As usual, I am using the last Friday of the year to do a recap of all the book reviews I wrote in the past twelve months

In January I reviewed Periapsis Christmas Vol. 1, a collection of short sci-fi stories based around the theme of Christmas. Then, for Vintage Science-Fiction Month, I reviewed the classic Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. Then I took on the cozy mystery Whole Latte Death by Chris J. Pike and M.D. Cooper. Then another vintage sci-fi read was in order, the sweeping and depressing A Canticle for Leibowitz.

For February I reviewed Post-Modern Romance by Nick Ryder, a truly bizarre book. Next up was an Adam Bertocci take on the day of romance, Crappy Valentine’s Day. I followed that up with a review of Wodehouse’s hilarious short story Honeysuckle Cottage and then another of my favorite authors, Zachary Shatzer’s comedy Sorcerers Doomed.

March began with the trippy and weird Roger Zelazny book The Dream Master, followed by the science fantasy The Last Ancestor by Alexander Hellene. This was followed by C. Litka’s tale of tropical seafaring romance, The Prisoner of Cimlye and the humorous short story Ghosted by H.L. Burke.

April started off with The Snow Queen of Somerville High by Adam Bertocci and then Zachary Shatzer’s wonderful allegory Dog Wearing a Bowler Hat. Then I wrapped up the month with another Litka adventure, Passage to Jarpara.

I began May with Junkyard by Lindsey Buroker, followed by Reality Check by Dave McCreery. Then came time for a book by one of our favorites here at Ruined Chapel: Carrie Rubin’s Broken Hope. I finished off the month with Fear Extinction by T.S Becker.

June started with my review of the weird western His Ragged Company by Rance D. Denton, followed by the romance/crime thriller Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia. Then it was time for another medical thriller, this time with a historical twist, in The Third Man, by Geoffrey Cooper. Then I ended Waterloo month with a memoir by one of Napoleon’s soldiers.

July began with a familiar duo: first, Zachary Shatzer’s comedic political thriller Puppet Dance, then Adam Bertocci’s The ‘I Want’ Song. Then I indulged myself just a bit more with another Napoleonic history book.

For August, I reviewed the cryptid horror story The Killer Catfish of Cape Cod by Bill Russo, followed by the sci-fi classic The Joy Makers by James Gunn. Next up was a history of the Library of Congress Card Catalog. I finished up the month with Ex Marks the Spot, mayhap one of Adam Bertocci’s finest books, followed by Carrie Rubin’s Malignant Assumptions.

September began with the supernatural crime thriller The Valley Walker by T.W. Dittmer and the Arthurian-Gothic The Governess of Greenmere by Paul Leone. Then, once Autumn officially began, I reviewed the Autumnal cozy mystery Harvest and Haunt by Eva Belle

October is a month that has this little-known holiday in it. I try to keep this to myself, in my quiet, unassuming way, but it’s called Halloween. So, I reviewed some books that fit the spirit of the month. First up was Knee-Deep in the Dead by Dafydd ab Hugh and Brad Linaweaver, a novelization of the video game Doom. Then came The Thing from HR, a brilliant Lovecraftian horror-comedy by Roy M. Griffis. Then, to put Halloween in its proper historical context, I reviewed a vintage Halloween reader, and then, when I couldn’t choose just one Halloween-related thing to review, I picked a whole slew of them.

November began with a book called The Samhain Visitors by Paul Rix, which is not cheating by including a Halloween story in November, no matter what anyone else says. The following week, I reviewed Zachary Shatzer’s collection of short stories, Mayor of Turtle Town. Then, I tackled a work of significant non-fiction, Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott, which explains at least half of everything that’s wrong with the modern world. Then, to lighten the mood, I finished the month with Bertocci’s Watching Wonderful.

For December, I reviewed the supernatural post-apocalyptic romance When Her World Went Away by Alexis L. Carroll and the sci-fi political thriller Vote for AIDAN by Tanner Howsden.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year. I’ve got some good books lined up to review for 2025; I think you’re going to enjoy them. 🙂