Reading List
Here’s where I keep track of all the books I have been reading lately. This is mostly for my own personal benefit so that I don’t forget what I have read. You can also view this list arranged alphabetically and by rating.
2022
Farewell, My Lovely
Another Philip Marlowe mystery featuring excellent hard-boiled prose. The story is filled with drug addicts, drinking, mobsters and crooked... more
Guston
Philip Guston started as a WPA muralist, then became one of the leading figures of abstract expressionism. He is... more
The De-Definition of Art
This one is a collection of art criticism essays from the early 70s. They mostly grapple with the perceived... more
A Butcher King’s Love
The third book in this series is finally bringing things together for most of our main characters. I am... more
The Making of Nox Archaist
Here we go, yet another post about Nox Archaist. This book probably won’t be of much interest to people... more
Bruegel: The Complete Graphic Works
I still chuckle every time I read the name Hieronymus Cock. Maybe I’m just an immature fool, but Hieronymus... more
Barefoot Aivnesi
The was a companion book to the The Tower and the Tree series which at the moment (I’m about... more
Cosmic Connections
So far, this is my least favorite book in this series. Astrology is just not a very interesting topic... more
Otto Dix
I’m slowly working my way through various artist monographs I have collected over the years. Up until now I... more
Murder in Mesopotamia
Now much to say. It’s a swell Poirot mystery that is written in the first person from the perspective... more
2021
Bruegel
This is a nice companion piece to his book on Bosch. There quite a bit more to talk about... more
Hieronymus Bosch
This short and small volume does a good job in contextualizing the work of Bosch. Lots of images but... more
The Renaissance of Etching
A better title for this art book would be Etching from the Renaissance. The book covers the dawn of... more
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America
I read a large chunk of this book in draft form as he serialized it on his Substack blog.... more
The Prestige
A tale of dueling magicians who go through ever more elaborate lengths to uncover each other’s secrets. It’s all... more
From Russia with Love
Bond travels to Istanbul to meet with a rogue Russian agent who claims to be in love with him.... more
Junkie!
This was a PlanetMonk Kindle reprint of a 50s pulp novel. I was expecting tons of scary drug use... more
Death in the Clouds
Poirot on a plane, a blow dart, and many suspects all with reasons to kill the old hag. I... more
Murder on the Orient Express
I read this knowing the ending but I still think it is a top-tier Poirot mystery. The confined setting... more
Three Act Tragedy
A mostly Poirot-free Poirot novel. It was okay, I guess, but pretty forgettable. What was I talking about?
The Stranger
A short, quick read that goes by even faster because of the blunt writing (or blunt translation as the... more
Lady of the Lake
The final Witcher book is a solid conclusion to the series but doesn’t quite stand up to the previous... more
Wood Engraving: The Art of Wood Engraving & Relief Engraving
There are very few books detailing the technical aspects of wood engraving out there. This is about as close... more
Piranesi: The Complete Etchings
I bought this on a whim when I saw the price dropped to $20. Kudos for the completeness and,... more
Resurrection
In the 1960s Fritz Eichenburg illustrated many classics as part of the Heritage Press series of books. This one... more
Diamonds Are Forever
James Bond #4 pits Bond against the mob in America. I’m surprised at how little actual spy-craft takes place... more
The Tower of the Swallow
After a very Geralt-centric novel, this fourth book in The Witcher series returns to the Ciri being the primary... more
Baptism of Fire
The third book in The Witcher series brings the story back to the quality that was shown in the... more
Ravilious: Wood Engravings
A nice collection of works by Eric Ravilious. This isn’t too text heavy, but each print gets a few... more
The Iliad
This is the sort of book that I feel like I have read already but that is mostly because... more
Freezer Burn
Well, this is why I write these reviews. I got about a quarter the way into this book and... more
Words on the Move: Why English Won’t – and Can’t – Sit Still (Like, Literally)
While it’s almost structured as a defense of the “misuse” of words such as literally and like, McWhorter’s book is a very... more
We
A dystopian novel that predates Orwell’s 1984 by a decade or two and was banned in Russia until the... more
South and South and South
The second book in this series moves along nicely as the various characters continue to do the things they... more
2020
Hans Baldung Grien: Prints and Drawings
An excellent catalog of graphic artworks by this famous student of Dürer. A good chunk of this deals with... more
Lord Edgware Dies
A perfectly serviceable Poirot mystery involving the most despicable kind of people on earth. That’s right, theater people.
The Time of Contempt
The Witcher continues with more of Geralt not fighting monsters. There’s a conclave of sorcerers, a double-crossing, a big... more
Scene Through Wood: A Century of Wood Engraving
While wood engraving was the method of illustrating books for at least a century, there doesn’t seem to be... more
Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark
This book is massive. Over a thousand pages filled with colorful photos, poster art and columns upon columns of... more
Lives of the Artists: Volume I
I started reading this thinking it would cover the techniques and materials of the Renaissance masters. Apparently, that’s another... more
Blood of Elves
The first official book in The Witcher series is not as jam-packed with action as the short story volumes... more
Sword of Destiny
The second collection of Witcher short stories is actually the first or something like that. You’ll need to Google... more
The Last Wish
I’ve played the games, watched the television show, and now I am going to work my way through the... more
The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization
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
One of the best looking books on printmaking I’ve seen. Printed on a think matte stock, with over 100... more
Mediocre Saviors
This was an enjoyable fantasy about a world that’s been turned to blight everywhere except a single kingdom which... more
1917: Lenin, Wilson, and the Birth of the New World Disorder
In the past (“the past” get it… oh, wait you haven’t read the next bit yet), I have tried... more
The Coddling of the American Mind
I did not like this nearly as much as The Righteous Mind, but there are a handful of decent insights... more
Mystery of the Blue Train
It’s been years since I read me some Poirot and it was refreshing to dive back in. I am a better... more
Pillars of the Earth
The historical fiction version of A Feast for Crows with the church versus the crown. It’s a thick but quick-paced read... more
Man and the State: The Political Philosophers
A good collection of political writings spanning from Hobbes to Marx. Hobbes and Locke lay down a nice foundation... more
Mysteries of the Unknown: Mystic Places
So far, my favorite of the MOTU series. I think I liked this one because there is some grounding... more
The City and the Stars/The Sands of Mars
Why do I do this to myself? I am always disappointed with classic science fiction. This stuff is so... more
2019
The City of Gold and Lead
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
Prey: The Drovers, Book 1
Looks like I am ending the year on a YA fiction kick. Prey is the story of a young boy (aren’t... more
The White Mountains
Young adult fiction about giant three legged machines that transform children into mindless teenagers when they turn thirteen. So... more
Dance of Death: A Graphic Commentary on the Danse Macabre Through the Centuries
Filled with art featuring death (for the most part that means a skeleton… spooky, no?) taunting the living. The... more
Mysteries of the Unknown: Mysterious Creatures
The first chapter about sea creatures is probably the best part of this book. Lots of great illustrations of... more
Mysteries of the Unknown: Transformations
Transformations is divided into three main sections: native American shapeshifters, werewolves and vampires. The shapeshifters chapter is filled with interesting images... more
Public Opinion
I agreed with many of his main points on stereotyping, democracy, propaganda, and the inability for a potential voter... more
Tales of the Peculiar
I went into this book knowing nothing of the many Mrs. Peregrine books/movies/after-dinner mints. Unless Shirley Temple is the main character,... more
The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics
Malice takes a break from trolling to clarify what exactly “The New Right” is. The dear readers are guided through the intellectual... more
The Gay Detective
A short, fun read with a simple plot and one-dimensional characters, but that should go without saying for just... more
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Apparently everything is going to kill us. There are a handful of insights among the doom and gloom, but mostly... more
Liberalism
Short overview of the basics of classical liberalism with nary a reference to praxeology.
The Wood and the Graver: The Work of Fritz Eichenberg
My copy was bought used and man-o-man does it smell musty. The odor is, at best, like a stack... more
Shirley Temple and the Screaming Specter
This is a strange old book. It’s a Nancy Drew style mystery but the main character is a teen-aged Shirley... more
A History Of Wood Engraving
The title of this one is a bit deceptive. The book is actually a history of British wood engraving. It starts... more
Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales
Penn details his weight-loss journey and his wacky diet. It’s an interesting take on how we view food and... more
The Divine Comedy
I primarily have this book because I am interested in the spectacular Gustave Doré wood engravings. The text is... more
The Pool of Fire
The final book the The Tripods trilogy delivers a satisfying conclusion to the story. I picture the aliens looking like Sigmund... more
Anthem
Having read her other books, I felt obliged to read this novella. It’s a fairly literal take on individualism... more
2018
Swap Clubs
Published in 1964, this book presents itself as a scientific analysis of swinger culture. The opening chapters are filled... more
Mysteries of the Unknown: Ancient Wisdom and Secret Sects
The chapters on Free Masonry and The Golden Dawn were pretty informative. I think my big takeaway about these... more
The Naked Sun
A murder mystery on a sparsely populated planet where each person lives isolated from everyone else and all the... more
A Renegade History of the United States
The premise here is that the outsiders and the misfits, by rejecting puritanism and pushing the limits of what is... more
Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion
I think it’s telling that throughout this book the author in constantly having to backtrack and clarify what he... more
Mysteries of the Unknown: Witches and Witchcraft
I enjoyed this one a lot more than Phantom Encounters. The historical accounts are more fact-based rather than anecdotal and... more
In the First Circle
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn brings us more thrilling tales from the gulag! This is his fictionalized account of life in the... more
Mysteries of the Unknown: Phantom Encounters
This book is a collection of anecdotal tales of various people from the olden days being visited by spirits.... more
Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs
Outside of Helter Skelter, I have not read much true crime literature. I picked this one mainly because is was co-written... more
Caliban’s War
This the second book in The Expanse series. It felt like a bit of a retread but with less interesting characters.... more
Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life
Another rambling philosophical tome from Taleb. It expands on the idea that good policy emerges from the participants having... more
Leviathan Wakes
I’ve been watching The Expanse lately and wanted to get a taste of the novels that the show is based upon.... more
Discrimination and Disparities
Sowell is always an interesting read. However, I find that he can be a bit repetitive in his points... more
The Raft
The harrowing true life account of three airmen who are adrift in a rubber raft for thirty-four days following... more
The Gulag Archipelago (Vol. I & II)
This massive book has been sitting on my shelf taunting me for twenty-plus years. Ages ago it was recommended... more
No Holds Barred
The ridiculous plot of this pulp trash novel is as follows: disgraced big city reporter winds up in small... more
Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences Americans
I generally like the various Ben Shapiro “Destroys” videos I come across on the webs. He is an excellent... more
Kill All Normies
This is a pretty good overview of the roots of (mostly) right-wing Internet subcultures and trolls with a little... more
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047
Apocalyptic dystopia from a libertarian perspective. Biases confirmed! In this story it’s not war, plague or environmental catastrophe that... more
Based on a True Story
He starts off with a typical comedian’s memoir and, after about three pages, Norm gives up and go total... more
The Cosmic Computer
Pulpy science fiction about a remote planet on which the inhabitants are convinced exists a super-computer that could solve... more
2017
To Build a Castle: My Life as a Dissenter
A memoir of what living in The Soviet Union was like in the 60s and 70s. Bukovsky spent most... more
The Secret History of Twin Peaks
I listened to the audiobook version which features many of the original cast members reprising their roles. The book... more
Food: A Love Story
An entertaining read that pretty much says everything funny that can be said about food. I’ve read a couple... more
You’re Better Than Me
Another comic’s memoir, but this time it’s actually funny. The first half is really is much better, in which... more
Two Years Before the Mast
This is a memoir of life aboard a merchant vessel in the early 1800’s. It is also noteworthy as... more
Happy Endings
Norton is usually a very entertaining guest on whatever chat show on which he appears. However, I’ve watched his... more