BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
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Villa Coco
Read more: Villa CocoBy Andrew Sean Greer Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini July 1, 2026 Genre: Humorous Literary Fiction, Farce, Modern Bildungsroman Audio Length: 8 hours, 42 minutes đź“– The Blueprint (No-Spoiler Synopsis) Fresh out of an uninspired undergraduate career and utterly broke, an unnamed young archivist takes a seemingly quiet job in the Italian countryside. His directive appears…
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels
Read more: The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better AngelsA few weeks ago, I finished listening to Jon Meacham’s The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels. To be candid, during the opening chapters, I wasn’t entirely certain if this title would earn a permanent spot on my recommended list. However, as the narrative progressed, the depth of the historical data took…
Interview with the Vampire
Read more: Interview with the VampireI have just finished, Interview With the Vampire, By Anne Rice. Like the last two books I read, I walked away, then returned; this has become a norm for me. I had book discussions with a couple of my AI consultants and came up with the following book recommendation, Review, and study of Anne Rice,…
Project Hail Mary
Read more: Project Hail MaryProject Hail Mary By Andy Weir Genre: Hard Science Fiction / Adventure Audio Length: 16 hours, 10 minutes Narrated by: Ray Porter đź“– No-Spoiler Synopsis Ryland Grace wakes up aboard an interstellar spacecraft with acute amnesia. As his memories slowly return through a series of technical flashbacks, he pieces together a grim reality: he is…
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Read more: And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American StruggleBy Jon Meacham Genre: Biography / Narrative History Narrated by: Jon Meacham, Audio Length: 21 hours, 10 minutes đź“– No-Spoiler Synopsis Jon Meacham’s biography is a “moral map” of the sixteenth president. It moves past the simple myths of the log cabin to explore how a self-taught, often melancholy man from the frontier became the…
So, Anyway
Read more: So, AnywayI recommend this book for the classic “tongue in cheek” British humor of it’s author, John Cleese (Cheese). It calls to fans of the wacky, outlandish entertainment of the Monty Python era – especially if you’d like relief from the news, heavier reading or just a chance to laugh out loud, who cares who’s looking!…
Connie: A Memoir by Connie Chung
Read more: Connie: A Memoir by Connie ChungNarrated by: Connie Chung Genre: Memoir / Autobiography / Journalism History Posted April 23, 2026 A Note on the Journey: This wasn’t an easy listen for me. About two-thirds of the way through, I hit a wall with the tone of the narrative. I had to stop and process whether the “pity party” I was…
A Gentleman in Moscow By Amor Towles
Read more: A Gentleman in Moscow By Amor TowlesA book that has been on my shelf for years that was recommended below by AI Gemini who does most of my book and literary research. No-Spoiler Synopsis In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov—an unrepentant aristocrat—is hauled before a Bolshevik tribunal. While many of his peers are executed, the Count is sentenced to house arrest for…
Lonesome Dove By Larry McMurtry
Read more: Lonesome Dove By Larry McMurtryRead this for the character dynamics. McMurtry deconstructs the “myth” of the cowboy and replaces it with something much more human, funny, and heartbreaking. Gus and Call represent the two sides of the American spirit: one lives for the joy of the moment, and the other lives for the satisfaction of the task. For someone…
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Read more: East of Eden by John SteinbeckEast of Eden is a sprawling family saga that follows the intertwined destinies of two families: the Hamiltons (based on Steinbeck’s own maternal ancestors) and the Trasks. At its core, the novel is a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis, specifically the story of Cain and Abel. It tracks two generations of brothers as…
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Read more: The Correspondent by Virginia EvansYou should read this because it is a masterclass in character study. If you enjoy books that feel “human” and technically precise in their emotional delivery, this is it. It captures the “hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age” without being sentimental. For a photographer, the book’s “epistolary” format (told entirely through letters…
These Truths: A History of the United States by
Read more: These Truths: A History of the United States byJill Lepore I finished this one on audio — 39 hours of it — and I’m still thinking about it weeks later. Jill Lepore is a Harvard historian and a staff writer for The New Yorker, and she set out to do something that sounds impossible: write a single-volume history of the United States, from…
Theo of Gloden by Allen Levi
Read more: Theo of Gloden by Allen LeviThis is another of those books that snuck up on me, not sure where I learned of it but it was available in our library and what a great find. It came out of nowhere and I didn’t even get it into my list of currently reading and it ended way too soon, and now…
Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben
Read more: Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan CobenI do not remember where I heard of GONE BEFORE GOODBYE, it is not a genre I often read Psychological Thriller / Suspense / Mystery but it was available at my library for an audible download and I finished it in two days ignoring my other reads in process: I enjoyed it:; the caste was…
Fahrenheit 451
Read more: Fahrenheit 451My son recommended this book to me. It invoked many emotions as I read it. I found it appalling that censorship and the banning of literature and knowledge has happened time and again, throughout history. Even though this novel was written in the 1950’s, it is crazy how much of this is relevant to the…
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
Read more: The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie PostAuthor: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Your Name: Margot Brief Synopsis: Fascinating woman who had to defy her gender in business. She was the richest woman on the planet.. lived through many wars and despite her wealth worked tirelessly to help those in need. She built hospitals and food kitchens during the depression and 2…
The Lincoln Highway
Read more: The Lincoln HighwayThe characters are intriguing and the story is fascinating. Excellent writing! Author: Amor Towles Genre: Historical Fiction Your Name: Patty V. Brief Synopsis: A road trip from Nebraska to NYC along the Lincoln Highway. I was hooked from the start. Amor Towles is a master at writing and his characters are so interesting.
Mississippi Mud by Edward Humes
Read more: Mississippi Mud by Edward HumesYou should read Mississippi Mud for its relentless pursuit of justice. It isn’t just a “whodunnit”; it’s a “how-did-they-get-away-with-it.” If you are fascinated by the intersection of politics, organized crime, and the legal system—specifically how a grieving daughter took on the corruption of an entire city to solve her parents’ murders—this book is gripping. It…
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read more: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins ReidI started this book because of the praise I read and heard, and largely because it was narrated by Julia Whelan, who I enjoy. I did not understand it was a love story, not a genre I normally read. Wow, sitting in my office listening to the final chapters, I was in tears. Take a…
A Discovery of Witches – Series
Read more: A Discovery of Witches – SeriesOne of my all-time favorite series.Unlike many supernatural stories, the magic here is deeply rooted in history, alchemy, and genetics. Deborah Harkness is a real-life history professor, and she brings a staggering level of detail to the world—from the specific smell of 15th-century parchment to the molecular science of vampire DNA. If you enjoy “learning…
