Top-Five Reads of 2012: #1 Jeff Lemire's SWEET TOOTH

I love this series so much that it’s not even right. But considering that I’ve already ranted and raved about it, instead of spewing even more fanboy nonsense, I offer a short list of books that barely missed the top five.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

• Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
• I loved, loved, loved the writing in this book. It is simply too beautiful and haunting. This is, most definitely, how someone should build a setting/general location and bring it wholly and fully to life.
• Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
• The film entertained me well enough, but it didn’t blow me away. So I was more than a bit surprised that the novel is nothing short of amazing. The writing is so solid, it moves at a perfect fast-pace, and it’s so full of energy and insight that it’s almost impossible to put the damn thing down.
• Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
• More than anything, the language and writing itself is what made me like this book so much. Story-wise, it works on a basic level and kept me reading, but the writing is so gorgeous that it’s more than a bit enviable.
• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 & 2 by Alan Moore, Kevin O’Neill (Illustrator)
• Many in the comics’ world consider Moore the God of Comics, and it’s not surprising. So far, everything I’ve read of his is simply mind-blowing. These two books are most excellent reads on so many different levels that I can’t even begin to discuss them in such a short spot. Also, if you want the perfect example of an anti-hero, Moore has done WAY too good a job with his rendition of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde than should have been allowed. (The art, too, is all sorts of joy and joyness.)

• I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly, J. M. Ken Nimura, (Illustrator)

o This is how magical realism should be done. The metaphor works beautifully, and it really ends up being a very heart-wrenching read. One that takes a long time to leave the ol’ noggin.

• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• There is just enough about this book that bothers me to keep it from the top-five, but it is close. It is super entertaining. And, really, if you’re into MMORPGs, the 80s, or videogames at all, you MUST read this thing. In the end, I think the plot trumps the theme, but it’s such a fun and enjoyable read that it’s hard not to love every page.

Top-Five Reads of 2012: #2 Stephen Graham Jones' DEMON THEORY

This was one of the first books that I read this year, way back in January, yet I’ve continued to think about it from time to time. Anything that lingers that long deserves a high place in my eyes, as too, too much is forgettable.

Even more, this is the first book that I've ever "Not wanted to put down." Part One of this book sucked me in, sank its gargoyle fangs into my neck, and wouldn't let me stop reading until I reached Part Two. Really, I read that whole first chunk (also probably because there are no “official” chapter breaks) in one evening/night. Though, it might’ve been the fact that I couldn’t stop chewing my already nubbins of fingernails down even further.

I loved the tone, right from the get go. It felt like a well-versed tribute to the horror genres of old. It felt like a “thinking man’s” horror story, and that’s what pushes it above and beyond a regular “scary” story—especially with all the film references. I was giddy with all the allusions and footnotes and explanations peppered throughout the novel. Each new note either made me feel smart for already knowing the reference, or if I didn’t know what the hell Jones was talking about, then I liked learning the explanations.

Film nerdiness aside, the fast-pace, playfulness, frightening moments, and the twisting of basic horror-genre tropes dug their claws deeper into my “Don’t put this book down” impulse. The pace helped keep that sensation alive, too. The novel clips along at a wonderful pace but still doesn’t forget to take the time for a few jokes—some darker than others, but always amusing. And Jones pays tribute to and pulls from every film out there, while at the same time builds something very original—and something that I would love to see hit the big screen in the full, trilogy form (though that might take away from that “thinking man” feel.)

Basically, if you’re into horror, you need to read this book. And if you simply like a scary story, then this is just as much for you. I’ll admit, I don’t normally read much by way of horror or scary stories—and I hardly watch many such films anymore—but if more folks wrote like Jones, then I’d be more than willing to wade through all the blood and gore.