Books I've read, with notes.
J.K. Rowling
Where the series gets serious. The tournament is a blast, the ending is brutal.
J.K. Rowling
The best of the early books. Time travel, Sirius Black, and real stakes.
J.K. Rowling
Darker than the first, with better pacing and a stronger mystery.
J.K. Rowling
A charming introduction to the wizarding world. Holds up as comfort reading.
Jon Krakauer
Gripping firsthand account of the 1996 Everest disaster.
Cormac McCarthy
Bleak post-apocalyptic prose. Beautifully written but not for me.
Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson's debut — inventive magic system, solid political intrigue.
James Islington
A strong sequel that expands the world and raises the stakes.
James Islington
Political intrigue meets hard magic in ancient Rome-inspired fantasy.
Patrick Rothfuss
The sequel that somehow lives up to the first.
Patrick Rothfuss
A masterclass in fantasy storytelling.