Book Ratings

Since I rate books when I review them, I thought I should provide a taxonomy for you to understand the method beneath my madness. This list is highly subjective, but I hope helpful nonetheless.

Here it is:

Essential Read - Your life and worldview are not complete until you read this book. This book is well written and it will be one that will spawn random conversations with strangers regarding its content. Other things that fall into this category: dry-aged USDA Prime Beef, Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Horowitz playing Scriabin's Etude op 8 no 12, perfectly roasted chicken, Steinbeck's prose, Cafe Baselu's croissant dough, sleeping-in, cherry pie, and duck fat.

Good - This book will certainly be worth the time spent reading it. It is also well written, and you will find yourself marking passages and making notes. At times captivating, this book is important to the development of you as a person and intellectual giant. Other things in this category: USDA Prime Beef, a marginal vintage of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, anyone else playing Scriabin's Etude op 8 no 12, roasted chicken, Updike's prose, Bakery Noveau's crossiant dough, and bacon fat.

Okay - The book overall possessed limited intellectual or artistic qualities. At times it was interesting, but lacked any real lasting impression. If you find yourself on a flight, with either this book, Conrad's Heart of Darkness, or the InFlight Magazine you should probably start by reading this book first then move on to InFlight. Other things in this category: all of the restaurants in Olympia that I have tried, cold pizza, raking gravel, warm beer, and fast food.

Pass - Pick up the InFlight magazine and read every description--twice, then move on to Heart of Darkness. This book's pages would make wonderful bird-cage liner or they can be used to mask the bathroom windows during your upcoming remodel. Other things that fall into this category: changing a dirty diaper, attending the reading of a will only to find out you received nothing, being kicked in the groin, eating my grandmother's salmon cakes, and plumbing.