My Year in Books

 This year, I read 16 books. My goodreads challenge/goal was 12, so I did really well. I used to read a lot more, but stuff happens, and my reading count is less. Any reading is good, right?

With this year's read books, I only had one that was DNF (did not finish). That's not too bad. Sometimes, I get more than one. It depends on what I'm reading at the time, and if I'm enjoying it or not. 

I read all genres, except romance. Can't stand that crap. My favourite genre is fantasy. Dark, epic fantasy. 

My goodreads reading challenge for 2026 will again be 12 books. I set the bar low mostly because I'm reading good meaty books that are well over 300 pages. Some as big as 800+. 

Now, you'll find some of my reviews on older blog posts, but not all. I didn't write posts on all of them, only the ones that I was doing strictly for review purposes. Now, all my reviews will be done via a blog post book review & posted to goodreads. 

Anyways, here's the link to my year in books.

 https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2025

Here's the list:

Assassin by Andy Peloquin

A Strip for Murder by Max Allan Collins

Full Moon by Jim Butcher

Planetside by Michael Mammay

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

The Case of the Careless Kitten by Erle Stanley Gardner

The Winter Man by Robert Firlotte

Protector by Andy Peloquin

Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Blood of the Old Kings by Sung Il Kim

Blood for the Undying Throne by Sung Il Kim

Lies Weeping by Glen Cook 

Seduction of the Innocent by Max Allan Collins

The Blackfire Blade by James Logan

Johnny Mnemonic by William Gibson

Supermax: The Max and Angela Trilogy by Ken Bruen, Jason Starr 

 

What's next for my next read? I'm not sure yet. Still thinking on it.  

 Keep a watch out for all of my future reviews. 

Later  

Book Review: SUPERMAX Ken Bruen, Jason Starr

 Here's what the book is about: 

Three books in one, Supermax is a pitch-black crime comedy from two of the hottest thriller writers on either side of the Atlantic. These newly collected cult novels are a bloody, bawdy odyssey of drug dealing, adultery, and murder for fans of Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, and Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho.

THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS CRIME STORY EVER TOLD...

IN A SINGLE VOLUME FOR THE FIRST TIME!

When a small-time businessman who’s a legend in his own mind (that would be Max) hatches a plan with his sexpot secretary (that’s Angela) to murder his wife and live happily ever after, you might think everything would go smoothly – but Max and Angela are in for the ride of their lives, as an escalating series of bad decisions and worse luck plunges them into a tsunami of crime and depravity featuring IRA hitmen, an aspiring serial killer, a wheelchair-bound blackmailer, trigger-happy drug dealers, and the warring factions in one of the world’s deadliest prisons.

My review: 

Bust - Max & Angela 1

Well...apparently I've read book 1 last year in September 2024. The odd thing, for me, is I don't remember it. 

My review then: 

 This was a good book. A few twists & turns. An enjoyable read.

I will give it a more thorough review.  

It's still a good book. With quite a few twists and turns. Karma came for Max. How it reached that point, is what you have to find out by reading. 

Slide - Max & Angela 2

Max & Angela are no longer together in this book. Both are living their own lives, and making more of a mess of them. Max is still in New York, but no longer runs this Networking Company, which had folded at the end of book 1. Angela is in Ireland, where she meets up with the killer, nicknamed, Slide. 

Things don't work out very well for both Max & Angela. I guess that's what happens when you get in with the wrong crowd. Needless to say that everything catches up with Max. Not so much for Angela. Again. 

The Max - Max & Angela 3

Well...things have changed for both Max and Angela.  Again. Yet, some things stay the same. Or do they? Things aren't going so well for Max and Angela. In fact, one could say that things are going bad for both of them.  

Full three book review: 

Well...I've never read a book that had every character living in a fantasy world inside their own heads. Every character was like that. Delusional.

Do both Max and Angela get what's coming to them? Yes and no. 

The book has a lot of action. It doesn't really slow down. Once you get past the fact that they're all a bit delusional, it becomes a fun read. The ending was satisfying. Although, I do wish it ended a bit different for Max. Not going to say what happens to either of them. 

Thanks to Charles Ardai from Hard Case Crime for sending me a PDF copy to review. I did enjoy this book. I give it a solid 4 stars.

 

 

 

 

 

Yearly Posting of The Night Before Christmas

 

It's time for the yearly post of The Night Before Christmas

 

Twas the Night before Christmas Poem

 

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A naughty version 👇