I’m getting to this a little late this year, but nevertheless it is time once again to look back on the year just finished and determine which books were my top five favourite. As usual, this isn’t listing books that came out last year, just the five books I read last year that I enjoyed the most, in no particular order.

I think this may be the most difficult time I’ve had making this list; I enjoyed most everything I read last year, but a good number of them don’t really feel worthy of this distinction to me. It seems I had a similar problem last year, but I feel more pointedly dispassionate this time. At any rate, let’s see what made the cut.

Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer

Last year, the 10-year anniversary of its publication, I endeavoured to read the entire Southern Reach trilogy, which I accomplished. Though I enjoyed the first two installments a good deal (with some wavering in the second book), I thought that this was a fantastic final book. It takes us further into the mysterious Area X than ever, revealing so much that had been tantalizingly left vague whilst still maintaining a crucial sense of mystique. With each book I gained more understanding, while also realizing that some of it may just be beyond understanding. For me, this book perfectly punctuates a triumph in modern Weird Fiction. I look forward to reading Absolution, which just came out, but I wouldn’t have needed it.

Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman & Colleen Doran

Adapting a story by Gaiman included in Smoke & Mirrors, I was completely taken by surprise with this book thanks to Colleen Doran’s absolutely stunning illustration work, which elevated it far beyond what it was as a short story. Plot-wise, it stays faithful to Gaiman’s reinterpretation of Snow White, but the illustrations have almost a stream-of-consciousness quality to them as they flow together, jam-packed with gorgeous detail and only using traditional paneling when it is in service of the narrative. I borrowed this from the library, but I’m seriously considering buying it thanks to Doran’s work.

Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar

To anybody who enjoys the spooky corners of YouTube and other sites, you’ve no doubt heard of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, when a group of nine hikers in 1959 died under mysterious circumstances while hiking the Russian Ural Mountains. Carefully navigating the mystique and supposed paranormal/conspiratorial elements around this incident, this nonfiction book offers a fantastic account of what we know happened based on eyewitness accounts, investigative evidence, and the accounts of the hikers. Tracing the steps the hikers originally took as well as his own investigation, the author manages to uncover a fascinating and plausible explanation of what occurred that tragic night.

Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors by Plastiboo

This is an extremely odd entry, as I’ve never really included a book like this before. Though an art book in practical terms, in form it is a guide for a decades-old dungeon-crawling PC role-playing game that never existed. Though I love the first volume in nearly equal measure, this one takes the route of following a more specific player character (presumably from a roster of possibilities) and outlines their journey through a dark and strange land populated by sinister gods, monsters, and otherworldly spaces, weaving a more coherent narrative while staying true to form as a game guide. I love these books as a concept and can only hope that another volume is in the works as well.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Including this honestly feels a little like cheating (though whom am I cheating, really?), but I couldn’t really justify not including this novel when it stands among my favourites of all time. As a matter of fact, this reread (which was a long time coming) has renewed its status as an all-time favourite, though this was actually my first time reading the revised edition rather than the original 1818 text. This copy was also enhanced by some wonderfully evocative illustrations by Bernie Wrightson, though some of them felt a little superfluous. I don’t often reread books, so I’m happy doing so was such a positive experience for me.

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Thank you for reading! What were your favourite books from last year? I’d love to hear about them.