The Children Return by Martin Walker

 (read aloud)

    Bruno depends on his military training and also solves a mystery about the history of Saint Denis. Jewish children and a child-like Muslim figure in the engaging plot.

The Sailing of the Intrepid by Montel Williams

     About a damaged rudder from a torpedo and heroic efforts to steer a giant ship. The Intrepid was a fixture of the US Navy from Tripoli to Apollo splashdowns. Heavy combat exposure and repairs and back to war.

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Coterill

 (read aloud)

    The first of a series of mysteries set in Laos. Delightful characters and interesting political asides. Much culture and language interaction, which seem reliable and sensible. A fragrance of kindness wafts throughout, mainly through the doctor, who is a 72-year-old widower, retired surgeon.

1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin

     A detailed book about the Depression. It is interesting and I think demythologizes some of the accepted narrative. It seems Hoover did not cause the Depression and FDR didn't save the economy. FDR did change American economics and politics forever. Hoover changed the nomenclature from "panic" to "depression," possibly his biggest mistake because it implied a longer duration and more need for intervention.

Makers of the Microchip by Christophe Lécuyer and David C. Brock

     This book is basically a gloss of included pages of the engineering notebooks of the founders of Fairchild. These men invented the microchip and went on to found the rest of Silicon Valley, including Intel. I would have gotten more out of it if I had read the appendix first, which is a carefully written and thus valuable refresher on semiconductor structure.

Douglas Fir: The Story of the West's Most Remarkable Tree by Stephen F. Arno and Carl E. Fiedler

     A small but very interesting book about the Doug fir. Full of interesting facts and history. Also much about forest fires and forest and fire management which is very complex.

 

Matters of Doubt by Warren C. Easley

(read aloud)

     First of Cal Claxton mysteries, a lawyer who gets drawn into a missing person/murder cold case in Portland. Very full of PDX arcana and memes and clichés. Plot too complicated, characters formulaic. Enjoyable but very Portlandia.

Mapmatics by Paulina Rowinska

     A book about maps of all sorts and the math behind them. About projections such as Mercator (a calligrapher, btw). Surveying, topology, politics, voting, epidemiology, neuroanatomy, core of the Earth, every kind of map. Features the London tube as well. Interesting read with excellent explanations.

Perfect Tuba by Sam Quinones

     Lots of interesting tuba facts and personalities but way too much about south Texas high school bands.

When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning

(read aloud)

    The story of ASE (Armed Services Editions), small books sent by the millions to servicemen in WWII. Twists and turns and controversies but overall extremely appreciated. A very successful and valuable program. A very detailed account.

The Laws of Our Fathers by Scott Turow

    A long book about a crime, a group of people who grew up together in turbulent times in the 60's and 70's. Now older and changed. There is a courtroom drama and much soul-searching and secrets and lies and old loves rekindled. Book is well-written but a bit long. 

An Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

(listened on road trip to Arizona March 2026)

    Good book, interesting, too many characters to keep up with while driving. Narrator excellent, but I missed things due to road noise.

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

        Very interesting book. Enjoyed the translation a lot. Introduction was extremely helpful. The action of the gods explains all. All the elements of drama and story are here. All the emotions, all the hopes and dreams. Humanity on display.

Around the World Submerged by Edward L. Beach

     Magellan's voyage redone under water. A great submarine book. Surprisingly exciting for a peacetime account. Excellent author.

Double Tap by Steve Martini

     Good courtroom murder ,mystery with a dwarf for opposing counsel. Intrigue and a twist in the end followed by second twist, both plausible. Enjoyable, quite good writing but easy reading.

The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel

    This is a special book about an amazing person. It is a touching love story as well. The author deftly weaves in the science, even evoking a sense of excitement and suspense. It is also a book about a serious feminism that the author presents in a serious manner with great integrity and moral weight. A very good book.

 

All in Your Head by Suzanne O'Sullivan, M.D.

    Earlier than Age of Diagnosis, this is a series of cases of psychogenic illness. Well-written and engaging. She is writing about a phenomenon that unquestionably exists. How best to approach it and how to deal with patients is difficult. The author is certainly compassionate and not overly judgmental. 

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

    An AI companion causes a boy to kill his girlfriend. A lawsuit and trial with twists and turns. Entertaining and concerning. Lincoln lawyer switches to civil law. 

Shot Ready by Stephen Curry

     A brief career review of the making of the greatest NBA shooter, with advice for everyone. Practice, perseverance, integrity, and faith. Interesting events and specific games and even shots that were influential. Many great photos.

After That, the Dark by Andrew Klavan

        Gritty and dark, a little too similar to previous episodes. Cameron Winter is an interesting character. The psychological is well-handled and Christian themes are honest and fresh, almost shocking. 

The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen

     From ancient times through Leonardo da Vinci, various kinds of "notebook" have been used. Finance was the beginning when paper was developed and many famous and not famous people have used notebooks. A niche subject well-presented.  (read aloud)

Marxism by Thomas Sowell

    Excellent summary, superb starting point for someone interested in exploring the subject. Lucidly written, extensively documented. 

The Age of Diagnosis by Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan

     An important, courageous approach to a real problem and why a solution is not readily apparent. Patients and doctors want a diagnosis but "be careful what you wish for!" Written by a compassionate, very experienced clinician.

The Genius of Israel by Dan Senor and Saul Singer

     A very interesting book about present Israel and why it is thriving against all odds. Completely lauditory but seems factual and aware of danger, in fact, awareness of danger may be a theme. Many surprising facts.

Waiting on the Word by Malcolm Guite

(read aloud)

    Advent poetry read for the third year in a row so you can see how much we like it. 

Apollo Remastered by Andy Saunders

     Beautiful photography from all the Apollo missions. Breathtaking historic photos taken with the best equipment of the day. Large Format, amazing remastering. A Hasselblad advertisement!

The Philosopher in the Valley by Michael Steinberger

    About Alex Carp and Palantir. Well-written and interesting. Fair treatment of most things but extreme derangement syndrome about Trump and Musk by the author.

Class Clown by Dave Barry

     Story of his life, very funny, his book too. Most funny is people who wrote him contesting his outlandish statements, thinking he was serious!

Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald

    Travis McGee in New York, seemingly on the trail of an embezzler, suddenly is disoriented and incapacitated. 

The Saints' Everlasting Rest by Richard Baxter

    Reading Baxter one realizes the depth of his spiritual understanding and devotion and can't help feeling small, frail, and weak. But his compassion and pastoral heart shines through as he exhorts and pleads. This book is about the contemplation of heaven daily and about the flimsy excuses and unbelief that are barriers to this practice. Much to learn, model, and do. 

Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane

(read aloud)

    A really enjoyable story about friends. So well-written I always thought she was telling her own story, forgetting it was fiction. So wise and full of interesting information about plants and words. Many quotations and advice about friends, made vivid by the characters' attempts and foibles. Everyone in this book in my opinion is a hero, doing their best. A comfort book like comfort food. 

Rocket Dreams by Christian Davenport

    About Bezos and Musk and their rival companies. Good reporting, story in progress. SpaceX way ahead. 

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

    A Thursday Murder Club mystery, fun and engaging, mostly because of the characters. Plot is fairly good and a surprise. Stolen diamonds, who has them? 

The Deep Blue Goodbye by John D. MacDonald

    A private eye helps a pretty girl. What could go wrong? Gritty and explicit. The writing is very good, perhaps even better than Chandler, who this is very much like. 

The Widow by John Grisham

  (read aloud)

    Very good mystery of greedy small-town lawyer wrongly convicted of murder. His life in shambles, he rushes to find the real killer.

The Rigor of Angels by William Egginton

    Borges Heisenberg, Kant and the interface of quantum mechanics and philosophy, space, time, and reality. Deep and interesting, written with insight, pace, and patience. Worth the effort. 

A Darkness More Than Night by Michael Connelly

     A Bosch police murder story. Quite good with suspicions about Bosch and some interesting asides about the eponymous painter.

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams

    Lots of good advice presented in a fun way. Young people should read this. 

The Waters of Eternal Youth by Donna Leon

 (read aloud)

    Brunetti is getting older. Scarpa more brazen. A beautiful woman who has been brain damaged for 15 years after a near-drowning perhaps gets justice.

The Ophelia Cut by John Lescroart

     A police story and courtroom drama. Fairly conventional, a twist at the end. Several plot threads, some of which go nowhere.

Endless Frontier by G. Pascal Zachary

     About Vannevar Bush, an engineer and scientist who became the czar of American science before, during, and after WWII. His influence was very great. He was perhaps partly responsible for the Allies winning the war. He supervised the development of radar, the proximity fuse, and the A-bomb and H-bomb. He developed analog computing and sketched out future computing, data searching and even opined about AI.

Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

(read on Alaska cruise September 2025)

     Fun read of Thursday Murder club, about art theft. Good characters and clever plot.

Spaced Out by Mike Prada

    How basketball has changed from low post boredom to the use of the entire floor and more and more long-range shooting and defense changes. The three point shot and change in rules about zone defense slowly changed the game. The minutiae and depth of knowledge of observers like Prada is astonishing. The sport is analyzed to the individual dribble and the hand placement on the ball. And yes the best players get away with however many steps they want!

Virusphere by Frank Ryan

     Everything about viruses, all shapes and sizes and risks and benefits, ?what infects viruses, seems there is no limit to the complexity of creation. What is life? It certainly is blurry at the margins and no less a mystery.

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz

(read aloud)

     A very clever multi-level mystery with anagrams and allegories and interesting characters and manuscripts within manuscripts. Horowitz is prolific and has a definite style but he can walk the tightrope of cliché and not fall off.

Proof: The Art and Science of Creativity by Adam Kucharski

    A discussion of proof and p-values and confidence intervals and failures of good science. The author ably describes mathematical misuse and false conclusions but is curiously uncritical of his own unerring pronouncement during covid where he drew correct inferences, he says.