We are now into a new year. All the tumult of 2020 is in the past. It is now simply memory and will eventually fade away. Today is Twelfth Night and marks the end of the Christmas season, and the beginning of Epiphany.
And even though the events of 2020 were the cause of a lot of angst for many, 2020 was a good year for me as a whole, and a very good year as far as reading is concerned. From the pens of 52 authors, I read 52 novels and novellas, 41 short stories and novelettes, and 13 works of non-fiction.
Of those 106 works, 38 were by independent author-publishers. Which is about 36%.
However, that doesn’t mean I supported the megalithic big corporate publishers with the remainder of my reading.
Of those 68 remaining works, I purchased them used, received them as gifts, obtained them for free, or they were published by the small press.
I do not, and will not support the big corporate publishers. They are not the author’s friend. Not unless you are an author who makes piles of money for the company. Then you pretty much get what you want.
The bulk of my fiction reading was mystery and horror, which seems to be what I’m gravitating to in my old age.
Of the 52 authors I read, fiction came from 45. And of those 45, 15 are no longer with us.
I put little stock in “Best of” lists. They are either a display of the compiler’s personal tastes, or they are compiled to promote a political agenda. Neither of which may match my own tastes and interests.
Of those 45 fiction authors I read, 8 very much impressed me with the quality of their writing. Those writers were (in no particular order):
Click or tap the names to be taken to their Amazon pages.
Each of the above writers will give you maximum entertainment value for your buck. You won’t go wrong by buying their books.
So what types of books do these guys write?
If you like spine-tingling horror, there’s Ray Zacek, Lex Allen, Andy Graham, and John F Leonard.
If you like lots of action and adventure, with a hefty dollop of suspense and terror, there are William Meikle’s books — and they’re all good.
A versatile and difficult to categorize writer is Richard Schwindt. He writes humor, mysteries, occult detective, urban-type fantasy (not sure what else to call it), and non-fiction. And everything is good.
Another versatile writer is Caleb Pirtle III. He writes non-fiction, historical novels with lots of mystery and a dollop of romance, and espionage thrillers. A superb wordsmith.
I don’t know if these guys are the best — but I found them the most memorable of my 2020 reading. And hopefully you’ll find them the most memorable of your 2021 reading.
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
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