Growing up, I didn't really read "books". I read for school, obviously, but nearly all my recreational reading was in the form of comic books. And I read a LOT of them. There were a few novels I got through as a pre-teen/teenager. Star Wars and X-Men books and some young adult thrillers by Christopher Pike. That was about it.
As an adult, it was pretty much the same. Comics and magazines all over, but I didn't have the attention span for "real books". I did jump on some books once my obsession with MMA took hold. A couple by Sam Sheridan and Forrest Griffin (which are still among my favorites).
Then something happened in early 2013. I won't get into it all the details, but I had some whiny, pouty, not-too-serious depression type stuff going on. The trigger of which coincided with my viewing of the movie "Gangster Squad". A movie with great cast and subject matter that interests me, but was kind of terrible. Watching it made me want to re-visit a similar, but good movie. One of my favorites in "LA Confidential". Which, in turn, had me wanting to actually read the novel it was based on.
But I'm a comic nerd, remember? I couldn't just read LA Confidential. It was part of a series. The third part of James Ellroy's "LA Quartet". I would have to start with The Black Dahlia, and work from there.
The escape into that novel was a great change of pace from comics and film. I started seeking other books, like Elmore Leonard's Riding The Rap (featuring Raylan Givens of "Justified" fame), and Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box.
Early last year I set a goal for myself, to read at least ten books in 2014. I fell miserably short, clocking in at six. But to be fair, I do read roughly 10-15 comic books a week, and around 10 Graphic Novels every year. Anyhow, here is what I did get through...
The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy
The second of Ellroy's "LA Quartet", and probably my favorite book. It's dark, disturbing, complex, shocking, and terrifying. I loved every page. In a nutshell, it follows an LA Sheriff's Deputy's attempt to solve a gruesome murder, while being forced to work with an LAPD Lieutenant and a former detective who are working to infiltrate and expose a Hollywood communist organization. (I'm just now getting around to LA Confidential, if you're curious). Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry
This is one I had actually read upon it's release in the late 90's. Set between the films "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi", the book was part of an ambitious multi-media campaign by Lucas Film. The idea being to produce all the ancillary media projects associated with a big budget film release (novel, comic book, video game, soundtrack), but without the film. While I loved the book as a teen, it was honestly hard to get through this time around. No Han Solo (he was frozen in carbonite, duh) meant they had to introduce a Solo archetype called Dash Rendar. He's pretty much just Han Solo, but more of an asshole. He's great, actually. Another new character was Prince Xizor, an underworld figure who is in constantly at odds with Darth Vader.
It might just be that coming of The Big Nowhere, Steve Perry couldn't stack up to Ellroy, but I found myself rolling my eyes at all the winks and nods to the film series. I still like the book, but it was the weakest entry on this list.
Descending Lines by L. Andrew Cooper
While attending Louisville's FandomFest in 2013 I sat in on a Literary Panel about Horror in Fiction and Film. One of the panelist's was local author L. Andrew Cooper. I enjoyed the panel very much, so decided to visit him at his publisher's table on the Con floor. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy the book he was promoting, Burning The Middle Ground, but I wanted to support the guy and bought a copy. Several months later I finally read it and enjoyed it very much. Descending Lines isn't exactly a sequel, but seems to take place in the same world. A young couple is grief stricken over their daughters battle with cancer, a battle she is losing. But with access to a book called "The Alchemy of Will", they have a way to save her if they are willing to sacrifice their second born. Unfortunately they don't have a second born. Yet.
The book doesn't pull its punches. It's an uncomfortable read at times, but worth it in the end. I was a bigger fan of BTMG, due to it having more of an epic feel, but I hope to see more of this series.
The Hunter by Richard Stark
The first of Richard Stark's PARKER novels has been adapted to film at least twice with "Point Blank" starring Lee Marvin and "Payback" starring Mel Gibson. "Payback" being one of my favorite crime flicks, and hearing so many great things about Stark, I was eager to read this one and get started on the Parker series. Not easy to track down, but luckily IDW has started publishing new editions with illustrations from Darwyn Cooke. Parker is a career criminal, after a job he is betrayed by one of his partners and his wife. Left for dead, Parker survives and looks to take his revenge, and get his share of the money back. His partner used that money to buy himself into an organized crime outfit, but Parker doesn't give a damn about that. He's getting it back or he'll die trying.
I was a bit surprised to find that Parker wasn't even remotely a good guy. He's a criminal, and a murderer. And Stark makes no apologies for him. Regardless of his actions, you still root for him. Because despite how he got the money, he still earned it and was screwed out of it, and you want him to get his revenge. And his cash.
The Friedkin Connection by William Friedkin
William Friedkin is an absolutely fascinating figure in Cinema history. He's the director of legendary films like "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection", as well as cult hits that are just recently getting the credit they deserve like "Sorcerer" and "To Live And Die In LA". This memoir begins with his early life and takes it's time dealing with his breakthrough from TV work to Hollywood royalty. Touching on nearly all of his films, with long segments dedicated to his biggest hits and most important work. Often hilarious and always interesting, there's never a dull chapter, even when he's talking about his work directing Opera.
NOS482 by Joe Hill
A bit of a cheat here, maybe, since I finished this one up in early January, but here it is. Following a young girl with some very unique abilities and her battle with a Rolls Royce driving kidnapper with his own set of extraordinary talents, this one's hard to describe without giving things away that I am glad I didn't know about going in. Hill is one of my favorite writers with this, Heart-Shaped Box, and comic series Locke and Key to his credit.
