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User
Reviews 3
Approval 81%
Soundoffs 3
Album Ratings 1180
Objectivity 68%
Last Active 02-01-22 6:56 pm
Joined 06-15-11
Review Comments 19,377
| Lucca's 2025 Reading List RANKED
Nerds | | 16 |  | Knocked Loose
You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
Bat Eater and Other Names - Listen, one of these books had to be last, but if it made that list at all that shows that I DID enjoy this one. There were just some pacing issues, as well as some unnecessary preaching bullshit that was not subtle enough for my tastes. That may just be a personal preference, but I will definitely be on the lookout for whatever this author does next because she definitely has some great potential to make a classic in the future. | | 15 |  | Mol
Dreamcrush
True Grit - Now this one is probably unfair, but because I am so familiar with the films, this one didn't really interest me as much as I would have hoped. There was literally almost nothing new here that wasn't in the Coen Brother's version, so I would be lying if I said that I was totally blown away by this book. If I read this first, I'm sure I'd feel differently. | | 14 |  | Justin Timberlake
The 20/20 Experience
Incidents Around The House - As mentioned, ghost/haunted stories are the ones that I seek out more as they are the ones that tend to get under my skin. This was really solid, and I love that it was written from the prespective of a little girl. HOWEVER, although it was creepy and kept me invested the whole time, I have read much scarier books during my recent horror run over the past couple years alone. There wasn't much new here, but I will say it was done well and I am looking forward to the movie. | | 13 |  | Static Dress
Rouge Carpet Disaster
Hidden Pictures - Ooooh, a picture book! Only partially, but it was actually excecuted in a way that made sense with the story and really pushed that creep factor to a place that wouldn't be possible without them. I REALLY enjoyed this when it was a mystery, and was less invested once I knew what was going on as the rest became relatively predictable. Still, a very fun time. | | 12 |  | Archspire
Too Fast To Die
When the Wolf Comes Home - This was so awesome. It was just dumb, pulp fun. This is like reading a Garth Ennis comic, or watching a Quintin movie; super over the top, violent and insane. There wasn't much substance here, but I didn't really need any for this. Definitely want to check out Mary and his other books now. I just can't rate it that high because it was basically just really good fluff. | | 11 |  | Melvins and Napalm Death
Savage Imperial Death March
The Only Good Indians - Now this one was a REALLY hard one to rank, probably the hardest one on this list. If this was just the first 2/3 of this book, it would prob be in my top 3 or 4 of the year. It was perfect horror in a totally unique way, and I was ready to sing it's praises to everyone. Then came the final 1/3. I imagine others may like it more than me, but holy shit did that fall off imo. First two thirds is like an 11/10, last third is like a 5/10. | | 10 |  | Moodring
Death Fetish
Tom's Crossing - So this sucks for me to rate this here, because I was 100% expecting this to easily be my #1 of the year. First of all, Westerns are some of my favorite books to read. Danielewski's House of Leaves is among my favorite books ever written in any era. I read that people don't love the pros, but I actually love them here. I love the characters, story, the Western setting (I'm a sucker for Westerns), BUT so much of my fucking life was wasted for no reason. Hundreds of pages of bloated bullshit. No reason for this to be 1200, would have been a classic if it was like 800 pages. | | 9 |  | Big L
Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
Buffalo Hunter Hunter - This is probably the best written Stephen Graham Jones book I have read. It's basically just Native American Dracula - it's even written in journal entries. Some really fantastic dialogue/inner monologue passages here, and it was a bloody good time. I will say, I don't really LOVE the very ending of this book, though. It wasn't bad, it was just...kinda weird, and I would have hoped for something to really punch me in the gut for a book this good. Still, wonderful stuff. | | 8 |  | Mobb Deep
The Infamous
The Reformatory - This was not a straight horror as I was expecting, but it was so engrossing that I actually didn't mind at all. The real horror here came from the detailed descriptions of horrors that happened in history. The added supernatural/ghost elements added some flavor, but the characters were what really shined here. I would recommend this to even non-horror fans. | | 7 |  | DMX
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
We Used To Live Here - Now I am a sucker for haunting/paranormal stories. For whatever reason, that shit freaks me out way more than real life serial killers, vampires, zombies, whatever. So I admit, I might be bias with this one - but this messed with my head so much more than so many other books in the same genre, I was floored when I finished it. Honestly, I still think about this book from time to time - every time I thought I figured out the story, I was wrong. | | 6 |  | Sabrina Carpenter
Man's Best Friend
The September House - Holy shit, I am recommending this to everyone. The author's voice is sarcastic in a way that didn't annoy the shit out of me, AND the twist on the haunted house concept was brilliant. Absolutely adored this and the final act of this one was totally bonkers and worth every goddamn minute. This NEEDS to be a movie. | | 5 |  | Slayyyter
Wor$t Girl In America
Tender is the Flesh - I read this book in one sitting on my couch, as I was waiting for the seasoning of my steak to settle in to cook for my family. As a meat lover, never in my life have I wanted to become a vegan so quickly in my life. This book gets a lot of hype becasue of how disgusting it was, but it genuinely was one of the most effective horror/Orwelian novels I have read in years, which is something I definitely did not expect going into this. I was just expecting some good ol gore-ish fun, but what I got was so much more. And that ending, goddamn. | | 4 |  | Lady Gaga
Mayhem
Blood Meridian - I tried reading this when I was younger, but Cormac McCarthy's writing style and lack of punctuation was just way too annoying for me to keep track of in high school. Now I'm an old man, and decided to give it another go since it's so popular. I get why this one is considered a classic now. I do think that I still prefer The Road, but this one had me thinking about it for weeks after and sent me down a YouTube analysis rabbit hole. Prob won't ever reread this again, though lol. | | 3 |  | Cryptic Shift
Overspace & Supertime
Stoner- I was an English major in college and went through some other analogous situations to the main character, which might not be a good thing but I don't think I've ever felt more spoken to while reading a book in my life. The last time I felt a story representing something I was going through but couldn't put in words was probably when I first saw Six Feet Under straight through after the loss of an immediate family member in college. | | 2 |  | Immolation
Descent
Lonesome Dove - Holy shit. I can't believe I went so long without reading this thing. This might be one of my all time favorite novels, like top 5 of all time. I love every character, everything surprised me, the setting was amazing - 10000/10, I haven't shut up about this book since I finished it. | | 1 |  | Neurosis
An Undying Love for a Burning World
East of Eden - So I didn't get to read this in 2025, and it's been sitting on my night stand in April 2026 but shut up, it's my 2025 list and I already know this will prob be #1 just based on friends I trust. Fuck you, I'm pre-placing this at 1, my list, go away. | |
DarkSideOfLucca
04.13.26 | List is recent digs | Kingdok
04.13.26 | Just finished September House, def would make a great film. Have u checked Wraiths of a Broken Land by S Craig Zahler (gruesome western), or anything by Grady Hendrix? | unclereich
04.13.26 | have a first edition of east of eden that i inherited. my grandfather was raised in salinas and i spent quite a bit of time down there last year. so beautiful. cannot wait to finally dive in. | Gameofmetal
04.13.26 | Don't really know what the problem is with The Only Good Indians later part, it's not the basketball is it? That's such a clearly necessary thematic inclusion.
Currently reading Tom's Crossing, definitely sitting on some problems but we'll see where it goes. Does already feel quite bloated. | Hawks
04.13.26 | Gotta read some of these! Sick list bro. | AlkemestRedux
04.13.26 | Hell yeah a fellow horror enjoyer!
I gotta give Lonesome Dove a read. And glad you liked Blood Meridian. Probably my second favorite McCarthy, but hands down my favorite is The Crossing. So crushing and poignant.
Also love to see SGJ. The Only Good Indians is my favorite by him, but Buffalo Hunter Hunter is pretty close.
Since we have a pretty similar reading split between westerns and horror, have you read any S. Craig Zahler? His two splatterpunk westerns are some of the best and nastiest books I've read - Wraiths of the Broken Land and A Congregation of Jackals. The movie Bone Tomahawk is technically part of the trilogy, but I like the books more. | AlkemestRedux
04.13.26 | Oh shit Kingdok beat me to the Zahler recommendation hah! So yes, I second that recommendation.
Also The Thirteenth Koyote and its sequel by Triana are a blast, although a lot more cheeky. | hel9000
04.13.26 | I read East of Eden last year, it’s so beautiful. Going through Steinbeck chronologically now and loving it. | MTObsidian
04.13.26 | Hell yeah, I support East Of Eden glazing any day of the week, it's phenomenal. One of the few books I have read more than once. | DarkSideOfLucca
04.13.26 | Helllllllll yeah boys, Wraith of Broken Land is one of the most batshit insane and awesome books I own. I absolutely love it, by far my favorite Zahler. It's the only one I've read of his that I love to that degree, though, but yeah that's an all time great for me.
@Gameofmetal - Yeah, I read a lot of people actually loved the direction of the story, and I get that it was very relevant thematically and I understand the cultural relevancy behind it, but even so I still just didn't find it quite as face-punching as the first 2/3 of the book. The whole book was like an insane Mad Max car ride of emotions for me up until that point, but I get why people dig it. I just would have preferred a different direction.
@Alkemest - Bone Tomahawk fucking rules too man, Cell Block and Dragged Across Concrete are also fantastic. And yes, read Lonesome Dove! I'll add Thirteenth Koyote and Triana to my amazon cart now | Aids
04.13.26 | East of Eden is a 4.45/5
Amazing book but it's every so slightly overrated imo. I read it last December and it was a great time. I feel like the biblical re-telling is a little bit too rigid, and I also think the Eve character is not a real person. I know that's the point or whatever but idk, overall the characters are not that great to me, except for one. Still an amazing book that I recommend to people. | Aids
04.13.26 | I am scared to read Lonesome Dove, but I will definitely finally be reading Stoner this year | AlkemestRedux
04.13.26 | Maybe Lonesome Dove will be my next one! I'm about a quart of the way through The Stand right now and digging it a lot.
Although hands down the most terrifying book I've read recently is Nuclear War: A Scenario. I'm not particularly prone to anxiety anymore, but that one certainly did it. | budgie
04.13.26 | reading is gay do drugs | Aids
04.14.26 | do both
that's the good life | DarkSideOfLucca
04.14.26 | You fucking losers read while sober? | MTObsidian
04.14.26 | Yeah :( | MTObsidian
04.14.26 | Though a finger or two of whiskey often finds its way into the mix | DarkSideOfLucca
04.14.26 | You gotta step up, do some meth and read faster
Or drop some acid and eat the pages | MTObsidian
04.14.26 | That would help me get more fiber... | DarkSideOfLucca
04.14.26 | @Alkemist - havent heard of that nuclear war book, but I'll add that to my amazon cart as well!
@Aids - Dont be afraid of Lonesome Dove, it's long but it's pretty easy to read. It's technically a slow build up before they go on their journey, but the characters are so goddamn fun that it honestly didn't even feel slow to me even though there was no action for a while. |
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