Remember The 80s, by Richard Evans
5. Blondie, by Fred Shruers
6. Once Upon A Galaxy: Making Empire Strikes Back, by Alan Arnold
7. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be, by Philip Glenister
8. Friends Like These, by Danny Wallace
9. The Wah-Wah Diaries, by Richard E Grant
10. INXS - Band On The Road, by INXS and Ed St John
