Despite how much reading I did this year, I gotta be honest that very little of it was actually published in 2021. So, because of this fact, I'm going to condense this down to a single list that contains all three.

With no further adieu, I present the Kevin's 7 Words '21 list! Oh, and much like last year, the text accompanying these entries is the review I wrote of the book for Goodreads, unless otherwise indicated.

7. Batman, vol. 3: Ghost Stories by James Tynion IV and Guillem March, James Stokoe, Carlo Pagulayan, and David Baron

In the days and months after the Joker War, a new threat has arisen in Gotham City, acolytes who wear Joker masks causing pandemonium on the streets. On their tail is a vigilante named Clownhunter. On his tail is a crime fighter named Ghost Maker. And on his tail is Ghost Hunter’s former friend and training partner Batman. It’s a long line of vigilantes hunting vigilantes hunting vigilantes. But it’s a decent story offering an alternate take on Batman’s backstory.

I enjoyed it and really got a kick out of the side story featuring the owner/operator of a free public clinic who is protected by both Batman and the people on the streets who know and love her. And the art is by James Stokoe, one of my faves.

6. Shadecraft by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett

Zadie Lu seems like your typical teenager. She goes to school. She has a small group of close friends. She has issues with her parents. Oh, but her brother was in an accident that has left him comatose and no one knows if he will ever get better.

One day, Zadie, who is pretty easily startled, particularly by shadows, discovers that shadows are starting to follow her. What is their purpose and why her??

Joe Henderson creates very interesting and unique characters in the books I've read by him so far and Lee Garbett's art always captures that vision perfectly. I really enjoyed reading about Zadie and the new weirdness that has manifested itself in her life. I can't wait for the next volume. Whenever it happens.

5. Brat: An 80s Story by Andrew McCarthy

Continuing on with my current love of memoirs and biographies, I’m apparently expanding from just music to entertainment in general. I’d heard good things about this autobiography of 80’s Brat Packer Andrew McCarthy and wanted to check it out. It didn’t disappoint. I don’t want to get into the details suffice it to say I got a lot more from it than I expected. But my one letdown was that I actually wanted more. At a mere five hours of audiobook time, this could’ve been so much more.

4. Batman: White Knight presents Harley Quinn by Katana Collins and Matteo Scalera

In the wake of some very explicit violence in previous White Knight storylines by Sean Murphy, the criminal backbone of Gotham City has been broken and the city is seeing some semblance of peace. Until, that is a new criminal rises.

Dr. Harleen Quinzel, the villain formerly known as Harley Quinn, has special ties to this new villain so her advice and insight is sought by the GTO in hopes of ending the new reign of terror before it gets too bad. But Harley has demons of her own she must face and slay before she can truly help the GTO.

I love Murphy's White Knight line of comics. The stories are interesting and highly accessible even to the layest of Batman fans. And he has totally transformed Harley into one of my favorite comic characters ever. His interpretation is fantastic and easily my favorite version.

But, I have to point out that this particular storyline is only PRESENTED by Sean Murphy. The story is actually written by his wife, romance novelist Katana Collins. And she knocks it out of the park. It's obvious she understands Harley and her motivations and I really hope she returns for a second go at the character.

3. Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion by Tom Beaujour

Nöthin’ But a Good Time is the oral history of the rise and fall of 1980s hard rock bands. Told from the point of view of those who were actually involved, there are interview snippets from probably close to 100 personalities covering musicians, producers, managers, and other industry insiders making up this book and it’s very well edited together. Each chapter or section highlights (but doesn’t limit itself to) a single band or aspect of the genre like life on the Sunset Strip, struggling to get noticed, touring, clothing, hair, drugs, etc. And it’s all so damned insightful. I loved it and tore through it.

My only lament was that the audiobook had such a limited cast of voice actors. Two of them, in fact, to provide the voices of all the personalities contained therein. I truly wish they had gotten the actual people to read their parts, much like Dave Mustaine’s Rust in Peace.

2. Billy Summers by Stephen King

Billy Summers is a hitman. For the right price, he will make your problem disappear. However, he has rules. And the one big rule is that the target must be a bad person who deserves what's coming to them. Think Dexter... a killer with (somewhat of) a heart of gold. So when Billy is hired for "one last job" prior to retirement to off a hitman who unjustly hit a bunch of people, he had no problem accepting the deal.

But, in anticipation of when and where he is expected to conduct the hit, he must live amongst the people in the small midwestern town where the target's trial is to be held. The question is simply when. So, live amongst them he does. But then he starts to establish roots despite knowing that his newfound life will be thrown into upheaval and those who have come to know and trust him will suddenly doubt everything they know about everything.

Billy Summers is a pretty interesting character study and, despite never living as a hitman myself, I actually took interest in his life and how things are affecting him.

Oh, did I mention that all this is only the first third of the book? There's so much more. Give it a shot.

and...

1. Later by Stephen King

[new commentary] I can't even remember the last time I read two Stephen King books within the same half decade, let alone the same year and then to have both wind up in the 1 and 2 spots on my list? Yeah, I enjoyed them both that much. And, yet, they are two completely different books. One is a suspense and horror tale told from the point of view of a child who sees dead people (Later), while the other is a thriller told by a hitman with no element of horror whatsoever (Billy Summers).

Young Jamie Conklin lives alone with his mother who runs a failing publishing house in NYC. One day, when their elderly neighbor's wife dies, Jamie discovers he can still see and talk to her. At least briefly, until her spirit leaves this world forever. But, while she's here, she is obligated to answer all of Jamie's questions honestly.

When Jamie reveals this to his mother, she believes him in as much as a mother is obligated to believe her child. Then, when her golden goose author dies before finishing the final novel in his decades-long series, Jamie's mom, in utter desperation, decides to see if there's any truth to her son's claims. So she and Jamie, accompanied by her girlfriend, an NYC cop on the outs with her superiors, go to the author's home to see if Jamie can contact him and find out the plot of the final novel. From there, its all downhill for Jamie as his abilities get used for progressively more sinister purposes.

I loved this book! The characters. The story. The brevity. Everything about it was sheer perfection. I highly recommend it.

What were your top books of the year?