| title |
author |
year |
*ranking* |
comments |
| #1 good faith |
jane smiley |
2003 |
* * * * |
good book. nice story about greed and sex in the 80s real estate market |
| #2 the once and future king |
T.H. White |
1977 |
* * * * |
it's really four books written between 1938 and 1940. the first half was great, but the last half dragged. |
| #3 moo |
jane smiley |
1995 |
* * |
didn't find the characters very interesting. couldn't follow the story. was a chore to read. only got half-way through before giving up. |
| #4 do androids dream of electric sheep? |
Philip K. Dick |
1968 |
* * * * * |
fantastic story, pace, and dialog. the style is exactly what I've been after. was the basis for the movie "Blade Runner", but unfortunatly, they didn't follow the book, and the movie sucked ass. This book is a masterpiece. |
| #5 moby dick |
herman melville |
1851 |
* * * * * |
despite the difficult language and crazy symbolism, this is a kick-ass book. read it if you dare. by the way, it's more than just a book about a whale. |
| #6 the long, dark tea time of the soul |
Douglas Adams |
1988 |
* * |
i think adams wrote "Hitchhikers . . " off the top of his head, and it worked. I think he did the same thing with this book, only it didn't work. |
| #7 so long, and thanks for all the fish |
Douglas Adams |
1984 |
* * * |
uh, not so good. |
| #8 the salmon of doubt |
Douglas Adams |
2002 |
* * * * |
published after his death, is a collection of essays and articles he wrote over his career. It's great reading. Better than the Hichhiker's series, I think |
| #9 atlas shrugged |
Ayn Rand |
1957 |
* * * |
Tonight I "finished" reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Why should I write a review, when a perfectly good one has already been given by Officer Barbrady from South Park: "And then I read this: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I read every last word of this garbage, and because of this piece of shit I'm never reading again!" I think that about sums it up for me. Her writing is fantastic, but it's melodramatic and overblown. She's long-winded and too full of herself. I stopped on page 580. I don't care if they build the motor. I don't care if the industrialists are allowed to go about their business again. I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! The only thing I care about is the brain hemorrhage I felt brewing from reading this crap! |
| #10 night shift |
steven king |
1979 |
* * * * * |
these stories are some of his best. "children of the corn", "jerusalem's lot", "trucks", and an whole bunch of great stories are found here. most of them appeared in Cavalier magazine in the early 70s. A few were in gallery and penthouse. But all of them are great horror stories. Some of SK's later stuff is unreadable garbage, but this is King at his best. ~080906 |
| #11 catch 22 |
joseph heller |
1955 |
* * * * * |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland set in WWII. Sort of. This book is an insane look at the insanity of war. well worth the read if you can keep track of what's going on. great book. ~083006 |
| #12 Isaac Asimov's Halloween |
various |
2001 |
* * * |
book of supernatural stories. it was okay. ~090306 |
| #13 dune |
frank herbert |
1965 |
* * * |
First, I admit I only read this to page 100. I know it is considered a science fiction classic. I know it is probably loved around the world. I know they made a movie out of this book. But I, personally, and this is only because I don't appreciate the subtle nuances that this book apparently has, I though it was boring. That's why I only got a hundred pages into it. The characters were flat. ~ 13sep06 |
| #14 practical demonkeeping |
christopher moore |
1992 |
* * * * |
Christopher Moore is a great comic writer. This one gets a little bogged down on goofy plot details, characters planning stuff out, but otherwise, a good read. ~ October 6, 2006 |
| #15 stranger in a strange land |
robert a. heinlein |
1961 |
* * * |
The dialog was too "cute". I only read to pg. 215 out of 438 this time. I've read this book before and I remember the ending gets pretty convoluted. The dialog is just to cutsie for me. The Jubal character comes off as annoying. I know this is another SF classic I'm supposed to be in awe of, but when reading becomes "work," I have to move on to something else. ~ 16nov06 |
| #16 Vengance Fantastic |
Denise Little, Editor |
2002 |
* * * |
17 short stories of revenge. Some were good, some not so good. Worth the read. ~ November 22, 2006 |
| #17 digital fortress |
Dan Brown |
1998 |
* * * |
This was formulaic and kind of cheesy. I only got 3/4 of the way through before I gave up. I didn't care about the un-crackable code. ~ December 11, 2006 |
| #18 The God Delusion |
Richard Dawkins |
2006 |
* * * * |
I wondered if it was worth reading about something that isnt' there, but Dawkins talks about religion and how it complicates things for people. A lot of scientific and psychological theories. Worth the read. ~ April 23, 2007 |
| #19 McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories |
Michael Chabon, Editor |
2004 |
* * |
The only thing astonishing about this collection of short stories is how many sucked. There were a couple of good ones: "The Scheme of Things", by Charles D' Ambrosio, and "Reports of Certain Events in London" by China Mieville, but for the most part, the rest of the stories were unreadable crap. ~ April 30, 2007 |
| #20 America: The Book |
Warner Books |
2004 |
* * * * * |
Laugh out loud funny. Cynicism and humor merged into one sarcastic "fuck you" to blind nationalism.~ May 08, 2007 |
| #21 A People's History of The United States |
Howard Zinn |
2003 |
* * * * * |
Probably the most eye-opening book I've every read. Forget the bullshit history they taught you in school. This is the real deal. You wouldn't believe some of the shit we've pulled. Read this book only if you want the wool away from your eyes. ~ May 23, 2007 |
| #22 Running with Scissors |
Augusten Burroughs |
2004 |
* * * * |
A good memoir about Burrough's freakish youth. Had to skip the gay sex scenes. Does the world really need a description of butt-sex? I don't think so. But otherwise, a good read.~ May 29, 2007 |
| #23 Lolita |
Vladimir Nabokov |
1955 |
* * * |
A book about a pedophile obsessed with fucking twelve-year-old girls. I got half-way through. The first half was about him trying to get the girl, actually marrying Lolita's mother in order to get near the girl. That part was okay. But once he got the girl, well, it got boring after that. No, there weren't any sex scenes, but it was depressing enough as it is. While it was well written, the last half really sucked ass as it becomes a dismal tour of American tourist traps and motels. ~ June 17, 2007 |
| #24 god is not Great |
Christopher Hitchens |
2007 |
* * * * |
Lots of factual information that explains why religion sucks ass.~ June 17, 2007 |
| #25 On a Pale Horse |
Piers Anthony |
1983 |
* * |
I might have enjoyed it more if I were twelve years old. The simplistic way this book looks at death, and the convoluted mechanics of the afterlife and the harvesting and analysis of souls to determine their disposition in the afterlife did nothing to entertain. It was tedious. ~ June 24, 2007 |
| #26 The Razor's Edge |
W. Somerset Maugham |
1943 |
* * * * * |
has everything a novel should have. Fantastic characters, death, marriages, romance, jealousy, deceit, and a story that moves. There is Larry the mystic, Elliot the lovable snob, Isabel the socialite. Every character is distinct. The stock market crashes in '29 at just the right point. This work is a masterpiece, and everybody should read it. Right now! ~ July 8, 2007 |
| #27 The Witches of Eastwick |
John Updike |
1984 |
* * * |
The first three-quarters were great. The last part, boring. Updike can really describe stuff. ~ July 21, 2007 |
| #28 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone |
J.K. Rowling |
1997 |
* * * * |
This thing moves. The story goes quick, there are lots of characters, and Rowling can make them all seem to be in the same room at once. The school seems to be one big space, where characters slip in and out of the action smoothly. It should be called 'Harry Plotter'; it's all plot, and it's all good. ~ July 24, 2007 |
| #29 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
J.K. Rowling |
1998 |
* * * * |
Heavy on plot, the action moves quickly. Not much else to say that hasnt' already been said. ~ July 29, 2007 |
| #30 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban |
J.K. Rowling |
1999 |
* * * * |
um, more of the same. ~ August 6, 2007 |
| #31 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
J.K. Rowling |
2000 |
* * * * |
um, more of the same. ~ August 16, 2007 |
| #32 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
J.K. Rowling |
2003 |
* * * * |
um, more of the same. Sort of convoluted in the end, but it is a page-turner, and all the loose ends are wrapped up by the end. ~ August 27, 2007 |
| #33 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince |
J.K. Rowling |
2005 |
* * * * |
These books just get better and better. There was a surprising amount of necking going on among the students in this one. ~ September 02, 2007 |
| #34 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows |
J.K. Rowling |
2007 |
* * * |
this 759 pg. behemoth should have been about 300 pages shorter. Lots of chapters in the middle where absolutely nothing happened, and while a series of books for kids about a boy wizard requires a great amount of suspension of disbelief, JK Rowling was really reaching in this one. But the ending was pretty good. I'm glad its over. I will never read these books again! ~ September 05, 2007 |
| #35 When Will Jesus Bring The Porkchops? |
George Carlin |
2004 |
* * * |
This book is both very good and very bad. The entire thing is just little sections of thoughts and ideas. He has parts that are fiction, and these parts are damn near unreadable. But his observations about society and language are fantastic. His non-fiction is hilarious. His fiction is atrocious. The nice thing is, you can spot the fiction and non-fiction pretty quick, so you end up skipping the horrible fake character sketches and sketch comedy scripts and focus on his take on euphemisms and observations. Well worth the half-read. ~ September 08, 2007 |
| #36 The Communist Manifesto |
Karl Marx and Frederick Engels |
1848 |
* * * |
The first part was great, but the last part had some crazy ideas about women. Plus, once the revolution is over, somebody's going to take the place of the bourgeoisie aren't they? ~ September 12, 2007 |
| #37 Of Human Bondage |
William Somerset Maugham |
1915 |
* * * * * |
Best book about a club-footed person ever! Seriously, this masterpiece captures the scope of human emotion, delves into the metaphysics while reading like a well-written tortured love story; love the meaning of life, the reason for art, the play of class and religion, the meaning of freedom. I have never read a book this boundless in its ability to move and inform the reader. This is a magnificent literary symphony of thought and emotion. ~ October 13, 2007 |
| #38 The Roald Dahl Omnibus |
Roald Dahl |
1993 |
* * * * |
This is a book of short stories by the author of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach. But these aren't children's stories. These are stories about sex, poachers, cannibalism, murder, and a host of other adults hating or loving each other too much. The stories each have unique twists and surprise endings. These stories are entertaining and written in a way I've never seen before. ~ October 21, 2007 |
| #39 Pride and Prejudice |
Jane Austen |
1813 |
* * * |
I know this is supposed to be a girl's book, but I read it anyway for the "what's the big deal" factor, because there are so many people (women) who are really into Jane Austen. Basically, Elizabeth goes to tea and visits friends and nothing happens. Mr. Darcy is a jerk, but then turns out he isn't a jerk. Various people say things. I couldn't finish this because I guess I'm too stupid to read it, or I'm a guy. Anyway, I don't get it. ~ November 26, 2007 |
| #40 The Golden Compass |
Philip Pullman |
1995 |
* * * |
The writing and scenes were well done, but the story on a whole didn't do anything for me. Lots of people are saying this is a great book, and it is pretty good, but it doesn't live up to all the hype. ~ December 30, 2007 |
| #41 1984 |
George Orwell |
1949 |
* * * * * |
If you read it a long time ago when you were a kid, read it again. I love this novel, and the writing style is fantastic. Did you know Orwell is only a pen name? The author's real name was Eric Blair. ~ January 29, 2008 |
| #42 On Writing |
Stephen King |
2000 |
* * * * * |
This is a tome of awesome writing knowldege. King delivers a no-nonsense message about the craft. ~ February 22, 2008 |
| #43 Camber of Culdi |
Katherine Kurtz |
1976 |
* * |
Meh. ~ April 03, 2008 |
| #44 Conan of Cimmeria |
Robert E. Howard; L. Sprague De Camp; Lin Carter |
1969 |
* * * * |
Book Review, Conan of Cimmeria: Why should I review this book when it speaks for itself? Here's a single sentence on page 91 that sums it all up: "The fighting madness of his race was upon him, and with a red mist of unreasoning fury wavering before his blazing eyes, he cleft skulls, smashed breasts, severed limbs, ripped out entrails, and littered the deck like a shambles with ghastly a ghastly harvest of brains and blood." What more could you possibly ask for? The Conan series I'm reading now is a collection of short stories published between the late '30s and as late as 1968, some of them posthumously by L. Sprague de Camp. ~ May 15, 2008 |
| #45 The Graduate |
Charles Webb |
1963 |
* * * * * |
Any book I can read in one day has to be good. I'm a slow reader. Heavy in the dialog, but there was so much said in what wasn't said. Almost no description of characters or background. Just dialog. Awesome. ~ May 16, 2008 |
| #46 The Dead Zone |
Stephen King |
1979 |
* * * * |
Stephen King wrote good stuff earlier in his career, and this is an example of the good stuff. The Dead Zone is tightly written, with none of the sappy long-windedness of King's later works. He tells a good story and gets to the point telling it. ~ May 25, 2008 |
| #47 Murder On The Orient Express |
Agatha Christie |
1934 |
* * * * |
A murder on a snowbound train. The murderer is on the train. Hercule Poirot must figure it out. Come for the mystery, stay for the dated stereotypes! ~ May 29, 2008 |
| #48 Of Mice and Men |
John Steinbeck |
1937 |
* * * * * |
Too many critics have already said too many great things about this fantastic book. I almost cried. This is a masterpiece. ~ May 30, 2008 |
| #49 Four Great Russian Short Novels |
Dell Publishing |
1959 |
* * * |
Actually, I only read three of them. First Love, by Ivan Turgenev, 1860; The Gambler, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1866 and Master And Man, by Leo Tolstoy, 1895. After three Russian novels, I was sick of Russian Novels. Of the three, The Gambler was the best. It was funny. Weird how people lived off each other, giving each other "allowances" and "stipends" and paying for each other's hotel bills. ~ June 10, 2008 |
| #50 I Am America (And So Can You!) |
Stephen Colbert |
2007 |
* * * * * |
This is the funniest thing I've read in years. I was crying from laughing so hard. Not since Steve Martin's Cruel Shoes have I laughed this hard. ~ June 17, 2008 |
