Reading and writing

Each year, I try to read 50 books. I say try because some years I read 15 and some I read 60.
My one rule has been they must be mostly new books to me.

For 2016, that's out the window. I'm going to revisit old favorites.
Gabriel and I are doing the 50 book challenge together.
He's picking 25 for me, and I'm picking 25 for him. I will read some of the ones I recommend.


My list so far. This is subject to chance.

1) Han Solo at Star's End. Brian Daley defined the way my generation thought about Han.

2) The Many Colored Land. Julian May. (The other three are optional but recommended, as are the 5 prequels) This influenced me in ways I'm only starting to understand.

3) A Princess of Mars. Edgar Rice Burroughs. This man taught me all I know about sswashbuckling. There are 11, but the last isn't worth the bother.

4) Elric of Melnibone. Michael Moorcock. He is the anti-hero, the decadent elf-lord. Give it a whirl. You may hate it, you may love it.

5) Sweet Silver Blues. Glen Cook. A .lot of my basis fpr urban fantasy, also, vampires.

6) Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural. Marvin Kaye, ed. Some of the finest horror ever collected. Strong influences on what I like to read

7) Red as Blood. Tanith Lee. Reimagined fairy tales from a mistress of the language.

8) The Ladies of Mandrygen. Barbara Hambly. (The other two in the series are all right)

9) Strange Wine. Harlan Ellison. One of his best collections.

10) The Color of Magic. Terry Prachett. A greaty fun romp.

11) Split Infinity. Piers Anthony. A SF and fantasy novel.

12) Friday. Robert Heinlein. A great influence on the DisUnited States.

13) Another Fine Myth. Robert Lynn Asprin. Hilarious. Informs my sense of humor a great deal. (the rest of the books are pretty good too)

14) The Laughing Corpse. Laurell K Hamilton. I highly recommend the series up to Obsidian Butterfly.

15) Fool moon. Jim Butcher. Storm front is all right, but he doesn't hit his stride until the second book.

16) Dies the Fire. SM Stirling. Post-apoc. Or Heather Alexander kicks John Norman's ass after the end of the world.

17) The Crawling Abattoir. Martin Mundt. Scary, sexy and funny as hell, these horror shorts are some I want to revisit.

18) The Freakshow. Bryan Smith. Horror at its finest.

19) Good Omens. Neil Gaiman & Terry Prachett

20) Bimboes of the Death Sun. Sharyn McCrumb

21) Neuromancer. William Gibson

22) Sackett's land. Louis L'Amour. Elizabethan tale of pirates, revenge, intrigue and migration

23) Cheating Chance. James Buchanan. Sexy sexy times (inland Empire is good too)

24) The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Graham

25) On Writing. Stephen King