Books: By Rating

And here’s my book list arranged by rating: best to worst.

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 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

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

10/10
Great page turner.

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

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

10/10
A satisfying ending to a wonderful series of books. The rating reflects my opinion of the series more than... more

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

10/10
It was a good read even though it’s about wizards and other nerdy things.

Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas

10/10
This book is massive. Over a thousand pages filled with colorful photos, poster art and columns upon columns of... more

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem

10/10
It has been a while since I’ve read a contemporary novel that I liked this much. Motherless Brooklyn is a pretty... more

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

10/10
An extremely well written fantasy novel that steers clear of most of your standard fantasy fiction clichés. Sure, there... 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Garth Marenghi’s TerrorTome by Garth Marenghi

9/10
The audiobook is the way to go here. The character of Garth Marenghi (who reads the book) is hilarious... more

Guston by Robert Storr

9/10
Philip Guston started as a WPA muralist, then became one of the leading figures of abstract expressionism. He is... more

Hans Baldung Grien: Prints and Drawings by James H. Marrow

9/10
An excellent catalog of graphic artworks by this famous student of Dürer. A good chunk of this deals with... more

How to Piss in Public: From Teenage Rebellion to the Hangover of Adulthood by Gavin McInnes

9/10
When I started this book I was apprehensive. As much as I love Gavin’s current incarnation as a wild... more

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

9/10
My post-Game of Thrones decent into pure phantasy nerdom continues with the Mistborn trilogy. This first book in the series... more

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

9/10
I read this knowing the ending but I still think it is a top-tier Poirot mystery. The confined setting... more

Mysteries of the Unknown: Mystic Places by Time-Life Books

9/10
So far, my favorite of the MOTU series. I think I liked this one because there is some grounding... more

Mysteries of the Unknown: Witches and Witchcraft by Time Life Books

9/10
I enjoyed this one a lot more than Phantom Encounters. The historical accounts are more fact-based rather than anecdotal and... more

No, They Can’t: Why Government Fails-But Individuals Succeed by John Stossel

9/10
John Stossel is awesome. I’ve been a fan ever since I was in the seventh grade and watched him... more

Racing the Beam by Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost

9/10
Racing the Beam is a fairly accessible look at the technology behind the Atari 2600 video game console. Apparently the... more

Scene Through Wood: A Century of Wood Engraving by Anne Desmet

9/10
While wood engraving was the method of illustrating books for at least a century, there doesn’t seem to be... more

Ship of the Line by C. S. Forester

9/10
Another exciting Hornblower sea tale. This one was a much better read than the last, although, outside of the... more

Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski

9/10
The second collection of Witcher short stories is actually the first or something like that. You’ll need to Google... more

The Bottoms by Joe. R. Lansdale

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

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

The Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brian

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

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

9/10
The Hero of Ages picks up a year or so after the events of The Well of Ascension. This final volume... more

The Hundred Days by Patrick O'Brian

9/10
I’d recommend any book in this series. They have their highs and lows, but all-in-all I think this is... more

The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics by Michael Malice

9/10
Malice takes a break from trolling to clarify what exactly “The New Right” is. The dear readers are guided through the intellectual... more

The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O'Brian

9/10
A very well done Aubry/Maturin story. More Maturin centric than usual, which is refreshing.

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt

9/10
Required reading for anyone who is sick of the political name calling and soft bigotry that permeates every single... more

The Three Languages of Politics by Arnold Kling

9/10
Essential reading for understanding that people who might disagree with politically are not evil or stupid, they are just... more

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

9/10
Book two in the Mistborn series continues this the storyline directly after the climactic events of the first novel. This... more

The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O'Brian

9/10
Apparently, I liked this one.

The Wood and the Graver: The Work of Fritz Eichenberg by Fritz Eichenberg

9/10
My copy was bought used and man-o-man does it smell musty. The odor is, at best, like a stack... more

Twisty Little Passages – An Approach to Interactive Fiction by Nick Montfort

9/10
A very good read that is a critical analysis and brief history of text adventures. The first half gets... more

Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

9/10
Book two in this excellent series is just about as good as the first. The story picks up right... more

Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter

9/10
I read a large chunk of this book in draft form as he serialized it on his Substack blog.... more

Wood Engraving: The Art of Wood Engraving & Relief Engraving by Barry Moser

9/10
There are very few books detailing the technical aspects of wood engraving out there. This is about as close... more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gods’ Man: A Novel in Woodcuts by Lynd Ward

8/10
Beautiful wood engravings are the reason to “read” this.

How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness by Russ Roberts

8/10
In this book Roberts (of EconTalk fame) takes Adam Smith’s other major work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, and makes it understandable in a... more

In Fifty Years We’ll All Be Chicks by Adam Carolla

8/10
I decided to try this one out on a whim. I like Adam Carolla and his humor translated pretty... more

In the First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

8/10
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn brings us more thrilling tales from the gulag! This is his fictionalized account of life in the... more

James Ensor by Jacques Janssens

8/10
This is from one of those mass market art book series, Crown Art Library. I’m a sucker for these... more

Junkie! by Jonathan Craig

8/10
This was a PlanetMonk Kindle reprint of a 50s pulp novel. I was expecting tons of scary drug use... more

Let’s Tell a Story Together by Jimmy Maher

8/10
I’m a regular reader of Jimmy Maher’s blog The Digital Antiquarian which documents the history of the early days of home... more

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

8/10
I’ve been watching The Expanse lately and wanted to get a taste of the novels that the show is based upon.... more

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning by Jonah Goldberg

8/10
The thesis here is that, despite the constant cries of “fascism” when talking about right-wing policies, the real heirs... more

Man and the State: The Political Philosophers by Various Authors

8/10
A good collection of political writings spanning from Hobbes to Marx. Hobbes and Locke lay down a nice foundation... more

Mediocre Saviors by Landon Knepp

8/10
This was an enjoyable fantasy about a world that’s been turned to blight everywhere except a single kingdom which... more

Mort by Terry Pratchett

8/10
So, I’m now four books into the Discworld series and I think I will keep going with it (only 33 more... more

Mysteries of the Unknown: Ancient Wisdom and Secret Sects by Time-Life Books

8/10
The chapters on Free Masonry and The Golden Dawn were pretty informative. I think my big takeaway about these... more

Mysteries of the Unknown: Dreams and Dreaming by Time-Life Books

8/10
I found this volume in the Mysteries series to be much more readable and informative than the last few... more

Mysteries of the Unknown: Transformations by Time-Life Books

8/10
Transformations is divided into three main sections: native American shapeshifters, werewolves and vampires. The shapeshifters chapter is filled with interesting images... more

Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

8/10
It’s been years since I read me some Poirot and it was refreshing to dive back in. I am a better... more

Not Cool: The Hipster Elite and Their War on You by Greg Gutfeld

8/10
Another enjoyable read from Red Eye host Greg Gutfeld. The thesis as I see it is that liberals own... more

On the Far Side of the World by Patrick O'Brian

8/10
Another nice entry in the Aubry Maturin series.

Otto Dix by Caroline Johnstone

8/10
I’m slowly working my way through various artist monographs I have collected over the years. Up until now I... more

Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

8/10
I couldn’t be bothered to write a review.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

8/10
The historical fiction version of A Feast for Crows with the church versus the crown. It’s a thick but quick-paced read... more

Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future by Johan Norberg

8/10
Johan Norberg wrote one of the clearest accounts of the 2007 financial meltdown and, after that dismal tale, he’s back with... more

Raveler: The Dark God Book 3 by John D. Brown

8/10
The most recent book in this series builds up to a grand conclusion, an last-stand battle of epic proportions,... more

Ravilious: Wood Engravings by James Russell

8/10
A nice collection of works by Eric Ravilious. This isn’t too text heavy, but each print gets a few... more

Rock Stardom for Dumbshits by Phantom Surfers, The

8/10
Leave it to The Phantom Surfers to release an instrumental surf record without any music, singing, talking or audio... more

Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski

8/10
Season of Storms is a fitting palette cleanse after the main Witcher series thud of an ending. There’s no... more

Servant: The Dark God Book 1 by John D. Brown

8/10
This is a fantasy novel I picked up based strictly on the reviews and auto-recommendations online. I enjoyed it... more

Silvertip by Max Brand

8/10
This is the first Western I’ve ever read. Written in 1933, Silvertip is the story of a gray-templed gunslinger who likes... more

Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

8/10
Another rambling philosophical tome from Taleb. It expands on the idea that good policy emerges from the participants having... more

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

8/10
This was my first cyberpunk novel (if you don’t count getting stuck in Neuromancer on the IIgs). I thought it was... more

Something in the Shadows by Vin Packer

8/10
I really do like Vin Packer’s pulp thrillers. This book continues her knack for creating conflicted and dark characters... more

South and South and South by Landon Knepp

8/10
The second book in this series moves along nicely as the various characters continue to do the things they... more