Warning: Some of the books in this article are for mature audiences, reader discretion is advised.

Surprisingly, last year’s article about the books I read (and current reads) somehow sparked a bit of interest. To me, it was a clown talking about some tattoos on a dead tree. Alternately, it was a collection of unseen numbers, letters, and symbols that made my Star Trek pad of adventure reflect light with thoughts of the night stars, the twinkle in the eye of a princess, or a young woman being rammed by a blue alien. Nonetheless, unlike my article last year which concentrated on why I read so many books and how it was important to me, I won’t be doing that this year.

Unlike in 2021, I didn’t start the year with a goal and I didn’t set myself one at all. I had already accomplished that, and I’ve proven to myself it was possible for me to do it. This year was about enjoying whatever I read, and this year’s article keeps this theme as well. It bears repeating that as long as you are reading, it doesn’t matter what you enjoy or dislike. The entire premise of encouraging reading for anyone is that you do read something. Ultimately, that is my goal: To give you something worth checking into or going ahead and reading straight away from your “TBR.”

I quickly want to say before we jump straight in that this isn’t a complete list. I decided to cut some for various reasons. Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is one such omission. Not because I don’t think it is good, it is just very dense and I hadn’t made my way through it enough to give a good enough opinion. There is another King title on the list this year, but there is a reason for those detractions from my original list of 18 books I’ve finished or continue to read intermittently throughout the year.

Tokyo Ever After – Emiko Jean

This year, I didn’t start with Doctor Who, instead opting for a Japanese-themed The Princess Diaries. Something about two weeks of feeling ill and watching Anne Hathaway films might have influenced this. The concept, writing, and even the beautiful cover art all played a role in deciding to read this, and I am so glad I did. It is light-hearted, fun, dramatic, and just the right amount of levity you sometimes need. The tale of Her Imperial Highness Izumi Tanaka did something the Yakuza games do, offering a slightly exaggerated but colorful image of Japan in your mind.

As I said in the review, Emiko Jean has a talent for plotting something a little predictably. Nevertheless, being there as Izumi flaps her wings to stay afloat in her new world is just as gripping as the coming-of-age tale of Mia Thermopolis was in Meg Cabot’s similar fish-out-of-water tale. The chemistry between Akio and Izumi might be questionable depending on your perspective, though regardless, both are endearing characters eventually. Tokyo Ever After has problems as teenage drama often does, but Jean at least made the AGG and other friendships feel natural enough.

Tokyo Dreaming – Emiko Jean

Ahead of the release of Emiko Jean’s follow-up to Tokyo Ever After, I got to read Tokyo Dreaming. Despite having to refrain from spoilers for the review and a lack of people to discuss it with, the only thing I found somewhat frustrating was the final act of Tokyo Dreaming. I felt it could have been better handled to offer a jumping-off point in a third book and show character growth. Continuing where we left off with Tokyo Ever After, the fabulous and often dramatic life of Her Imperial Highness Princess Izumi Tanaka takes another few twists and turns in Tokyo Dreaming.

Finding her true self in a world of Imperial rules, personal battles, and tabloid titillation, the young princess struggles to find her way in the world. It is a little predictable at times and embued with tropes throughout. However, it is once again a light-hearted teenage-romance fantasy in a contemporary Japanese setting. Most prominently suffering in a final act that hastens itself to wrap up a story befitting the genre rather than progressing the character further. Nevertheless, Emiko Jean once again creates a cheerful and entertaining tale throughout.

Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need – Blake Snyder

Normally, I wouldn’t touch a How-To book with a ten-foot bargepole. As a mostly American practice seeking self-progression through someone else’s useless prattle for a few hours, the How-To genre is often full of armchair conversationalists professing great knowledge with mediocre observations. Despite disagreements with Snyder’s inflexible proclamations at times, he knew exactly how to teach well enough on the subject of not only screenwriting but also properly observing the qualities of a story. Easily one of my quickest reads of the year, Save the Cat isn’t something I’d recommend to screenwriters or anyone digesting mass media.

Breaking down the details of storytelling, never mind screenwriting, Snyder doesn’t waste too much time helping you grasp the very basics of what makes a story good in your mind. It is somewhat dictatorial at times and often focused on the “his” perspective instead of the perfectly grammatically correct they. As such, you can feel who wrote it, A man formed in the 70s and 80s. Under some dated references and opinionated segments from a writer you’ll have never seen a 7/10 or higher film from, there is a concrete set of lessons to be learned by writers or viewers.

Daughter of the Pirate King – Tricia Levenseller

This is one of those books I’d seen a million times on Instagram. I (of course) threw myself head-first into the life of Alosa Kalligan: daughter to the pirate king, Byrronic Kalligan, on a secret mission for her dad. Though sanitized at times for the “YA” audience, Tricia Levenseller’s pirate adventure was gripping and not simply because of the action. However, the bled-out tropes left enough meat on the bone to feel reasonably natural. It was exposition-heavy at times and could have used some of its tools to bring the pacing up toward the end. However, I loved the first book in this series.

Sure, I was in a bit of a pirate-heavy theme at the time, watching Our Flag Means Death and that awful Sea Devil-based special of Doctor Who. That said, I did have my gripes with Daughter of the Pirate King, especially the awkward LGBTQ+ moment toward the end. Leaning heavily on the genre’s trope of miscommunication, it sometimes becomes so frustrating that you want to throw the book (or kindle) across the room. Nonetheless, the gripping and enticing story pulled me out of the oftentimes depressing world we inhabit to go on a sea-faring adventure.

The Elements of Style – William Strunk

A style manual for writers and editors? This is arguably the most important book on my list of entries this year, as it will clean up a large portion of your writing on any level. Formal or informal, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you plan on writing, William Strunk Jr’s handful of pages (which depends on the edition) will make every line, sentence, and paragraph as accurate as possible. Later revised once Strunk had passed, it was former student E. B. White who would later modernize it initially. White himself wrote Stuart Little, and created the Strunk & White manual we know today.

It is certainly not flawless, as a book that is now 100 years old would reference almost everything as “he should” or otherwise. Some rules as stated should be bent, however, never strictly broken. As is the case with Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, you have to understand the rules first to know how not to break them, but instead use them and bend them to your will. Strunk & White’s dictation of rules may have fallen sluggish slightly in places over the years, though they still remain the lasting principles of basic proper English.

Ice Planet Barbarians – Ruby Dixon

Ruby Dixon writes erotica. At no point in my life did I think of myself as the type to consume some of the dirtiest smut you could ever imagine, but here we are. Never going to be seen as one of the greatest pieces ever written, Ice Planet Barbarians has no business being as good as it actually is. Sure, 75%(ish) is Georgie and Vektal having inter-species chemistry/biology lessons, but there is unequivocally a plot to this fable of alien Sodom and human Gomorrah. The basic and primal desire to survive is here, either through mating or having someone with a third leg kill food for you.

Not only is it a fantastic read of absolute, unadulterated smut, but it was also one of the easiest and most enjoyable reads of my year. Not enjoyable because it can be read one-handed, but simply how free-flowing everything felt. It made the idea of reading another 20-pages/a chapter so effortless. As I’ve stated before, encountering something with such a spell-binding ability as a dyslexic reader is often quite difficult to find. Somehow Ruby Dixon’s crude and graphic alien smut worked for me, who knew?

The Archivist – V. S. Nelson

Archivism is an interesting job, dealing with the memories of people who are no longer living. V S Nelson’s The Archivist instantly caught my eye from the Jackson Pollock-like cover, then skimming the description sparked several concepts of this grim and intriguing tale. It is set in a world with no gods or afterlife, just the eternal nothing. However, there are mythical beings that will archive your recently deceased loved ones, for a price. This is a disturbing notion to some, and some will find it offensive or ill-willed towards specific groups, but the idea alone is solid.

Nelson’s writing is slow to get to the point, and I don’t get along too well with it the same way I did with Dixon’s to-the-point nature. The story of The Archivist is where it shines, delving into a fantasy of a tall, dark, and disguised figure playing their part in a mystery. Though the actual mystery that is played out didn’t really command my attention as much as I think it should have. Put off by the unabashed onslaught of grim and downright disturbing topics, what lasts in the mind isn’t a story of X vs Y but just the unabated assault of shock and horror.

Billy Connolly’s Route 66 – Billy Connolly

Set around the 2011 travel documentary, the book to accompany the comedian’s journey across the long-dead mother road of the US is a light and fun read about the history and people still on or around that road. I’ve seen the four-episode series a few times. Mostly because it is the last of Billy’s proper travel shows, which I watched religiously when younger. Though it has been on my radar from time to time simply because of all that mindless waffle I was on about when reviewing American Truck Simulator, the spell-binding nature of those picturesque panoramas sitting by the side of these old and forgotten roads is enchanting to many.

Starting Route 66 back in the Summer, it is one of the few physical books I’ve read since I was mostly using an e-reader this year. Similar to other almost biographical non-fiction books, it is one of those with snapshots of whatever was talked about in the pages before. I think it was dyslexia that always dragged me toward those types of books.

Sure I could imagine the picture being painted, but actually seeing it can help tenfold. I religiously grew up hearing Billy’s stories and explanations of recent or distant history of Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, the rest of the UK, and Ireland. I also grew up on his stories in stand-up. This was a fun and easy read about a beautiful bit of road.

The Orville: Sympathy for the Devil – Seth Macfarlane

I may have avoided the allure of many Doctor Who books, but when I saw that Seth Macfarlane had penned a book from an unproduced episode of The Orville, I got very excited. Reading this in a couple of days during our very hot summer, I sat out in the sun consuming the horrible story of “Otto.” I think it goes without saying but I’ll do so anyway, I highly suggest picking up and reading Sympathy for the Devil right away.

It is very short and very easy to read, but as I said in the review, it is confusing at first. I won’t go into full spoilers, but Sympathy for the Devil follows the story of a young American raised in Germany following World War 1 (“Yes, but what do you mean, one?”) and heading straight into World War 2. The less you know about Sympathy for the Devil, the more impactful the entire story becomes. It is a fantastic addition to season 3 of The Orville and hopefully will lead to more alternative avenues to explore the world of the crew and universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Emissary – J. M. Dillard, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Much like Russell T Davies’ additions to “Rose” many years later, DS9‘s first episode (and many others) got novelizations. This is possibly the best way to fully capture the essence of all those early scenes, as for some stupid reason someone at CBS/Paramount still hasn’t thought to release blu-ray versions of DS9. What is there to say about DS9 that my previous adulation hasn’t already? It is the very best of that 80s-90s Trek with the best captain, the best long-term story, and it is simply the best. The two-part story of Emissary introduces us to the crew and the brilliant Commander Sisko.

Beat for beat, the story recounts the early days on the newly liberated space station Deep Space 9 above Bajor following the Cardassian occupation. It is a great political game of keeping everyone’s favorite Ferengi (aside from Grand Nagus) on the station. He also deals with calming and maintaining the peace with a Bajorian rebel turned envoy to Star Fleet, keeping Miles O’Brian from setting fire to the whole place, and so much more. It doesn’t offer too much in addition to the original material, but the extra detail and more insight into the characters are more than enough for Star Trek fans.

The Devil Wears Prada – Lauren Weisberger

The truth is that I adore Aline Brosh McKenna’s adaptation of Weisberger’s novel. However, despite attempts to previously read it, I’d often stop before the end of the first chapter. I could never connect and push myself through what was a different view of the story I’ve seen countless times. Weisberger’s story is one that is more cynical while also being muted in its “you know who I’m really talking about here” idea. It is a brash push against the world of Vogue and its American editor that Weisberger once worked for. The lighter tone is out in place of bitter hatred.

With a greater focus on the personal life of Andrea, which the work of Runway steadily chips away at, you get a deeper understanding of that hatred for Meryl Streep’s Miranda. Miranda, Andy, and Emily are simply inseparable from their big screen castings for one reason or another. The lengthier bout of cynicism and personal strife might be the biggest downer, and despite Weisberger’s novel of The Devil Wears Prada being rather shallow in terms of an exposé on the business of fashion, there is a reason it was a pot of gold for a much more enjoyable adaptation.

MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors – Richard Hooker

Last year around this time, I was hoping for the sweet release of death from whatever illness decided to wrap itself around me. So, I chose to enlist in watching all of M*A*S*H*. As someone who doesn’t binge-watch TV, getting through all 11 seasons hasn’t been easy for various reasons. Dark by nature, I was foolishly expecting the book to be close to the show, but instead got the displeasure of reading racial slurs or a few walkarounds of that very thing when it’s closer to home. While the pseudonym-ed Hooker (Hiester Richard Hornberger Jr.) nails the tone and sets out a baseline, there is an uneasiness that I have towards the story.

The chemistry of characters and the actually humorous nature of the show put a damper on what you get here. Yes, Hawkeye hates the war and I find myself enchanted by some characters, but Hooker’s version lacks something. That something is beautifully captured in the TV adaptation, and I don’t know exactly what it is. Both are staunchly anti-war and both (of course) have that medical background, but Hooker’s groundwork lacks that perfect cohesion to solidify exactly what makes the Korean war so horrible. Unlike Alan Alda’s charming smile and pained looks, Hooker won’t really make you smirk or cry at the tales of the 4077.

Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm – Jeremy Clarkson

As a fairly cantankerous figure known for his brash and loud persona as a car journalist and TV presenter, according to Twitter Jeremy Clarkson is everything someone my age should hate. I don’t. I disagree with him a lot and it is never more evident than when he goes on one of his “these young people” rants, but I find him funny and someone that is much like everyone you know. He is strong-headed and willing to do whatever he sets his mind to. There is nothing like hearing first-hand accounts of how farming equipment can kill you and an idiot learning to appreciate that work.

Accompanying the show on Prime Video, Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm goes beyond the humorous moments of Jeremy falling down, being told his tractor is too big, Kaleb being Kaleb, and everything else. Similarly to The World According to Clarkson series, each chapter is lifted from his Sunday Times articles. There isn’t much new if you are boring enough to read Rupert Murdoch’s broadsheets. It is a quick and entertaining read, and gives further insight into the love of farming Clarkson has cultivated.

The Final Gambit – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The (not-so-final) novel The Final Gambit is the third book in The Inheritance Games trilogy, which I love oh so much. Lynn Barnes’ story of a teenager on the brink of becoming a billionaire is filled with enough action to make a James Bond film blush. It is endlessly captivating for all the right reasons. There is a puzzle to solve, and a very risky gamble on the part of an old man’s death pulls you along effectively in this “final” installment of Avery’s inheritance story. Eeking out the last few details of the trilogy, I enjoyed The Final Gambit more than its predecessor.

That said, the final couple of chapters tying up Avery’s story left me the same way most endings do, feeling empty and as if there was nothing left to do once the action had stopped. A nice bow to wrap up three books worth of story, the mystery this time feels like a puzzle I’d rather have left unsolved so I could live in this world of teenage fantasy a little longer. Going out with a final bang, The Final Gambit does almost everything right, but when the dust settles I’m left wanting to go back to the attempted murder, scandals, and mystery.

11/22/63 – Stephen King

This is the only book I’ve attempted to reread and this time I finally did it while playing a couple of games. Stephen King’s attempt at a time-traveling adventure is quite possibly one of the best-written pieces of alt-history fiction. I’m not one for the conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of X or Y people throughout history, but that day in Dallas always piques my interest for some reason.

King’s 11/22/63 is something I read via audiobook when I initially attempted to get into reading by any format available, mostly audiobooks. Shawshank, The Shining, and The Green Mile were among my reads that year almost a decade ago, but none stuck quite like the story of Jake Amberson.

Eventually turned into a hastily made Hulu series, King’s fiction hardly ever translates well to the screen big or small. The story of a rabbit hole in a diner never quite left me in the decade since reading it. Looking for an easy listen (that wasn’t a podcast) while pottering away in some games, I once again returned to 1958 to live out the horrors of the janitor, the lover, the docile wife of a murderer, the either known or unknown threat on JFK’s life, and the disgusting little creep.

The reason King’s 11/22/63 works so well, beyond the rose-tinted nostalgia that even those not born for another 30 years would have, is how stripped back and simple he made the entire concept. Too easy to overcomplicate, King executes the story beautifully.

Empires of Eve: A History of the Great Wars of Eve – Andrew Groen

Hear me out, Empires of Eve is possibly the best bit of sci-fi I’ve ever read. It is a non-fiction piece of coverage about the immersive portion of the very boring space MMO Eve Online, but the way journalist Andrew Groen acts as war correspondent between each battle makes Empires of Eve something special. Illustrating the scale and absolute sincerity of those he’s talking to, Groen paints the world of Eve in such a vivid picture you wonder why no one else talks about such a game as much. It is an MMO so it is spreadsheet central, and that is why you haven’t thought to play it for yourself.

Unlike Eve itself, or the very earnest ads you see during the likes of the PC Gaming Show at E3, Groen makes this entire idea of Eve or even Star Citizen sound exciting. It sounds like fiction at times, some of the best bits of sci-fi where two sides talk about their genuine disgruntled nature towards each other. As I’ve said here and elsewhere, I love fictional politics when it is done well. That’s all this is, space politics in an MMO where real people are annoyed.

That’s my year, for the most part. Not all of them are for everyone, but maybe you’ve found something that might excite you just a little to pick up or read from your TBR.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!