We were going to start this last month, being January and all, but life got in the way. Anyway, we’re trying something new here at the Pulps, a monthly reading list. The first month went about as well as our “dry January” did, but hey, here’s February.
Gunshine State — Andrew Nette
We’re big fans of Andrew Nette (aka Pulp Curry) here at the Pulps. He has a great collection of non-fiction pulp-history books as well as some fun short stories. This novel, Gunshine State, features Gary Chance a former Australian army driver, ex-bouncer, and thief. If you’re into the Richard Stark Parker books, this one’s up your alley.
Mort Kunstler: The Godfather of Pulp Fiction Illustrators — Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle
Not exactly a “novel,” but Bob Deis over at menspulpmags.com has some great coffee table books, this one featuring our favorite pulp artist, Mort Künstler.
Castle in the Air — Donald E. Westlake
There isn’t a Westlake book I haven’t loved. We’ve said it before, he’s your favorite writer’s favorite writer. Hard Case Crime was nice enough to send us an advanced copy of this one which was re-printed this year. The cover is by Paul Mann, who’s work is phenomenal.
I absolutely loved this book. I read it in like three days, couldn’t put it down.
The Godwulf Manuscript — Robert B. Parker
Robert B. Parker updated the Private Detective genre in the 70s with Spenser, a Boston-based PI and ex-boxer. This is the first in the series.
Skeleton Crew: Stories — Stephen King
I like to read short stories as a palate cleanser, especially after a long or dense book. This collection of Stephen King short stories is great — as all Stephen King short story collections are.
The Terminal List — Jack Carr
As Stephen King said in On Writing, “Write what you know.” Well, former Navy SEAL turned author Jack Carr has a series centered around SEAL Lieutenant Commander James Reece. This is the first in a great series. If you’re a fan of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, or David Morrell — these books are for you.
It’s also going to be an Amazon TV show starring Chris Pratt, so you might want to catch up if you’re like me and like reading the book before watching it on screen.
You can find all of these books in our online bookshop, where we have other collections like Hardboiled Crime novels we love and True Crime.
