Books: Alphabetical

Here are all the books I have logged in this site arranged in alphabetical order.

1917: Lenin, Wilson, and the Birth of the New World Disorder by Arthur Herman

8/10
In the past (“the past” get it… oh, wait you haven’t read the next bit yet), I have tried... more

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

4/10
Apparently everything is going to kill us. There are a handful of insights among the doom and gloom, but mostly... more

A Butcher King’s Love by Landon Knepp

8/10
The third book in this series is finally bringing things together for most of our main characters. I am... more

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

9/10
Not quite as gripping as the first book in the series, but Martin maintains much of the same level... more

A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

9/10
I was late to the whole A Game of Thrones thang (but, for the record, I was like totally in to... more

A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin

6/10
After the first three rousing volumes of the Song of Fire and Ice series, this book is a huge disappointment. I... more

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

10/10
After finishing The Name of the Wind, I wanted to continue my fantasy novel kick. A Game of Thrones is a similar... more

A History Of Wood Engraving by Albert Garrett

6/10
The title of this one is a bit deceptive. The book is actually a history of British wood engraving. It starts... more

A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell

6/10
The premise here is that the outsiders and the misfits, by rejecting puritanism and pushing the limits of what is... more

A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

10/10
I had thought that this was the conclusion of the entire Song of Fire and Ice series, but aparently this is... more

The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie

8/10
Nothing to see here.

Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey

8/10
The Expanse continues with the story of the first traversals into the mysterious ring. A well-paced story that spends... more

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies by C. S. Forrester

6/10
I was disappointed when I came to the realization that this was more of a collection of short stories... more

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

7/10
I want to eventually read Huckleberry Finn, so I figured I should read this one first. It’s pretty entertaining, but... more

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion by Paul Bloom

7/10
I think it’s telling that throughout this book the author in constantly having to backtrack and clarify what he... more

Aliens Omnibus by Various Authors

4/10
This is a collection of the Aliens comics that were released by Dark Horse in the late eighties. These came out... more

The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia by Michael Booth

8/10
Billed as a travelogue, this book covers the culture, politics and history of the Nordic countries from the perspective... more

The Anarchist Handbook by Michael Malice

6/10
A collection of essays about anarchism from 1800s to the present. The older essays were quite tedious and repetitive.... more

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

10/10
Great page turner.

Anthem by Ayn Rand

5/10
Having read her other books, I felt obliged to read this novella. It’s a fairly literal take on individualism... more

Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

8/10
Another big book about risk from Taleb filled with math, anecdotes, history and Fat Tony. This time it’s all... more

Baby Shark by Robert Fate

10/10
I really liked this noir-ish crime novel set in the dingy pool halls of rural Texas. Lots of great... more

Baby Shark’s Beaumont Blue’s by Robert Fate

10/10
The second Baby Shark story is just as brutal and action packed as the first with great characters and writing.

Baby Shark’s Grass Widow Legacy by Robert Fate

10/10
Another thoroughly enjoyable book in this series. This time Kristen is told to take some time off from all... more

Baby Shark’s High Plains Redemption by Robert Fate

10/10
I love these Baby Shark books. They are just great, action packed reads. I burned through this book in a few... more

Baby Shark’s Jugglers at the Border by Robert Fate

9/10
Although I don’t think it’s hardly the best book in this series, I burned through this one in just... more

Baby Shark’s Showdown at Chigger Flats by Robert Fate

9/10
Another enjoyable story filled with shooting, kicking and revenge. This story is much more straightforward than others in the... more

Babylon’s Ashes by James S.A. Corey

7/10
The sixth Expanse novel is the last of the series that was adapted for the show. The biggest problem... more

Bad Penny by John D. Brown

7/10
I enjoyed his fantasy series, so I thought I’d try out Brown’s crime thriller series. This is the story of... more

Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski

9/10
The third book in The Witcher series brings the story back to the quality that was shown in the... more

Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest

7/10
The French comic upon which the movie was based. Stunning 60’s stylized artwork, but the story is just a... more

Barefoot Aivnesi by Landon Knepp

6/10
The was a companion book to the The Tower and the Tree series which at the moment (I’m about... more

Based on a True Story by Norm MacDonald

8/10
He starts off with a typical comedian’s memoir and, after about three pages, Norm gives up and go total... more

Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell

6/10
Not bad, but I was expecting a more basic econ textbook rather than, what more often than not, feels... more

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

8/10
Although I was disappointed by The Blade Itself, I decided to continue on with the series to see if all... more

The Bible of Unspeakable Truths by Greg Gutfeld

7/10
I think I would have liked this book better if I had listened to the audiobook version instead. As... more

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

8/10
Gritty crime fiction. Basically the blueprint for the entire genre. The writing and language are a tier above most... more

Black Hole by Charles Burns

7/10
Decent and weird graphic novel. Lots on indy comic cliche.

Black Rednecks & White Liberals by Thomas Sowell

8/10
A collection of six lengthy essays on race, history and misconceptions. The “Black Rednecks” essay is probably the most... more

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

7/10
Admittedly, I didn’t finish this book. There’s a point about halfway through when he tells the casual reader that... more

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

6/10
Once again, I am off in search of fantasy books to match the greatness of the A Song of Fire... more

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

8/10
The first official book in The Witcher series is not as jam-packed with action as the short story volumes... more

Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O'Brian

7/10
Not the strongest book in the series. It doesn’t help that many of the regular characters are gone in... more

The Bottoms by Joe. R. Lansdale

9/10
To Kill a Mockingbird with a serial killer.

The Broken Branch by Landon Knepp

7/10
The final book in the Tower and the Tree doesn’t quite work as well as the earlier books. I... more

Bruegel by Walter S. Gibson

8/10
This is a nice companion piece to his book on Bosch. There quite a bit more to talk about... more

Bruegel: The Complete Graphic Works by Maarten Bassens

9/10
I still chuckle every time I read the name Hieronymus Cock. Maybe I’m just an immature fool, but Hieronymus... more

Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences Americans by Ben Shapiro

4/10
I generally like the various Ben Shapiro “Destroys” videos I come across on the webs. He is an excellent... more

Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey

7/10
This the second book in The Expanse series. It felt like a bit of a retread but with less interesting characters.... more

The Captain Must Die by Robert Colby

8/10
Another solid pulp novel from Prologue Books. This time the story follows a group of ex-soldiers out for revenge... more

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

5/10
The story sets the puzzle up in an interesting way. Eight guests are invited to a dinner party. Four... more

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft

7/10
Sometime during my late teens I started reading a bunch of H. P. Lovecraft books. His style never fully... more

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

6/10
I never wrote a review for this one.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

6/10
More of a character study of a completely unappealing character than a plot-driven novel. Not my thing.

The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization by Arthur Herman

7/10
This is yet another summation of Western philosophical thought. In this case it’s presented as a perpetual oscillation between the spiritual... more

The Chiaroscuro Woodcut in Renaissance Italy by Naoko Takahatake

9/10
One of the best looking books on printmaking I’ve seen. Printed on a think matte stock, with over 100... more

Cibola Burn by James S. A. Corey

6/10
The Expanse keeps expansing! The story takes a break from galactic politics and focuses on the first group of... more

The City and the Stars/The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke

4/10
Why do I do this to myself? I am always disappointed with classic science fiction. This stuff is so... more

The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher

8/10
Ok. I may have goofed on the first book in The Tripods series earlier, but these are actually pretty fun reads. It’s not... more

The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt & Greg Lukianoff

7/10
I did not like this nearly as much as The Righteous Mind, but there are a handful of decent insights... more

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

8/10
I’m continuously on the lookout for a new fantasy series to fill my Kingkiller Chronicles/Song of Fire and Ice void. I’ve... more

The Commodore by Patrick O'Brian

8/10
Ending is pretty anti-climactic, but the meat of the story is very interesting.

Commodore Hornblower by C. S. Forrester

6/10
A disappointing follow-up to the last Hornblower novel. This one has Hornblower in Russia helping out during the siege... more

Connecticut Privateer Samuel Smedley by Jackson Kuhl

7/10
A short book about a lesser known hero of the American revolution. As the captain of a Connecticut privateer vessel,... more

Coolidge by Amity Shlaes

6/10
This was a fawning look at Coolidge’s life and tenure as the 30th President. It was okay up to a... more

The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper

7/10
Pulpy science fiction about a remote planet on which the inhabitants are convinced exists a super-computer that could solve... more

Cosmic Connections by Time-Life Books

3/10
So far, this is my least favorite book in this series. Astrology is just not a very interesting topic... more

Cosmic Retribution: The Infernal Art of Joe Coleman by Joe Coleman

7/10
Joe Coleman is a sicko and he wants you to know it! While I still like his art, I... more

The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power by Gene Healy

6/10
This book analyzes America’s proclivity towards an ever expansive and powerful executive branch—admittedly not the most exciting read. As... more

Curse: The Dark God Book 2 by John D. Brown

7/10
Despite an exciting opening, the second book in this series is not as good as the first. The stakes... more

Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose and James A. Lindsay

5/10
What a mouthful of a title. Anyhow, this book is a case against post-modernism and its application within the... more

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

6/10
Amazon recently gave this ebook away for free as a promotion for the sequel Inferno. It was my beach read... more

The Dance of Death by Hans Holbein

8/10
This is a weird, hybrid art book. Not exactly coffee table ready, and not exactly an art history paperback.... more

Dance of Death: A Graphic Commentary on the Danse Macabre Through the Centuries by Fritz Eichenberg

8/10
Filled with art featuring death (for the most part that means a skeleton… spooky, no?) taunting the living. The... more

The De-Definition of Art by Harold Rosenberg

4/10
This one is a collection of art criticism essays from the early 70s. They mostly grapple with the perceived... more

Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il by Michael Malice

9/10
I have read quite a few books that give an account of what it is like to live under the... more

Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

7/10
Poirot on a plane, a blow dart, and many suspects all with reasons to kill the old hag. I... more

The Declaration of Independents by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch

8/10
This was a nice manifesto of sorts that hits all the right marks in terms of what it means... more

Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian

9/10
The books keep getting better.

Devil Born Without Horns by Michael A. Lucas

9/10
Michael Lucas is best known as the schtick-loving bassist of The Phantom Surfers. This book was self-published under his... more

Diamonds Are Forever by Ian Fleming

7/10
James Bond #4 pits Bond against the mob in America. I’m surprised at how little actual spy-craft takes place... more

Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell

7/10
Sowell is always an interesting read. However, I find that he can be a bit repetitive in his points... more

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

6/10
I primarily have this book because I am interested in the spectacular Gustave Doré wood engravings. The text is... more

Don’t Cry For Me by William Campbell Gault

8/10
I recently discovered Prologue Books—a publisher devoted to re-releasing old pulp novels in ebook form. This is a company that... more

Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story by John Bloom

9/10
Eccentric Orbits is the history of the rise, fall, and eventual rebirth of the world’s first (and only) global satellite... more

Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt

9/10
A straightforward and methodical look at the economic principal of accounting for both the seen, and unseen effects of... more

Eight keys to Eden by Mark Clifton

4/10
Mid-century sci-fi novel about a planetary colony that goes dark. When the rescue mission arrives they find the colonists... more

Empire of Lies by Andrew Klaven

7/10
I like Andrew Klaven. His Klaven on the Culture videos are good natured and entertaining little bits of political satire that... more

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

9/10
The third Discworld novel starts a completely new storyline with no crossover with the first two books. I actually... more

Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs by John Bloom & Jim Atkinson

8/10
Outside of Helter Skelter, I have not read much true crime literature. I picked this one mainly because is was co-written... more

The Evil Friendship by Vin Packer

8/10
I started reading this book without knowing anything about it. I had previously read and very much enjoyed Vin... more

Falling Up the Stairs by James Lileks

7/10
I know Lileks mostly as a humorous conservative commentator and a connoisseur of cheesy 50’s pop culture. I wasn’t... more

Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

8/10
Another Philip Marlowe mystery featuring excellent hard-boiled prose. The story is filled with drug addicts, drinking, mobsters and crooked... more

Financial Fiasco by Johan Norberg

7/10
This book presents a history of the current financial crisis thingy in a way that tries to be as... more

Flying Colours by C.S. Forester

9/10
Another great Hornblower tale. The action picks up right at the end of the previous book and keeps going... more

Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

7/10
An entertaining read that pretty much says everything funny that can be said about food. I’ve read a couple... more

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

8/10
I’ve heard a few interviews with Taleb and he can be very interesting so I tried to give one... more

The Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brian

9/10
Another Aubry/Maturin book. This one has both sea and espionage elements.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

4/10
I was bored silly by this classic sci-fi book. I wanted to like it. It’s voted as the greatest... more

Freezer Burn by Joe R. Lansdale

7/10
Well, this is why I write these reviews. I got about a quarter the way into this book and... more