My Top 5 Reads of 2014

I usually read about 80 books per year, but 2014 was busy for me writing-wise so I'm fortunate enough I read the 56 titles listed below (plus one unpublished novel not listed here). I had a hard time picking a top ten so I narrowed it to a top 5.


1) SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn
2) THE LAST DAY OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman3) WHEN THEY COME BACK by Chris Conlon4) THE WAY OF ALL FLESH by Tim Waggoner5) IN THE SPOOKLIGHT by Michael Arruda6) GLIMPSES by Rick Hautala7) NAMELESS: THE DARKNESS COMES by Mercedes Yardley8) BASAL GANGLIA by Matthew Revert9) ROSE OF SHARON by Gary A. Braunbeck10) I AM THE NEW GOD by Nicole Cushing11) THE DREAM WARD by Jon R. Meyers12) PEGGED by David R. Hayes13) BOOT BOYS OF THE WOLF REICH by David Agranoff14) REAPING THE DARK by Gary McMahon15) RELIC OF DEATH by David Bernstein16) THE BLUE CLASSROOM by Rob Labbe17) HIDEOUS FACES, BEAUTIFUL SKULLS by Mark McLaughlin18) ELDERWOOD MANOR by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes19) CEREMONY OF FLIES by Kate Jonez20) THE KILLING KIND 2 by Bryan Smith21) FAINT OF HEART by Jeff Strand22) DUNGEONS & DRAG QUEENS by MP Johnson23) SAVAGING THE DARK by Chris Conlon24) WITCH! edited by Jordan Krall25) GRUNT LIFE by Weston Ochse26) GUNS by Josh Myers27) GREEN TSUNAMI by L.L. Soares & Laura Cooney28) WORLD GONE WILD by David J. Moore29) DEAD IN THE U.S.A. by David Price30) CONDUITS by Jenn Loring31) PROUD PARENTS by Kristopher Rufty32) GRAVITY COMICS MASSACRE by Vincent Bilof33) THE LAST MILE by Tim Waggoner34) JACKPOT (v/a)35) APT. 7C by David Bernstein36) NIGHTMARES FROM A LOVECRAFTIAN MIND by Jordan Krall37) THE FRENZY WOLVES by Gregory Lamberson38) ELMER CROWLEY by Tom Bradley39) POSSUMS EAT YOUR FACE! by Stephan Imri-Knight40) SHADOWS OVER FLORIDA by David and Scott Goudsward41) TAKE MY LIFE PLEASE! by Henny Youngman42) THE FAMILY TREE by John Everson43) FATAL JOURNEYS by Lucy Taylor44) PINK PLANET by Jon R. Meyers45) HELL'S WAITING ROOM by C.V. Hunt46) HELL COMES TO HOLLYWOOD 2 edited by Erik Smith47) EVERYONE HATES A HERO by Gregory Hall48) DEATH WARP by MP Johnson49) THE BIG TREE by Rick Hautala50) REVIVAL by Stephen King51) MISSING REELS by Farran Smith Fehme52) OASIS OF THE DAMNED by Greg F. Gifune53) GHOST CHANT by Gina Ranalli54) EVERYTHING IS DANGEROUS AT ALL TIMES by Jordan Krall
55) DEAD KENNEDYS: THE EARLY YEARS by Alex Cogg56) PLAGUE OF DARKNESS by Daniel Keohane

My top five released in 2014 are:

5) FATAL JOURNEYS by Lucy Taylor - Not a dull tale in Lucy's latest collection, several of which are genuinely frightening.

4) SAVAGING THE DARK by Christopher Conlon - As disturbing as dark fiction can get, yet I could not look away.

3) I AM THE NEW GOD by Nicole Cushing - Wickedly smart and terrifying. Religious-themed horror just doesn't get better than this.

2) GRUNT LIFE by Weston Ochse - The first in a new military scifi series is edge-of-your seat exciting with lots of promise for future installments.

1) MISSING REELS by Farran Smith Fehme - Fehme's look at obsessive vintage film fanatics living in late 80s NYC cleverly hides its rom/com core under slick Woody Allen-like humor and features a to-die-for cast. Enjoy this now before someone like Cameron Diaz or Ben Affleck destroys it with a film version. A near-perfect debut novel.