It’s hard to argue that 2020 has been anything less than a dumpster fire for all concerned, and despite me being at home since March, my reading habit for this year has been patchy at best. While I hated commuting (and still do), one thing it did offer was the perfect opportunity to switch off and just read.. That’s probably the only thing about it that I miss. I did write something new in that time, so hopefully, that balances the scales a bit. 

All of that said, what I did get around to reading I generally really enjoyed! I’m a bit late to the party on most of these but then that doesn’t really matter when it comes to books. 

Kings of the Wild by Nicholas Eames. Why did it take me so long to read this? What a ride. It’s fun and exciting, and I ended up devouring over a couple of weekends, which is good going for me. I’ve got a copy of Bloody Rose lined up on my kindle & am looking forward to demolishing it in a similar fashion. 

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. It’s a strange thing but when I’m in a reading slump, it’s usually non fiction that drags me out of it. It makes no sense to me either, but there it is. The Five is an exploration of the lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper, and Hallie does a great job of making them people again, women with their own hopes and dreams, and more than just names on some macabre scoreboard. Well researched and written, and absolutely fascinating. 

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan. We managed to escape for a few days away in September and I took this with me, because any kind of holiday without a book is just wrong. I loved the setting and the bold concepts- living candles, stone men, ancient ghouls and bound gods. What’s not to love? I’m looking forward to seeing where he goes with it. 

On the non-book front, I binged Season 2 of The Boys without a moment’s hesitation, and Lovecraft Country has been an unexpected treat. I’ve also devoured series ‘Kingdom’ on Netflix, which is a Korean period drama/ horror (directed by Kim Seong-Hun) which makes The Walking Dead look like it belongs on children’s daytime TV. Excellent! 

Assuming we all survive the final chapter of 2020, I’m looking forward to getting stuck into Ernest Cline’s Ready Player Two and Anna Stephens’ The Stone Knife. Both are out now but I’m realistic enough to know I don’t have a chance of getting started before the end of the year! But what a way to start a new chapter. 

And as for me in 2021, I’m really, really excited about the release of Firesky (the second half of the Chronicles of Stratus) in May. I’m just finishing off another, unrelated project and have a few ideas for a contemporary horror that are going to be fun to explore. Watch this space!