Books I Read
While I’m not the most voracious reader, reading books is one of my favorite activities.
What follows isn't a list of the "best" books or some type of rating. It's simply a collection of books I've enjoyed, books I've found worth discussing.
Currently Reading
The Shards | Bret Easton Ellis
Only one day into this book and I’m looking for every opportunity to read more.
Growing up in the Midwest in the 1980s, my idea of the entitled, debaucherous children of ultra-wealthy parents in LA was formed by protagonists in movies like Valley Girl, Better Off Dead, and Pretty in Pink.
This has already been a fun nostalgic trip, but it’s about to get very dark and twisted.
Browse My Bookshelf
Dark Matter | Blake Crouch
I generally don’t read much science fiction. And I certainly don’t spend time thinking about quantum superposition and the multiverse.
Yet this is the fourth Blake Crouch book I’ve read this year. That probably says enough.
I’ll let Crouch do the deep thinking. I’ll enjoy the ride.
Football | Chuck Klosterman
Down — It’s that time of year. There’s a crispness in the air and football is back.
Set — It was a gift from my buddy Jax and I trust his judgement.
Hut — I was willing to give Klosterman another chance. I enjoy his fiction like Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs and Downtown Owl and his earlier nonfiction like Fargo Rock City. But lately his nonfiction has been insufferable. This collection of essays lands somewhere in between. There are flashes of the old Chuck, surrounded by stretches that are overly self-righteous and too cutesy for their own good.
I want the old Chuck back.
If She Wakes | Michael Koryta
I ran out of books in France and all the other books on the shelf were in Danish. Sometimes you just get lucky.
The cover was worn. The pages were already water-damaged. I finished this thriller poolside in two days.
Now it’s back on the shelf for the next fortunate reader. And I’ll be looking for another Koryta book.
Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America | Brendan Ballou
I have never heard a positive private equity story. I worked for a company owned by one of the largest PE firms. I have close friends who have sold to PE. I have invested in PE. Private equity surrounds us. Again, I have never heard a positive private equity story.
Ballou provides a well-documented undressing of PE practices, risks, and flaws. That part is a must-read.
Then, in the final section, he lays out his solutions. Many are sophomoric and rely on government involvement that goes well beyond the proper role of government. His solutions feel a lot like Whac-A-Mole.
Nonetheless, I’m behind his statement, "Capitalist and socialists, and everyone in between, should all be united in their concern over this business philosophy.”
People Who Eat Darkness |
Richard Lloyd Parry
One of a parent’s worst nightmares. This is some dark and evil shit.
As the cover proclaims, “The true story of a young woman who vanished from the streets of Tokyo — and the evil that swallowed her up.”
It was hard to put down. Parry took me deep into a Japanese subculture, the people who inhabit it, the victims and their families, and the society surrounding it.
Cry Havoc | Jack Carr
Let’s make this simple: I’m a fan of Jack Carr’s fiction and non-fiction. I’ve been waiting for this book since I heard him talk about it in an interview. When it arrived, I ripped through it. I couldn’t put it down.
It’s 1968 in Vietnam and beyond. We meet Tom Reece, a Navy SEAL and father of James Reece from Carr’s Terminal List series. The research and attention to detail made it feel as much historical fiction as thriller.
Tom Reece is a character with plenty of stories left to tell. Now I’m patiently waiting for the next one.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight | Alexandra Fuller
A memoir of an African childhood.
Our own little world can be so small. I couldn’t stop thinking about how uncomplicated my childhood was. I’m quite certain I never thought about kids my age in Rhodesia or even knew where Rhodesia was.
Ultimately, though, we were both shaped by routines, a country, a family, and a history. Hers just seemed a lot more intense.
Wild by Nature | Sarah Marquis
Let’s get this out of the way first: Sarah Marquis is a badass.
Over three years, she walked solo from Siberia to Australia. I thought nature would be the greatest danger. It wasn’t. Humans were. I know she survived, yet I was anxious at many points.
The expedition is impressive, but the vulnerability is what is memorable.
Flesh | David Szalay
Rags-to-riches story of a guy roughly my age — growing up in communist Hungary to a luxurious adulthood in London.
I rooted for the isolated, misunderstood teenager and found myself increasingly cringing at the man he became.
The Trading Game | Gary Stevenson
The Liars Poker of the early 2000s.
I wanted to hate him. He is a young FX trader from London’s East End.
What value has FX trading ever contributed to society other than make a few individuals extremely rich?
Despite all my efforts I could not hate the guy.
Pines | Blake Crouch
(1 of 3) When a buddy texts you “I just read the craziest book ever” you blindly order it and jump right in when it arrives.
I could not put it down. I was so intrigued and scratching my head over what could be happening. As the mystery deepened, I became just as confused, frustrated and anxious as the main character.
Wayward | Blake Crouch
(2 of 3) I absolutely had to find out what is on the other side.
What happens next in the saga of suspense, science fiction, and horror took me deeper into the irresistible mysteries and horrors of a perfect little mountain town in which I could envision living. It also made me think about what it means to live with secrets and what price we’ll pay for the truth.
The Last Town | Blake Crouch
(3 of 3) Of course I could not stop without finding out how it ends.
Sure, the trilogy could probably have been condensed into a single book, but that would not have been nearly as much fun.
Going Infinite | Michael Lewis
I was hesitant to pick up another one of his books so soon after the disappointment of The Premonition.
This story is insanely fascinating. The most surprising part of this book wasn't the billions of dollars, the crypto mania, or my deepening distrust of any institution. It was how so many “smart people” looked at the same warning signs and convinced themselves they weren't seeing them.
Sins of the Assassin | Robert Ferrigno
(2 of 3) The second book in the alternative-history Assassin trilogy.
The idea of America divided by politics, religion, and power no longer feels far-fetched. This book is an entertaining thriller on the surface, but became more of a horror story as I thought about how easily freedom can disappear one compromise at a time.
Be careful, kids.
The Premonition | Michael Lewis
I have been a fan of Michael Lewis since Liars Poker. Such a disappointment from a favorite author.
There is some interesting background around the outbreak of COVID-19, but don’t try to make any of these people into heroes. I’m not buying it.
Prayers for the Assassin | Robert Ferrigno
(1 of 3) Book one of the futuristic Assassin trilogy.
It’s 2040, and America is governed by an Islamic state. What starts as a thriller quickly becomes an uncomfortable exercise in asking, "What if?"
Book two — ordered.
Nocturnal Admissions |
Steve Adelman
I could tell you I participated in the heyday of New York City club life in the 1980s and 1990s, but there's no way you'd believe I was ever that hip.
However, that didn’t stop me from living vicariously through Steve Adelman in this memoir.
Ethan Frome | Edith Wharton
I just felt like re-reading a classic. After all, who doesn't enjoy a story built around sexual tension, forbidden feelings, poor decisions, and despair?
Come to think of it, Ethan Frome is a lot like the lyrics of Don’t Stand So Close To Me by The Police — only set in 1880s New England.
Civil Evil | Jennette Gudgel
I picked this book up from the library my mother helps maintain at her senior living community after noticing it was set in my hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota. I enjoyed the references to familiar places and a few characters who seemed loosely inspired by local public figures.
Other than that ... meh.
Pitt Street Bankers | Tom Mortimer
Based on the real-life foreign currency loan schemes that swept through Australia in the 1980s and the devastating impact they had on families, farmers, and small business owners. At its core, it's a David versus Goliath story.
Have I mentioned my distaste for bankers and currency traders?
The Driftless Area | Tom Drury
I picked this book up in Seattle while visiting my daughter Carly, who likes to say, "If you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, why do publishers spend so much time designing them?" I didn't buy this one for the cover, but for the title. I love the Driftless Area and contest that it is one of the most underrated scenic area in the US.
The plot — some crazy messed up people doing some seriously messed up stuff.
Our Darkest Night | Jennifer Robson
Surprise — more historical fiction. Also a love story which is bit of a departure for me.
A story of Italy during World War II and what unselfish and heroic things people are capable of doing in service of others.
Hermano Santiago |
Theodore Drahamann
A quick biography of a De La Salle Christian Brother murdered in Nicaragua in 1982. He was beatified by Pope Francis in 2026.
This Tender Land | William Kent Krueger
Four orphans fleeing an Indian training school during the Great Depression and making their way down the Mississippi River. This book checked a lot of boxes for me: historical fiction, coming-of-age, crime, mystery, travel, and memorable characters.
William Kent Krueger has never let me down.
Stay True | Hua Hsu
Pulitzer Prize winner? I expected a whole lot more.
Pass.
Poisonwood Bible | Barbara Kingsolver
After Demon Copperhead I had to read another Barbara Kingsolver novel.
A Baptist missionary from Georgia brings his wife and four daughters to the Belgian Congo in 1959 — What could possibly go wrong? Amid a series of increasingly difficult situations, each family member seems to find their own version of salvation.
I was so into the book that I wasn't bothered by rain during a Mexican vacation. It gave me an excuse to read more.
What I Read
Now that you are into my reading list, a few things about what I read.
I gravitate toward fiction, historical fiction, biographies, journeys, western US imagery, rural life, and selective sci-fi.
I avoid business or self-help books. Too often I find myself thinking, “well no shit, how about providing a unique thought.” Instead give me a history or biography from which I can form my own thoughts, my own opinions versus having some “expert” repeatedly pontificate on theirs.
I’m unapologetically old school, I never use an e-reader. I appreciate the tactile experience of a physical book and the satisfaction of watching a bookmark make its way from front to back — gauging progress along the way. Since they are easier to travel with, I prefer paperback editions. And as my eyes get older I certainly appreciate larger font.
Links to books on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. If you purchase via the links, I may earn a small commission while supporting independent bookstores.
Ordinary Grace |
William Kent Krueger
You already know I enjoy William Kent Krueger’s books. This is no exception.
Freezing Order | Bill Browder
I was enthralled with Red Notice, so reading the follow-up was an easy decision. It's an amazing story of Russian duplicity, corruption, and the brutal nature of Vladimir Putin.
However, Bill Browder needs to stop being so self-important. Yeah, you’re great. I get it.
The River We Remember |
William Kent Krueger
I really enjoy William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor mystery series. I have read at least a half dozen of them. But what I enjoy even more, however, are his stand alone books.
This one has all the ingredients: mid-century America, mystery, small-town life, and characters dealing with demons from their past.
All the Broken Places | John Boyne
This was an interesting twist on “you never know what someone is dealing with.” In this case, a German girl who escaped Nazi Germany and her questionable parents at age twelve.
It reminded me that everyone has a story. Some are just darker than others.
All the Pretty Horses |
Cormac McCarthy
The Son whet my appetite for stories filled with wild Texas imagery. The best way to keep it going was with some Cormac McCarthy.
It was everything I expected from Cormac McCarthy.
The Son | Philipp Meyer
I abandoned this book after starting it a few years earlier.
Filled with American Western imagery, this multi-generational story of ruthlessness, cruelty, power, and wealth had me enthralled the second time around. I couldn’t put it down.
Prague Spring | Simon Mower
Sex, politics, espionage, and betrayal, all set in the year I was born: 1968.
I was already working on plans to live in Europe before crossing paths with this book. It gave urgency to those plans.
Demon Copperhead | Barbara Kingsolver
I remember struggling through Charles Dickens' David Copperfield in high school. Even so, when I heard about this modern Appalachian version, I had to give it a shot.
It humanizes the opioid crisis and life in places that are equal parts beautiful and messed up.
I ended purchasing this for several people.
Last Bus to Wisdom| Ivan Doig
I’m a sucker for a story about the open road, coming-of-age and misadventures that inevitably follow.
What would you expect from an 11 year old boy riding the Greyhound from Montana to Wisconsin during the summer of 1951?
Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the ‘60s | Tom O’Neil
It is a dense read that took another step toward deepening my mistrust of government.
I just noticed that it is now a Netflix documentary. Added to the watchlist — I'm not done going down this rabbit hole.
Spoiler — the book was much better than the Netflix show.
Village in the Third Reich| Julia Boyd
An evocative story of ordinary people living in a picturesque Bavarian village under Nazi rule during World War II.
It's easy to judge people living through history. Much harder to know what I would have done in their place.
Have A Little Faith | Michael Elliott
A biography of my all-time favorite musician was an easy sell. What surprised me was how personal it felt. Through a series of conversations with the author, John Hiatt comes across as thoughtful, self-aware, and remarkably honest.
When Hiatt announced an acoustic show in Iowa City for October 2024, of course I had to drive down to take Isaac to his first John Hiatt show. It’s a father’s obligation.