813 ratings | 72 reviews | avg rating:3.43

Mark’s Year In Books

Mark’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Mark’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Mark Smeltz’s Followers (15)

Mark’s Bookshelves

to-read (278)
currently-reading (1)
read (819)
africa (95)
alien (7)
assorted-fiction (341)
chinese-history (7)
classics (89)
fantasy (206)
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Mark’s Friends (72)

Jerry Parker

1,154 books | 110 friends

Christopher

3,697 books | 33 friends

Jamie

1,331 books | 1,208 friends

Jesse

1,610 books | 52 friends

Kristy

698 books | 108 friends

Rhoddi

1,198 books | 47 friends

Erin Hosfield

260 books | 16 friends

Lisa Phi

775 books | 5 friends

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Mark Smeltz

Goodreads Author

Member Since

May 2011

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Mark Smeltz’s books

Average rating: 4.37 · 38 ratings · 24 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Devil in the White Mountains by Mark Smeltz (Goodreads Author), Stanzin Norphel (Illustrator) 4.23 avg rating — 22 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wreck of the Melville 4.56 avg rating — 16 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Mark is Currently Reading

Mark Smeltz is currently reading

High: A Journey Across the Himalaya, Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China

by Erika Fatland

bookshelves: himalayas, currently-reading

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Nov 20, 2025 10:53AM

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Mark’s Recent Updates

Mark Smeltz rated a book liked it Far Horizon by Tony Park (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 16, 2026 05:24AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Far Horizon by Tony Park. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Far Horizon by Tony Park <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Smeltz liked Michela's review of Il Respiro Della Savana: "Typical novel where the male writer creates an adventurous alter ego on the page, and of course all women in the novel are attracted to him. The plot was ok. "
Feb 16, 2026 05:23AM · see review
Mark Smeltz liked Drewms64's review of The Metamorphosis:
Feb 14, 2026 05:38PM · see review
Mark Smeltz wants to read A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 14, 2026 11:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Smeltz entered a giveaway Trust No One by James Rollins (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 05, 2026 04:21PM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Trust No One by James Rollins. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Trust No One by James Rollins <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Smeltz rated a book really liked it Shaping Kruger by Mitch Reardon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 28, 2026 04:06AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Shaping Kruger by Mitch Reardon. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Shaping Kruger by Mitch Reardon <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Smeltz liked Kristy's review of The Time of Contempt (The Witcher, #2): "ok, controversial opinion time: controversial opinion #1: I don't get the hype over this series. it's just ok. maybe it's better in polish? controversial opinion #2: the show is actually doing a not so bad job of adapting it? the show gets a lot of hat" Read more of this review »
Jan 26, 2026 03:12PM · see review
Mark Smeltz rated a book liked it The Tommyknockers by Stephen King (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 21, 2026 03:17AM · like
Mark Smeltz rated a book really liked it Blood Ground by Damir Salkovic (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A pretty cracking good thriller. Reminiscent of (early) James Rollins or (early) Preston and Child, this novel tells parallel stories about two different expeditions to Mount Kenya. There's the thrill of exploration, the ugliness of colonialism, and ...more
Jan 06, 2026 03:01PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Blood Ground by Damir Salkovic. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Blood Ground by Damir Salkovic <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Mark Smeltz (?)

“Of course," he muttered. "In an age of madness, to expect to be untouched by madness is itself a form of madness.”
― Mark Smeltz, The Wreck of the Melville

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“Some would have called it pettiness; some pride. I have found that the two are often indistinguishable, and they are to be found within men both great and small.”
― Mark Smeltz, The Wreck of the Melville

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“Such is the curse of evil men: they cannot conceive that other men are better, and so they exacerbate their own misery by anticipating betrayal at every turn.”
― Mark Smeltz, The Wreck of the Melville

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Mark’s Quotes

“My book experiences on board of the frigate proved an example of a fact which every book-lover must have experienced before me, namely, that though public libraries have an imposing air, and doubtless contain invaluable volumes, yet, somehow, the books that prove most agreeable, grateful, and companionable, are those we pick up by chance here and there; those which seem put into our hands by Providence; those which pretend to little, but abound in much.”
― Herman Melville

tags: white-jacket

4 likes

“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.”
― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

1099 likes

“That’s how you know you’re home, I think, no matter how far you’ve gone from it or how long you’ve been in some other place. Home is where they want you to stay longer.”
― Stephen King, Revival

62 likes

“For, contrary to the common opinion, it is the wealthy who are greedy of wealth; while the populace are to be gained by talking to them about liberty, their unknown god. And so much are they enchanted by the words liberty, freedom, and such like, that the wise can go to the poor, rob them of what little they have, dismiss them with a hearty kick, and win their hearts and their votes for ever, if only they will assure them that the treatment which they have received is called liberty.”
― Arthur Machen, The Terror

17 likes