Category: Next Read
Project Hail Mary
Because I needed something a bit lighter, feelgood, and well written, Gemini tells me this fits the bill, and I sure enjoyed The Martian. By Andy Weir Genre: Hard Science Fiction / First Contact / Adventure Audio Length: 16 hours, 10 minutes Narrated by: Ray Porter (This is a Hall-of-Fame level performance) đź“– No-Spoiler Synopsis…
All the Pretty Horses
By Cormac McCarthy Genre: Epic Western / Coming-of-Age / Literary Fiction Audio Length: 9 hours, 5 minutes Narrated by: Frank Muller đź“– No-Spoiler Synopsis The year is 1949. John Grady Cole, a sixteen-year-old Texan and the last in a long line of ranchers, finds himself at a crossroads when his family’s ranch is sold after…
Tomorrow is Yesterday by Hussein Agha and Robert Malleyis
It is a relatively recent and vital piece of geopolitical analysis that examines the shifting landscape of the Middle East and global diplomacy. Â You should read Tomorrow is Yesterday if you want to understand the underlying logic of modern conflict. Hussein Agha and Robert Malley are seasoned negotiators and scholars who look past the…
Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
This book was recommended by Texas Representative James Talarico. I am not a religious person, but I enjoy learning about others’ way of life, and I would like to think I can appreciate and learn from anyone and everyone, so I am going to give this a read. Talarico, being a good Texas boy, also…
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre was Jonathan Blitzer’s third recommendation. Below is what my research turned up and why it is now in line to read. This is arguably one of the greatest true-life spy stories ever told. It reads so much like a high-stakes thriller that it’s easy to forget it…
What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forché
 What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn ForchĂ© was Jonathan Blitzer’s second recommendation. Below is what my research turned up and why it is now in line to read. This memoir is a powerful, high-stakes journey that sits at the intersection of poetry, politics, and survival. It is a perfect choice for your…
The Known World, by Edward P. Jones
I first heard of The Known World in an Ezra Klein interview with Jonathan Blitzer, a staff writer at The New Yorker. The show always ends with the guest being asked for three book recommendations with an explanation of why. I will often research the recommendation if their reason to read perks my interest, and…
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
Author: 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 English and Their History by Robert Tombs
 I am a bit over halfway into the 29 hour read/audio of Jill Lepore’s These Truths, and this evening while listening to , Conversations with Tyler, he mentioned The English and Their History by Robert Tombs as being his top nonfiction read and considers it top of the decade, a must read. Having lived…
Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 by Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright doesn’t just write as a former Secretary of State analyzing the geopolitical shifts of WWII; she writes as a daughter discovering her own family’s hidden secrets. It is a profound exploration of moral choices—how ordinary people and world leaders alike decided what was right in a world gone mad. If you want to…
