While Dune may be the best in the series, Children of Dune is my personal favorite thus far. Continuing the trend of presenting insightful and relevant observations about man's nature, this book makes some crazy points about religion. Also, without spoiling anything, the ending of this book changes everything about this series. 9.3/10 stars.

Dune Messiah is an impressive follow-up. While not as good as the third, it's still a compelling story that continues the arc of Paul's rise and fall. I can't say enough about how smart these books are--the plots, counter-plots, and political sparring have a Roman quality to them. Dune Messiah will appeal to just about anyone with an interest in anthropolgy, religion, and politics. 8/10 stars.

Dune by Frank Herbert is the greatest science fiction book ever written. I know thats a typical opinion, but it's true. Dune's culture is so detailed, so textured, so real. It's an incredibly smart book that approaches man's future within the context of man's past without being trite or uninspired. I don't know anything that tops it. 10/10 stars.

The Fall by Albert Camus is the best existential confession since Notes From the Underground. Complex, authentic, insightful, and starkly honest, Camus again proves just how sharp his mind is, and just how absurd the human condition continues to be. 9.2/10 stars.

Desolation Angels has an odd place in Kerouac's real life timeline. It's his last big hurrah before his descent into full fledged alcoholism, straddling the line between starry-eyed free spirit Jack, and cynical, broken Jack. This lends it a melancholic quality that replaces the frenzied energy of his earlier work. In a way, its a farewell. A farewell that sees Jack at his most "beat", in every sense of the word. 8/10 stars.

For my first post on here, I'd like to review a book that has left a mark on me: Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe (1929).

Much in the vein of Dandelion Wine by Bradbury and Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, Look Homeward, Angel is a Whitman-esque roman a clef that carries a vast and powerful heart at it's core. With eloquent prose and a passionate outlook on life, Wolfe succeeds in baring his very self to the reader. 9/10 stars.