2024 Booklog

Well, the end of the year snuck up on me. So I guess here is the final list of titles read for 2024. Over the winter break I began and continued a few others, but didn't finish anything further.

I'm not sure I care to pick a book of the year, but I'll go ahead and call it The End and the Death Volume III, the capstone of the Horus Heresy series. It was definitely momentous. For a runner-up, I'll say Hand of Abaddon by Nick Kyme, which was a lot of fun, also. Special shout out to John Gray's The New Leviathans, one of the few dalliances into non-fiction I've taken lately, aside from articles online.

The Hunt for Vulkan by David Annandale

The Beast Must Die by Gav Thorpe

White Dwarf 483

White Scars: A Codex Space Marines Supplement

Warhammer: The Horus Heresy - Liber Mechanicum

The End and the Death Volume III by Dan Abnett

White Dwarf 484

White Dwarf 485

The Art of the Horus Heresy

The New Leviathans by John Gray

Watchers in Death by David Annandale

The Last Son of Dorn by David Guymer

Shadow of Ullanor by Rob Sanders

White Dwarf 486

The Beheading by Guy Haley

The Verdict of the Scythe by David Annandale

White Dwarf 487

Sanguinius: The Great Angel by Chris Wraight

Inquisitor: The War for the Emperor's Soul

Resurrection: The Horusian Wars

White Dwarf 488

White Dwarf 489

White Dwarf 490

White Dwarf 491

War Zone Octarius: Book 1: Rising Tide

War Zone Octarius: Book 2: Critical Mass

Arks of Omen: Vashtorr

Dawn of Fire: Hand of Abaddon by Nick Kyme

Defragmentation by Nick Kyme

White Dwarf 492

Prologue to Nikaea by David Annandale

The Prisoner by Graham McNiell

Dread Night by Nick Kyme

Crucible by John French

Kaldor Draigo: Knight of Titan by L J Goulding

Sacrifice by Ben Counter

Witness by Joe Parrino

Maledictus by David Annandale

True Name by David Annandale

Incorruptible by David Annandale

The Mourning Tower by David Annandale

Solemnity by Nick Kyme

2022 Reading

White Dwarf 467
Prophecy of the Wolf

Codex: Necrons

Severed

White Dwarf 468

Codex: Astra Militarum

White Dwarf 469

Codex: Craftworlds

Mark of Faith

Wolf King

War Zone Nachmund: Vigilus Alone

Wolves of Fenris

Battle of the Fang

The Hunt for Magnus

White Dwarf 470

Fist of the Imperium

Sigismund: The Eternal Crusader

Dawn of Fire: Throne of Light

The Divine Instrument

White Dwarf 471

Sanguine

War Zone Nachmund: Rift War

Vaults of Terra: The Hollow Mountain

The Librarian’s Acolyte

Fearful Symmetries

The Brightest and Best

A Small Cog

White Dwarf 472

Cthonia’s Reckoning

Watchers of the Throne: The Regent’s Shadow

The Caligari Archivum: Burden

I am Slaughter

Vaults of Terra: The Dark City

The Siege of Terra: Echoes of Eternity

Fabius Bile: Primogenitor

Fire & Blood

Predator, Prey 

White Dwarf 473

Prodigal

The Horus Heresy Book One: Betrayal

The Iron Without

Renegades: Harrowmaster

Prince of Blood

The Path Unclear

White Dwarf 474

Fabius Bile: Clonelord

Confession of Pain

Aria Arcana

White Dwarf 475

And so another year of tons and tons of Black Library (Warhammer) fiction draws to an end. I did also plow through GRRM's Fire & Blood, which I highly enjoyed.

Book of the Year has to go to The Siege of Terra: Echoes of Eternity, hands down. 

I'll give my Honorable Mention status to both Fire & Blood and Watchers of the Throne: The Regent's Shadow, which stuck with me in the time since reading it more than most of these.

2021 Review and Awards

Games Played In 2021

AVSEQ

Aeronautica Imperialis: Flight Command
Animal Crossing New Horizon
Art of Rally
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia
Assassin's Creed Origins
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear
Bastion
Blood Bowl 2
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Crystalis
Diablo II Resurrected
Elite: Dangerous
Endless Legend
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Final Fantasy XIV
Forza Horizon 3
Grand Theft Auto V
Halo Infinite
Hunt: Showdown
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Metal Gear Solid
Might & Magic VI
Might & Magic X - Legacy
Project Triangle Strategy
Quake
Receiver
STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl
Shenzhen I/O
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Skyrim
Tetris 99
The Elder Srolls III: Morrowind
The Horus Heresy: Legions
The Signal from Tolva
The Ultimate Doom
The Witness
Total War: Shogun 2
Twilight Struggle
Valheim
Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Warhammer Underworlds Online
Wilmot's Warehouse

Books Read In 2021

Alpharius: Head of the Hydra
Amor Fati
Ashes of Prospero
Auric Gods
Blood of the Emperor
Bloodhowl
By Your Command
Call of the Pack
Codex Adeptus Astartes: Grey Knights
Codex Supplement: Traitor Legions
Codex Supplement: Ultramarines
Codex: Grey Knights (2021)
Codex: Imperial Knights
Dark Imperium: Godblight
Dawn of Fire: The Gate of Bones
Dawn of Fire: The Wolftime
Dominion
Eater of Dreams
Endurance
How to Paint: Silver Templars
Imperator: Wrath of the Omnissiah
Inferno! Presents: The Inquisition
Knights of Macragge
Luther: First of the Fallen
Mortarion's Heart
Mortis
Pariah
Penitent
Psychic Awakening: Engine War
Psychic Awakening: Phoenix Rising
Psychic Awakening: Saga of the Beast
Psychic Awakening: The Collected Fiction
Rites of Passage
Sanctuary and Sacrifice
Serpents of Ardemis
Storm of Iron
The Ghost Halls
The Gildar Rift
The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook
The Labyrinth of Lost Souls
The Lords of Silence
The Tyrant's Champion
Titanicus
Unification
Vaults of Terra: Argent
Vaults of Terra: The Carrion Throne
War of Secrets
War Zone Charadon Act I: The Book of Rust
War Zone Charadon Act II: The Book of Fire
Warhammer 40,000: Titan
Warhawk
White Dwarf 458
White Dwarf 459
White Dwarf 460
White Dwarf 461
White Dwarf 462
White Dwarf 463
White Dwarf 464
White Dwarf 465
White Dwarf 466

I guess I've played some games over the last year, probably mostly on a whim or for the purposes of podcasting. 

GOTY: Warhammer 40,000 Battlesector

Honorable Mention: Valheim

I've continued to do a ton of reading in 2021, which is awesome. I probably should read more non-fiction, though. I may consider that a new year's resolution.

BOTY: Warhawk by Chris Wraight

Honorable Mention: Alpharius: Head of the Hydra by Mike Brooks, Penitent by Dan Abnett

2020 In Reading

 I have continued to voraciously consume Warhammer lore, in various forms, in 2020, and almost the entirety of this list is made up of such. Many of these are short stories I recorded individually, some are novels, some are complations of short stories, some are magazines, some are lore or rules supplements for the tabletop game, et cetera.

I don't really know how to express all of this in 'books read' or anything, nor do I have a wordcount, but the day this year when I haven't been reading something has been rare. And I feel like that is a good thing! So, here's to more of that going forward into 2021. If I have one resolution, it would be to read more non-fiction, as well. History, especially.

From this massive list below, I'd like to choose a book of the year, and it must fall to Dan Abnett's Saturnine, the incredible fourth novel in the Horus Heresy: Siege of Terra series. Other highlights include Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Spear of the Emperor, Chris Wraight's Valdor: Birth of the Imperium and Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor's Legion, Guy Haley's Devastation of Baal and Dawn of Fire: Avenging Son, Graham McNeill's Sons of the Selenar and Fury of Magnus, and oh, I'll stop now. Suffice it to say there is some really good stuff being written for Warhammer properties! 

Psychic Awakening: Blood of Baal

White Dwarf 457

Bitter End

The Lightning Hall

Sacrifice

Primary Instinct

But Dust In The Wind

Exhumed

His Will

Heart of Rage

Codex Supplement: Iron Hands

Embers of Extinction

The Serpent’s Dance

White Dwarf 456

The Infinite and the Divine

Index Astartes Renegade Space Marine Chapters

Index Astartes Alpha Legion

White Dwarf 455

Honourbound

The Darkling Hours

Fire and Thunder

Trials

A Company of Shadows

Execution

Psychic Awakening: Sanguine

Psychic Awakening: The Shadow

Psychic Awakening: The Weak and the Strong

Psychic Awakening: Chase the Wind

Psychic Awakening: The Power of Belief

Psychic Awakening: Keeping Order

Psychic Awakening: A Test of Faith

Psychic Awakening: Into the Void

Psychic Awakening: The Gift of Hope

Psychic Awakening: The Path

The Walking Dead (Whisperer War to end)

Codex: Space Marines (2020)

Lion El'Jonson: Lord of the First

First Legion

Fury of Magnus

A Witch's Fate

Dawn of Fire: Avenging Son

The Funeral

Voices in the Glass

Miracles

Runner

The Shadow Crown

Mud and Mist

The Thing in the Woods

A Deep and Steady Tread

Skin Man

Vox Daemonicus

Psychic Awakening: Ritual of the Damned

These Hands, These Wings

A Threnody for Kolchev

Suffer the Vision

Hab Fever Lockdown

The Summons of Shadows

Flesh and Blood

A Sending from the Grave

From the Halls, the Silence

Supplication

The Growing Seasons

Blood Sacrifice

The Healer

Stitches

He Feasts Forever

The Confession of Convict Kline

The Hunt

The Nothings

The Marauder Lives

A Darksome Place

Triggers

The Last Ascension of Dominic Seroff

Predation of the Eagle

The Long Games at Carcharias

Last of the Blood

The Chapo Guide to Revolution

No Good Deed

The Widow Tide

Nepenthe

Our Lord on Terra

Indomitus

Black Library: The Art of Warhammer 40,000

Black Dawn

Psychic Awakening: Pariah

The Edge of Silence

The Rewards of Tolerance

Runes

Daemonifuge

The Wonderworker

White Dwarf 454

The Devastation of Baal

Psychic Awakening: War of the Spider

Warhammer 40,000 Comics from Titan Publishing

Codex: Adeptus Custodes

Psychic Awakening: For Every End, a Beginning

Psychic Awakening: Consequences

Psychic Awakening: A Traitor's Trust

Devourer

The Word of the Silent King

Valdor: Birth of the Imperium

Codex Supplement: White Scars

Codex: Space Marines

At Gaius Point

Orphans of the Kraken

The Trial of the Mantis Warriors

The Last Detail

Consequences

The Returned

Twelve Wolves

The Teller of Tales

The God's Son

White Dwarf 453

White Dwarf 452

The First Primaris

Son of the Storm World

Blood Guilt

Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor's Legion

White Dwarf 451

Saturnine

Hunt for Voldorius

Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good

The Will of the Legion

Celestine: The Living Saint

Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter

White Dwarf 450

Spear of the Emperor

Sons of the Selenar

Sammael: Lord of the Eternal Hunt

Kor'sarro Khan: Huntmaster

White Dwarf (December)

Blood of Iax

White Dwarf (November)

Angron: Slave of Nuceria

Kill Team Annual 2019

2019 BOTY

I've continued to do quite a lot of reading in 2019. Here's what I have recorded as hobby/leisure relevant:

Corax: Lord of Shadows
White Dwarf (October)
The First Wall
Psychic Awakening: Faith and Fury
White Dwarf (September)
Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Ablaze
White Dwarf (August)
Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work
Apocalypse
Codex Heretic Astartes: Daemonkin
Codex Adeptus Astartes: Vanguard Space Marines
Shadowspear
Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Defiant
White Dwarf (July)
Savage Scars
Forsaken
How To Paint Space Marines
The Lost and the Damned
White Dwarf (June)
The Last Hunt
White Dwarf (May)
The Bloodied Rose
Mercy
Requiem Infernal
Macragge's Honour
White Dwarf (Apr)
Blood Oath
Legends of the Dark Millennium: Astra Militarum
White Dwarf (Mar)
The Solar War
A Company of Shadows
Endurance
White Dwarf (Feb)
Vigilus Ablaze shorts
Shadowspear shorts
Vigilus Defiant shorts
In the Grim Darkness
A Flash of Silver Among the Corroded Ghosts
The Wonderworker
The Buried Dagger
Ghost of Nuceria
Scions of the Emperor
Lantern's Light
Vulkan: Lord of Drakes
Bringer of Sorrow
Titandeath
White Dwarf (Jan)
The Herald of Doom
Warhammer 40,000 7th Ed. The Rules
Warhammer 40,000 7th Ed. Dark Millennium

That's 50 separate entries! These are a mixture of novels, short story anthologies, individual short stories and novellas, magazines, Codexes and campaign books, et cetera. That's a lot of Warhammer! I still have a lot to go, as well.

Highlights:

Book of the Year: Requiem Infernal
Honorable Mention: The Solar War/The Lost and the Damned/The First Wall

Peter Fehevari's Requiem Infernal was grim, and dark, and intensely interesting. I think it transcends the setting, as well. This could and should be enjoyed by anyone who likes dark fantasy, sci-fi, or horror fiction, as it's a mix of all three.

There's no way I could choose just one Siege of Terra novel as an Honorable Mention. They're all three great, and as a whole so far this sub-series has a different feel to it than the Horus Heresy series proper.

Overall I had another year packed full of reading about Warhammer (along with a lot of unremarkable non-fiction articles and such that I won't bang on about). I'm already started into 2020, as well, in the middle of one short story anthology and about to begin another novel.

Past years' totals:

2018: 40ish
2017: 20
2016: 20ish
2015: 4ish
2014: 18
2013: 9

2018 Books of the Year

I did a whole lot of reading in 2018. Nearly all of it was Warhammer related, though there were a few other books sprinkled in, some of which remain unfinished as yet.

Book of the Year: Slaves to Darkness
Honorable Mention: The Talon of Horus/Black Legion

I picked two Honorable Mentions last year, so why not. Aaron Dembski-Bowden's exploration of the emblematic Heretic Astartes faction is fantastic. I only had to give the BOTY nod to Slaves to Darkness for just how epic and primarch-studded it was.

This is a list of works I finished, including novels, short stories, and non-fiction books, with no real regard to how long any of them were, only that they were discrete purchases or documents. It makes a modicum of sense to me, at least.

There are 61 titles here in all:

Warhammer 40,000 7th Ed. A Galaxy of War
A Rose Watered With Blood
Getting Started With Warhammer 40,000
The Last Council
Child of Chaos
Champion of Oaths
The Atonement of Fire
A Lesson in Iron
Abyssal
Old Wounds, New Scars
Two Metaphysical Blades
Prologue to Nikaea
Warhammer 40,000 Campaign: Crusade of Fire
Restorer
Grandfather's Gift
Sons of the Emperor
Spear of Ultramar
Dreadwing
Heralds of the Siege
Dark Imperium: Plague War
Spelunky
Heroes of the Space Marines
The Armour of Fate
Warhammer 40,000 Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch
Warhammer 40,000 Codex Chaos Space Marines 2002
Warhammer 40,000 Codex Assassins 1999
Warhammer 40,000 Codex Space Marines 1998
The Last Son of Prospero
Treacheries of the Space Marines
Soft & Cuddly
Kingdom Hearts II
Jaghatai Khan: Warhawk of Chogoris
Slaves to Darkness
Sons of the Hydra
Unearthed
Truth Is My Weapon
We Are One
Hunted
Abaddon: Chosen of Chaos
Extinction
Born of Flame
Shroud of Night
The Red Path
Kharn: Eater of Worlds
The Weakness of Others
Enyalius, In Memoriam
Black Legion
The Talon of Horus
Ferrus Manus: Gorgon of Medusa
Wolfsbane
The Painted Count
Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix
Magnus the Red: Master of Prospero
Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar
The Burden of Loyalty
The Magos & The Definitive Casebook of Gregor Eisenhorn
Lorgar: Bearer of the Word
Perturabo: The Hammer of Olympia
Leman Russ: The Great Wolf
Old Earth
Ruinstorm

37 whole books dusted off. If you compile all the short stories and other titles, 24 in all, I would put it near to 40 in all. Quite a bit more than usual, for me. Past years' totals follow.

2018: 40ish
2017: 20
2016: 20ish
2015: 4ish
2014: 18
2013: 9

I have a ton of books lined up to continue reading, as well. I don't know if I'll hit 2018 numbers again, but I will be turning pages for some time to come.

2017 Book of the Year

Book of the Year: The Master of Mankind
Honorable Mention: Angels of Caliban/Praetorian of Dorn

I'm completely unable to decide between the two runners-up, but the BOTY has to go to Aaron Dembski-Bowden's examination of The Emperor and his closest confidants in the war in the webway during the great heresy war. It was illuminating.

This year in reading has been almost entirely about Warhammer 40,000 and its forebear, the Horus Heresy. I finished 20 whole books this year, which must be a record.

Tallarn
The Crimson King
Shattered Legions
Warhammer 40,000: 8th Edition
Dark Imperium
Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch
Gathering Storm: Fracture of Biel-Tan
Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia
War Zone Fenris: Wrath of Magnus
Garro
The Master of Mankind
Corax
Praetorian of Dorn
Angels of Caliban
The Silent War
The Path of Heaven
Eye of Terra
The Ninja
Pharos
War Without End

Previous years' tallies:

2016:20ish
2015:4ish
2014:18
2013:9

I'm hoping to draw up to being current with the Heresy series this year, and read more 40K fiction in addition to other fiction and non-fiction. I'm trying to lean more into reading, since my booklog is pretty extensive, as well.

2016 Wrap Up with G and B OTY

2016 has been a kind of off year. I've felt my enthusiasm for a lot of games seem to wane a bit, and so even with my top picks, I feel less than completely rapt. Without further ado, though:

My Game of the Year: World of Warcraft: Legion
Honorable Mention: Overwatch

Two Blizzard games, as it turns out. I went into the year unenthused by either, but it turns out I probably had the most unreserved fun with them throughout the year. There were a series of others games in 2016 I was more looking forward to, but for one reason or another just didn't stick, things like The Witness and Firewatch. Even stalwart series I enjoy like HITMAN and Dishonored didn't hook me the way I look for in a GOTY candidate. At least not in time for the end of the year. I still have hope for some of these.

In terms of backlog maintenance, it seems 2016 was another draw, if not a net add to the pile. I didn't exactly go crazy buying games, but at the same time I only knocked relatively few off the list, and most of those were just dabblings and dismissals. Here are the skulls I took this year, those achievements and milestones I felt notable. It's not as easy as rolling the credits on a game anymore; these days games try to be perennial, perpetual, and otherwise endless, so you have to be able to define your own goals more than ever:

Super Mario Run (Tour)
World of Warcraft (Death Knight 110)
World of Warcraft (Death Knight 100)
World of Warcraft (Death Knight 90)
No Man's Sky (Atlas)
Eisenhorn: Xenos
World of Warcraft (Death Knight 85)
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (Dungeons)
World of Warcraft (Death Knight 80)
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade (Dungeons)
World of Warcraft (Death Knight 70)
Warcraft III (Undead)
World of Warcraft (Death Knight intro)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution (Space Marines)
Dark Souls
Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss
Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3: Citadel
Mass Effect 3: Omega
Mass Effect 3: Leviathan
Talisman: The Horus Heresy
Firewatch
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

That's 23 recorded milestones this year, however charitable I am about the definition. About average with past years' totals:

2015:26
2014:32
2013:33
2012:23
2011:21
2010:23
2009:19
2008:26
2007:15

At this point I'm not going to try to put together a 2017 syllabus of any sort. I made some progress through the one for this year, but those always end up falling apart. It seems like a bit of a fool's errand. A few things I'd like to do, though, are finally crack Paradox strategy games, probably with Stellaris, which I am now familiarizing myself with, to get around to really playing The Witcher 3, and to play more real-time strategy.

2017 releases I'm looking forward to? Mass Effect Andromeda, Dawn of War III, and Nintendo's Switch and all that comes with that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now on to the page-turning side of things. I read a decent amount this year:

Deathfire
Legacies of Betrayal
The Keeler Image
The Unburdened
The Honoured
Altered Carbon
Saga of the Swamp Thing Vol. 1
Origin (Wolverine)
Warcraft III and WoW Manuals (Lore)
Remember
The Damnation of Pythos
Vengeful Spirit
Scars
The Unremembered Empire
Vulkan Lives
Mark of Calth
Paradise Lost
Betrayer
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
Angel Exterminatus

That's 20-some odd works, by my hackneyed accounting. Figure a few additional, based on all the single issue comics I've read (several large volumes' worth, easily). A pretty good sum from the few years I've been keeping track. Definitely better than 2015:

2016:20-some odd
2015:4ish
2014:18
2013:9

Book of the Year: The Unremembered Empire
Honorable Mention: Betrayer

Two Horus Heresy novels, which is patently unfair to other quality work, such as Altered Carbon, or mind-benders like Flatland or Paradise Lost, because of how much they draw from the surrounding Heresy universe, but there you have it. Both books were incredible, and you are missing out if you aren't reading The Horus Heresy.

I have a lot more reading queued up for 2017, including a lot more Heresy, among other things, so I'm pretty psyched about that.

2015 Wrap-Up GOTY and BOTY

Twenty-fifteen. It was a heck of a year for video games. Here are my picks, the absolute cream of the crop.

My Game of the Year: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Honorable Mention: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt

There were a number of other great games this year, such as Fallout 4, Invisible, Inc., Her Story, and more, many more, I haven't even played. Games as a hobby just keeps getting better.

Past years:
2014: Elite: Dangerous/The Banner Saga
2013: Spelunky/Hearthstone
2012: Dota 2/Diablo III
2011: The Witcher 2/SpaceChem
2010: Mass Effect 2/Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
2009: Demon's Souls/Red Faction: Guerilla
2008: Metal Gear Solid 4/Gears of War 2
2007: BioShock/Halo 3

Backlog-wise, I added fewer by far titles to my list than in any other recent year, having (probably) shrunken the list along the right side of this web page over the last year, at least by a few titles.

I didn't complete a whole hell of a lot of games this year, rather focusing on discrete goals within a smaller pool of at times very large games. Here is my list of 26 accomplishments, in reverse chronological order:

Game of Thrones (Episode 6)
Fallout 4 (Institute)
Game of Thrones (Episode 5)
Game of Thrones (Episode 4)
Game of Thrones (Episode 3)
Game of Thrones (Episode 2)
Game of Thrones (Episode 1)
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Chapter 2)
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Chapter 1)
The Taken King (Destiny)
House of Wolves (Destiny)
The Dark Below (Destiny)
Old World Blues (Fallout: New Vegas)
Dead Money (Fallout: New Vegas)
Her Story
Lonesome Road (Fallout: New Vegas)
The Price of Neutrality (The Witcher)
Monk to 70 (Diablo III)
Side Effects (The Witcher)
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China
Damn Those Swamps! (The Witcher)
Crusader to 70 (Diablo III)
Assassin's Creed Rogue
Warcraft III (Humans)
Journey
Witch Doctor to 70 (Diablo III)

Past years' totals:
2014:32
2013:33
2012:23
2011:21
2010:23
2009:19
2008:26
2007:15

I have a prospective list of 2016 plays worked up, in a post below. We'll see how that plays out, of course. I have already played some Skyrim and KOTOR, for what that's worth.

Reading-wise, 2015 was a pretty dismal year. I spent nine or ten months not reading Moby Dick before finally buckling down and getting through it, and enjoying it, after all. Otherwise it was just a year of Warhammer 40K fiction, mostly Horus Heresy books. The list:

Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters
Moby Dick; or The White While
Fear to Tread
Shadows of Treachery

I'll finish Angel Exterminatus (another Horus Heresy novel) soon, and then go for something a little more... literate, I suppose is the word. My 2016 reading goal is merely to feel better at the end of the year about what I read than I do this year.

Book of the Year: Moby Dick
Honorable Mention: Shadows of Treachery

2014 In Games and Literature

Another year has drawn to a close, and it is time to take stock of what I played and read in 2014. First up, the awards:

My Game of the Year: Elite: Dangerous
Honorable Mention: The Banner Saga

Past years:
2013: Spelunky/Hearthstone
2012: Dota 2/Diablo III
2011: The Witcher 2/SpaceChem
2010: Mass Effect 2/Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
2009: Demon's Souls/Red Faction: Guerilla
2008: Metal Gear Solid 4/Gears of War 2
2007: BioShock/Halo 3

The games, DLC, et cetera that I finished in 2014, defined liberally, as always. It's a grand total of 32, which is nice, but this is a particularly apples and oranges comparison with previous years when I was stricter about what counted as a completion.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag: Aveline
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag: Freedom Cry
Assassin's Creed Liberation
Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast
Baldur's Gate: The Black Pits
Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Ep. 2
Borderlands: Claptrap's New Robot Revolution
Borderlands: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx
Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
Chocolate Castle
Civilization: Beyond Earth (Transcendence)
Destiny
Diablo III (Master) (Barbarian)
Diablo III (Normal) (Demon Hunter)
Diablo III (Torment) (Wizard)
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (Master) (Barbarian)
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (Normal) (Demon Hunter)
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (Torment) (Wizard)
Evoland
Goat Simulator
Half-Life 2
Hearthstone: Naxxramas (class challenges)
Hearthstone: Naxxramas (Normal)
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Stranded
Street Fighter IV (Easiest) (Ryu)
Talisman: Digital Edition
Talisman: Prologue
The Banner Saga
Uncharted 3 : Drake's Deception
Vlad the Impaler

The game backlog has continued to expand well beyond control, but I'm not too worried about it. These days I practically only play PC games, so limiting myself to one platform will at least boost the probability that many of these will ever be touched. I like to hop into something new on occasion, anyway. There will be no shortage of that. I do feel like I've made fewer cavalier purchases over the last year, but I haven't done the validation part of that assumption.


On the book reading front, I think this was a pretty good year.

Book of the Year: A Song of Ice and Fire I - V
Honorable Mention: Roadside Picnic

Without a doubt my reading highlight of this year was taking GRRM's series back-to-back-to-back all the way through all of the currently released books. The Horus Heresy stuff I read was also a lot of fun, but no one individual title stuck out as much to me as did Roadside Picnic, the book that inspired the movie Stalker and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series. That was a cool book, and not too long. I also had fun rereading James Clavell's Tai-Pan and with Andy Weir's The Martian, a hard science-based tale of a near-future NASA mission to Mars.

Books read in 2014:

A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows
A Dance with Dragons
Age of Darkness
Book of Cain
Book of Tyrael
Deliverance Lost
Nemesis
Red Storm Rising
Roadside Picnic
Tai-Pan
The Martian
The Outcast Dead
The Primarchs
The Walking Dead 1-125
Visions of Heresy

That was 18, which is not bad, and double my 2013 count.

Here's to much more great playing and reading in 2015!

2013 Gs (and Bs) OTY

The time has come, once again, to look back on the year that has befallen us and to call to account the games that have presented themselves for our consideration.

My Game of the Year: Spelunky
Runner-up: Hearthstone

Past years' picks, for reference:
2012: Dota 2/Diablo III
2011: The Witcher 2/SpaceChem
2010: Mass Effect 2/Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
2009: Demon's Souls/Red Faction: Guerilla
2008: Metal Gear Solid 4/Gears of War 2
2007: BioShock/Halo 3

Here, alphabetically, since I lost track of the chronology, are all the games I've finished in 2013. 33, liberally counted. That's pretty good, I think.

Anno 2070
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Bioshock Infinite
Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Ep. 1
Dear Esther
Diablo III (Inferno)
Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches
Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall
Fallout
Fallout 3: Broken Steel
Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta
Fallout 3: Operation: Anchorage
Fallout 3: Point Lookout
Fallout 3: The Pitt
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas: Honest Hearts
Gone Home
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
Gravity Bone
Mass Effect 2: Arrival
Mass Effect 2: Firewalker
Mass Effect 2: Kasumi - Stolen Memory
Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker
Mass Effect 2: Overlord
Proteus
Shadowrun Returns
Starcraft: Brood War (Protoss)
Starcraft: Brood War (Terran)
Starcraft: Brood War (Zerg)
The Stanley Parable
The Walking Dead: 400 Days
Tomb Raider

Past years' totals:
2012:23
2011:21
2010:23
2009:19
2008:26
2007:15

I've taken to counting DLC or anything that feels like a completion as just that. I cast aside my tokens and in/out policies, though, and have begun a more laissez-faire approach to the backlog, which is immense. I just buy whatever and play it whenever, if ever. It's working well, so far.

The Booklog, began this year, has seen only middling activity. I wish I had/would make more time to read, I really do. Maybe that'll be a good New Year's resolution for 2014, along with all the usual stuff. I've never picked a BOTY, or even really ever thought in those terms, but let's give it a shot.

Book of the Year: A Memory of Light
Runner-up: The Martians

Books read this year, a pitiful 9 in all:

Neuromancer
Fallen Angels
Descent of Angels
Tales of Heresy
The Martians
Telegraph Avenue
A Memory of Light
Pariah
Mechanicum