Jolabokaflod

There is a tradition among my people (writers) of taking to social media before the holidays to remind everyone that books make great gifts.

There is a tradition in Iceland called Jolabokaflod, which is a Christmas Eve book exchange. On Christmas Eve books are given as gifts and then everyone reads into the night. My family adopted this tradition a few years back and we’ve found that it’s excellent. I don’t know if the books combat seasonal depression, but they help mightily to distract from it. 

My newest book is available in a handy stocking stuffer sized paperback. If you have a fantasy lover or a Dungeons and Dragons player on your list, these new short stories or last years book might be perfect for them. The book that it is a follow up to is available in paperback as well.

If you’re trying to avoid Amazon, my novels are all available at Omnium Gatherum. Or if you want some scifi horror and are lazy like me and however well intentioned you are you end up at Amazon anyway you can find them here: The Whisperer in Dissonance, End Times at Ridgemont High, Four Corners. 

And of course as much as I like people to read my books, Jolabokaflod isn’t about me. So here are some recommendations from what I’ve read this year:

The best novel I’ve read this year is The City That We Became by NK Jemisin. I liked it so much I immediately read her Broken Earth trilogy which is excellent, one can see why those books each won the Hugo for their respective years. 

The best non fiction I’ve read is Mike Duncan’s biography of Lafayette. Patrick Wyman’s The Verge was also excellent and probably more relavent to the period I’m most interested in at the moment. 

One of the best scifi series I’ve read in awhile concluded this year. The Envoys Series from Peter J Aldin is some excellent action scifi. 

I didn’t read as many anthologies as I normally read, but this one had so much good content, it felt like the old “if you read only one anthology this year…” 

The book I’ve been meaning to read is SP Miskowski’s Stranger is the Night. Miskowksi’s prose are always excellent and she has a tremendous ability to write creepy stories that are a tremendous joy to read. 

Speaking of books I’ve had on my list that I’m planning to get to soon, and if you’re looking for some good nonfiction, check out The New Peplum, edited by Nicolas Diak. 

There are probably too many to list here, but I hope everyone exchanges plenty of books and has a great Jolabokaflod.