Summertime is here! And with it brings lots of great reads to enjoy during the warmer weather.

Below are some this year’s releases that I personally am looking forward to reading over the Summer. After the main list of newer releases, I’ve included a “Read Before You Watch” of some older titles getting a TV/Film adaptations (such as the popular Daisy Jones and the Six streaming series), as well as some classic literature, like Dracula, which celebrates its 125 anniversary this year. Each listing has accompanying links to the print, ebook, and audiobook editions; the publisher’s synopsis; and my quick thoughts.

Continue on to check out my Summer 2023 Book Recommendations…

Kolchak: The Night Stalker 50th Anniversary won the 2022 Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel this Saturday at StokerCon 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA.

The 188-page graphic novel contains 12 all-new contributions from the world of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, which began in 1972 as a TV movie starring Darren McGavin as the title monster-hunting reporter and went on to become a TV series earning cult status that famously inspired X-Files creator Chris Carter.

The anthology, which was conceived and edited by James Aquilone (Dead Jack) and published through Moonstone Books, was funded in January 2022 through a Kickstarter campaign that earned a staggering $110,000.

“Winning the Stoker was a dream come true,” Aquilone told Geeks of Doom soon after his win. “To be in the company of such past winners as Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman is a true honor.”

How to Sell a Haunted House
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By Grady Hendrix
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 17, 2023

If this book had a title like Coming Home Again, I’d probably be starting this review by saying something like, after her parents die in a car accident, Louise reluctantly returns to her South Carolina hometown to sell her parents’ house and must face the childhood memories that have haunted her for years and some she’s forgotten about… till now. But since the title is How To Sell A Haunted House, what haunts Louise aren’t just her memories, but real entities that aren’t too pleased with how she’s handling her parents’ estate. And they’re gonna let her know it.

Well folks, we did it. One more year has passed and things continue to move towards getting back to normal. Although the meaning of normal is still up for debate. For me, normal is a year full of movies that I got to enjoy in the theaters, and more than a few that I wished I had seen in a dark theater instead of my TV. 2021 was the year I hit 53 new movies watched, and I am happy to report that I doubled that in 2022, as I ended up with 112 new movies watched. And just for a quick reminder, any movie I see for the first time, no matter in theaters or on my TV, counts towards that total. If you follow my social media, you know locking in that #10 spot was a very tough decision. And as I was first writing this out, I ended up switching movies once more. Therefore, before we get to my Top 10 movies of 2022, I’d like to highlight a few honorable mentions that just missed making the main list.

Jim Morrison once waxed on wax about how “the future is uncertain and the end is always near.” Well if that’s the true-be-all-end-all-whatsit statement folks, then it’s a good thing that music is always near to help with the confusion. No matter what the mood or attitude of the homosapien: mad, glad, depressed, morose, lively, ebullient, ragtag, etc., music is always a welcome addition regardless of what’s going on or what’s going down. This year’s crop of sonic comestibles should take care of anyone feeling hi-fi or lo-hi; either way, all of them are welcome additions under the tree or near the menorah or whatever your late year holiday preference may be. Human beings have so many choices to choose from these days, and here’s some more below.

Check out our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide for Music.