Pick one

The highest grade on each shelf, ties to the one I read fastest.

Crime/Thriller 326A+The Border (Power of the Dog, Book 3)Don Winslow

Perfection - both in pace and story. (and as the completion to a 3 book epic)

Literary 154A+Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt

Maybe a perfect novel

Sci-Fi 154AReady Player OneErnest ClineHorror 134AWorld War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie WarMax BrooksHistorical 24A+Button ManAndrew Gross

Perfect in almost every way - so well done, with just the right tone.

Fantasy 24AThe Ocean at the End of the LaneNeil GaimanNonfiction 22AUnbrokenLaura Hillenbrand

Such a quality told story of survival. This was historical non-fiction done in novel form. Very little dialogue, but a narrative tone. Perfectly done.

Comic/Satire 13A2030: The Real Story of What Happens to AmericaAlbert BrooksMemoir 10AOn Writing: A MemoirStephen King

An amazing look into how he writes. Priceless window into the writer's soul.

YA 10A-Every DayDavid Levithan

Start here

The three A+ grades in 17 years.

A+

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt · 2024 · 368 pp

Maybe a perfect novel

A+

The Border (Power of the Dog, Book 3)

Don Winslow · 2019 · ends the Power of the Dog series

Perfection - both in pace and story. (and as the completion to a 3 book epic)

A+

Button Man

Andrew Gross · 2019 · 371 pp

Perfect in almost every way - so well done, with just the right tone.

The best book of every year

Highest grade takes it; a tie goes to the one I read fastest. Honorable mentions are the other A grades.

2026

The Green Mile Stephen King Horror

A432 pp54 pages a dayAudiobook, read by Frank Muller

Honorable mentionsWhistler Ann Patchett ABuckeye Patrick Ryan A

2025

Stoner John Williams Literary

A320 pp106.7 pages a dayAudiobook, read by Robin Field

Honorable mentionsAll the Colors of the Dark Chris Whitaker AMy Friends Fredrik Backman A

2024

Remarkably Bright Creatures Shelby Van Pelt Literary

A+368 pp61.3 pages a dayAudiobook, read by Marin Ireland, Michael Urie

Maybe a perfect novel

Honorable mentionsHeft Liz Moore AThe Nothing Man Catherine Ryan Howard AThe Reformatory Tananarive Due A

2023

Small Mercies Dennis Lehane Crime/Thriller

A307 pp102.3 pages a dayAudiobook, read by Robin Miles

This was great. Loved the characters and it was a great mix of strong drive, race relations, a 1970s setting, and a bit of mob ties

Honorable mentionsThe Shards Bret Easton Ellis AAll The Sinners Bleed S.A. Cosby AHolly Stephen King A

2022

The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles Literary

A576 pp115.2 pages a dayAudiobook, read by Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, Dion Graham

Honorable mentionsThe Match (Wilde Book 2) Harlan Coben ATomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin AAurora David Koepp A

2021

Cloud Cuckoo Land Anthony Doerr Literary

A630 pp157.5 pages a dayAudiobook, read by Marin Ireland, Simon Jones

Honorable mentionsThe Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay Michael Chabon ADevoted Dean Koontz AAnxious People Fredrik Backman A

2020

The Glass Hotel Emily St. John Mandel Literary

A301 pp75.2 pages a dayAudiobook

Honorable mentionsThe Boy From the Woods Harlan Coben ABroken Don Winslow A

2019

Button Man Andrew Gross Historical

A+371 pp53 pages a day

Perfect in almost every way - so well done, with just the right tone.

Honorable mentionsThe Border (Power of the Dog, Book 3) Don Winslow A+The Defense (Eddie Flynn novel 1) Steve Cavanagh AThe Institute Stephen King A

2018

Dodgers: A Novel Bill Beverly Crime/Thriller

A293 pp48.8 pages a day

Honorable mentionsHow to Stop Time Matt Haig ANormal Scott J. Holliday A

2017

The Force Don Winslow Crime/Thriller

A480 pp60 pages a day

Solid - perfection in writing, in storytelling, in character development. Perfect cop novel.

Honorable mentionsLost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook Christina Henry AIt Stephen King ASleeping Beauties Stephen King and Owen King A

2016

The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge Michael Punke Historical

A262 pp37.4 pages a day

Honorable mentionsI Am Pilgrim Terry Hayes ACity of Mirrors (Book 3 of the Passage Trilogy) Justin Cronin AThe One Man Andrew Gross A

2015

All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr Historical

A531 pp59 pages a day

Honorable mentionsFinders Keepers Stephen King A

2014

The Radleys: A Novel Matt Haig Literary

A337 pp84.2 pages a day

Great vampire book - just as good as Humans. Such perfect tone and story structure.

Honorable mentionsNickel Plated Aric Davis AOn Writing: A Memoir Stephen King AThe Power of One Bryce Courtenay A

2013

Defending Jacob William Landay Crime/Thriller

A423 pp105.8 pages a day

Honorable mentionsThe Gods of Guilt (Lincoln Lawyer 5) Michael Connelly AThe Humans: A Novel Matt Haig ALexicon Max Barry A

2012

The Mount Carol Emshwiller Sci-Fi

A

2011

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War Max Brooks Horror

A342 pp85.5 pages a day

Honorable mentionsReady Player One Ernest Cline A11/22/63 Stephen King AContainment Christian Cantrell A

2010

Under the Dome Stephen King Horror

A

Honorable mentionsCity of Thieves David Benioff AThe Passage Justin Cronin AManhunt James Swanson A

The authors worth trusting

Four books or more, by average grade. Bigger dot, more books. Click a name for the author card.

Read to me

Nearly everything since 2020 has been an audiobook. The narrators I have heard three times or more, by books, with the average grade of what they read. Click one to see their shelf.

Series I am in the middle of

Three books or more. Only 5 of the 89 A grades belong to a series. Click one to see it in reading order.

Did not finish

Started and put down. They are here because the log is honest, and because the question is usually "did I read that", not "did I like it".

The numbers

Seventeen years of one reader, graded the same way throughout.

Am I getting harder to please?

Average grade per year. Mildly, yes. Not above the long-run average since 2019.

How the grades fall

Every year, split the way the shelves are colored. The A list has never been more than a fifth of a year.

Pages a year

What I was reading

Each shelf’s share of the year. Darker is more.

The reading calendar

A square for every day: faint while a book was open, solid on the day one was finished, colored by its grade.