What I Read In 2014, What I Published & What’s To Come In 2015!!!

What did my 2014 in books look like? Here’s everything I read:

Return Fire pts 1, 2 & 3 by Bernard Schaffer

A Quantum Leap by Simon John Cox

Superbia: Down To Zero by Bernard Schaffer

Slippage by Harlan Ellison

Kiss Me Like A Stranger by Gene Wilder

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin

Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard

Red Country by Joe Abercrombie

Noble: New World Order by David K. Hulegaard

Grendel Unit 3 by Bernard Schaffer

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

Division Zero by Matt Cox

Bartender by William Vitka

Grendel Unit 2 by Bernard Schaffer

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

The Shadow Tracer by Meg Gardiner

Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard

It’s not as much as I usually manage, but I do find that the more I write, the less I read. In 2014 I published Enigma, Nemesis, Edge of Oblivion, Vengeance, The Bloody North, Spectre, A Brightly Flickering Flame (with Bernard Schaffer), Operation Chimera (with Matt Cox – published by Curiosity Quills) and Age of Destiny.

Coming in 2015 I have When The Guns Come Out (a western spin-off of Far From Home), Past Dark (a supernatural novel), Talisman of Peril (a tie-in with Past Dark), Outland (Far From Home 17) all out by the middle of march (Aaarrrggghhh!). I’m also working on the sequel to Age of Destiny with author Nathan Howe, the next Operation Chimera with Matt ‘The Machine’ Cox, and more stories set in Bernard Schaffer’s Confederation Reborn series.

By the summer we will have Intrepid (Far From Home 18), Valiant (Far From Home 19), The Rising Fire (The Fallen Crown Book 2), The Unclaimed Throne (The Fallen Crown Book 3) out for definite.

So anyway, what were the best books I read in 2014?

5. Noble: New World Order by David K. Hulegaard

4. Division Zero by Matthew Cox

3. Return Fire, pts 1, 2 & 3 by Bernard Schaffer

2. Bartender by William Vitka

and taking the #1 spot it has to be: Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

I read all 6 of the First Law books this year, and greatly enjoyed them all but by far the best of them was Best Served Cold. It had everything I loved about the first trilogy, including some of the characters, and a truly kick-ass plot of bloody revenge. It reaffirmed my belief that Nicomo Cosca is Abercrombie’s greatest creation – a loveable villain you can’t quite help but like, even when he’s being a complete arsehole.

I actually hope Joe gets to read this post and know first-hand my appreciation of his writing. I’ve not read Half A King yet (though the hardback is sitting on my shelf) as I’m waiting until the second one comes out. I want the same reading experience I had this year, being able to go from one book to the next.

Quite possibly the worst book I read this year was Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. Second to that was Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes, which failed to live up to the phenomenal majesty of The Shining Girls. I have stated on twitter why I will not be reading Revival by King, due to his complete lack of support for independent authors, and his lacklustre novels of late. I certainly won’t be reading the sequels to Mr. Mercedes, that’s for sure.

So what do I plan on reading in 2015? Since it’s my 30th year, I’m aiming for 30 books.

1. Perfidia by James Ellroy
2. S. by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst
3. The War of Alien Aggression by A.D. Bloom
4. The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
5. Half A King by Joe Abercrombie
6. Half The World by Joe Abercrombie
7. Half A War by Joe Abercrombie
8. Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway
9. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (re-read)
10. Grendel Unit 4 by Bernard Schaffer
11. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon
12. The Martian by Andy Weir
13. The Elevator People by Courtney Cantrell

As you can see, I’ve not decided on some of them. So if you have a book you’ve written that you’d like me to review, let me know! In return for a review copy (either .mobi or physical) I will review on Amazon, Goodreads, here on my site in a dedicated post, and I will post about it on my twitter account and Facebook author page.