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by Frank Showalter

Reviews

"You were always the best of them, Lloyd."

81 Results
Work Year
Review Year
  1. A
    1. Brain Wave
      Poul Anderson
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1954
    2. True Myths
      Nigel Andrews
      D+: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 1996
    3. Refugee
      Piers Anthony
      Abandoned
      Novel | 1983
  2. C
    1. The Postman Always Rings Twice
      James M. Cain
      B+: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1934
    2. What Doesn't Kill Us
      Scott Carney
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2017
    3. The Big Sleep
      Raymond Chandler
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1939
  3. D
    1. Brother Iron, Sister Steel
      Dave Draper
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2001
  4. E
    1. Cary Grant
      Marc Eliot
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2004
    2. The Rules of Attraction
      Bret Easton Ellis
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1987
    3. Less Than Zero
      Bret Easton Ellis
      B+: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1985
  5. F
    1. Moonraker
      Ian Fleming
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1955
    2. Live and Let Die
      Ian Fleming
      D: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1954
    3. Casino Royale
      Ian Fleming
      B-: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1953
    4. Gothic
      Philip Fracassi
      B+: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 2023
    5. Don't Let Them Get You Down
      Philip Fracassi
      C-: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 2022
    6. Sacculina
      Philip Fracassi
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novella | 2017
    7. Behold the Void
      Philip Fracassi
      B+: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Collection | 2017
    8. Mandala
      Philip Fracassi
      B+: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novella | 2017
    9. Fail-Safe
      Philip Fracassi
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2017
    10. Mother
      Philip Fracassi
      B-: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2015
    11. Surfer Girl
      Philip Fracassi
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2017
    12. The Baby Farmer
      Philip Fracassi
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2017
    13. Coffin
      Philip Fracassi
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2017
    14. The Horse Thief
      Philip Fracassi
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2017
    15. Altar
      Philip Fracassi
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2016
    16. Soft Construction of a Sunset
      Philip Fracassi
      B-: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 2017
  6. G
    1. Can't Hurt Me
      David Goggins
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2018
    2. The 48 Laws of Power
      Robert Greene
      D+: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 1998
  7. H
    1. Hawk Mountain
      Conner Habib
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 2022
    2. About Face
      David H. Hackworth and Julie Sherman
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 1989
    3. Fright Night Origins
      Tom Holland and A. Jack Ulrich
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 2023
  8. I
    1. Living with a SEAL
      Jesse Itzler
      Abandoned
      Nonfiction | 2015
  9. J
    1. Mr. S
      George Jacobs and William Stadiem
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2003
  10. K
    1. I Will Find You
      Joe Kenda
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2017
    2. Doctor Sleep
      Stephen King
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 2013
    3. The Shining
      Stephen King
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1977
    4. 'Salem's Lot
      Stephen King
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1975
    5. Carrie
      Stephen King
      B-: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1974
    6. On Writing
      Stephen King
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2000
    7. Cujo
      Stephen King
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1981
    8. The Long Walk
      Stephen King
      D: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1978
    9. The Stand
      Stephen King
      D: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1978
    10. Night Shift
      Stephen King
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Collection | 1978
    11. Rage
      Stephen King
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1976
    12. The Cipher
      Kathe Koja
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1991
  11. L
    1. The Lonely One
      Richard Laymon
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 1985
    2. Roadside Pickup
      Richard Laymon
      C-: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 1974
    3. Out Are the Lights
      Richard Laymon
      C-: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1982
    4. The Woods Are Dark
      Richard Laymon
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1981
    5. Desert Pickup
      Richard Laymon
      C-: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 1970
    6. The Cellar
      Richard Laymon
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1980
    7. Tread Softly
      Richard Laymon
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1987
    8. The Intruder
      Richard Laymon
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 1984
    9. The Last Hand
      Richard Laymon
      D: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Short Story | 1985
    10. Beware!
      Richard Laymon
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1985
    11. The Black Train
      Edward Lee
      D+: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 2009
  12. M
    1. The Dark Tunnel
      Ross Macdonald
      D+: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1944
    2. Recessional
      David Mamet
      D: 2 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2022
    3. Set the Boy Free
      Johnny Marr
      B+: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2016
    4. The Devils of D-Day
      Graham Masterton
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1978
    5. Draft No. 4
      John McPhee
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2013
    6. Peter Cushing
      David Miller
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2013
    7. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
      Edmund Morris
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 1979
    8. Fast Forward
      Stephen Morris
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2020
    9. Record Play Pause
      Stephen Morris
      A: 5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2019
  13. N
    1. The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
      Steven Novella
      B+: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2018
  14. P
    1. Consider This
      Chuck Palahniuk
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2020
    2. Fight Club
      Chuck Palahniuk
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1996
  15. R
    1. Churchill
      Andrew Roberts
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2018
    2. The Creative Act
      Rick Rubin
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2023
  16. S
    1. The M.A.X. Muscle Plan
      Brad Schoenfeld
      C-: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2012
    2. Total Recall
      Arnold Schwarzenegger
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2012
    3. Is This Anything?
      Jerry Seinfeld
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2020
    4. Fright Night
      John Skipp and Craig Spector
      F: 1 star (out of 5)
      Novel | 1985
    5. Dracula
      Bram Stoker
      C+: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1897
    6. Ghost Story
      Peter Straub
      B: 4 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1979
  17. T
    1. The Secret History
      Donna Tartt
      A: 5 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1992
    2. Goth
      Lol Tolhurst
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2023
    3. Cured
      Lol Tolhurst
      A-: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2016
  18. W
    1. Dark Crusade
      Karl Edward Wagner
      C: 3 stars (out of 5)
      Novel | 1976
    2. Extreme Ownership
      Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
      A: 5 stars (out of 5)
      Nonfiction | 2015
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by Frank Showalter

Hi there, I'm Frank, a husband and father old enough to have read Stephen King's The Dark Half during its first printing.

This site began in 2012, when I realized I'd accumulated more books than I could ever hope to finish. Worse still, I had books I thought I'd read but couldn't remember. Clearly, I needed a system.

What started on Goodreads evolved into this little corner of the internet where I share my thoughts on what I've read.

New visitors might want to start by reading about how I grade. After that, feel free to browse my reviews, which are also indexed by author.

I also keep a reading log that tracks everything I read, whether it gets a full review or not, complete with stats. In an age of endless content, sometimes the act of remembering what we've read becomes as important as the reading itself.

In an era of algorithmic recommendations and corporate marketing machines, consider this site a human alternative—one person's attempt to catalog his personal library and maybe help a few fellow travelers along the way.