#30. "The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass" by Stephen King

Stephen King has made a world in "The Dark Tower" franchise where it seems like anything can happen. It's a fantasy-western story that crosses all times and references in a way that's dizzying and time consuming. It's the biggest appeal to the stories, which ended its third entry on a very odd cliffhanger. Roland and the gang was riding Blane the Mono towards the titular tower, but needed to come up with a riddle to escape its ride into the abyss. That's where "Wizard and Glass," the fourth book, begins. By the end, the story doesn't venture more than a few days later, but covers a grander story that's unlike most of what came before. It's a story about Roland's past, featuring a ka-tet that helped to shape the lone ranger that is at the center of this saga. In some ways, it's a detour that helps to shape character, but it also detours from the appealing central cast that has shaped the last two books' energy. It's a bit of a lag, but it's still pretty good.

#29. "The Odyssey" by Homer

In the realm of mythology, there are few stories that capture the excitement as that of Homer's sequel to "The Iliad," which is the more popular "The Odyssey." How could it not be considered at least more exciting, especially given that it features some of Greek mythology's most iconic archetypes, such as the sirens, the cyclopes, and several iconic Gods creating mischief for Odysseus' simple trip back home. For a story that's over a millennia old, it manages to convey a lot of the familiar beats that influenced modern literature. It's the hero's journey, and done so through 24 books that manage to show that one journey home from battle can be more interesting than a simple journey across the sea. 

#28. "Dog Man and Cat Kid" by Dav Pilkey

It's safe to say that after four installments, "Dog Man" is easily the most successful "Captain Underpants" spin-off to date. But what about a creature with a dog's head and a man's body is so attractive to literature? It could be that it's a satirical take on police procedural and superhero tropes alike, but it could just be that Dav Pilkey lucked out in creating one of his strongest universes, even if it exists within the mind of his beloved George and Harold. Sure, the animation is crude and sometimes the jokes are more blunt than thought out, but it's a world of childlike wonder the likes of which Pilkey hasn't obtained since the days of Professor Poopypants. Here, he finds a story that not only satirizes the moral struggle of heroes, but Hollywood in general. The boys have gotten older, and now their love of movies is beginning to impact their work.

#27. "Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties" by Dav Pilkey

Author Dav Pilkey had an impressive 2017 with the movie adaptation of his beloved Captain Underpants, which was met with plenty of acclaim. However, his recent output with spin-off Dog Man has been even more interesting, especially as it's a view from Pilkey but of his enfant terribles George and Harold, who have graduated to the fifth grade and now have a deeper and more mature stance on comic book culture. So, how do they apply that to their own creation? Well, "Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties" is a book that manages to mix in juvenile humor with a growing emotional subtext and a series of pop culture references that are fun and irreverent. The mythology of this series is unexpectedly rich, and with this book Pilkey and the boys may have outdone himself.

#26. "Different Seasons" by Stephen King

The one issue that could be lobbied against Stephen King is that some of his stories tend to be a little too long. For instance, his most iconic books ("IT," "The Stand," etc.) fall somewhere in the quadruple digits and may have some excisable material. It's generally why his short stories collections are usually a breath of fresh air, and few have achieved that quite like "Different Seasons." Even if they're not his shortest short stories, they feature arguably two of his most iconic works ("Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" and "The Body") as well as two perverse secondary works ("Apt Pupil" and "The Breathing Method"). While one could argue that his other anthologies collect more great short stories, there's definitely not one that is as effective and succinct in capturing the genius behind the author quite like this one, which explores empathy and horror in equal measure, adding new wrinkles to the King of Horror's overall reputation.

#25. "The Disaster Artist" by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell

The idea of a movie being "so bad it's good" is a concept that's been around almost since the dawn of the format. It's the concept that a film can have a certain level of incompetence, yet still maintain a charm usually saved for the scholarly movies where every detail has been pondered over. In the short existence of the 21st century, director Tommy Wiseau's The Room has been hailed as "the greatest worst movie ever made," and for good reason. However, it's not just a bad movie. It's a work of art, and writers Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell create a surreal vision of Wiseau's inability to be a master filmmaker, jumping between sympathy and animosity almost every other paragraph. It's a humorous read, but what makes it an effective piece to The Room's cult-like mythology is that even when acknowledging the problems, Sestero still loves Wiseau and "The Disaster Artist" is a story of an unlikely friendship.

#24. "Insomnia" by Stephen King

Stephen King has made a career out of scaring audiences with tales so disturbing that they can keep you up at night. But what about the author himself? "Insomnia" is a story that was written during the author's own insomnia and feels just as neurotic as someone suffering through long and confusing nights. The story in a lot of ways captures odd obsessions with Greek mythology as well as King's own The Dark Tower series, of which this book overlaps with significantly in the final stretch. It's a book for loyal readers who spend countless hours toiling over consistency and details. However, it's a tough read for those not ready for long and winding stories with confusing tangents and a world that reflects the author taking big risks in his prose and producing one of his oddest books yet.