MY Next Reads
Back to MY BOOKSHELVESMY BOOKSHELVES
These are the books currently stacking up to be read. Books I have interest in for any number of reasons. I once tried to put them in order but that didn’t work, new ones come along, or my interest change, certainly my priorities.
A Brief History of Seven Killings
By Marlon James Genre: Historical Fiction / Crime Epic / Political Noir Category: The Ledger of Human Nature & The Visual Palette 📖 The Blueprint (No-Spoiler Synopsis) On December 3, 1976, just two days before a major peace concert organized to ease escalating gang and political warfare in Kingston, Jamaica, seven gunmen stormed the compound…
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A Walk in the Woods
By Bill Bryson July 15, 2026 Genre: Travelogue / Humorous Non-Fiction / Nature Category: Feel-Good / The Mental Reset & The Visual Palette 📖 The Blueprint (No-Spoiler Synopsis) Bill Bryson, having spent two decades living in England, decides to return to his native United States to reconnect with the country. His chosen method is the…
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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 📖 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…
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Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts
By Margaret Atwood Genre: Literary Memoir / Essay Collection / Cultural History Audio Availability: Narrated by Margaret Atwood and ensemble (dry, ironic, observational) Categories: The Burden of Observation & The Ledger of Human Nature 📖 The Blueprint (No-Spoiler Synopsis) Spanning eight decades of living through cultural, political, and ecological upheavals, Book of Lives gathers Margaret…
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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…
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Know My Name – A Memoir by Chanel Miller
Know My Name is perhaps one of the most significant memoirs of the 21st century. It is a book that demands to be heard, offering a masterclass in reclaiming a narrative that the world tried to simplify. Â Know My Name for its extraordinary writing and transformative power. While the subject matter is heavy, Chanel…
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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…
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak I read The Book Thief some ten or fifteen years ago. I remember it was a very good book but can not remember enough to recommend it, so I am going to put it on the list of books to read, again. It is a widely read book, any thoughts about it? The…
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The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia
By Ursula K. Le Guin Genre: Philosophical Science Fiction / Political Speculative Fiction Audio Availability: Excellent narration by Don Leslie (deliberate, resonant, clear) Categories: The Mechanics of Morality & The Inventions & Problem Solvers 📖 The Blueprint (No-Spoiler Synopsis) Two worlds orbit each other in a fragile cold war. Urras is a planet of lush…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The Player of Games
By Iain M. Banks Genre: Space Opera / Strategic Science Fiction / Sociological Thriller Audio Availability: Outstanding narration by Peter Kenny (widely regarded as a masterclass in vocal pacing and dry wit) Categories: High-Velocity Tradecraft & The Ledger of Human Nature 📖 The Blueprint (No-Spoiler Synopsis) Jernau Morat Gurgeh is a master game player living…
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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…
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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…
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What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forché
 What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forché 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…
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