7 Great Books Coming out in 2019 To Howl At the Moon At
We’re going to stray from the pack, carve out our own literary niche, and try to hide the fireworks and the Corona bottles, so the IT crowd doesn’t peg us as a party crasher in their circle jerk. Why aren’t we going to slap you silly with the types of books Oprah and her cabal peddle? Mainly because that beehive is overrun with politically correct dung-beetles with egos the size of the States and attitudes that scream:
“The world is too horrible. We have to change. Hold hands and reenact that Coca Cola Commercial from the ’70s.”
Bunch of sissies if you ask me. Sure, their books will open up your cerebellum and make you, perhaps, get in touch with your better angels, but, just like the film the English Patient - not to mention the novel -, most will bore you to the point of contemplating suicide. Most in-fused with their own party line, their own rhetoric, their own “ism” clawing out from their book jackets strangling you with their mantra.
So, we skipped the normal fare and decided that an Iconic Man should read, well whatever catches his fancy. If you’re into classical works of fiction, then by all means dig that section. If you’re into comics and graphic novels, then don’t you dare pass over the ongoing Batman epic scribbled by ex-CIA spook, Tom King or Marvel’s War Of The Realm Crossover. An Iconic Man should swim against the currents of mainstream and simply have a blast while he’s gala-vanting around.
An Iconic Man should be sure of who he is. There are no guilty pleasures for an Iconic Man, just pleasures.
So, here are the top books coming out in 2019… Max’s list. They might not be socially conscious. They might not be culturally relevant. They might not be Politically Correct. They might not be penned by outcasts, laureates and poets, and big wig award winners… BUT THEY SURE AS HELL ARE FUN.
Monster Hunter Guardian
Larry Correia & Sarah Hoyt
It’s gory, it’s pulp, it’s action-packed, it’s a Summer Blockbuster film crammed in 500 or so pages… it’s a freaking blast. Larry Correia is a suffer no fools, hard as nails gun instructor with a nerd playing paddy cake in his heart. All his books, so far, have shot to the top of best-seller lists fueled by the napalm that leaks from their ink splattered pages. The Monster Hunter International Series can easily be summed up as:
Black Hawk Down with things that go bump in the night.
Filled with humor, great characters, rip-roaring action pieces, and an encyclopedia’s worth of myths and urban tales. I simply can’t wait for this installment, cause all, so far, have been a riot.
The Institute
Stephen King
It’s Stephen King, period. If anyone has his “you know what” wired tight is mister Pen-nywise himself. Sure, I could come at you with a horror novel that doesn’t bang you on the nose and make you say: “well, that’s un-original. I wanted someone new,” but why bother? King’s books have the following things in common: you can’t put their ginormous weight down; you will have troubled sleeping once you get into the groove; he will dissect the most tangible char-acters; they will feel like small breathing ecosystems; and the ending will be rushed and often-times messy.
The Institute is his new book, a real hush-hush deal, that has been described as:
“As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The In-stitute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.”
Chicago Tribune.
No Sunscreen For The Dead
Tim Dorsey
The newest entry in the ever insane Serge Storm’s series. You know you have something worth checking out when the publisher and author proudly state:
“One of our most loyal fan bases is the prison inmate population.”
Tim Dorsey
Tim Dorsey is the equivalent of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard on crack and doing Jell-O shots, and his main character Serge is every male’s ideal come to life. He’s an off his leach, bedding all kinds of honey with just a wink, gun toting, take no lip, tropical shirt wearing, des-perado with a heart of gold.
Each book a wacky comic masterpiece filled to the top with Florida arcana, irreverent action pieces, and social commentary… Not to mention the truck-load of off their rocker char-acters and stoner philosophy. If you pass this one off, then you’ll never let Coleman into your life, and, more importantly, never get his alcohol filled savant tips. Tips like the recipe for Tor-pedo Juice and how to keep your beer cool on the beach.
Will you take a hard left on a saga with such primo opening shots like?
“A prosthetic leg with a Willie Nelson bumper sticker washed ashore on the beach, which meant it was Florida. Then it got weird.”
King Of Joy
Richard Chiem
Has been hailed by the LA Times as “The writer to watch.” He’s a relative newcomer, but he’s hitting the mean literary streets with a sledgehammer and penchant for taking no prison-ers. His latest book is an off the walls insane trek through the world of seedy pornographers and personal demons. A meditation on grief, emotional and physical turmoil; it’s a harsh novel and one you have to take in stride, but worth every word.
Stay Up With Hugo Best
Erin Somer
When the likes of Carl Hiaasen goes:
“I was honestly surprised to find so many funny one-liners in a novel with the unlikely subject of comedy…”
You simply want to go to your nearest books store and hand over a wad of cash.
Erin Somer’s “Stay Up With Hugo Best” is one of those books I haven’t read but can’t wait to sink my teeth in. The book jacket’s blur alone with “beloved TV icon and notorious woman-izer” not to mention “retirement party” and “no funny business” text makes you want to grab a copy and a six-pack.
Winds Of Winter (MAYBE)
George R.R. Martin
Why maybe? Well because George R.R. Martin’s planned sixth novel in the epic fantasy series “A Song Of Fire And Ice”, also known as HBO’s “Game Of Thrones”, has been slowly cooking in the barbecue since 2010. The man soccer kicking the book around the pitch and eve-ry-so-often promising that it’s at the end-stage, only to go:
“Made you look…”
Since he’s publicly claimed that the writing “has been going very well lately”, will 2019 be the year? Will that the world ultimately get a gander at Winds Of Winter? Fingers crossed.
Or are we just stoking our hearts while he’s getting his Nelson impression down to an art form?
Hollywood's Eve: Eve Babitz and the Secret History of L.A.
Lili Anolik
Eve Babitz was the IT girl of the Los Angeles scene during the late 70’s. She had the pulse of the heroin soaked streets. Doing renditions of the beast with two backs with Jim Morrison, playing naked chess with Marcel Duchamp, designing album covers for the likes of Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds.
“Culturally, L.A. has always been a humid jungle alive with seething L.A. projects that I guess people from other places just can't see. It takes a certain kind of innocence to like L.A., anyway. It requires a certain plain happiness inside to be happy in L.A., to choose it and be happy here. When people are not happy, they fight against L.A. and say it's a "wasteland" and other helpful descriptions.”
Eve Babitz
This gripping and captivating biography is the arresting page-turner you’ve been hunt-ing for.
The Rest
There are dozens of certified lists out there in the digital ether from critics, lit-mayors and the occasional high-roller of the trendsetting nature on how you should sacrifice your time to the book gods. Most of the books, novels and essay and whatnots on said list have still to hit the shelves - digital or physical - so it stands to reason that these paragons, like myself, have a time machine stashed away in their backyard shed.
Still, I’m going to pen down the books that keep popping up, over and over, on these hallowed lists; the ones that for one reason or another have been handpicked by everyone with a pedigree and taste on the subject. Mind you, I’m not putting my head on the chopping board for these word collectors, but they seem to have the head-honchos up in Oprah’s Club, Esquire and other publication in a positively sexual froth.
- The New Me by Halle Butler.
- The Silk Road by Kathryn Davis.
- The Reign of the Kingfisher by T.J. Martinson.
- Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
- If, Then by Kate Hope Day.
- The Bird King by G. Willow.
- Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.
- American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson.
- The Raven Tower by Ann Leckle.
Some might not be the cream of the literary strudel, some might pack a ginormous amount of empty calories and high fructose gibberish, but all are simply delicious. These are the books to watch out for on this year. Grab a six-pack, grab a bag of Doritos, or grab fine Merlot, but more importantly grab one of these books. Start them off in bed or in the bathroom, and watch out as they sink their teeth and suck your chronological clock dry… Each one hogging all your time and sometimes your weekend… But trust me, even though you might turn your friends away and shrug at Netflix’s next binge worthy fare, you’ll thank me at the end.
Leave a shout out below. Let me know what books are on your scope for this year. let me know who’s your favorite Stephen King character. Let me know what Tim Dorsey bar tidbit from rocking’ Serge you most remember. Leave a comment and, I don’t know, let me know anything… Like Jon Snow, I really know nothing… so fill me in on the inside Iconic score.
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Travelers, snake-charmer, writer, Shakespeare’s guro. Purveyor and collector of cool stuff.