I read a lot of books last year. Like A LOT. It was a record year for me. I read more than 130 books, and quite a few of those were tomes by Stephen King and Robert Jordan. So, yeah. A LOT.
But out of all of those books, these were the top 5:
5. Chapterhouse: Dune
The first book I finished in 2021 was the final Dune novel written by Frank Herbert himself, Chapterhouse: Dune. Before 2020 I’d never read beyond book three. So, it was quite the experience finally getting through the these. Book four was so much stranger than I could’ve ever expected, and they do not let up. It sucks so much that Herbert passed away before finishing the saga for himself. Though, I do plan on giving these yet another read very soon, along with the additional book written by his son.
4. HAHA
Modern horror comics have gotten extremely good. The previous year I came across a series called Ice Cream Man, and it was terrifying and original. I jumped at the opportunity to read something else created by the same team of creatives. In this collection, each story is written and told by different authors and artists. And each packs its own heavy punch.
3. Lord of Chaos: The Wheel of Time Book Six
Like Dune, Wheel of Time is a series I’d attempted long ago. Way back when I’d only made it to book five, but with the series coming up, I wanted to give it another try. And, I’m glad I did. The climax of Lord of Chaos is flipping amazing!
2. The Wind Through the Keyhole
Again, a series that I’d read over a decade ago. The Dark Tower series. This one, I did finish that time around, but this book was not published at the time. This is book 4.5, slotting in between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. This story, within a story, within a story was an awesome read. I loved the fairy tale feel of the central story, plus it is always fun to get more of Roland’s backstory.
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Uzumaki
And finally, my favorite read of 2021 was Junji Ito’s Uzumaki. Ito really does know how to fuel nightmares. I’d been wanting to read Ito for quite awhile, so I finally broke down and put every book of his on hold at the library. Lots of his stuff started to feel a little repetitive, while others were just a touch too much for me, but Uzumaki was perfection. It was a story which could not be told in any other form. If you have not yet experienced this horror, be sure to grab a copy!
My reading goals are a bit more tame for the year. I’m putting more of my reading time into my writing. So, My personal goal is at least one book a week. I’m sure I’ll still read much more than that.
What amazing books did you read last year? Do you have a reading goal for 2022?