I read 53 books in 2019, which is more than the previous year. I enjoy consuming stories as audiobooks on Audible, eBooks on my Kindle, or as old-fashioned physical books. Thrillers, autobiographies, self-help books—I love them all! Below are five my favorite books that I read in 2019 and my thoughts on them.
On June 7, 2016, I reported that James Patterson, the world’s best-selling author, set out to start a revolution in the publishing industry with the launch of his BookShots line. These bite-sized books were marketed as being 150 pages or less and they were priced at $4.99. Patterson said, at the time, that he had 117 ready to go and planned on releasing 50 in 2016. As of right now, only 66 have been published over the past 16 months and there hasn’t been a new thriller in the line since December 2017’s Avalanche. With all signs pointing to this revolution not succeeding you might be wondering, why didn’t BookShots take off the way James Patterson had hoped? Let’s take a look.
ThrillerFest is the premier conference for thriller writers and readers. ThrillerFext XIII marks my fourth time at this event and it fittingly kicked off on Friday the 13th. Over two days, numerous panels took place on a wide range of topics – everything from how to best execute a fictional character to how to handle sex scenes in thrillers. These panels were comprised of new, best-selling, and seasoned authors, all offering a unique perspective on myriad issues and trends.
With rumors rumbling about a new Masters of the Universe movie finally seeing the light of day, now is a great time to reconnect with the original pop culture phenomenon known as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The best way to do so – aside from watching the 1980s TV series – is by picking up the five fabulous books published by Dark Horse. From the TV shows (including She-Ra) to the minicomics and everything in between, these books cover anything and everything He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. As with all of Dark Horse’s books, these publications are filled with insightful information, compelling visuals, and behind-the-scenes information you won’t find anywhere else – and it’s all lovingly compiled in these beautiful tomes that no Masters of the Universe fan should be without. Below is a rundown of all of the books and their official synopses so you know what to expect from each one.
I read approximately 50 books a year and my reading list is even longer. Below are a few of the books I’m reading or have already read this spring, along with their official synopses.
Crash Bandicoot is one of my favorite video game characters of all time. The original trilogy of Crash Bandicoot games, which I played for hours on end on my Playstation back when they were originally released, is coming to Nintendo Switch this summer in the N. Sane Trilogy – a remastered compilation I can’t wait to dive into. If you need even more Bandicoot goodness to satiate your marsupial mania, you may want to pick up The Crash Bandicoot Files, a new publication from Dark Horse Books.
Now that I have the new Kindle Oasis, I’m selling my old one on eBay. In addition to the Kindle itself, the lucky winning bidder will get three official leather charging covers and one third-party case, as well as a micro-USB charging cable. But this listing will only last for five days, so get your bid in now.
Amazon recently released the all-new Kindle Oasis, which is the first-ever waterproof Kindle. Is it worth buying? Watch my video review below to find out.
Kecia Bal won the first James Patterson MasterClass Co-Author Competition. Her proposed topic and outline for a book she hoped to write with the world’s best-selling author was chosen by the man himself. In June 2016 she received a fateful call from James Patterson telling her that out of the thousands of submissions, hers was the best and she’d have the opportunity to bring that idea to life working side-by-side with the foremost writer in the thriller genre. Together they wrote and published The Dolls, an imaginative and compelling entry in James Patterson’s BookShots series of bite-sized thrillers that clock in around 150 pages. Below is my interview with Bal, who was kind enough to share her thoughts on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Jason Pinter is one of my favorite authors. He’s an excellent writer who has written numerous internationally best-selling books. And, he’s also the founder and publisher of Polis Books, an independent publishing company he launched in 2013 following positions in editorial and marketing at Warner Books, Random House, St. Martin’s Press and Grove/Atlantic and the Mysterious Press.
