Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard
Early adult life of Winston Churchill and some history of the Second Boer War
The Girl with All the Gifts by MR Carey
Sci-fi with zombie children; many twists and surprises; lots of biology science in the way Clancy did computer/military science
Napoleon A Life by Andrew Roberts
I came to this book knowing almost nothing about Napoleon. Now, I know everything about Napoleon.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Interesting, though a bit tedious.
The Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Excellent and educational
The Dry by Jane Harper
Excellent reading break from histories
Great Courses: Shostakovich, His Life and Music by Great Courses lectures by Professor Robert Greenberg
Audiobook which works very well for hearing the music as well as the lecture
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey
A good mystery, well-told
Great Masters: Stravinsky - His Life and Music by Great Courses lectures by Professor Robert Greenberg
Excellent audiobook
Great Masters: Tchaikovsky - His Life and Music by Great Courses lectures by Professor Robert Greenberg
Excellent audiobook
A Light in August by William Faulkner
Takes awhile to get the characters sorted, but as I continued reading I became more and more engrossed in their stories and found the book rewarding.
The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works Great Courses lectures by Professor Robert Greenberg
Excellent audiobook, loved it, every minute.
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill
Vol. 1 The Birth of Britain
Vol. 2 The New World
Vol. 3 The Age of Revolution
Vol. 4 The Great Democracies
Excellent historical series, beautifully written by the master.
Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming
Interesting memoir; good rainy day read
Born To Run by Christopher McDougall
I didn't enjoy the information on running but the story it's telling about the natural runners of the Copper Canyon is very intriguing.
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
For some reason, I had never read this one. Enjoyed it, nice departure of my usual choices.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre
Very good read; must read more le Carre.
High-Rise by J.G. Ballard
audiobook: Weird, but entertaining, especially as narrated by Tom Hiddleston
The Red Necklace: The French Revolution, book 1 by Sally Gardner
audiobook: One of those teen novels, but really enjoyed it and narrated beautifully by Tom Hiddleston.
I Am Brian Wilson: The genius behind the Beach Boys by Brian Wilson
Loved the stream-of-memory style of Wilson rambling through his life story. No chronology, just memories and impressions and his coming-to-terms with his past.
True Grit by Charles Potts
Got this recommendation from Sean Gillman and loved it start to finish.
Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
A classic for good reason
Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
Loved this the first time I read it so I read it again.
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy
McCarthy's first book and said to be autobiographical in some regard. If it is his story, wow.
Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
Good, but very long and some details seemed tacked on at the end especially.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Discovered this title after I read True Grit. On a par with that story in themes, storytelling, setting etc
The North Water by Ian McGuire
Loved this adventure tale of men facing the reality of a dangerous situation.
Open An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
Agassi spares no one in this honest story of his life and career.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Set on an Indian reservation, a mystery story which reveals a lot about the present day plight of the American Indians who choose reservation life.
Breaking van Gogh: Saint-Rémy, Forgery, and the $95 Million Fake at the Met by James Ottar Grundvig
Fascinating read. I'm convinced! It's a fake!
Even This I Get to Experience by Norman Lear
Marvelous autobiography of a man who was creating and writing at the dawn of must-see tv.
The Son by Philipp Meyer
Disappointing. I could tell the writer had researched this to death, but the writing itself didn't hold up. Plus, the name-dropping of prominent Texans of the era was annoying to me as a West Texan.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Heard about this on a podcast and loved the title, plus it's Christie's first Hercule Poirot mystery.
Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
Gained a much deeper understanding of Leonardo's science and art.
The Guns of August by Barbara W Tuchman
Great book about the first days of WW1, very organized and easy to put all the players into focus.
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Thorough study in general of humankind; I've read enough of these books that this one seemed simplistic.