An astonishing story. I‘d heard a little bit about Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes, but I didn‘t know the full story. The level of deception and fraud that was committed is truly horrifying.

The epitome of “history doesn‘t repeat, but it does rhyme.” You‘ll recognize a lot of names here and more than a few uncomfortable parallels between the 2000 election and modern electoral politics.

I tore through this in a matter of sittings. It‘s the kind of book that feels designed to be gulped rather than sipped. The only gripe I have is the ending, which felt too sudden. But maybe that was just the whiplash of finishing a book I couldn‘t put down.

I love Rachel Harrison‘s voice, and this book was no exception. Great mix of horror, humor, with a casual, conversational style that she‘s honed to a razor‘s edge over the last 3 books.

A surprisingly poignant ending to Gwendy‘s story. I think I like these books more as a collective than as individuals, though.

Beautifully written and wonderfully evocative. The first third was a little rough (I like banter, but I found it repetitive here) but there‘s a moment mid-way through the story where everything clicked into place and I devoured the rest of the story in a few sittings.

I like Chizmar‘s prose and voice, but I this often felt like a story that didn‘t quite know what it wanted to be about. There‘s a serial killer subplot that seems tacked on, familial drama that is poignant but falls flat, and the mysterious button box that ultimately felt inconsequential within the narrative. I still love Gwendy as a character, but this missed the mark for me.

Few people have the combination of intelligence and provocation that Chomsky does, which is what makes this book — like all of his work — so compelling and important. A great, albeit brief, dissection of the state of the modern world. It feels especially timely in 2024.

A compelling, propulsive, and unique thriller in every regard. I appreciate the scientific realism. Reminds me a little bit of Blake Crouch in the way it‘s structured and written, too.

A simple story, but one told with that imaginative King charm. I‘m curious to check out the other two installments.

An interesting and thought-provoking intersection between memoir and social philosophy. I think the first half — where Klein‘s observations about her “doppelgänger” Naomi Wolf intertwines with discussions about right-wing conspiracies — is more interesting than the second half, where we take a few detours. But overall I loved this a lot.

One of Crichton‘s most iconic books. It‘s as readable and engaging as ever (and a fair amount bloodier than I remember it being when I read it at 14).

This is my third time through this King story, and I‘ve grown to appreciate it even more. I still think it ends very abruptly, but I love the iconography and his voice.

A sad book. Informative, yes, but the human stories are what make the facts and figures and stats stand out as more than just numbers on a page. It‘s also sad that this issue has only gotten worse after the pandemic.

Skeleton Crew is still my favorite of King‘s short story collections, but Night Shift is a close runner up. Tons of great stories, all suffused with a youthful vigor and anger that‘s a trademark of King‘s early work.

Another great slice of horror from Jennifer McMahon. This one is for those who are partial to possession stories. Eerie and tense in all the right ways.

My second time through. I really love King‘s voice in this one (yeah, yeah, yeah; right, right, right). I‘m still mixed on the final reveal, which felt ultimately unnecessary, but I do love some of the connections to the larger King universe.

I really dig Ketchum‘s style. Here, his stripped, almost journalistic prose work to highlight the violence of the Old West, all from the perspective of a journalist who is not used to facing evil. A great, fast read.

A beautifully written dark fable. The prose is luxuriant but retains a cutting edge that makes the suspenseful and mysterious scenes all the more effective.

Philosophy mixes with vampire horror in this novella. Great voice and memorable characters.

Might be my favorite story McCarthy wrote. The perfect combination of the brutal violence he was known for combined with compelling characters and distinct musings about America and our place in it. The final couple of pages hit me harder as I get older.

It was interesting reading this one again. I think the story‘s structure is very messy — switching between different POVs and news clippings, book excerpts, and court transcripts — but the characters are some of King‘s best, and this ends up remaining one of his most emotional and angry books.

Of all the political memoirs I‘ve read, this one feels more honest and authentic than most.

Not a bad story but it is a bit underwhelming compared to some of Ketchum‘s other work. Still, I like his journalistic style. It‘s incredibly accessible.

Still one of my favorite underrated King books. It‘s got spooky ghosts, romance, divorce court, and a wacky ending that feels both hopelessly optimistic and bittersweet at the same time. If you haven‘t read this book, give it a go (especially if you prefer lighter horror).

I didn‘t connect fully with this story. The prose and atmosphere were great, but the twist was pretty easy to spot and the ending fell flat for me. Still, lots of promise. Would love to check out more of Merritt‘s stuff.

A remarkably written story that weaves together luscious prose with taut suspense. Read the afterword, too. While I always love reading authors notes, this one is important for the story.

A masterpiece of storytelling, with enough emotional heft to break your heart, creepy passages that make your skin crawl, and characters you won‘t soon forget. Might be my favorite of Gaiman‘s books.

Interesting, but a bit misleading. This isn‘t a history of the mosquito, it‘s a broad coverage of large historical events (The Crusades, the Black Death, etc) and how mosquitos affected those events. I would have preferred and out-and-out history of the mosquito.

I love the concept but the execution left something to be desired. The back half of the book, in particular, didn‘t engage me nearly as much as the first half, and in total the story left me wanting. I still love Ward‘s prose and style though.

I had a melancholic experience reading this. Given the state of the world, it‘s hard not to miss Obama‘s leadership, even with his administration‘s faults. This book works not just as an insider memoir but also a philosophical musing about what America is and can be.

Remarkably written, with beautiful prose and lush imagery. I quite enjoyed this.

Funny, witty, and beautifully accessible. I loved it. The horror didn‘t always work for me, but the humor did.

Maybe a little too sprawling for its own good, but I loved this. Remarkably written and confidently told. No other zombie book is quite like this one.

I‘ve always enjoyed Holly‘s appearances in King‘s other books, but this is the one that made me understand why he loves her (and tipped me in that direction, too).

Another banger from the maestro.

One of the most important historical books ever written. Doris Kearns Goodwin creates such a vibrant image of Lincoln‘s life and cabinet. 1000 pages fly by. Truly remarkable stuff.

A remarkably fast-paced and compelling thriller that feels unique even amidst a saturated genre.

One of King‘s most underrated books and one of my favorites. The final 200 pages are some of the emotionally resonant and horrifying he‘s ever written.

Horrifying, disturbing, and authentic. Ketchum, with crystal clear prose, details the malevolence of silent compliance and the horrors of abuse to a degree that is genuinely shocking. Not sure I‘ll ever read this one again, but it‘ll always stick with me.

A surprisingly honest and open look not just at the camming industry but also Mazzei‘s journey toward self-acceptance and self-understanding.

A 700-page indictment of everything the Trump administration and everything it stood for. Incredibly well researched and written.

A disturbing and enlightening portrait of how much this conspiracy has ruined families and accelerated a growing division in this country. Equal parts horrifying and tragic.

A remarkably coherent account of what happened on 9/11, grounded by the stories of people who survived and those who died. A must-read.

Certainly King‘s darkest book, but also his most poignant in a lot of ways. There‘s one passage, where Louis imagines Gage growing up, that‘s as heartbreaking and earnest as anything else he‘s written.

And Eternity is another mixed bag. Anthony‘s writing style still irks me. His characters are shallow. He spends more time describing every inch of women‘s bodies than he does on deep storytelling.

I always love when King dabbles with fantasy. This is a quite simple story at its core (with Flagg and a character named Roland making appearances, wink wink) but it‘s told with such passion and talent it‘s hard not to smile wide while reading it.

I was happy to see that this book mostly held up. It was my favorite when I was a kid and it remains my favorite today. It has its faults but it‘s the most emotionally complex of the bunch.

Well-written and illuminating. At the same time, I don‘t think anyone will be surprised by the findings in this book.

Certainly a departure from King‘s usual style and a book that will frustrate many. Still, as someone who loves King and is still mad that Bob Iger forced David Lynch to reveal who killed Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks, this was right up my alley.

Carrie might have kickstarted King‘s career, but it‘s ‘Salem‘s Lot that cemented him as a force of nature. This is a remarkable book, equal parts creepy and expansive. One part vampire tale, one part swan song for dwindling, small New England towns that seem to dry up as the world marches forward.