Jeffs Cave of Cool Books
Tacoma Book Center Road Trip & Book Haul with @sleepyreader666
updated
Discussing the weird, imaginative and highly enjoyable Diogenes Club occult detective tales by Kim Newman.
This is another of my contributions to _Occult Detective October_ , a reading event created by
@M-J
Your spooky co-hosts:
@InfiniteText
@occultdetective
@RaynorReadsStuff
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@anotherbibliophilereads
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@CriminOllyBlog
@royreadsanything
Dave Brzseski
Occult Detective Magazine
http://greydogtales.com/blog/occult-d...
Other channels mentioned: Chris @LiminalSpaces03
Music credits:
"Shallow Company" by ETO (Otto Niklasson Elmeras) and
"Strange Beast from the North" (Instrumental Version) by Grevens id
*Apologies about the dire quality of my own webcam. Rest assured, I'll have a 1080P webcam ready to go for my next livestream*
🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 streamyard.com/pal/d/5835019243094016
Ringing in _Occult Detective October_ with reviews of two classic John Thunstone tales by Manly Wade Wellman: "Shonokin Town" from the July 1946 of *Weird Tales* , and the 1985 novel *The School of Darkness* .
Previous videos I've made about the weird fiction of Manly Wade Wellman:
youtube.com/watch?v=936etvBUhv0&t=3s
youtube.com/watch?v=JEWj67dMKvA&t=1s
Check out Alan @TheBookSuppository 's awesome Manly Wade Wellman library here:
youtube.com/post/UgkxX40FbsmZBErKaqn_PpO0vah_x7jt7xjb
_Occult Detective October_ is a reading event created by @M-J
Your spooky co-hosts:
@InfiniteText
@occultdetective
@RaynorReadsStuff
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@anotherbibliophilereads
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@CriminOllyBlog
@royreadsanything
Dave Brzseski
Occult Detective Magazine
http://greydogtales.com/blog/occult-d...
Music credits:
"Shallow Company" and "The Great Oceans" by ETO (Otto Niklasson Elmeras)
🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 streamyard.com/pal/d/5835019243094016
Intro music credit: "Gone Surfing" by Sixteen Wheelers
#booktube #bookcollection #physicalmedia #bluray #movies #classichollywood #vintagemovies #classictelevision
A recap of the books and short stories I read in September, including some contributions to the awesome reading event _Cimmerian September_ , created by the equally awesome @michaelk.vaughan8617 ...plus some vintage Penguin travel & adventure, some space opera and more Elric sword & sorcery action from Michael Moorcock.
My review and flip-through of *I Watched Them Eat Me Alive* :
youtube.com/watch?v=VBQCrsq5EC0&t=1333s
My review of *The Lost Valley of Iskander* :
youtube.com/watch?v=rTZ1DBjTgio&t=601s
David @garagegeek4863 and I had a very fun livestream chat discussing *The Weapon from Beyond* and other things. Check it out:
youtube.com/watch?v=ZtwxSJJIuyM
Channels mentioned in this video include:
@garagegeek4863
@PulpMortem
@LiminalSpaces03
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@CheckYourShelf
@JulesBurt
@secretfirebooks7894
@newsfromthegelding
@occultdetective
Books read in September:
*I Watched Them Eat Me Alive* (2017) edited by Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle
*The Lost Valley of Iskander* (1977) by Robert E. Howard
*The Weapon from Beyond* (1967) by Edmond Hamilton
*The Flight of the "Firecrest"* (1939) by Alain Gerbault
*The Weird of the White Wolf* (1977) by Michael Moorcock
plus the short stories "Hawk of Basti" and "The Bulldog Breed" by Robert E. Howard
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:30 I Watched Them Eat Me Alive
2:49 The Lost Valley of Iskander
4:23 The Weapon from Beyond (Starwolf No. 1)
7:55 The Flight of the "Firecrest"
17:00 The Weird of the White Wolf
22:43 "Hawk of Basti"
28:06 "The Bulldog Breed"
Going through a box of cool stuff sent to me by the awesome Nick @TheBookGraveyard . Nick not only sent me some killer T-shirts, but also a great genre grab-bag of vintage paperbacks...and even a couple of pulps! That Nicky "The Book" Graveyard...he's good people.
Other channels mentioned include:
@PaperbackWarrior
@PulpMortem
@secretfirebooks7894
@thewestisthebest
@L-SpaceArchives
Music tracks:
"Shallow Company" and "Schizophrenia" by ETO (Otto Niklasson Elmeras)
Kicking off a series discussing the works of six Grand Dames of Golden Age Detective fiction, starting with a shelf tour of books by the Queen of Crime herself, Dame Agatha Christie.
Jules Burt takes a look at Tom Adams' amazing cover art for Fontana's Agatha Christie books:
youtube.com/watch?v=6iIxcXxYhyU
Music tracks include:
"Sophisticated Lady" by Golden Age Radio and
"Viper Man" by Roy Edwin Williams
My first unboxing video for the channel, as I go through a load of vintage Cerise Travel & Adventure Penguin paperbacks (plus some bonus Green Penguin Crime) sent to me by ace Penguin collector and BookTuber extraordinaire @JulesBurt.
Here's Jules indispensible guide to collecting vintage Penguins:
youtube.com/watch?v=NqKSZjkSD94&t=357s
And here is the first of Jules' videos about his big barn find, from which these Cerise Penguins most likely came:
youtube.com/watch?v=SI2M1aJy3lQ&t=5182s
Music tracks include:
"Shallow Company" and "Schizophrenia" by ETO (Otto Niklasson Elmeras)
It's Cimmerian September, so I read three action-packed tales penned by pulp master Robert E. Howard, featuring Francis Xavier Gordon, a.k.a. El Borak, in *The Lost Valley of Iskander* , published by Zebra Books in 1974. Cover art by Jeff Jones, interior illustrations by Michael Kaluta.
Cimmerian September is a BookTube event created by @michaelk.vaughan8617
My review of the El Borak novel *The Three-Bladed Doom* can be found here (review begins at around the 3 1/2 minute mark:)
youtube.com/watch?v=I6f1lSdfo0E&list=PLtAEr7RmPpWMvFfePOCHu86trhPDKZGtR&index=4
My Robert E. Howard Bookshelf Tour:
youtube.com/watch?v=HaqstEaXy_E&t=98s
@michaelk.vaughan8617 championed the El Borak stories to wonderful effect in his recent video:
youtube.com/watch?v=SWxPM3RIcDw&t=1s
Ben @GrammaticusBooks took an excellent in-depth look at this collection:
youtube.com/watch?v=zyv2tYyi0Ag&t=314s
Tim @secretfirebooks7894 recently posted a great review of *The Three-Bladed Doom* (and *Almuric* ) on his channel:
youtube.com/watch?v=HaqstEaXy_E&t=98s
Jim's fabulous review of "The Daughter of Erlik Khan" can be found at @MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn:
youtube.com/watch?v=0edC-9zqudE&t=3s
Music credits:
"Shallow Company" and "Under the Surface" by OTE (Otto Niklasson Elmeras)
Chapter:
0:00 Intro / Character Overview
9:15 "The Daughter of Erlik Khan"
17:58 "The Lost Valley of Iskander"
22:54 "Hawk of the Hills"
Join me on a flip-through of *I Watched Them Eat Me Alive* (2017), a colorful and loving tribute to the sort of crazed, violent animal attack stories that proliferated in men's adventure magazines from the '50s through the '70s, put together with care by editors Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle.
Tim @secretfirebooks7894 also talked about this slim but power-packed volume in his recent August Reading Report video (his review starts around eight and a half minutes in):
youtube.com/watch?v=7SomObelEZ0&t=1s
Music used:
"Shallow Company" and "Withered Flowers" by ETO (Otto Niklasson Elmeras)
I take a look at four interesting and unusual murder mystery novels from my paperback collection, including one of the best Sherlock Holmes pastiches I've ever read (featuring killer bees!); a comic caper involving two elderly scholars turned amateur sleuths; an investigation into the killing of a chief of a Papau New Guinea tribe that has been relocated to London; and a gritty police procedural about a pair of detectives, one white and one black, teaming up to solve a bizarre crime in South Africa during the height of Apartheid.
Music tracks:
"Shallow Company" and "Withered Flowers by ETO (Otto Niklasson Elmeras)
Discussing the *The Night Stalker Companion* by Mark Dawidziak, an excellent companion volume to the classic '70s TV series, _Kolchak: The Night Stalker_ .
This is a (belated) response video to highly enjoyable live chat between @TheOutlawLeviWallace and Nick @TheBookGraveyard , comparing the 1972 _The Night Stalker_ TV movie and Jeff Rice's original novel. You can watch their video here:
youtube.com/watch?v=7Otu-oP_yDg
Excerpts and additional info-packed essays by Mark Dawidziak on the series can be found at the "Kolchak a Day" Blog, *It Couldn't Happen Here* : akolchakaday.blogspot.com
Music tracks include:
"Shallow Company" and "The Poppy Red Garden" by ETO (Otto Niklasson Elmeras)
Just in time for Cimmerian September, I received small but hearty platter of Robert E. Howard tomes...seasoned with a soupçon of classic supernatural fiction, and a dash of Men's Adventure for good measure.
My previous Robert E. Howard Bookshelf Tour video:
youtube.com/watch?v=HaqstEaXy_E
The terrific video Ben @GrammaticusBooks made about *The Lost Valley of Iskander* :
youtube.com/watch?v=zyv2tYyi0Ag
Cimmerian September is a reading event created by champeen BookTuber @michaelk.vaughan8617
Other channels mentioned in this video include:
@HeroicBookAdventures83
@dreadpiratebooks
@LiminalSpaces03
@literallybooks
@LiterateTexan
@GeeksLoveDogs
Music tracks used: "Shallow Company" and "Schizophrenia" by OTE
An overview of what I read in August, including some fun titles for Indie Author August BookTube event, created by @KevinTowleReads and co-hosted by @NicolesBookishNook ...plus a 2025 riff on the classic Golden Age locked-room murder mystery; some light-hearted naturalist memoir, courtesy of the great Gerald Durrell; a few pulpy crime short stories; and book number two in the Elric of Melnibone sword & sorcery saga by Michael Moorcock.
My look at some works by fellow BookTubers / indie authors:
youtube.com/watch?v=7d674dqSzME&t=2s
Deb @OmnivorousReader takes a loving look at a couple of Gerald Durrell books:
youtube.com/watch?v=28h_kPESftc&t=19s
youtube.com/watch?v=12ZKBm_guXU
Chris @LiminalSpaces03 breaks down *The Sailor on the Seas of Fate* in far better, thought-provoking detail than I ever could in two videos here:
youtube.com/watch?v=jDr2I9AkG3s
youtube.com/watch?v=I3940wcF0Vc&t=1s
Other channels mentioned include:
@CriminOllyBlog
@secretfirebooks7894
@newsfromthegelding
@TheOutlawLeviWallace
@erikwaag6438
Books read in August:
*That Axe Anciently Was Mine* and
*Fangs of the Moon Opal* (both 2023) by Erik Waag
*The Sunken Door* (2024) by Levi Wallace
*Sand & Steel* (2024) by T. H. Brandt
*The House at Devil's Neck* (2025) by Tom Mead
*The Drunken Forest* (1956) by Gerald Durrell
*Cryptid War* by Eric S. Brown
*The Sailor on the Seas of Fate* (1976) by Michael Moorcock
plus the first two novelettes from *Ivy Frost* by Donald Wandrei
Chapters:
0:00 Indie Author August Recap
2:39 The House at Devil's Neck
11:18 The Drunken Forest
18:30 Cryptid War
22:24 The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
32:13 Two stories from Ivy Frost
Join me for a tour of my collection of books by the great, unsung Weird Tales writer Manly Wade Wellman. The man could pretty much write anything - and did - but its his folk horror/occult detective tales that cemented his reputation.
My discussion of *Worse Things Waiting* :
youtube.com/watch?v=VCVp46XHdTU&t=2s
My earlier review of two of Wellman's short stories:
youtube.com/watch?v=936etvBUhv0&t=1s
Virgil @literallybooks reviews Wellman's *Weird Tales* novella, "The Hairy Ones Shall Dance":
youtube.com/watch?v=Pg0iRUIryEU&t=1s
Nick @TheBookGraveyard reviews *The Hanging Stones* :
youtube.com/watch?v=HHd00dmUAIY&t=572s
And a great overview of the Haffner Press two-volume *John the Balladeer* set from Joseph @JosephReadsBooks :
youtube.com/watch?v=a4ngtAXo6MA
Other channels mentioned in this video:
@secretfirebooks7894
@InfiniteText
This is my response video to Jake @PulpMortem and Chris' @LiminalSpaces03 livestream showcasing some of their favorite covers of DAW paperbacks, as well as to a similar video by Deb @OmnivorousReader
Here's Jake's excellent DAW Books Overview:
youtube.com/watch?v=CtJymrCRgeA&t=118s
Chris and Jake's highly enjoyable livestream showcase:
youtube.com/watch?v=h6XTFdBj5n0&t=9556s
And Deb's "Show Us Your DAWs" response video, (hopefully) kicking this thing off:
youtube.com/watch?v=Nsio2k-gRTk
Other channels mentioned include:
@BadTasteBooks
Join me as I talk about a baker's dozen (or so) of vintage adventure paperbacks, mostly fiction with a few nonfiction books thrown in for good measure.
Channels mentioned in this video:
@TheBookGraveyard
@InfiniteText
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:45 The Congo and the Cameroons
3:38 Kon-Tiki
5:33 The Island at the Top of the World
7:32 The Devil Rides Out/Strange Cargo
12:12 The Drums of Fu Manchu
15:44 Great Tales of Action and Adventure
20:31 Gentlemen of the Road
23:05 From Deep Waters: The Complete Adventures of the Major, Vol. 1
27:59 The Lost World and Other Stories
31:13 Sir Nigel
33:34 King Solomon's Mines
35:34 She and Allan
36:47 The People of the Mist
Reviews of some cool fantasy and horror fiction by three Booktubers/indie authors:
@erikwaag6438
@TheOutlawLeviWallace
@secretfirebooks7894
Books reviewed:
*That Axe Anciently Was Mine* and *Fangs of the Moon Opal* (Sword and Seventies Volumes 1 & 2) by Erik Waag
*The Sunken Door* by Levi Wallace
*Sand & Steel: An Anthology of Sword and Sorcery* by T.H. Brandt
Indie Author August is a BookTube event created by @KevinTowleReads
Other channels mentioned include:
@NicolesBookishNook
@HeroicBookAdventures83
And be sure to check out Samuel's @CptSamelsSigils newly-released novel, *The Book of Deogenesis*!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:41 Sword and Seventies, Volumes 1 & 2
8:46 The Sunken Door
17:00 Sand & Steel
28:00 Final Thoughts
An introduction to the very cool series of mystery/suspense novels by James Melville, centering on the criminal investigations of Superintendent Tetsuo Otani of the Hyogo Prefectural Police in Japan. The 13 book series was published between 1979-1992.
I was honored to be joined by the fabulous @JulesBurt, book collector extraordinaire, vintage paperback guru and very successful BookTuber, for a wide-ranging conversation about his book collecting beginnings, vintage Penguin book hauls, his acting and bookselling background, his BookTube philosophy and advice to beginners and various other topics. Jules is a great guy, extremely knowledgeable and a real mensch, and it was a pleasure to spend some time chatting with him.
Some of Jules' videos referenced above:
youtube.com/watch?v=uCyVUAGOIYA
youtube.com/watch?v=NqKSZjkSD94&list=PLLaP9eE0e6mft70F4dm509ZoyqNHIGLTx
youtube.com/watch?v=x-jMckoLv0Q
Channels mentioned in this video:
@vintagesf
@outlawbookselleroriginal
Come along on a page-by-page flip-through of this gorgeous oversized book, detailing 100 years of Edgar Rice Burroughs' most famous creation, Tarzan of the Apes.
(Apologies for the occasional appearance of my grey head popping into frame...)
@michaelk.vaughan8617 's great discussion of this book:
youtube.com/watch?v=jEg1F9E8Bas
Join me for a mini-tour of my modest shelf of what to my mind is the saving grace of Barnes & Noble bookstores these days...their line of leather-bound Collectible Classics and Children's Illustrated Classics. Beautiful books for a modest price.
Tim's video about B & N's edition of Edgar Allan Poe's Illustrated Tales:
youtube.com/watch?v=mp0Vpyvjaug
Join Steve @HeroicBookAdventures83 , Sam @CptSamelsSigils and myself as we embark on a detailed discussion of Sterling E. Lanier's post-apocalyptic science fantasy epic, Hiero's Journey (1973).
*Spoiler Alert: Some key plot points and scenes are of necessity discussed in this review, beginning from 24:53.*
Had a great time talking with Steve and Sam. Be sure to visit their channels, like and subscribe if you haven't already.
Here's Richard @vintagesf 's review of the novel:
youtube.com/watch?v=GGEFaOPzIh4
Channels mentioned in this video:
@bookswithzara
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
10:35 Sterling E. Lanier Bio
16:33 Spoiler-Free Story Synopsis
24:33 Thoughts on Characters
58:33 Detailed Plot Breakdown
1:20:22 World Building
1:27:40 Final Thoughts
1:35:34 Hiero's Answer Announcement
1:43:45 Upcoming Channel News
Here's what I read in July. Some fantasy, some science fiction and some hard-boiled private eye novels. I participated, directly or indirectly, in three reading events (details below).
Channels mentioned:
@HeroicBookAdventures83
@CptSamelsSigils
*Private Eye July* is an event created by Jim @MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
and is co-hosted by the following channels:
@GhostReadersintheSky
@BookTimewithElvis
@royreadsanything
@Bookishtravels
@InfiniteText
@ObscureBookAdventures
@saintdonoghue
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@AlansReads
*Rocket Summer* is an event created by @michaelk.vaughan8617
Co-hosts include:
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@vintagesf
@TheBookclectic
@LiterateTexan
@saintdonoghue
@GrammaticusBooks
@BookChatWithPat8668
*Elric Saga Read-along* hosted by:
Tim @secretfirebooks7894
Chris @LiminalSpaces03
Jim @newsfromthegelding
*Elric of Melnibone* review playlist:
youtube.com/watch?v=sKvpWdDMQ7o&list=PLDGa5ZjinMS6wEs5f11Cu3GgSyY49BFCX
Books read in July:
*Mermaid on the Rocks* (1967) by Brett Halliday
*Earth's Last Citadel* (1943) by Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore
*Elric of Melnibone* (1972) by Michael Moorcock
*Black Mountain* (2019) by Laird Barron
*Hiero's Journey* (1973) by Sterling E. Lanier
Chapters:
0:00 Mermaid on the Rocks
2:13 Earth's Last Citadel
13:57 Elric of Melnibone
22:55 Black Mountain
32:07 Hiero's Journey
Join me as I take a deep dive into this hefty, beautifully-produced five-volume set of the Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin series of historical novels written by Patrick O'Brian, published by HarperCollins.
*PLEASE NOTE: I mistakenly state that the publishers of this set were W.W. Norton. Norton did publish the U.S. version, but my U.K. edition was published by HarperCollins. Sincere apologies for the error.*
Mark Richardson's shelf tour of the amazing (and very expensive) Folio Society editions of this series:
youtube.com/watch?v=Ci-II3vzIoM&list=PLay6DjDecL9-ZyLHvrIueiq4LWlQOFbb6
Join me for a tour through my small but power-packed Robert E. Howard vintage paperback collection. Solomon Kane, Conan, El Borak and more!
Channels mentioned in this video include:
@secretfirebooks7894
@GeeksLoveDogs
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@GrammaticusBooks
@TheBookGraveyard
I'm not usually one for tags, but this one intrigued me, so here we are. Inspired by Steve @HeroicBookAdventures83, I hereby present 10 eclectic books from the less-trammelled corners of my shelves.
This is an original tag created by @Rainierbooks
There is only one prompt:
Present ten books from your shelves that have been there at least a year or more and present them. This is about creating awareness to read from our shelves, enhance sustainability and maybe even saving some bucks.
Channels tagged (no need to respond if not interested):
@KevinTowleReads
@CheckYourShelf
@LarrysLegendaryLibrary
@dreadpiratebooks
@CptSamelsSigils
@moviesnapper
@MyMessyBookshelf
Other channels mentioned include:
@saintdonoghue
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@TheBookGraveyard
The ten books:
Uncle Fred in the Springtime by P.G. Wodehouse
A Boy Ten Feet Tall by W.H. Canaway
Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg
The Drunken Forest by Gerald Durrell
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
Roughing It by Mark Twain
Quest of the Snow Leopard by Roy Chapman Andrews
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharon McCrumb
Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:11 Uncle Fred in the Springtime
5:03 A Boy Ten Feet Tall
7:07 Lord Valentine's Castle
8:08 The Drunken Forest
13:11 Death at La Fenice
14:26 Roughing It
15:43 Quest of the Snow Leopard
18:04 To Your Scattered Bodies Go
20:53 The Ballad of Frankie Silver
22:50 Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard
Part Two of a tour through my fantasy and sword & sorcery book collection...this time, notable authors include Andre Norton, Glen Cook, Karl Edward Wagner, Fritz Leiber, Norvell W. Page, Barry Hughart, David Drake, Susan Cooper, T.H. White and many others.
Channels mentioned in this video:
@OmnivorousReader
@secretfirebooks7894
@LiminalSpaces03
@newsfromthegelding
Part One of a tour through my fantasy paperback collection - including epic fantasy, sword & sorcery and miscellaneous related fantasmagorias. Authors discussed in Part One include JRR Tolkein, Steven Erickson, L Sprgue de Camp & Fletcher Pratt, Clifford D. Simak, Stephen R. Donaldson, E. Hoffman Price, Sterling Lanier and Lin Carter.
Channels mentioned in this video:
@HeroicBookAdventures83
@CptSamelsSigils
I'm joined by Paul from @GeeksLoveDogs for a lively conversation about his reading background, his wide-ranging genre interests, goals for his channel, video creation, favorite BookTubers, BookTube in general and all manner of topics. It was a blast chatting with Paul, a very knowledgable and friendly guy. Be sure to check out his channel @GeeksLoveDogs , like his videos and subscribe. He's doing great stuff over there and has big plans for even more coming your way soon.
Channels mentioned in this video:
@TheBookGraveyard
@PulpMortem
@secretfirebooks7894
@BadTasteBooks
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@CriminOllyBlog
@saintdonoghue
@LiminalSpaces03
@literallybooks
@CheckYourShelf
@TheOutlawLeviWallace
@InfiniteText
@sfwordsofwonder
@JulesBurt
@HeroicBookAdventures83
@PeculiarNotions
@moviesnapper
My review of Mermaid on the Rocks (1967), the 55th entry in the long-running Mike Shayne series of private eye dectective novels by Brett Halliday. This is my contribution for the pre-1970s prompt for the BookTube event, P.I. in July. (Apologies for the sightly shaky camera...I was trying a new recording position and my tripod was not cooperating with the tatami mat floor).
P.I. in July was created by Jim @MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
Jim's fellow shamuses on the scene include:
Steve Donoghue at:
@saintdonoghue
Michael K. Vaughan at:
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Roy Reads Anything:
@royreadsanything
Ghost Readers in the Sky:
@GhostReadersintheSky
Alan's Reads:
@AlansReads
Book Time with Elvis:
@BookTimewithElvis
Bookish Travels:
@Bookishtravels
Obscure Book Adventures:
@ObscureBookAdventures
Infinite Text:
@InfiniteText
"Down these mean shelves a man must go..."
A bookshelf tour of my various private detective novels and story collections, ranging from Dashiell Hammett to Dan Simmons, with a whole lot in between.
This is one of my contributions to the splendid BookTube event, P.I. in July, created by Jim @MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
Private Eye in July cohosts:
Steve Donoghue at:
@saintdonoghue
Michael K. Vaughan at:
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Roy Reads Anything:
@royreadsanything
Ghost Readers in the Sky:
@GhostReadersintheSky
Alan's Reads:
@AlansReads
Book Time with Elvis:
@BookTimewithElvis
Bookish Travels:
@Bookishtravels
Obscure Book Adventures:
@ObscureBookAdventures
Infinite Text:
@InfiniteText
Here's what I read in June...mostly westerns, since it was June on the Range 2025!
My June on the Range video playlist:
youtube.com/watch?v=AFhg_9A_sOw&list=PLtAEr7RmPpWOv2HUGJislI7nzBVYHDo8w
I also read The Destroyer #33: Voodoo Die by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir, to accompany the most recent Elusive, Exclusive Book Society livestream, which you can view in its entertaining entirety here:
youtube.com/watch?v=xJhY_VsqnEk&t=1670s
The Elusive, Exclusive Book Society member channels are:
@PulpMortem
@TheBookGraveyard
@secretfirebooks7894
June on the Range is a BookTube event created by
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Be sure to follow the trail of the June on the Range Posse:
@saintdonoghue
@BookTimewithElvis
@anotherbibliophilereads
@M-J
@CriminOllyBlog
@LiterateTexan
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@thewestisthebest
@royreadsanything
@GhostReadersintheSky
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:51 Bowdrie by Louis L'Amour
2:44 Edge#2: Ten Grand by George G. Gilman
4:30 Texans Walk Proud by Marshall Grover
5:57 EEBS Livestream
6:44 The Destroyer by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir
16:20 The Key-Lock Man by Louis L'Amour
25:17 Final Thoughts and What's Coming Up
This is part two of my first ever channel book haul! This one focuses on vintage paperback reprints of pulp adventure hero The Shadow, and some espionage and crime fiction by William Haggard and John Creasey...plus a very special arrival, the beautiful 2020 Haffner Press hardback edition of Donald Wandrei's Ivy Frost pulp crime stories.
Here's the excellent video by @michaelk.vaughan8617 detailing all 23 Pyramid/Jove The Shadow paperbacks:
youtube.com/watch?v=T3KifgSsW8s
My Spy-Fi and Espionage video where I first mention the Col. Russell series by William Haggard:
youtube.com/watch?v=UOeiS6iJeHA&t=6s
Here's the link to the Haffner Press website. Go check 'em out, lots of wonderful stuff for sale there: http://www.haffnerpress.com
Finally!! I've been waiting to do a book haul video for quite some time now...and the moment is here at last. This is Part One, the "June on the Range" vintage western paperback segment of my book haul. Mostly a mini-haul of miscellaneous Louis L'Amour novels and a couple of Edgar Rice Burroughs westerns. Part two will post later this week.
Channels mentioned in this video include:
@PulpMortem
@GeeksLoveDogs
@TheBookGraveyard
@KevinTowleReads
@JulesBurt
June on the Range is a BookTube event created by
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Be sure to follow the trail of the June on the Range Posse:
@saintdonoghue
@BookTimewithElvis
@anotherbibliophilereads
@M-J
@CriminOllyBlog
@LiterateTexan
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@thewestisthebest
@royreadsanything
@GhostReadersintheSky
Now this is more like it! For my next June on the Range 2025 entry, I review #6 in the extremely long-running Larry & Stretch series of light-hearted, action-packed westerns by Australian author Leonard B. Meares (writing as Marshall Grover).
My recent review of Edge #2:
youtube.com/watch?v=LZ46wQBzDL0&t=99s
June on the Range is a BookTube event created by
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Be sure to follow the trail of the June on the Range Posse:
@saintdonoghue
@BookTimewithElvis
@anotherbibliophilereads
@M-J
@CriminOllyBlog
@LiterateTexan
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@thewestisthebest
@royreadsanything
@GhostReadersintheSky
My next contribution for June on the Range 2025, a review of #2 in the Edge series, George G. Gilman's paean to violent, nihilistic spaghetti westerns. How extreme is too extreme? Find out here...(And apologies for the echo-ey sound and periodic noise of trains rattling by.)
Jim @MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn blasted this mean-spirited book with both barrels in his spot-on review. Be sure to check it out here:
youtube.com/watch?v=q2gWb88-fDg
June on the Range is a BookTube event created by
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Be sure to follow the trail of the June on the Range Posse:
@saintdonoghue
@BookTimewithElvis
@anotherbibliophilereads
@M-J
@CriminOllyBlog
@LiterateTexan
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@thewestisthebest
@royreadsanything
@GhostReadersintheSky
A look at some of my Bertha Cool & Donald Lam vintage private eye paperbacks by Erle Stanley Gardner (writing as A.A. Fair). A very fun, slick mystery series from the creator of Perry Mason.
Cool cat Nick from @TheBookGraveyard joins me for a very enjoyable and wide-ranging chat about books, genre fiction (including men's adventure fiction, crime, pulp, Gothics and westerns), creating videos and BookTube in general. Huge thanks to Nick for his patience and understanding in putting up with problems of time zone confusion, technical difficulties and assorted other issues - all of which were on my end.
Be sure to check out Nick's fantastic conversation with Bob Deis and Wyatt Doyle of the Men's Adventure Library:
youtube.com/watch?v=WTnMcUlds0E&t=1081s
If for some strange reason you haven't done so yet, jump over to Nick's channel @TheBookGraveyard, check out his videos, like and subscribe. He's doing awesome stuff over there, so don't miss out!
Other channels mentioned in this wideo include:
@PulpMortem
@secretfirebooks7894
@BadTasteBooks
@JulesBurt
@vintagesf
@HeroicBookAdventures83
@PaperbackWarrior
@thevintagepaperbackreader
@saintdonoghue
@terrancelayhew
My next contribution for June on the Range 2025, a review of the short story collection Bowdrie by Louis L'Amour. Eight slam-bang, pulp-era tales featuring tough-as-nails Texas Ranger, Chick Bowdrie.
June on the Range is a BookTube event created by
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Be sure to follow the trail of the June on the Range Posse:
@saintdonoghue
@BookTimewithElvis
@anotherbibliophilereads
@M-J
@CriminOllyBlog
@LiterateTexan
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@thewestisthebest
@royreadsanything
@GhostReadersintheSky
Kicking off June on the Range 2025 with a look inside the inaugural Men's Adventure Quarterly from 2021, with their Most Wanted Wild West Issue. Two-fisted, rip-snorting, guns-a-blazing action aplenty in this sucker...plus lots of gorgeous cover and interior art from various men's magazines of the '50s and '60s, edited and designed by Robert Deis and Bill Cunningham.
Nick's @TheBookGraveyard fantastic livestream conversation with Men's Adventure Library editors Bob Deis and Wyatt Doyle:
youtube.com/watch?v=WTnMcUlds0E&t=1077s
Jules Burt's far superior flip-through of this issue:
youtube.com/watch?v=TC7MJ_xdgbw
June on the Range created by @michaelk.vaughan8617
June on the Range co-host posse:
@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
@saintdonoghue
@LiterateTexan
@M-J
@CriminOllyBlog
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bookssongsandothermagic
@GenreBooks23
@BookTimewithElvis
@thewestisthebest
@royreadsanything
@GhostReadersintheSky
Here's what I read in May:
26 classic horror short stories for Horror Mayhem 2025
Playlist here:
youtube.com/watch?v=-_JSIsXCtww&list=PLtAEr7RmPpWOvLMrawG6vBim60N33ZxtD
Plus:
The Sands of Windee by Arthur W. Upfield
The Reassembled Man by Herbert D. Kastle
Edge: The Loner (Edge #1) by George G. Gilman
The Elusive, Exclusive Book Society discuss, dismantle and just plain diss The Reassembled Man at length here:
youtube.com/watch?v=qP6V6j6mpOk&t=310s
Chapters:
0:00 Horror Mayhem 2025
1:25 The Sands of Windee by Arthur W. Upfield
15:32 The Reassembled Man by Herbert D. Kastle
19:50 Edge: The Loner by George G. Gilman
Wrapping up Horror Mayhem with three great horror tales from M.R. James, Daphne Du Maurier and Robert E. Howard.
This event was created by: @thebookishbryants
This year's event is in memory of Scott Bryant
The focus is on short stories and novels under 250 pages
Your friendly Horror Mayhem Hosts:
@badrad9226
@BookBlather
@bookssongsandothermagic
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bnbbooks1794
@JimReadsTooSlow
@M-J
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@mindysbookjourney
@theramblingreviewer5150
@LiterateTexan
@readersretreat7845
@unlimitedreads
@CriminOllyBlog
@CliffsDarkGems
Stories read:
"The Haunted Dolls' House" by M.R. James
"The Horror from the Mound" by Robert E. Howard
"The Birds" by Daphne Du Maurier
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:55 M.R. James
10:12 Robert E. Howard
19:00 Daphne Du Maurier
Channels mentioned in this video include:
@saintdonoghue
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@secretfirebooks7894
@TheBookGraveyard
@BadTasteBooks
@amy_harboredinpages
@bnbbooks1794
@ladylovesteadreads
Presenting two eerie tales of '70s supernatural horror by Manly Wade Wellman, to round out Week 3 of Horror Mayhem.
This event was created by: @thebookishbryants
This year's event is in memory of Scott Bryant
The focus is on short stories and novels under 250 pages
Your friendly Horror Mayhem Hosts:
@badrad9226
@BookBlather
@bookssongsandothermagic
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bnbbooks1794
@JimReadsTooSlow
@M-J
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@mindysbookjourney
@theramblingreviewer5150
@LiterateTexan
@readersretreat7845
@unlimitedreads
@CriminOllyBlog
@CliffsDarkGems
"The Dakwa" and "Chastel" - two Lee Cobbett stories from The Third Cry to Legba and Other Invocations, The Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman, Volume 1 (Night Shade Books)
Chapters:
0:00 "The Dakwa"
10:46 "Chastel"
A selection of four stories from the Ballantine 1990 anthology Mummy Stories, edited by Martin H. Greenberg.
This event was created by: @thebookishbryants
This year's event is in memory of Scott Bryant
The focus is on short stories and novels under 250 pages
Your friendly Horror Mayhem Hosts:
@badrad9226
@BookBlather
@bookssongsandothermagic
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bnbbooks1794
@JimReadsTooSlow
@M-J
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@mindysbookjourney
@theramblingreviewer5150
@LiterateTexan
@readersretreat7845
@unlimitedreads
@CriminOllyBlog
@CliffsDarkGems
Stories read:
"Masque" by Ed Gorman
"Bones" by Donald A. Wolheim
"Eyes of the Mummy" by Robert Bloch
"Lot No. 249" by Arthur Conan Doyle
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:24 "Masque" Ed Gorman
3:24 "Bones" Donald A. Wolheim
5:10 "Eyes of the Mummy" Robert Bloch
9:42 "Lot No. 249" Arthur Conan Doyle
Michael K. Vaughan was kind enough to ask me to join his posse for June on the Range 2025. So here's my announcement video, with a few rambling thoughts on some of the westerns I might tackle in June. Saddle up, pardners!
June on the Range is a BookTube event created by Michael K Vaughan
@michaelk.vaughan8617
Here are my campadres who will be riding the trail with me for the event:
Steve Donoghue @saintdonoghue
Book Time With Elvis @BookTimewithElvis
Another Bibliophile Reads @anotherbibliophilereads
Reading This Life @M-J
CriminOlly @CriminOllyBlog
Randy Ray @LiterateTexan
Jim @MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn
Books Songs and Other Magic @bookssongsandothermagic
Genre Books @GenreBooks23
McNulty’s Book Corral @thewestisthebest
Roy @royreadsanything
Part 2 of my rundown of vintage horror short stories I read this past week (May 8th - 14th, 2025) for the event Horror Mayhem: Decades of Dread. The video was running long, so I've broken it up into two parts. This is the second part, covering the decades 1930-1980.
This event was created by: @thebookishbryants
This year's event is in memory of Scott Bryant
The focus is on short stories and novels under 250 pages
Your friendly Horror Mayhem Hosts:
@badrad9226
@BookBlather
@bookssongsandothermagic
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bnbbooks1794
@JimReadsTooSlow
@M-J
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@mindysbookjourney
@theramblingreviewer5150
@LiterateTexan
@readersretreat7845
@unlimitedreads
@CriminOllyBlog
@CliffsDarkGems
Stories read:
"They Found My Grave" (1938) by Marjorie Bowen
"Spider Mansion" (1942) by Fritz Leiber
"Minuke" (1949) by Nigel Kneale
"Uncle Phil on TV" (1953) by J.B. Priestley
"Where the Stones Grow" (1980) by Lisa Tuttle
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:02 Marjorie Bowen
4:16 Fritz Leiber
9:35 Nigel Kneale
12:34 J.B. Priestley
17:01 Lisa Tuttle
Rundown of vintage horror short stories I read this past week (May 8th - 14th, 2025) for the event Horror Mayhem: Decades of Dread. The video was running long, so I've broken it up into two parts. This is Part One, covering the decades 1890-1920).
This event was created by: @thebookishbryants
This year's event is in memory of Scott Bryant
The focus is on short stories and novels under 250 pages
Your friendly Horror Mayhem Hosts:
@badrad9226
@BookBlather
@bookssongsandothermagic
@anotherbibliophilereads
@bnbbooks1794
@JimReadsTooSlow
@M-J
@michaelk.vaughan8617
@mindysbookjourney
@theramblingreviewer5150
@LiterateTexan
@readersretreat7845
@unlimitedreads
@CriminOllyBlog
@CliffsDarkGems
Stories read:
"The Lost Club" (1890) and "The Ceremony" (1894) by Arthur Machen
"The Terror in the Water-Tank" (1907) by William Hope Hodgson
"The Tarn of Sacrifice" (1912) by Algernon Blackwood
"Pickman's Model" (1927) by H.P. Lovecraft
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:07 Arthur Machen
8:54 William Hope Hodgson
14:38 Algernon Blackwood
20:05 H.P. Lovecraft
Introducing the undisputed master of the locked-room murder mystery. A walk through my vintage paperback collection of John Dickson Carr novels, featuring the author's famed triumvirate of series detectives, Henri Bencolin, Dr. Gideon Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale...plus some one-offs and historical mysteries.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
3:32 Henri Bencolin
9:35 Dr. Gideon Fell
21:38 Sir Henry Merrivale
26:27 Stand-alones and Historical Mysteries


