Books & Audio in 2025

The Godfather - Mario Puzo (Jan 7) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s a very well-written story about characters I come to sympathize with, despite doing things I find reprehensible. I listened to the full cast audiobook, which is extremely well done.

The Three-Body Problem - Cixin Liu (Jan 8) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A really good story that I don't want to say much about for fear of spoiling it for others. It made me think quite a bit.

Black Hawk Down - Mark Bowden (Jan 15) (kindle/audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is an incredibly written, well-researched, brutal and uplifting story about men in battle. It pulls no punches, leaving the reader to feel everything that happens. Highly recommended.

The Most Dangerous Game - Richard Connell (Jan 16) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s a classic for a reason. Quick, great read.

Q-Squared - Peter David (Jan 18) (kindle) Fun TNG story.

Three Weeks with My Brother - Nicholas & Micah Sparks (Jan 26) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve read this several times and, while I’m no fan of his other books, this one is fantastic. Sparks’s divorce from his wife over a decade after this book was published puts a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, but I still enjoy it.

Rita Hayworth & the Shawshank Redemption - Stephen King (Jan 30) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is one of my favorites. I love the movie and I love the novella it’s based on. Such an amazing, hard story.

The Screwtape Letters & Screwtape Proposes a Toast - C.S. Lewis (Jan 30) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I've tried to read this multiple times, but this time I made it through. And I'm very glad I did! It's well-written and interesting to gain insights given from the opposite of our usual Biblical perspective. Very thought-provoking read.

Watership Down - Richard Adams (Jan 31) (hardcover) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I first read this in English class my senior year of high and many times since. It is very well-written and enjoyable. I'd say it's my favorite book about anthropomorphic rabbits :-)

American Gun - Chris Kyle (Feb 3) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Well-written and enjoyable! Fun history!

The Hunt for Red October - Tom Clancy (Feb 5) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is one of my all-time favorite stories, both in audiobook and novel form. (I like the movie too, especially the soundtrack, but I don't generally think of them together). This particular audio recording is from a cassette tape that I listened to from the library when I was a kid and then found on Ebay 10-15 years ago. I converted it to digital and have enjoyed it. It's highly abridged, but it's really well done and the narrator, Richard Crenna, is fantastic.

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (Feb 6)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s really good! Highly recommended for fun, and thought-provoking, science fiction.

The Lost City of the Monkey God - Douglas Preston (Feb 7) (audio & kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s a really well-told story.

Psalms: The Prayerbook of the Church - Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Feb 14) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A nice, short reflection on the Psalms from various angles.

The Tiger - John Valliant (Feb 18) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️It's a very gripping story, well-told.

Artemis - Andy Weir (Feb 20) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It was a page turner, but the juvenile wit got in the way of a pretty interesting story. I must say, though: the author really did his research.

The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett (Feb 27) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s a great noir detective novel. I think I’d read it once before.

The Baldur Game - Lars Walker (Mar 10) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fitting end to the Erling Skjalgsson saga. Makes me sad that there won’t be anymore, but it was a well-written and satisfying ending. Maybe I need to read them all again now…

Living in Wonder - Rod Dreher (Mar 10) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'm not sure what I expected exactly, but this book was not what I expected. It deals with wonder, or the lack of it (disenchantment), and how that's so vital to our lives. He goes places I don't expect and makes good points. It's a good one!

Hailstone Mountain - Lars Walker (Mar 16) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I went part way back in the Erling series and enjoyed this one as always.

The Cello Suites - Eric Siblin (Mar 19)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent book that goes between Bach’s life and composition of the cello suites, Casals life and relationship to the pieces, and the author’s own experience with them. It’s very interesting and always makes me want to go listen to them, which I’ve been doing a lot since I started reading it again.

The Elder King - Lars Walker (Mar 21) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s another good one in the series!

King of Rogaland - Lars Walker (Mar 27) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ These stories are well told and draw you in.

Surprise, Kill, Vanish - Annie Jacobsen (Apr 8) (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Very well written book about the history of CIA assassination efforts. Definitely a world of gray areas and fascination to learn about.

Master of Disguise - Anthony Mendez (Apr 28) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable book. The movie Argo is based on one of its chapters.

Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty - Charles Leerhsen (May 24) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Well-written and researched book telling the true story of Ty Cobb and dismissing the rumors and other falsehoods perpetrated through the years about the Georgia Peach.

Watch with me - Wendell Berry (May 28) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tol Proudfoot is one of my favorite characters from Port William and these stories are fantastic!

The Cartographers - Peng Shepherd (May 31) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️ It’s an interesting page-turner, but it feels derivative of John Green’s Paper Towns with a bit of magic thrown in. I don’t regret reading it, but won’t be reading it again.

Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling (June 14) (kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I decided to reread Harry Potter, but decided to start with book 3, since that's where I feel the story really kicks off. Despite having listened to it a multitude of times over the years, I found it satisfying to read it myself once again. So now it's on to the Goblet of Fire...

The Sorrows of Empire - David Mack (June 22)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A good Star Trek set in the mirror universe.

Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton (June 23)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don’t know how many times I’ve read this, but it always draws me in and I enjoy it.

The Lost World - Michael Crichton (June 25)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s not as good as the original and feels like a bit of a cash grab to coincide with the movie coming out, but it’s still a good ride with plenty of excitement.

The House That Jacob Built - John Gould (June 26)(print) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Overall, I enjoyed it. It’s a bit tricky to keep up with just when the events are happening, and they seem to be arranged around memories of specific parts of the house rather than a chronological story, but I still found it charming and the people in there were fascinating. And as a special bonus, I finished it sitting on the deck at our VRBO in Maine, looking out at the ocean, and not too far from where the house is (or was).

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling (June 27)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Still enjoying my reread of the series.

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling (July 6)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ As I get older I find Harry less irritating in this book. And the DA and the end make it all worth it.

Eruption - Michael Crichton/James Patterson (July 13)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A page-turning thriller that I enjoyed. Not as good as many of Crichton’s other stuff, or as thought-provoking, but still a good story.

Ernie Harwell's Audio Scrapbook (July 17)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I listen to this every year and love it every time. Ernie is the voice of my childhood and I love hearing him reflect on his life.

Royal Gambit - Daniel O’Malley (July 18)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Another good story in the Rook series.

Timeline - Michael Crichton (July 18)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This ranks as one of his best.

The Firm - John Grisham (July 21)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I've read this many times, but not in a while. Crissy was reading it as well and now there's a sequel, so I'll be starting that one next. Curious to see what he does with the characters so many years later.

The Exchange - John Grisham (July 23)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ While it was interesting to revisit the characters from The Firm and the story was a page-turner, it just wasn’t that great. It did interest me enough to finish it, at least.

The Rainmaker - John Grisham (July 25)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I’ve read this one many times and I still enjoy it.

The Runaway Jury - John Grisham (July 29)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ After reading it again, I’m pretty sure this is my favorite John Grisham book. Just a fun ride with interesting characters and twists and turns.

20,000 Leagues under the Sea - Jules Verne (August 17)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Yes, there are a lot of descriptions of fish and such (Evan’s chief complaint about it), but it's a good story with a good mystery. So now I'm going to read The Mysterious Island, which I've never read before.

Spiritual Warfare & Deliverance - Harold Ristau (August 20)(print) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I've enjoyed and learned much from Ristau's interviews on this topic and the book was very helpful. As the author said, he doesn't want it to become a bestseller, because he doesn't want people overly fascinated with the topic, which I agree with. We want to stay focused on Christ, not the adversary. Ultimately, Christ has conquered all of our enemies, including the devil, and so Christians rooted in Christ have nothing to fear.

The Lord and His Prayer - N.T. Wright (August 27)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed this short reflection on the Our Father. I’m glad I listened to it.

The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis (September 1)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I’d never read this before and found it fascinating. Similar to Dante, and Milton (I assume, since I haven’t read him yet), but quite lighthearted. The author doesn’t glory in the unwillingness of those touring heaven from hell, but rather takes pity on them.

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L’engle (September 2)(audio)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A wonderful story that I enjoyed revisiting.

Ghost Wars - Steve Coll (September 14)(print) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve been reading this off and on for 2 years, when I bought it at the Flight 93 Memorial. September 11 is probably the defining moment of my generation, a day when everything changed, and it’s been interesting and helpful to try and understand, as much as possible, how and why it happened. Now I’ll move on to then sequel, Directorate S, which goes from September 11 up to 2016.

Leaving Boyhood Behind - Jason Craig (September 16)(print) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A thought-provoking book about how to bring a boy from being given everything to being a man who gives of himself sacrificially. Pastor and I have been discussing this topic a lot and I look forward to working to implement many of these ideas.

The End is Always Near - Dan Carlin (September 18)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I
Fairly interesting, and fairly well written, but I feel like I’ve read better books on the topics. Felt like a podcast, which makes sense since he’s a podcaster, but not sure how well it worked being a book. Liked it, but didn’t love it.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling (September 23)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Had put it down to read other things for a while, but got back to it and finished it. Enjoyed it, as always. So now it’s on to the final book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling (October 6)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed rereading the series (starting at book 3, when things really getting). Sure there are issues with plot holes , but it’s an engaging and engrossing story and I’m glad to have read it again.

Calling on Dragons - Patricia Wrede (October 9)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Got back to reading this series again. It’s enjoyable and now on to the fourth one.

Talking to Dragons - Patricia Wrede (October 15)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I like it because it wraps up the series, despite being written first, but it’s not as good as the others. I think I’ll read Tolkien next.

Class Clown - Dave Barry (October 23)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I am most of the way through the Hobbit, but I’m taking a detour to read some books from the library. This was a funny book and I enjoyed reading it quite a bit. He’s a funny writer, which is the most unsurprising take about Dave Barry ever 😂

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien (October 28)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It isn’t as good as the Lord of the Rings, but it’s a good story and I enjoyed reading it again. It had been a while, so picked up on some things I’d forgotten.

The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien (BBC radio play) (November 5)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'd never listened to it before, so although I started out reading the book on my kindle, I ended up listening to the BBC version, which was excellent. What amazes me the most is that they kept so many scenes and lines from the book in, while still making it feel like a radio play, not an audiobook. Looking forward to listening to the BBC Two Towers next.

Tremendous Trifles - G.K. Chesterton (November 11)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A good collection of essays by Chesterton. Many of them are really enjoyable.

Old Man’s War - John Scalzi (November 19)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I didn’t check, but I may have read this already this year, but it’s a good one that I enjoy reading every time.

Starter Villain - John Scalzi (November 21)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hadn’t heard of this one and I really enjoyed it!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye - John Scalzi (November 25) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The concept of the moon turning to cheese is certainly interesting and he explored it from many angles. Overall, I found the book uneven. I almost quit it several times, but I made it through. I don’t see myself reading it again.

Classic Krakauer - Jon Krakauer (November 26)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good collection of essays. Some are five star and some less, but he’s a really good writer.

The Ghost Brigades - John Scalzi (November 28)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m not sure what I expected, but this wasn’t it. And yet I really enjoyed it. Very different from Old Man’s War, but good nonetheless.

Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer (December 3)(print) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a fascinating book about an unique young man.

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer (December 4)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this book often and it’s a thrilling ride every time.

The Lost Colony - John Scalzi (December 4)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good addition to the Old Man’s War series. Many twists and turns in an enjoyable story.

The Forever War - Joe Haldeman (December 7)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s such an excellent book. Sobering and thought-provoking.

Starman’s Quest - Robert Silverberg (December 8)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s an interesting book with some good stuff, but it’s also obviously an early novel from the author and that shows.

Patriot Games - Tom Clancy (December 15)(kindle) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s a good one that I enjoy reading quite a bit each time.

I Must Say - Martin Short (December 21)(audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed it. Short is an interesting person who seems surprisingly normal for someone so big in the entertainment business. Glad I saw it in the Federalist's list of book recommendations.