Joe's Notes

Welcome!

This is my blog and I do whatever I want here. I write my thoughts about things and short stories, I take photos, and have lots of book reviews. Make sure to check out the PRODUCTS page to order your edgy t-shirts or the PRINTS page to get prints of my photography! Use the search bar at the bottom of this page to discover more posts. Use the ARCHIVE page to see all my posts. Categorical searches will also yield good results for those who want more of a specific group of posts such as “Photo Journal” or “Book Review”. Check out the OLD BLOG for over 270 posts that go back to 2010 and get your PRINTS at the Prints Store!

Thank you!

Top 5 Books of 2025

December 28, 2025 by Joe Gray in Book Review, Fantasy, Fiction, Reccomendations, Reviews, Top Five, Western

I read some books this year. Here are my favorites!

Author Showcase: Channing Cornwall

August 17, 2025 by Joe Gray in Book Review, Reccomendations, Reviews, Short Stories, Author Showcase

Channing Cornwall is a prolific independent writer. He has written over 10 novels and has a collection of short stories and a collection of poetry and more! Support independent artists!

Book Review: The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

April 14, 2025 by Joe Gray in Fiction, Book Review, Western, Reviews, Reccomendations

If you liked The Gunslinger then you have to read The Drawing of the Three and if you haven't checked out The Gunslinger yet then check out my review or just pick it up using my link below. These are great books and I highly recommend them.

Book Review: A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

March 12, 2025 by Joe Gray in Book Review, Fantasy, Fiction, Reccomendations

The point of this review is to convey my desire for you to read the book even if you have seen the show. If you don’t want to read the book then the Audible version is excellent. It is read by a man named Roy Dotrice and he does a great job of voicing the characters and makes the entire experience highly engaging. I ingest my books mostly via the paper form but listening to a book, when it is read well, can be an equally enthralling experience. I recommend A Game of Thrones to anyone who loves medieval drama and suspenseful intrigue.

Book Review: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Dark Tower Series Book 1)

November 27, 2024 by Joe Gray in Book Review, Fantasy, Fiction, Western

Good and bad are not so easily defined and with so much left to reveal the Dark Tower series has much more to offer. This is a great start to the series and I will continue this journey that I started years ago once more. I highly recommend The Gunslinger to anyone who enjoys a book that combines many genres in a way that is deftly maneuvered.

Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

August 01, 2024 by Joe Gray in Book Review, Fiction, Reviews, Sci-Fi

This is the most masculine book ever! It has data, math, engineering, potatoes, problem-solving, and almost zero explicit emotional content. It is about a man who is stuck alone on Mars who never cries or gets depressed or laments about missing his family or friends back on Earth. He just works and solves problems with his superior intellect and indomitable spirit.