alert: revised rating and ranking system

I revised my numeric rating system today because the prior 10-point system was not adequate to the task at hand. It's now a 12-point system to allow for more nuance in assessing books' merits. 

This effort was driven largely by two novels that did not fit into the old system: Under the Volcano and White Noise. Both of these books have some dazzling writing, but I could not finish Under The Volcano because it started to fucking bore me, despite Lowry's enormous talents, and I finished White Noise, but would not recommend reading it, despite its virtues. 

Feel free to take a spin by the revised ratings and rankings, here.