-
Note: My rating are mostly based on *enjoyment*, and do not take into account the historical literary value of the text.
1. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10
2. The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10 for Abraham's The Long Price Quartet. Lyrically written with original ideas, which is quite rare and refreshing for the fantasy genre.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne -- 8/10. Excellent book. I love Hawthorne's haunting prose.
4. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer -- 7/10. Nice and bizzarre set of short stories set in an equally bizzarre fantasy world. It's like 50s, 60s film noir with a bunch of fungus.
5. Don Quixote by Cervantes -- 7/10. Good, but too long--I was board by the end. Probably a better idea to read the first half, put it down for a while, and then read the second half. Alas, I didn't do that.
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens -- 7.5/10. It was good. Nice historical piece.
7. Inferno by Dante -- 9/10. I love hell, so I loved this. A must read if there ever was one.
8. Purgatorio by Dante -- 8/10. Not as enjoyable a read as Inferno.
9. The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams -- 5/10. It was okay. Its strong point was the world Williams' creates, but annoying characters ruin it.
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- 8/10. The wonderful historical setting and good writing redeem the draggy plot.
11. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -- 5/10. A wonderful novel completely ruined by the preachy, soapbox ending.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. The first book in my favorite fantasy series. Excellent characters, gritty plot, and good writing. A must-read for any fantasy lover.
13. Paradiso by Dante -- 7/10. Just couldn't get into it. The 7 is mostly for the beautiful language. I like the dark imagery of hell--the light and exuberant imagery of heaven does not interest me.
14. Bartleby the Scrivener by Melville. (novella/short story) -- 8/10. It's slow and over-descriptive, but I just love Melville's writing. Plus, it's an interesting story, at times funny, and other dark and disturbing.
15. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 7/10. Okay fantasy story. A bit overrated, in my opinion.
16. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck -- 8/10. Surprisingly good family narrative. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
17. The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. Dark and gritty fantasy. Too much misogynism, though.
18. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- I honestly don't know what to give this. Definitely the strangest book I've ever read.
19. The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker -- 6/10. Continued with the dark grittiness.
20. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- 5/10. Not sure what the big deal is. The stream-of-consciousness writing is good, but the story was just boring. Maybe I missed something.
21. The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. And okay ending to an okay trilogy. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series (this trilogy was just part 1).
22. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- 7/10. It was alright. Not much more to say, really.
23. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe -- 3/10. Overly preachy, stereotypical and racist depictions of African Americans, one-dimensional characters, and uninteresting writing. I'm being generous with a 3.
24. Moby Dick by Herman Melville -- 10/10. One of the greatest novels ever written, period.
25. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Much more enjoyable than the first story of Le Guin's Earthsea series.
26. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Another really good story. Good adventure.
27. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. Out of the four Earthsea novels I read, this was the most different, which is why I liked it. Not much action or magic, but a wonderfully subdued story.
28. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon -- 9.5/10. Excellent story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Plus, I love comic books, so it was a great read.
29. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- 6/10. I liked the writing and parts of the story, but it just didn't seem like much happened, which I guess was part of the point.
30. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. A wonderfully inventive and unique sci-fi novel. One of my faves in the genre.
31. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- 8/10. Wonderfully witty dialogue paired with a very dark story. A very good read.
32. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. Repeat what I said for A Game of Thrones.
33. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley -- 8/10. A good, dark story written very well. A little heavy on the philosophical meanderings at times, though.
34. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon -- 7.5/10. A much more accessible book than Gravity's Rainbow. Bizzarre and funny.
35. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy -- 10/10. Dark, violent, and disturbing. In the hands of a less talented writer it would seem nothing more than a book going for shock value, but the lyricism of McCarthy make it a masterpiece.
36. Paradise Lost by John Milton -- 10/10. Brilliant. I've never read epic poetry that's grabbed me so completely.
37. A Storm of Swords -- 9.5/10. Probably the best out of the series so far (though I've yet to read the fifth book). Wonderful surprises, good action, good characters, and an engaging plot. What more could one want from a fantasy story?
38. Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate by Walt Whitman -- 6/10. I had to read this for a class. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
39. Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant -- 6/10. Rather disappointing. After hearing so many great things about Maupassant, I was expecting more. The language was just dull, though maybe it was the translation's fault. There were moments of brilliance, like the dual scene and the death of Forestier.
40. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin -- 8/10. This is often said to be a poor book in Martin's series, and while I agree that it isn't as good as its predecessors, I still find it to be quite an entertaining page-turner.
41. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- 9/10. Still a favorite of mine. I love Bradbury's lyrical prose.
42. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury -- 8/10. Some wonderful stories, a few not-so-wonderful, but the good definitely outweigh the bad.
43. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- 6/10. A let down. Could have been a lot shorter. Though some of the plot points were interesting, it didn't move forward enough. Seemed like more set up for upcoming books.
44. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo -- 7.5/10. Not bad, dragged a bit in places. The title is a bit misleading, as Quasimodo really doesn't have that huge of a role, though that's the fault of the English translation of the title.
45. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -- 10/10. After my fourth or fifth read, still one of my favorites. Is it racist? Yes. It's far from perfect, really, but I love the prose. Plus, I consider it to be the first "serious" piece of literature I read and appreciated, so it has a special place in my mind.
46. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. Weird, weird, weird. And quite funny, definitely gave me a few chuckles (which is rare for me). Vonnegut always seems to me like an easier-to-read Pynchon, and that makes him more enjoyable.
47. Grendel by John Gardner -- 7.5/10. Another weird one, but good nonetheless. An interesting idea, telling Grendel's (the foe of Beowulf) side of the story. The experimentation (suddenly switching into the structure of a play, or verse, for example) seemed too forced and unoriginal, though.
-
October
40. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
41. The Black Dahlia, James Ellroy
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Note: My rating are mostly based on *enjoyment*, and do not take into account the historical literary value of the text.
1. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10
2. The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10 for Abraham's The Long Price Quartet. Lyrically written with original ideas, which is quite rare and refreshing for the fantasy genre.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne -- 8/10. Excellent book. I love Hawthorne's haunting prose.
4. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer -- 7/10. Nice and bizzarre set of short stories set in an equally bizzarre fantasy world. It's like 50s, 60s film noir with a bunch of fungus.
5. Don Quixote by Cervantes -- 7/10. Good, but too long--I was board by the end. Probably a better idea to read the first half, put it down for a while, and then read the second half. Alas, I didn't do that.
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens -- 7.5/10. It was good. Nice historical piece.
7. Inferno by Dante -- 9/10. I love hell, so I loved this. A must read if there ever was one.
8. Purgatorio by Dante -- 8/10. Not as enjoyable a read as Inferno.
9. The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams -- 5/10. It was okay. Its strong point was the world Williams' creates, but annoying characters ruin it.
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- 8/10. The wonderful historical setting and good writing redeem the draggy plot.
11. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -- 5/10. A wonderful novel completely ruined by the preachy, soapbox ending.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. The first book in my favorite fantasy series. Excellent characters, gritty plot, and good writing. A must-read for any fantasy lover.
13. Paradiso by Dante -- 7/10. Just couldn't get into it. The 7 is mostly for the beautiful language. I like the dark imagery of hell--the light and exuberant imagery of heaven does not interest me.
14. Bartleby the Scrivener by Melville. (novella/short story) -- 8/10. It's slow and over-descriptive, but I just love Melville's writing. Plus, it's an interesting story, at times funny, and other dark and disturbing.
15. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 7/10. Okay fantasy story. A bit overrated, in my opinion.
16. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck -- 8/10. Surprisingly good family narrative. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
17. The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. Dark and gritty fantasy. Too much misogynism, though.
18. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- I honestly don't know what to give this. Definitely the strangest book I've ever read.
19. The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker -- 6/10. Continued with the dark grittiness.
20. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- 5/10. Not sure what the big deal is. The stream-of-consciousness writing is good, but the story was just boring. Maybe I missed something.
21. The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. And okay ending to an okay trilogy. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series (this trilogy was just part 1).
22. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- 7/10. It was alright. Not much more to say, really.
23. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe -- 3/10. Overly preachy, stereotypical and racist depictions of African Americans, one-dimensional characters, and uninteresting writing. I'm being generous with a 3.
24. Moby Dick by Herman Melville -- 10/10. One of the greatest novels ever written, period.
25. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Much more enjoyable than the first story of Le Guin's Earthsea series.
26. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Another really good story. Good adventure.
27. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. Out of the four Earthsea novels I read, this was the most different, which is why I liked it. Not much action or magic, but a wonderfully subdued story.
28. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon -- 9.5/10. Excellent story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Plus, I love comic books, so it was a great read.
29. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- 6/10. I liked the writing and parts of the story, but it just didn't seem like much happened, which I guess was part of the point.
30. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. A wonderfully inventive and unique sci-fi novel. One of my faves in the genre.
31. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- 8/10. Wonderfully witty dialogue paired with a very dark story. A very good read.
32. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. Repeat what I said for A Game of Thrones.
33. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley -- 8/10. A good, dark story written very well. A little heavy on the philosophical meanderings at times, though.
34. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon -- 7.5/10. A much more accessible book than Gravity's Rainbow. Bizzarre and funny.
35. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy -- 10/10. Dark, violent, and disturbing. In the hands of a less talented writer it would seem nothing more than a book going for shock value, but the lyricism of McCarthy make it a masterpiece.
36. Paradise Lost by John Milton -- 10/10. Brilliant. I've never read epic poetry that's grabbed me so completely.
37. A Storm of Swords -- 9.5/10. Probably the best out of the series so far (though I've yet to read the fifth book). Wonderful surprises, good action, good characters, and an engaging plot. What more could one want from a fantasy story?
38. Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate by Walt Whitman -- 6/10. I had to read this for a class. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
39. Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant -- 6/10. Rather disappointing. After hearing so many great things about Maupassant, I was expecting more. The language was just dull, though maybe it was the translation's fault. There were moments of brilliance, like the dual scene and the death of Forestier.
40. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin -- 8/10. This is often said to be a poor book in Martin's series, and while I agree that it isn't as good as its predecessors, I still find it to be quite an entertaining page-turner.
41. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- 9/10. Still a favorite of mine. I love Bradbury's lyrical prose.
42. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury -- 8/10. Some wonderful stories, a few not-so-wonderful, but the good definitely outweigh the bad.
43. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- 6/10. A let down. Could have been a lot shorter. Though some of the plot points were interesting, it didn't move forward enough. Seemed like more set up for upcoming books.
44. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo -- 7.5/10. Not bad, dragged a bit in places. The title is a bit misleading, as Quasimodo really doesn't have that huge of a role, though that's the fault of the English translation of the title.
45. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -- 10/10. After my fourth or fifth read, still one of my favorites. Is it racist? Yes. It's far from perfect, really, but I love the prose. Plus, I consider it to be the first "serious" piece of literature I read and appreciated, so it has a special place in my mind.
46. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. Weird, weird, weird. And quite funny, definitely gave me a few chuckles (which is rare for me). Vonnegut always seems to me like an easier-to-read Pynchon, and that makes him more enjoyable.
47. Grendel by John Gardner -- 7.5/10. Another weird one, but good nonetheless. An interesting idea, telling Grendel's (the foe of Beowulf) side of the story. The experimentation (suddenly switching into the structure of a play, or verse, for example) seemed too forced and unoriginal, though.
48. East of Eden by John Steinbeck -- 8.5/10. A wonderful read. I love Steinbeck's easy-to-read prose. This book may have also had the best character development I've ever read.
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99. Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin (read in English)
100. W ou le Souvenir d'enfance, Georges Perec — highly recommended
101. Memorial do covento, José Saramago
102. Histoire des institutions — Le Moyen Âge, Jacques Ellul
103. Métamorphose du bourgeois, Jacques Ellul — highly recommended
-
Note: My rating are mostly based on *enjoyment*, and do not take into account the historical literary value of the text.
1. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10
2. The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10 for Abraham's The Long Price Quartet. Lyrically written with original ideas, which is quite rare and refreshing for the fantasy genre.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne -- 8/10. Excellent book. I love Hawthorne's haunting prose.
4. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer -- 7/10. Nice and bizzarre set of short stories set in an equally bizzarre fantasy world. It's like 50s, 60s film noir with a bunch of fungus.
5. Don Quixote by Cervantes -- 7/10. Good, but too long--I was board by the end. Probably a better idea to read the first half, put it down for a while, and then read the second half. Alas, I didn't do that.
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens -- 7.5/10. It was good. Nice historical piece.
7. Inferno by Dante -- 9/10. I love hell, so I loved this. A must read if there ever was one.
8. Purgatorio by Dante -- 8/10. Not as enjoyable a read as Inferno.
9. The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams -- 5/10. It was okay. Its strong point was the world Williams' creates, but annoying characters ruin it.
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- 8/10. The wonderful historical setting and good writing redeem the draggy plot.
11. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -- 5/10. A wonderful novel completely ruined by the preachy, soapbox ending.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. The first book in my favorite fantasy series. Excellent characters, gritty plot, and good writing. A must-read for any fantasy lover.
13. Paradiso by Dante -- 7/10. Just couldn't get into it. The 7 is mostly for the beautiful language. I like the dark imagery of hell--the light and exuberant imagery of heaven does not interest me.
14. Bartleby the Scrivener by Melville. (novella/short story) -- 8/10. It's slow and over-descriptive, but I just love Melville's writing. Plus, it's an interesting story, at times funny, and other dark and disturbing.
15. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 7/10. Okay fantasy story. A bit overrated, in my opinion.
16. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck -- 8/10. Surprisingly good family narrative. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
17. The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. Dark and gritty fantasy. Too much misogynism, though.
18. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- I honestly don't know what to give this. Definitely the strangest book I've ever read.
19. The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker -- 6/10. Continued with the dark grittiness.
20. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- 5/10. Not sure what the big deal is. The stream-of-consciousness writing is good, but the story was just boring. Maybe I missed something.
21. The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. And okay ending to an okay trilogy. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series (this trilogy was just part 1).
22. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- 7/10. It was alright. Not much more to say, really.
23. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe -- 3/10. Overly preachy, stereotypical and racist depictions of African Americans, one-dimensional characters, and uninteresting writing. I'm being generous with a 3.
24. Moby Dick by Herman Melville -- 10/10. One of the greatest novels ever written, period.
25. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Much more enjoyable than the first story of Le Guin's Earthsea series.
26. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Another really good story. Good adventure.
27. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. Out of the four Earthsea novels I read, this was the most different, which is why I liked it. Not much action or magic, but a wonderfully subdued story.
28. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon -- 9.5/10. Excellent story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Plus, I love comic books, so it was a great read.
29. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- 6/10. I liked the writing and parts of the story, but it just didn't seem like much happened, which I guess was part of the point.
30. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. A wonderfully inventive and unique sci-fi novel. One of my faves in the genre.
31. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- 8/10. Wonderfully witty dialogue paired with a very dark story. A very good read.
32. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. Repeat what I said for A Game of Thrones.
33. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley -- 8/10. A good, dark story written very well. A little heavy on the philosophical meanderings at times, though.
34. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon -- 7.5/10. A much more accessible book than Gravity's Rainbow. Bizzarre and funny.
35. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy -- 10/10. Dark, violent, and disturbing. In the hands of a less talented writer it would seem nothing more than a book going for shock value, but the lyricism of McCarthy make it a masterpiece.
36. Paradise Lost by John Milton -- 10/10. Brilliant. I've never read epic poetry that's grabbed me so completely.
37. A Storm of Swords -- 9.5/10. Probably the best out of the series so far (though I've yet to read the fifth book). Wonderful surprises, good action, good characters, and an engaging plot. What more could one want from a fantasy story?
38. Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate by Walt Whitman -- 6/10. I had to read this for a class. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
39. Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant -- 6/10. Rather disappointing. After hearing so many great things about Maupassant, I was expecting more. The language was just dull, though maybe it was the translation's fault. There were moments of brilliance, like the dual scene and the death of Forestier.
40. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin -- 8/10. This is often said to be a poor book in Martin's series, and while I agree that it isn't as good as its predecessors, I still find it to be quite an entertaining page-turner.
41. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- 9/10. Still a favorite of mine. I love Bradbury's lyrical prose.
42. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury -- 8/10. Some wonderful stories, a few not-so-wonderful, but the good definitely outweigh the bad.
43. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- 6/10. A let down. Could have been a lot shorter. Though some of the plot points were interesting, it didn't move forward enough. Seemed like more set up for upcoming books.
44. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo -- 7.5/10. Not bad, dragged a bit in places. The title is a bit misleading, as Quasimodo really doesn't have that huge of a role, though that's the fault of the English translation of the title.
45. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -- 10/10. After my fourth or fifth read, still one of my favorites. Is it racist? Yes. It's far from perfect, really, but I love the prose. Plus, I consider it to be the first "serious" piece of literature I read and appreciated, so it has a special place in my mind.
46. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. Weird, weird, weird. And quite funny, definitely gave me a few chuckles (which is rare for me). Vonnegut always seems to me like an easier-to-read Pynchon, and that makes him more enjoyable.
47. Grendel by John Gardner -- 7.5/10. Another weird one, but good nonetheless. An interesting idea, telling Grendel's (the foe of Beowulf) side of the story. The experimentation (suddenly switching into the structure of a play, or verse, for example) seemed too forced and unoriginal, though.
48. East of Eden by John Steinbeck -- 8.5/10. A wonderful read. I love Steinbeck's easy-to-read prose. This book may have also had the best character development I've ever read.
49. The Knight: Book One of The Wizard Night by Gene Wolfe -- 7/5. Wolfe is quite possibly the most interesting sci-fi/fantasy author out there. A lot of his stuff is like of Joyce decided to write sci-fi. This is different, though, in that i is more accessible, and that takes a little away from it.
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104. Mosby’s memoirs and other stories, Saul Bellow
105. Allah n’y est pour rien, Emmanuel Todd
106. L’Origine des systèmes familiaux, Emmanuel Todd
107. Trahison de l’Occident, Jacques Ellul – highly recommended (especially for JBI... the title in English is The Betrayal of the West)
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Note: My rating are mostly based on *enjoyment*, and do not take into account the historical literary value of the text.
1. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10
2. The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10 for Abraham's The Long Price Quartet. Lyrically written with original ideas, which is quite rare and refreshing for the fantasy genre.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne -- 8/10. Excellent book. I love Hawthorne's haunting prose.
4. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer -- 7/10. Nice and bizzarre set of short stories set in an equally bizzarre fantasy world. It's like 50s, 60s film noir with a bunch of fungus.
5. Don Quixote by Cervantes -- 7/10. Good, but too long--I was board by the end. Probably a better idea to read the first half, put it down for a while, and then read the second half. Alas, I didn't do that.
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens -- 7.5/10. It was good. Nice historical piece.
7. Inferno by Dante -- 9/10. I love hell, so I loved this. A must read if there ever was one.
8. Purgatorio by Dante -- 8/10. Not as enjoyable a read as Inferno.
9. The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams -- 5/10. It was okay. Its strong point was the world Williams' creates, but annoying characters ruin it.
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- 8/10. The wonderful historical setting and good writing redeem the draggy plot.
11. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -- 5/10. A wonderful novel completely ruined by the preachy, soapbox ending.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. The first book in my favorite fantasy series. Excellent characters, gritty plot, and good writing. A must-read for any fantasy lover.
13. Paradiso by Dante -- 7/10. Just couldn't get into it. The 7 is mostly for the beautiful language. I like the dark imagery of hell--the light and exuberant imagery of heaven does not interest me.
14. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 7/10. Okay fantasy story. A bit overrated, in my opinion.
15. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck -- 8/10. Surprisingly good family narrative. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
16. The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. Dark and gritty fantasy. Too much misogynism, though.
17. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- I honestly don't know what to give this. Definitely the strangest book I've ever read.
18. The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker -- 6/10. Continued with the dark grittiness.
19. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- 5/10. Not sure what the big deal is. The stream-of-consciousness writing is good, but the story was just boring. Maybe I missed something.
20. The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. And okay ending to an okay trilogy. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series (this trilogy was just part 1).
21. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- 7/10. It was alright. Not much more to say, really.
22. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe -- 3/10. Overly preachy, stereotypical and racist depictions of African Americans, one-dimensional characters, and uninteresting writing. I'm being generous with a 3.
23. Moby Dick by Herman Melville -- 10/10. One of the greatest novels ever written, period.
24. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Much more enjoyable than the first story of Le Guin's Earthsea series.
25. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Another really good story. Good adventure.
26. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. Out of the four Earthsea novels I read, this was the most different, which is why I liked it. Not much action or magic, but a wonderfully subdued story.
27. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon -- 9.5/10. Excellent story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Plus, I love comic books, so it was a great read.
28. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- 6/10. I liked the writing and parts of the story, but it just didn't seem like much happened, which I guess was part of the point.
29. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. A wonderfully inventive and unique sci-fi novel. One of my faves in the genre.
30. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- 8/10. Wonderfully witty dialogue paired with a very dark story. A very good read.
31. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. Repeat what I said for A Game of Thrones.
32. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley -- 8/10. A good, dark story written very well. A little heavy on the philosophical meanderings at times, though.
33. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon -- 7.5/10. A much more accessible book than Gravity's Rainbow. Bizzarre and funny.
34. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy -- 10/10. Dark, violent, and disturbing. In the hands of a less talented writer it would seem nothing more than a book going for shock value, but the lyricism of McCarthy make it a masterpiece.
35. Paradise Lost by John Milton -- 10/10. Brilliant. I've never read epic poetry that's grabbed me so completely.
36. A Storm of Swords -- 9.5/10. Probably the best out of the series so far (though I've yet to read the fifth book). Wonderful surprises, good action, good characters, and an engaging plot. What more could one want from a fantasy story?
37. Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate by Walt Whitman -- 6/10. I had to read this for a class. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
38. Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant -- 6/10. Rather disappointing. After hearing so many great things about Maupassant, I was expecting more. The language was just dull, though maybe it was the translation's fault. There were moments of brilliance, like the dual scene and the death of Forestier.
39. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin -- 8/10. This is often said to be a poor book in Martin's series, and while I agree that it isn't as good as its predecessors, I still find it to be quite an entertaining page-turner.
40. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- 9/10. Still a favorite of mine. I love Bradbury's lyrical prose.
41. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury -- 8/10. Some wonderful stories, a few not-so-wonderful, but the good definitely outweigh the bad.
42. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- 6/10. A let down. Could have been a lot shorter. Though some of the plot points were interesting, it didn't move forward enough. Seemed like more set up for upcoming books.
43. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo -- 7.5/10. Not bad, dragged a bit in places. The title is a bit misleading, as Quasimodo really doesn't have that huge of a role, though that's the fault of the English translation of the title.
44. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -- 10/10. After my fourth or fifth read, still one of my favorites. Is it racist? Yes. It's far from perfect, really, but I love the prose. Plus, I consider it to be the first "serious" piece of literature I read and appreciated, so it has a special place in my mind.
45. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. Weird, weird, weird. And quite funny, definitely gave me a few chuckles (which is rare for me). Vonnegut always seems to me like an easier-to-read Pynchon, and that makes him more enjoyable.
46. Grendel by John Gardner -- 7.5/10. Another weird one, but good nonetheless. An interesting idea, telling Grendel's (the foe of Beowulf) side of the story. The experimentation (suddenly switching into the structure of a play, or verse, for example) seemed too forced and unoriginal, though.
47. East of Eden by John Steinbeck -- 8.5/10. A wonderful read. I love Steinbeck's easy-to-read prose. This book may have also had the best character development I've ever read.
48. The Knight: Book One of The Wizard Night by Gene Wolfe -- 7/5. Wolfe is quite possibly the most interesting sci-fi/fantasy author out there. A lot of his stuff is like of Joyce decided to write sci-fi. This is different, though, in that i is more accessible, and that takes a little away from it.[/QUOTE]
49. The Wizard: Book Two of The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe. 6/10. Didn't really seem to get better. It was alright.
-
1. Magick of the Beast by Osara and Saddie LaMort (8/10)
2. Sunpath to the Gods by Osara LaMort (6/10)
3. Sex and Spirit by Clifford Bishop (6/10)
4. Mysteries and Secrets of Magic by C. J. S. Thompson (5/10)
5. The Seven Churches by Milos Urban (6/10)
6. Magicon by Yliaster Daleth (6/10)
7. The Symbols and Meanings of Numbers by Hajo Banzhaf (7/10)
8. The Bloody Reign of Slayer by Joel McIver (6/10)
9. Shocking Murders by Torrente del Bosque (4/10)
10. Conspiracy Theories by Torrente del Bosque (5/10)
11. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts (9/10)
12. Modern Sex Magick by Donald Michael Kraig (8/10)
13. The Black Art by Rollo Ahmed (3/10)
14. A Brief History of Secret Societies by David V. Barrett (8/10)
15. Ödipus of the Mystery-Loose by Thorwald Dethlefsen (8/10)
16. About Life and Death by C. G. Jung (8/10)
17. About Sexuality and Love by C. G. Jung (8/10)
18. About Good and Evil by C. G. Jung (7/10)
19. About Father, Mother and Child by C. G. Jung (7/10)
20. Native American Traditions by Arthur Versluis (6/10)
21. About Religion and Christianity by C. G. Jung (7/10)
-
Note: My rating are mostly based on *enjoyment*, and do not take into account the historical literary value of the text.
1. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10
2. The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10 for Abraham's The Long Price Quartet. Lyrically written with original ideas, which is quite rare and refreshing for the fantasy genre.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne -- 8/10. Excellent book. I love Hawthorne's haunting prose.
4. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer -- 7/10. Nice and bizzarre set of short stories set in an equally bizzarre fantasy world. It's like 50s, 60s film noir with a bunch of fungus.
5. Don Quixote by Cervantes -- 7/10. Good, but too long--I was board by the end. Probably a better idea to read the first half, put it down for a while, and then read the second half. Alas, I didn't do that.
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens -- 7.5/10. It was good. Nice historical piece.
7. Inferno by Dante -- 9/10. I love hell, so I loved this. A must read if there ever was one.
8. Purgatorio by Dante -- 8/10. Not as enjoyable a read as Inferno.
9. The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams -- 5/10. It was okay. Its strong point was the world Williams' creates, but annoying characters ruin it.
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- 8/10. The wonderful historical setting and good writing redeem the draggy plot.
11. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -- 5/10. A wonderful novel completely ruined by the preachy, soapbox ending.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. The first book in my favorite fantasy series. Excellent characters, gritty plot, and good writing. A must-read for any fantasy lover.
13. Paradiso by Dante -- 7/10. Just couldn't get into it. The 7 is mostly for the beautiful language. I like the dark imagery of hell--the light and exuberant imagery of heaven does not interest me.
14. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 7/10. Okay fantasy story. A bit overrated, in my opinion.
15. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck -- 8/10. Surprisingly good family narrative. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
16. The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. Dark and gritty fantasy. Too much misogynism, though.
17. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- I honestly don't know what to give this. Definitely the strangest book I've ever read.
18. The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker -- 6/10. Continued with the dark grittiness.
19. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- 5/10. Not sure what the big deal is. The stream-of-consciousness writing is good, but the story was just boring. Maybe I missed something.
20. The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. And okay ending to an okay trilogy. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series (this trilogy was just part 1).
21. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- 7/10. It was alright. Not much more to say, really.
22. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe -- 3/10. Overly preachy, stereotypical and racist depictions of African Americans, one-dimensional characters, and uninteresting writing. I'm being generous with a 3.
23. Moby Dick by Herman Melville -- 10/10. One of the greatest novels ever written, period.
24. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Much more enjoyable than the first story of Le Guin's Earthsea series.
25. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Another really good story. Good adventure.
26. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. Out of the four Earthsea novels I read, this was the most different, which is why I liked it. Not much action or magic, but a wonderfully subdued story.
27. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon -- 9.5/10. Excellent story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Plus, I love comic books, so it was a great read.
28. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- 6/10. I liked the writing and parts of the story, but it just didn't seem like much happened, which I guess was part of the point.
29. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. A wonderfully inventive and unique sci-fi novel. One of my faves in the genre.
30. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- 8/10. Wonderfully witty dialogue paired with a very dark story. A very good read.
31. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. Repeat what I said for A Game of Thrones.
32. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley -- 8/10. A good, dark story written very well. A little heavy on the philosophical meanderings at times, though.
33. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon -- 7.5/10. A much more accessible book than Gravity's Rainbow. Bizzarre and funny.
34. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy -- 10/10. Dark, violent, and disturbing. In the hands of a less talented writer it would seem nothing more than a book going for shock value, but the lyricism of McCarthy make it a masterpiece.
35. Paradise Lost by John Milton -- 10/10. Brilliant. I've never read epic poetry that's grabbed me so completely.
36. A Storm of Swords -- 9.5/10. Probably the best out of the series so far (though I've yet to read the fifth book). Wonderful surprises, good action, good characters, and an engaging plot. What more could one want from a fantasy story?
37. Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate by Walt Whitman -- 6/10. I had to read this for a class. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
38. Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant -- 6/10. Rather disappointing. After hearing so many great things about Maupassant, I was expecting more. The language was just dull, though maybe it was the translation's fault. There were moments of brilliance, like the dual scene and the death of Forestier.
39. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin -- 8/10. This is often said to be a poor book in Martin's series, and while I agree that it isn't as good as its predecessors, I still find it to be quite an entertaining page-turner.
40. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- 9/10. Still a favorite of mine. I love Bradbury's lyrical prose.
41. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury -- 8/10. Some wonderful stories, a few not-so-wonderful, but the good definitely outweigh the bad.
42. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- 6/10. A let down. Could have been a lot shorter. Though some of the plot points were interesting, it didn't move forward enough. Seemed like more set up for upcoming books.
43. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo -- 7.5/10. Not bad, dragged a bit in places. The title is a bit misleading, as Quasimodo really doesn't have that huge of a role, though that's the fault of the English translation of the title.
44. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -- 10/10. After my fourth or fifth read, still one of my favorites. Is it racist? Yes. It's far from perfect, really, but I love the prose. Plus, I consider it to be the first "serious" piece of literature I read and appreciated, so it has a special place in my mind.
45. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. Weird, weird, weird. And quite funny, definitely gave me a few chuckles (which is rare for me). Vonnegut always seems to me like an easier-to-read Pynchon, and that makes him more enjoyable.
46. Grendel by John Gardner -- 7.5/10. Another weird one, but good nonetheless. An interesting idea, telling Grendel's (the foe of Beowulf) side of the story. The experimentation (suddenly switching into the structure of a play, or verse, for example) seemed too forced and unoriginal, though.
47. East of Eden by John Steinbeck -- 8.5/10. A wonderful read. I love Steinbeck's easy-to-read prose. This book may have also had the best character development I've ever read.
48. The Knight: Book One of The Wizard Night by Gene Wolfe -- 7/5. Wolfe is quite possibly the most interesting sci-fi/fantasy author out there. A lot of his stuff is like of Joyce decided to write sci-fi. This is different, though, in that i is more accessible, and that takes a little away from it.
49. The Wizard: Book Two of The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe -- 6/10. Didn't really seem to get better. It was alright.
50. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. What can I say? I just like Vonnegut.
51. Selected Essays from The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism -- -/10. Although I didn't read all of this 2700+ page tome, I did read enough of it for my grad class this semester to count as a book. I also don't want to rate it, as all essays were by different authors, and they weren't necessarily read for enjoyment. I learned a lot, though.
-
Note: My rating are mostly based on *enjoyment*, and do not take into account the historical literary value of the text.
1. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10
2. The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10 for Abraham's The Long Price Quartet. Lyrically written with original ideas, which is quite rare and refreshing for the fantasy genre.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne -- 8/10. Excellent book. I love Hawthorne's haunting prose.
4. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer -- 7/10. Nice and bizzarre set of short stories set in an equally bizzarre fantasy world. It's like 50s, 60s film noir with a bunch of fungus.
5. Don Quixote by Cervantes -- 7/10. Good, but too long--I was board by the end. Probably a better idea to read the first half, put it down for a while, and then read the second half. Alas, I didn't do that.
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens -- 7.5/10. It was good. Nice historical piece.
7. Inferno by Dante -- 9/10. I love hell, so I loved this. A must read if there ever was one.
8. Purgatorio by Dante -- 8/10. Not as enjoyable a read as Inferno.
9. The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams -- 5/10. It was okay. Its strong point was the world Williams' creates, but annoying characters ruin it.
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- 8/10. The wonderful historical setting and good writing redeem the draggy plot.
11. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -- 5/10. A wonderful novel completely ruined by the preachy, soapbox ending.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. The first book in my favorite fantasy series. Excellent characters, gritty plot, and good writing. A must-read for any fantasy lover.
13. Paradiso by Dante -- 7/10. Just couldn't get into it. The 7 is mostly for the beautiful language. I like the dark imagery of hell--the light and exuberant imagery of heaven does not interest me.
14. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 7/10. Okay fantasy story. A bit overrated, in my opinion.
15. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck -- 8/10. Surprisingly good family narrative. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
16. The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. Dark and gritty fantasy. Too much misogynism, though.
17. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- I honestly don't know what to give this. Definitely the strangest book I've ever read.
18. The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker -- 6/10. Continued with the dark grittiness.
19. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- 5/10. Not sure what the big deal is. The stream-of-consciousness writing is good, but the story was just boring. Maybe I missed something.
20. The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. And okay ending to an okay trilogy. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series (this trilogy was just part 1).
21. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- 7/10. It was alright. Not much more to say, really.
22. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe -- 3/10. Overly preachy, stereotypical and racist depictions of African Americans, one-dimensional characters, and uninteresting writing. I'm being generous with a 3.
23. Moby Dick by Herman Melville -- 10/10. One of the greatest novels ever written, period.
24. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Much more enjoyable than the first story of Le Guin's Earthsea series.
25. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Another really good story. Good adventure.
26. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. Out of the four Earthsea novels I read, this was the most different, which is why I liked it. Not much action or magic, but a wonderfully subdued story.
27. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon -- 9.5/10. Excellent story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Plus, I love comic books, so it was a great read.
28. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- 6/10. I liked the writing and parts of the story, but it just didn't seem like much happened, which I guess was part of the point.
29. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. A wonderfully inventive and unique sci-fi novel. One of my faves in the genre.
30. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- 8/10. Wonderfully witty dialogue paired with a very dark story. A very good read.
31. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. Repeat what I said for A Game of Thrones.
32. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley -- 8/10. A good, dark story written very well. A little heavy on the philosophical meanderings at times, though.
33. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon -- 7.5/10. A much more accessible book than Gravity's Rainbow. Bizzarre and funny.
34. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy -- 10/10. Dark, violent, and disturbing. In the hands of a less talented writer it would seem nothing more than a book going for shock value, but the lyricism of McCarthy make it a masterpiece.
35. Paradise Lost by John Milton -- 10/10. Brilliant. I've never read epic poetry that's grabbed me so completely.
36. A Storm of Swords -- 9.5/10. Probably the best out of the series so far (though I've yet to read the fifth book). Wonderful surprises, good action, good characters, and an engaging plot. What more could one want from a fantasy story?
37. Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate by Walt Whitman -- 6/10. I had to read this for a class. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
38. Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant -- 6/10. Rather disappointing. After hearing so many great things about Maupassant, I was expecting more. The language was just dull, though maybe it was the translation's fault. There were moments of brilliance, like the dual scene and the death of Forestier.
39. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin -- 8/10. This is often said to be a poor book in Martin's series, and while I agree that it isn't as good as its predecessors, I still find it to be quite an entertaining page-turner.
40. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- 9/10. Still a favorite of mine. I love Bradbury's lyrical prose.
41. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury -- 8/10. Some wonderful stories, a few not-so-wonderful, but the good definitely outweigh the bad.
42. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- 6/10. A let down. Could have been a lot shorter. Though some of the plot points were interesting, it didn't move forward enough. Seemed like more set up for upcoming books.
43. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo -- 7.5/10. Not bad, dragged a bit in places. The title is a bit misleading, as Quasimodo really doesn't have that huge of a role, though that's the fault of the English translation of the title.
44. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -- 10/10. After my fourth or fifth read, still one of my favorites. Is it racist? Yes. It's far from perfect, really, but I love the prose. Plus, I consider it to be the first "serious" piece of literature I read and appreciated, so it has a special place in my mind.
45. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. Weird, weird, weird. And quite funny, definitely gave me a few chuckles (which is rare for me). Vonnegut always seems to me like an easier-to-read Pynchon, and that makes him more enjoyable.
46. Grendel by John Gardner -- 7.5/10. Another weird one, but good nonetheless. An interesting idea, telling Grendel's (the foe of Beowulf) side of the story. The experimentation (suddenly switching into the structure of a play, or verse, for example) seemed too forced and unoriginal, though.
47. East of Eden by John Steinbeck -- 8.5/10. A wonderful read. I love Steinbeck's easy-to-read prose. This book may have also had the best character development I've ever read.
48. The Knight: Book One of The Wizard Night by Gene Wolfe -- 7/5. Wolfe is quite possibly the most interesting sci-fi/fantasy author out there. A lot of his stuff is like of Joyce decided to write sci-fi. This is different, though, in that i is more accessible, and that takes a little away from it.
49. The Wizard: Book Two of The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe -- 6/10. Didn't really seem to get better. It was alright.
50. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. What can I say? I just like Vonnegut.
51. Selected Essays from The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism -- -/10. Although I didn't read all of this 2700+ page tome, I did read enough of it for my grad class this semester to count as a book. I also don't want to rate it, as all essays were by different authors, and they weren't necessarily read for enjoyment. I learned a lot, though.
52. On the Road by Jack Kerouac -- 5/10. Bland plot, uninteresting writing, and not very likable characters. Character creation was good, but that wasn't enough.
-
Note: My rating are mostly based on *enjoyment*, and do not take into account the historical literary value of the text.
1. An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10
2. The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham -- 9/10 for Abraham's The Long Price Quartet. Lyrically written with original ideas, which is quite rare and refreshing for the fantasy genre.
3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne -- 8/10. Excellent book. I love Hawthorne's haunting prose.
4. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer -- 7/10. Nice and bizzarre set of short stories set in an equally bizzarre fantasy world. It's like 50s, 60s film noir with a bunch of fungus.
5. Don Quixote by Cervantes -- 7/10. Good, but too long--I was board by the end. Probably a better idea to read the first half, put it down for a while, and then read the second half. Alas, I didn't do that.
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens -- 7.5/10. It was good. Nice historical piece.
7. Inferno by Dante -- 9/10. I love hell, so I loved this. A must read if there ever was one.
8. Purgatorio by Dante -- 8/10. Not as enjoyable a read as Inferno.
9. The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams -- 5/10. It was okay. Its strong point was the world Williams' creates, but annoying characters ruin it.
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis -- 8/10. The wonderful historical setting and good writing redeem the draggy plot.
11. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -- 5/10. A wonderful novel completely ruined by the preachy, soapbox ending.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. The first book in my favorite fantasy series. Excellent characters, gritty plot, and good writing. A must-read for any fantasy lover.
13. Paradiso by Dante -- 7/10. Just couldn't get into it. The 7 is mostly for the beautiful language. I like the dark imagery of hell--the light and exuberant imagery of heaven does not interest me.
14. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 7/10. Okay fantasy story. A bit overrated, in my opinion.
15. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck -- 8/10. Surprisingly good family narrative. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
16. The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. Dark and gritty fantasy. Too much misogynism, though.
17. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon -- I honestly don't know what to give this. Definitely the strangest book I've ever read.
18. The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker -- 6/10. Continued with the dark grittiness.
19. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- 5/10. Not sure what the big deal is. The stream-of-consciousness writing is good, but the story was just boring. Maybe I missed something.
20. The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker -- 6.5/10. And okay ending to an okay trilogy. I don't plan on reading the rest of the series (this trilogy was just part 1).
21. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- 7/10. It was alright. Not much more to say, really.
22. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe -- 3/10. Overly preachy, stereotypical and racist depictions of African Americans, one-dimensional characters, and uninteresting writing. I'm being generous with a 3.
23. Moby Dick by Herman Melville -- 10/10. One of the greatest novels ever written, period.
24. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Much more enjoyable than the first story of Le Guin's Earthsea series.
25. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 8/10. Another really good story. Good adventure.
26. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. Out of the four Earthsea novels I read, this was the most different, which is why I liked it. Not much action or magic, but a wonderfully subdued story.
27. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon -- 9.5/10. Excellent story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters. Plus, I love comic books, so it was a great read.
28. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- 6/10. I liked the writing and parts of the story, but it just didn't seem like much happened, which I guess was part of the point.
29. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin -- 9/10. A wonderfully inventive and unique sci-fi novel. One of my faves in the genre.
30. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde -- 8/10. Wonderfully witty dialogue paired with a very dark story. A very good read.
31. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin -- 9/10. Repeat what I said for A Game of Thrones.
32. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley -- 8/10. A good, dark story written very well. A little heavy on the philosophical meanderings at times, though.
33. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon -- 7.5/10. A much more accessible book than Gravity's Rainbow. Bizzarre and funny.
34. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy -- 10/10. Dark, violent, and disturbing. In the hands of a less talented writer it would seem nothing more than a book going for shock value, but the lyricism of McCarthy make it a masterpiece.
35. Paradise Lost by John Milton -- 10/10. Brilliant. I've never read epic poetry that's grabbed me so completely.
36. A Storm of Swords -- 9.5/10. Probably the best out of the series so far (though I've yet to read the fifth book). Wonderful surprises, good action, good characters, and an engaging plot. What more could one want from a fantasy story?
37. Franklin Evans; or The Inebriate by Walt Whitman -- 6/10. I had to read this for a class. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
38. Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant -- 6/10. Rather disappointing. After hearing so many great things about Maupassant, I was expecting more. The language was just dull, though maybe it was the translation's fault. There were moments of brilliance, like the dual scene and the death of Forestier.
39. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin -- 8/10. This is often said to be a poor book in Martin's series, and while I agree that it isn't as good as its predecessors, I still find it to be quite an entertaining page-turner.
40. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- 9/10. Still a favorite of mine. I love Bradbury's lyrical prose.
41. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury -- 8/10. Some wonderful stories, a few not-so-wonderful, but the good definitely outweigh the bad.
42. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin -- 6/10. A let down. Could have been a lot shorter. Though some of the plot points were interesting, it didn't move forward enough. Seemed like more set up for upcoming books.
43. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo -- 7.5/10. Not bad, dragged a bit in places. The title is a bit misleading, as Quasimodo really doesn't have that huge of a role, though that's the fault of the English translation of the title.
44. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -- 10/10. After my fourth or fifth read, still one of my favorites. Is it racist? Yes. It's far from perfect, really, but I love the prose. Plus, I consider it to be the first "serious" piece of literature I read and appreciated, so it has a special place in my mind.
45. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. Weird, weird, weird. And quite funny, definitely gave me a few chuckles (which is rare for me). Vonnegut always seems to me like an easier-to-read Pynchon, and that makes him more enjoyable.
46. Grendel by John Gardner -- 7.5/10. Another weird one, but good nonetheless. An interesting idea, telling Grendel's (the foe of Beowulf) side of the story. The experimentation (suddenly switching into the structure of a play, or verse, for example) seemed too forced and unoriginal, though.
47. East of Eden by John Steinbeck -- 8.5/10. A wonderful read. I love Steinbeck's easy-to-read prose. This book may have also had the best character development I've ever read.
48. The Knight: Book One of The Wizard Night by Gene Wolfe -- 7/5. Wolfe is quite possibly the most interesting sci-fi/fantasy author out there. A lot of his stuff is like of Joyce decided to write sci-fi. This is different, though, in that i is more accessible, and that takes a little away from it.
49. The Wizard: Book Two of The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe -- 6/10. Didn't really seem to get better. It was alright.
50. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut -- 9/10. What can I say? I just like Vonnegut.
51. Selected Essays from The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism -- -/10. Although I didn't read all of this 2700+ page tome, I did read enough of it for my grad class this semester to count as a book. I also don't want to rate it, as all essays were by different authors, and they weren't necessarily read for enjoyment. I learned a lot, though.
52. On the Road by Jack Kerouac -- 5/10. Bland plot, uninteresting writing, and not very likable characters. Character creation was good, but that wasn't enough.
53. The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony, and Other Stories by Franz Kafka -- 8/10. Very unusual stories, but definitely entertaining. My favorite was "In the Penal Colony."
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1. Surface Detail by Iain M Banks - Excellent sci fi actioner that also considers the concept of hell, and by definition religion. packed full of brilliant ideas. 9/10
2. Lustrum by Robert Harris The second part of Cicero's life. A surprisingly good thriller. arris is a great writer. 7/10
3. Berlin by Antony Beevor Shocking account of the chaos and carnage as WW2 ended. 8/10
4. The City and The City by China Mieville Not as good as other Mieville novels, but an interesting idea set in the form of a murder investigation. 6/10
5. The Iron Council by China Mieville Excellent steampunk/ fantasy/ sci-fi. some fantastic ideas told in a great story. 9/10
6. If The Dead Rise Not by Philip Kerr Berlin PI escapes to Argentina. Good thriller. 7/10
7. A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr A good noir thriller following Kerr's Policeman/ PI to Cuba.
8. Frankenstein Book 3 by Dean Koonz 2/10 for ripping off Shelley's title in a series that has only a nomnal relation to the old classic. (Was given it)
9. War and Peace by Tolstoy Expansive novel of the battle with napoleon's invading armies. A good read on many levels 8/10
10. The Left hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin Sci fi with an interesting premise - an experiemntal world full of hermaphrodites and a view of them Intelligent and thought provoking. 7/10
11. Notes From a Big Country by Bill Bryson Short column pieces written for a newspaper and compiled. A good anytime read. 7/10
12. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Interesting narrative style and fascinating historical era combine with skillfully drawn characters to make a great read. 9/10
13. Field Grey by Philip Kerr Berlin PI/Policeman returns to Germany and enters the cold war conflict. Good development through flashback. 8/10
14. The Assassins of Isis by Paul Doherty Decent thriller with interesting historical context n ancient Egypt. 6.5/10
15. A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines Great account of a gritty northern existence in the form of soon to leave school Billy Caspar who trains a kestrel. 9/10
16. I Claudius by Robert Graves Good political thriller charting the lives and deaths of the Roman ruling class. 8/10
17. The Vulture by Gil Scott Heron interesting crime thriller howing life in the Harlem Housing Projects in the late 1960s. 7/10
18. Heartstone by CJ Sansom. I was disappointed with this novel, as it was not up to his previous four books. I revolves around the sinking of the Mary Rose and the threat of invasion by the French, but it seemed a little contrived this time. 5/10
19. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A solid Sci Fi with some interesting metaphors, but too short to develop the ideas he presents into a good narrative. 6/10
20. The Technician by Neal Asher. Great Sci Fi set upon a convincing alien world, with a thumping narrative in a plot that spans millennia. Really good. 9/10
21. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I had read parts of this novel, but not all at once. A great character study and classic. 8/10
22. Fatherland by Robert Harris. Setin a parallel universe where Germany wins WW2 and the US appeases them, Harris constructs a thriller about the war secrets of the Reich and an SS Police protagonist. 7/10
23. Gateway by Frederik Pohl. A sci fi novel split between the events on Gateway, a meteor discovered to have ancient alien ships that take "prospectors" to rich discoveries orgruesome deaths, and therapy sessions years after Rob, the main character, has made his mint. 7/10
24. Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Read this for the book club, and enjoyed it on the whole. A good account of life in the 18th century with lots of snippets of information and opinion. 7/10
25. The Deerslayer by J Fenimoore Cooper. Great book with excellent characters and good period detail. I really enjoyed this book. 8.5/10
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1. Magick of the Beast by Osara and Saddie LaMort (8/10)
2. Sunpath to the Gods by Osara LaMort (6/10)
3. Sex and Spirit by Clifford Bishop (6/10)
4. Mysteries and Secrets of Magic by C. J. S. Thompson (5/10)
5. The Seven Churches by Milos Urban (6/10)
6. Magicon by Yliaster Daleth (6/10)
7. The Symbols and Meanings of Numbers by Hajo Banzhaf (7/10)
8. The Bloody Reign of Slayer by Joel McIver (6/10)
9. Shocking Murders by Torrente del Bosque (4/10)
10. Conspiracy Theories by Torrente del Bosque (5/10)
11. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts (9/10)
12. Modern Sex Magick by Donald Michael Kraig (8/10)
13. The Black Art by Rollo Ahmed (3/10)
14. A Brief History of Secret Societies by David V. Barrett (8/10)
15. Ödipus of the Mystery-Loose by Thorwald Dethlefsen (8/10)
16. About Life and Death by C. G. Jung (8/10)
17. About Sexuality and Love by C. G. Jung (8/10)
18. About Good and Evil by C. G. Jung (7/10)
19. About Father, Mother and Child by C. G. Jung (7/10)
20. Native American Traditions by Arthur Versluis (6/10)
21. About Religion and Christianity by C. G. Jung (7/10)
22. I Know What You Think by Thorsten Havener (7/10)
23. The Human Animal by Desmond Morris (8/10)
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1. Surface Detail by Iain M Banks - Excellent sci fi actioner that also considers the concept of hell, and by definition religion. packed full of brilliant ideas. 9/10
2. Lustrum by Robert Harris The second part of Cicero's life. A surprisingly good thriller. arris is a great writer. 7/10
3. Berlin by Antony Beevor Shocking account of the chaos and carnage as WW2 ended. 8/10
4. The City and The City by China Mieville Not as good as other Mieville novels, but an interesting idea set in the form of a murder investigation. 6/10
5. The Iron Council by China Mieville Excellent steampunk/ fantasy/ sci-fi. some fantastic ideas told in a great story. 9/10
6. If The Dead Rise Not by Philip Kerr Berlin PI escapes to Argentina. Good thriller. 7/10
7. A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr A good noir thriller following Kerr's Policeman/ PI to Cuba.
8. Frankenstein Book 3 by Dean Koonz 2/10 for ripping off Shelley's title in a series that has only a nomnal relation to the old classic. (Was given it)
9. War and Peace by Tolstoy Expansive novel of the battle with napoleon's invading armies. A good read on many levels 8/10
10. The Left hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin Sci fi with an interesting premise - an experiemntal world full of hermaphrodites and a view of them Intelligent and thought provoking. 7/10
11. Notes From a Big Country by Bill Bryson Short column pieces written for a newspaper and compiled. A good anytime read. 7/10
12. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Interesting narrative style and fascinating historical era combine with skillfully drawn characters to make a great read. 9/10
13. Field Grey by Philip Kerr Berlin PI/Policeman returns to Germany and enters the cold war conflict. Good development through flashback. 8/10
14. The Assassins of Isis by Paul Doherty Decent thriller with interesting historical context n ancient Egypt. 6.5/10
15. A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines Great account of a gritty northern existence in the form of soon to leave school Billy Caspar who trains a kestrel. 9/10
16. I Claudius by Robert Graves Good political thriller charting the lives and deaths of the Roman ruling class. 8/10
17. The Vulture by Gil Scott Heron interesting crime thriller howing life in the Harlem Housing Projects in the late 1960s. 7/10
18. Heartstone by CJ Sansom. I was disappointed with this novel, as it was not up to his previous four books. I revolves around the sinking of the Mary Rose and the threat of invasion by the French, but it seemed a little contrived this time. 5/10
19. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A solid Sci Fi with some interesting metaphors, but too short to develop the ideas he presents into a good narrative. 6/10
20. The Technician by Neal Asher. Great Sci Fi set upon a convincing alien world, with a thumping narrative in a plot that spans millennia. Really good. 9/10
21. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I had read parts of this novel, but not all at once. A great character study and classic. 8/10
22. Fatherland by Robert Harris. Setin a parallel universe where Germany wins WW2 and the US appeases them, Harris constructs a thriller about the war secrets of the Reich and an SS Police protagonist. 7/10
23. Gateway by Frederik Pohl. A sci fi novel split between the events on Gateway, a meteor discovered to have ancient alien ships that take "prospectors" to rich discoveries orgruesome deaths, and therapy sessions years after Rob, the main character, has made his mint. 7/10
24. Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Read this for the book club, and enjoyed it on the whole. A good account of life in the 18th century with lots of snippets of information and opinion. 7/10
25. The Deerslayer by J Fenimoore Cooper. Great book with excellent characters and good period detail. I really enjoyed this book. 8.5/10
26. Kraken by China Mieville. A great read if you like innovative fantasy set in the cruddy parts of London. Mieville seems endlessly creative with his characters and their traits. 7/10
27. The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell. I fancied a good detective read, and this provided it amply. It crossed continents with a plot spanning the 19th century. A good read. 7/10
28. Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr. I've read all his Bernie Gunther series including this his latest. It's a great murder mystery whose context includes Rheinhard Heydrich and other prominant Nazis involved in Czechoslovakia. It references Aatha Christie, and even has a plot facet based upon one of her stories. I really enjoyed this. 9.5/10
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108. The Shallows, Nicholas Carr
109. La Technique ou l’enjeu du siècle, Jacques Ellul – highly recommended
110. Propagandes, Jacques Ellul – highly recommended
111. The Right to Ignore the State (and other selected texts), Herbert Spencer
112. The Road to Serfdom, Hayek
113. Engagez-vous ! Hessel
114. Le Chemin de l’espérance, Hessel et Morin
115. The True and Only Heaven, Christopher Lasch
