A Decent Year of Reading

But 2025 Should Be Better!

Time for my annual review of the year in reading. I had a better year than last, but I’d like to bump it up a little more in the one to come. My goal is a book every two weeks. Reading speed is not the limiting factor, but reading time is. There are a bunch of other things on my to-do list that I don’t want to give up. So, everybody has to give a little and share.

This year’s total was 13 books, which is still well below the goal. The good news out of this is that I’m getting into the rhythm of reading again. The pandemic still has lingering effects on me. But the routine of reading is returning. With that said, it means most of this year’s books will make the list. Given that this year has been a good year for books, that’s not terrible. At the same time, I only rated one book a five. That’s probably about right as well. The four that didn’t make the list were very good, including Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, Margalit Fox’s story about Arthur Conan Doyle’s effort to save a convicted man’s life using Holmes’s techniques, and a wonderful book by English mystery icon Anne Cleeves. I was less satisfied with a book about part of the sordid life of the Marquis de Sade.

So, here we go:

I feel bad about putting this author only at NUMBER NINE, but I really liked all the books this year. Thus, John Scalzi’s “Redshirts” takes the last slot on the list. This is a brilliant send-up of the “Star Trek” universe done with his pitch perfect sense of humor.

NUMBER EIGHT is another writer I’ve only discovered in the last handful of years. Blake Crouch writes amazing, chilling science fiction, and he did it again with “Upgrade”. Your mother is supposed to make you a better person, but at what cost?

Stuart Turton is back with another winner at NUMBER SEVEN, “The Last Murder at the End of the World.” The end of humanity may not be what it appears. I’ve enjoyed all of Turton’s books.

Some non-fiction jumps in at NUMBER SIX with Empire of Sin by Gary Krist. Another foray into the history of New Orleans, one of my all-time favorite cities. The Crescent City’s racy past not only was the launching pad for jazz, but continues to affect the culture of that great city.

Hank Green tells the story at NUMBER FIVE well enough that I started on book two and still understood the story of “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” completely. I didn’t MEAN to start on the second installment, but I was 100+ pages into it before the light went on. The aliens have invaded, and that’s a good thing?

At NUMBER FOUR is the newest book on the list, I believe. “The Midnight Club” tells us that even when given the chance, going back in history may tell us things we had deeply buried. Margot Harrison carries off the feat with a clever (and necessary) non-linear story line.

NUMBER THREE is another non-fiction book by another author I’ve somehow missed over the years. Bill Bryson does a brilliant job of making history personal and interesting when he takes on “One Summer – 1927”. The number of cultural and historical touchstones that happen in those couple of months is amazing. As is Bryson’s writing.

NUMBER TWO is an amazing book with a very personal connection. “Irreverent Prayers” was co-authored by Elizabeth Felicetti and ____________ Vincent-Alexander. Both the authors have struggled with serious illnesses that challenged their faith. The result is a funny, heartbreaking book of prayers for times of struggle. Elizabeth was the priest at my church, and she passed away earlier this year.

At NUMBER One is the only five-star book of the year, Rex Stout’s debut of the great detective Nero Wolf in “Fer de Lance”. Wolf is a personal favorite, and I have read all the original stories. Stout introduces most of the iconic characters in this first novel. Wolf is too often overlooked when the great literary detectives are discussed.

You can find the full reviews for all these books on the main blog.

I really need to get that number up in 2025. Any recommendations?

Have a great year of reading!