Books I Read in 2024

Jump to end of list, to most recently read books.

January 2024
The Best Short Stories - The O'Henry Prize Winners eds. Lauren Groff and Jenny Milton Quigley

Collection of stories: some good, a few even better.

In the Kingdom of Ice - The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette Hampton Sides

A masterpiece. History writing at its finest.

Too Good to be Forgotten - Changing America in the 60's and 70's David Obst

Dig some real cool baby boomer nostalgia, up close and personal - a real page turner from a very involved insider.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies Deesha Philyaw

Very fine, sensitive, delicious stories. 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award winner.

The Five Wounds Kirstin Valdez Quade

Authentic characters deal with family dysfunction. Well done.

February 2024
Two Nurses, Smoking David Means

Collection of great stories by a master.

This Other Eden Paul Harding

Beautiful, heartbreaking piece, based on the tragic Malaga Island story. Shortlisted for the 2023 Man Booker.

Troubles J.G. Farrell

Brilliant. The Irish 'Troubles' of circa 1920 as lived by WWI Major Archer and associates at the dying Majestic Hotel. At once hilarious and heartbreaking. Winner of he Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the Lost Man Booker Prize.

Sea Monsters Chloe Aridjis

Misadventures of seventeen year old rather impulsive young lady runaway.

March 2024
The Emotional Lives of Teenagers - Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents
Lisa Damour, Ph.D.

Valuable guide for parents and teens. Lots of practical suggestions.

Splinters - Another Kind of Love Story Leslie Jamison

Memoir. Newly divorced, new Mom. True and deep. Good stuff.

Prophet Song Paul Lynch

Profoundly moving. Gripping page turner. Essential read for our time. Booker Prize winner, 2023.

Cancel Culture Dictionary - An A to Z Guide to Winning the War on Fun Jimmy Failla

Fine, entertaining review and analysis of selected cancel culture attacks. Recommended reading.

Who Owns This Sentence - A History of Copyrights and Wrongs David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu

Review of the colorful history of copyright, now a multi-billion dollar enterprise. "Copyright is an edifice of words resting on a complicated string of metaphors and double meanings." We can to do better.

April 2024
The Recovering - Intoxication and Its Aftermath Leslie Jamison

Excellent. Best of breed. Memoir and literature review with insightful analysis of the complex relationships among addiction, sobriety and creativity. Highy recommended.

May 2024
The Sentinal State - Surveillance and the Survival of Dictatorship in China Minxin Pei

Good detailed explanation of how China has developed the best surveillance state of any other dictatorship in history. Its future is uncertain.

Rights From Wrongs, A Secular Theory of the Origin of Rights Alan Dershowitz

Brilliant analysis by the renowned professor.

The Anxious Generation - How the Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Jonathan Haidt

Important read for all or us. Starting by 2010, healthy play-based childhood was largely replaced with phone-based childhood leading to big increases in anxxiety and depression. Some ways to help: no smart phones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools, more unsupervised childhood play. See: AnxiousGeneration.com.

June 2024
Lucky Jane Smiley

Tainted by political bias.

July 2024
The End of Everything - How Wars Descend Into Annihilation Victor Davis Hanson

Excellent historical analysis of the ends of Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople and the Aztec Empire (Tenochtitlan); and a warning for our world today. Scary stuff.

Hey, Zoey Sarah Crossan

Entertaining page-turner.

What This Comedian Said Will Shock You Bill Maher

Entertaining read from a master of the sarcastic put-down. No one is left unpunished. Avoid if too snow-flaky.

Sidetracks Bei Dao, translated (Chinese) by Jeffrey Yang

Thoroughly elegant work by the brilliant, award-winning Chinese dissident.

"I am you       a stranger on the sidetracks
waiting for the season to harvest blades of light
sending letters       though tomorrow has no address"

August 2024
The Wrong Man - The Final Verdict on the Dr. Sam Sheppard Murder Case James Neff

Excellent. Thoroughly researched and annotated. Cogent demonstration that Sam Sheppard is innocent.

Wild Swans - Three Daughters of China Jung Chang

Outstanding! Excellent up close and personal primary source honestly and openly showing us what life was really like in China, especially during the 1950's through the 1970's.

September 2024
Truths - The Future of America First Vivek Ramaswamy

A must-read for all Americans.

October 2024
The Book of Eels - Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World Patrik Svensson

Enchanting read! Science, history, philosophy, memoir, and more.

November 2024
Seven Pillars of Wisdom T.E. Lawrence

Incredible pimary source, detailing much of the 1917-18 arab involvement in World War I. Memoir, analysis, and introspection by the extraordinary, inimitable "Lawrence of Arabia."

Kairos Jenny Erpenbeck, translated (Germam) by Michael Hofmann

Problematic, passionate affair during time of problematic, passionate poltics in Germany. International Booker prize 2024 winner.