I set out to read 10 books this year, and dramatically failed. I’ll just address that failure bluntly and transparently. We’ll get it right out there in the open. It was a light year for your boy with the bookmark. I put in a lot of work – I had a lot going on this year now that I look back on it…we bought a house, we’re planning a wedding, my responsibility at my day job has increased (hoping it leads to a promotion and raise), and I’m still trying to grow SoBros Network. That meant my desired routine of reading for at least 30 minutes before bed was disrupted on a regular basis. One of my goals for 2021 was to start getting into a better sleep routine…in bed no later than 10:30, lights out by 11:00. Yeah….that was an abject failure as well. That turned into “if I can just tough it out for 30 more minutes, I can get another post written for tomorrow,” and then that turned into another 30 minutes, so on and so forth, until the next thing I knew, it was 1AM and I could barely keep my eyes open any longer. Bad habits die hard.
So, that’s why my reading catalog for 2021 is a lot lighter than it has been in years past. But, the reason I’ve been pushing so hard the last month or so is because I’ve never really had this type of opportunity to take a hard break from all work since I started SoBros Network. I always try to take two weeks off at the end of the year, but there’s always still something to worry about – scheduling social media posts, getting content lined up for the new year so I’m not scrambling to get back into the routine come January, getting all the business planning done so I can hit the ground running….that sort of thing. But, this year, around Thanksgiving, I saw how ahead of schedule I actually was….not only could I take two weeks off before the new year, but if I pushed really hard, I might actually be able to squeeze a third week out of it and take it easy from 12/13-12/17 as well. All of this is to say that I might actually hit that 10-book goal by reading over the break. But, enough about my goals and routines – let’s just get to the books that I did manage to find time for this year.
The Books I Read in 2021
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero – link to buy – Cantero’s blend of humor, nostalgia, and just plain ol’ damn good mystery storytelling made this my absolute favorite read of the year. I crushed this thing in one sitting on a cold winter day back in January, but absolutely recommend it for an easy Spooky Season read in October.
RL Stine’s ManThing – link to buy – I picked up a copy of this a year or so ago from the bargain section of comics at my local Books-A-Million. Why not? Stine was an icon when I was growing up, I love comic books, and I know virtually nothing about the ManThing character. It wasn’t exactly my style, though – I think it lacked a little adventure and intrigue, and was bogged down by Stine’s campy humor. It could’ve worked…I get the vision behind it…but it just didn’t do it for me.
Not Like You, Vol. 0 by E Young – link to buy – What I love about E’s writing is that it gets me out of my comfort zone of comics, nonfiction, and your everyday mystery and suspense stories. I wanted to support a friend, and came away blown away by how E’s work gave me a sense of cosmic horror. The most affective piece of literature I read this year easily.
Ultimate Comics: Blade vs. The Avengers – link to buy – I got this one for free on Free Comic Book Day last year. I could never get into Marvel’s Ultimate Comics, but this one surprised me as I start to re-familiarize myself with the Blade character in anticipation of the movie coming soon.
Goosebumps: Calling All Creeps by R.L. Stine – link to buy – Lot of RL Stine this year, I guess. My mom was cleaning out her attic one day this summer, and came across a box full of my old Goosebumps books. I found this one, remembered nothing of the story, and thought for old time’s sake, I HAD to give it a go. So, I did, and it was everything I remember Goosebumps being – campy and fun.
Southern Bastards, Vol. 1 – link to buy – I had been wanting to get around to this comic for awhile as a big fan of Jason Aaron and his run with my favorite comic book character, Thor. It’s a nice homage to life in the deep south, and I swear, as the plot twisted and turned, I saw any old small town in Tennessee in this gritty tale.
Iron Fist, Vol. 2: Sabertooth – Round 2 – link to buy – An impulse buy on Black Friday, I made the trip to Z’s Comic Lair in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and came away with this book, an Andre The Giant Funko Pop, and the orange Entertainment Earth Batman variant Funko Pop…all for $20! Unbelievable. Iron Fist is probably one of my five favorite comic book characters, so I popped this one open right away and was instantly hooked. In fact, it’s probably one of my favorite comic runs I’ve read in quite awhile. I loved the way Sabertooth played in the story. We got a pop-up appearance from Shang-Chi. The Sight and Choshin made for excellent villains, and there was a fun little sub-plot involving the Constrictor. Excellent work. I read this in two sittings.
Because I’m a total psychopath that reads several books at once, I also currently have bookmarks in:
- Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff – link to buy – I’m reading this one now, and it lives up to its title – it’s a fun whodunit with the festive Christmas spirit at heart.
- The Toynbee Convector by Ray Bradbury – link to buy – A classic collection of Bradbury’s short stories. I only have a few to go, so I anticipate getting this one and Murder Most Festive done before year’s end.
- The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time by Hunter S. Thompson – link to buy – Thompson has long been one of my biggest inspirations in writing. I loved the gonzo journalism – putting yourself in the story and describing how certain events transpired. It’s probably one of SoBros Network’s biggest calling cards, and now you know where it comes from. I wanted to read the fabled essay about Thompson’s experience at the Kentucky Derby, and boy did it deliver. Seek that one out.
- The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein – (looks like Amazon is sold out) – It’s an in-depth look at how the American legal system has installed and maintained a level of systemic oppression of African-Americans throughout history. Yeah – it’s heavy…probably not what you thought you’d read about on SoBros Network, but us white folk need to do our part to educate ourselves so we’re better equipped to help our marginalized friends in the fight for equality.
- Not Like You, Vol. 1 by E Young – link to buy – I’ve only made it one story into E’s latest volume of Not Like You, but it was easily my favorite yet.
- The Social Organism by Oliver Luckett and Michael Casey – link to buy – A book about social media and how we can reframe the way we think about it and understand it sounds right up my alley, but I quickly found it to be too much “work” and it was hard for me to shut my SoBros brain off while reading it. I’ll finish it at some point, but hoooooweeee did I need to check out of this one for a bit.
So, yeah…judging by where I’m at in each of these books, there’s a chance that I still hit that 10-book mark by the end of the year and will hit that personal goal of mine. But, I’m not going to beat myself up if I don’t get it done. I’ve promised myself to be better about that. Also, if you tally up the word count from everything I’ve read across the different books, it probably adds up to about 10 books anyway. *shrugs*
What have you guys been reading this year? Let me know in the comments.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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