Tag Archives: book log

Book Log Roundup – July 2025

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Bunch of books I’ve read and haven’t documented…

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (EW March 2025 Book Club)

A dystopian future? past? alternate history? where a society sends girls out into the woods at 16 for a year to burn out their “magic powers”. I thought this was a somewhat ridiculous premise until I recently read a book (Proto) that mentioned a past society that did this with their boys for more like 4 years. Truth/Fiction… stranger.

Boo by Neil Smith [Audiobook, paper] – Grove strongly recommended

Excellent novel about an afterlife for teens that my youngest son hounded me to read for a year. I’m awfully glad he did– funny, interesting and thoughtful with a whodunnit built in– I really enjoyed this.

Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin – book of the month selection from Nowhere Book Shop.

Spoiler alert, the main character is not a little alien, but rather just someone who feels out of place in the world. So if you ever have, this is a delightful, heartwarming and amusing read.

Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope [EW book club, bookshop.org, abandoned]

Didn’t grab me. Fantasy. My coworker is really enthusiastic about the series, though. May need to give it a second chance.

Actively Reading:

  • The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle [Audible]
  • Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will by Robert M. Sapolsky [bookshop.org]
  • Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni [bookshop.org]
  • The Accidental Alchemist: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery by Gigi Pandian [eBook]
  • All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
  • Even Greater Mistakes by Charlie Jane Anders

Stalled Out But Still Might Finish

  • Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric that Matters by Jeremy Utley, Perry Klebahn [audiobook] rec by coworker
  • Executive Presence by Syvlia Ann Hewlett
  • The Five Disfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
  • Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Emily Gregory [eBook, Audio book]
  • The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud [ebook, audiobook]
  • Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear [ebook]
  • God: An Anatomy by Francesca Stavrakopaulou [ebook] – rec by Data vs. Dogma podcast
  • Marriage in the Bible: What Do the Texts Say? by Jennifer Bird – was a guest on Data Vs. Dogma podcast
  • How to Avoid Climate Disaster by Bill Gates
  • Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules by Steve McConnell
  • Buckaroo Banzai: Against the World Crime League et al., by E.M. Rauch

On Deck

  • Dinosaur Brains by Albert J. Bernstein & Sydney Craft Rozen [bookshop.org]
  • Now is Not The Time to Panic [eBook]
  • Congratulations, the Best is Over!: Essays [Paper, Audiobook] – Stacey recommended
  • Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver [audiobook]
  • The New Testament by Bart D. Ehrman (ebook)
  • The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick
  • Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
  • Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Matt Parker
  • The Madwoman and the Roomba by Sandra Tsing Loh
  • Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson
  • Our Biggest Experiment by Alice Bell
  • Ada and the Engine by Lauren Gunderson
  • Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire

Book Log – The Bible Says So

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The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) about Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues by Dan McClellan

I hate to fanboy, but I really enjoy Dan McClellan’s tiktoks where he sets a lot of biblical nonsense straight, all while sporting comic book t-shirts.

And he and Dan Beacher’s Data Over Dogma podcast is amazingly interesting.

So I definitely was going to buy his book. And I went to a reading. And it was awesome. It breaks down a bunch of misconceptions that have been used to make some really bad decisions in society. I would love it if everyone would read this so we could get on the same page.

They can’t borrow my signed copy, though.

10/10, would recommend.

Dan’s tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maklelan

Book Log – Unreasonable Hospitality

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Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara [Bookshop.org/Audible]

Loved this book. Started reading in visual mode, then switched to Audible to get it done. Too much commute time, not enough sitting on the couch reading time.

I love this philosophy of being over the top in serving customers. I’m looking forward to figuring out how to integrate that into my work.

Book Log – Proto

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Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global by Laura Spinney (Audible)

This came up on Audible as I was listening to The History of the Bible, and given my recent fascination with that history and the languages included along with my recent foray into learning Toki Pona (a book log post to come), I gave this a whirl. And I don’t regret it.

This chronicles what we’ve figured out about the evolution of the proto-Indo-European languages based on the sciences of linguistics, genetcis and anthropology. Laura Spinney does a wonderful job of laying out the interplay between the disciplines and stitching together the stories they tell.

Like The History of the Bible, I should have read the text version, so I’m going to want to go back and re-read some sections visually. ‘Cause I missed bits.

Non-fiction audio just doesn’t play nice with my brain so much.

Book Log – A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths

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A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths by John Barton [Kindle/Audible]

I “read” most of this book listening to Audible, though I wish I had had the opportunity to read it on the Kindle. I don’t absorb as much audibly.

But this is a fascinating book… very clear presentation of the state of the known history of the composition of the bible(s). I may go back and read a few chapters again, to catch some bits I missed.

I have been on a kick to learn about this history for a while, after I started seeing the Data over Dogma guy on Tiktok and then on podcast. They clever ways they can tease out the history through forensic and linguistic analysis is very cool.

Book Log Roundup February 2025

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I’ve once again fallen behind in my documenting of my book reading. And as a result, I have repurchased books I’ve already read. Darn my memory.

For this catchup, if I’ve read enough to have liked or loved the book, I’m adding links to the bookshop.org site where you can get them. Bookshop.org allows you to purchase books online on behalf of your favorite local bookshop (mine is Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia).

Completed:

  • The Thursday Murder Club: a Novel by Richard Osman [ebook]
    • A fine murder mystery with retired protagonists. Worth a read, and there are more books in the series if you take a hankerin’.
  • The Violinist’s Thumb by Sam Kean
    • Only read recently, and it goes on my favorite non-fiction list. A hilarious tour through the story of DNA and the people who introduced us to it. Absolutely fascinating facts on every page– constantly changed my perception of what humans are. Cannot recommend enough.
  • The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel [ebook]
    • Really engaging true story of a man with an obsession from stealing art right out of museums. Very engaging page turner.
  • Red Rising (Book 1) by Pierce Brown [ebook]
    • Ok science fiction. I struggled to Suspend my Disbelief and accept the world building. But if you like the Hunger Games genre of young people battling each other for survival in artficial circumstances, you’ll dig this.
  • The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann [ebook]
    • Riveting true story of a 1740’s doomed voyage. A view into a very different world that I am not at all disappointed to have left behind.
  • It Ends with Us: A Novel by Colleen Hoover [ebook]
    • Meh.
  • Cursed: Alex Verus, Book 2 by Benedict Jacka [audiobook]
    • These are okay magic/urban fantasy books. I might have stopped listening/reading, but these were what I had loaded up on my phone for a long car trip.

Actively In Progress:

Stalled In Progress:

On Deck

  • Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules by Steve McConnell
  • Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Emily Gregory [eBook, Audio book]
  • The Accidental Alchemist: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery by Gigi Pandian [eBook]
  • The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (EW March 2025 Book Club)
  • Now is Not The Time to Panic [eBook]
  • Congratulations, the Best is Over!: Essays [Paper, Audiobook] – Stacey recommended
  • Boo by Neil Smith [Audiobook, paper] – Grove strongly recommended
  • Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver [audiobook]
  • The New Testament by Bart D. Ehrman (ebook)
  • Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric that Matters by Jeremy Utley, Perry Klebahn [audiobook] rec by coworker
  • Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin – book of the month selection from Nowhere Book Shop.
  • Executive Presence by Syvlia Ann Hewlett
  • The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick
  • The Five Disfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
  • Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
  • Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Matt Parker
  • Buckaroo Banzai: Against the World Crime League et al., by E.M. Rauch
  • The Madwoman and the Roomba by Sandra Tsing Loh
  • All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
  • Even Greater Mistakes by Charlie Jane Anders
  • Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson
  • Our Biggest Experiment by Alice Bell
  • Ada and the Engine by Lauren Gunderson
  • Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire

Abandoned

  • The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King [audiobook]
  • More Than This by Patrick Ness [audiobook]

Book Log – More Baths Less Talking

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More Baths Less Talking by Nick Hornby

Somewhere, a few months back, I discovered that Nick Hornby had restarted his “Stuff I’m Reading” column in the Believer magazine. I had loved his column so much that I had bought all three collections, and subscribed to the Believer magazine, even though I couldn’t slog through a single other article in any of the issues.

I felt, though, that someone should have told me the column was back. I mean, it restarted FOUR years ago. If Amazon hadn’t recommended the latest compilation (May 2010-Dec 2011), it would have slipped by.

Which leads me to a sort-of-anxiety attack… what ELSE is there out there that I’m missing? I’ve mentioned before that I’m overwhelmed by the vast number of books out there, the smallish percentage that are worthwhile reads, and the even tinier percentage that I would be blown away by– how am I going to find them? I have neither the time nor money to read the first chapters of thousands of books and toss them away if they don’t meet standards. It just seems hopeless.

But, ironically, the cause of my distress is also a cure, or at least a treatment. I’ve got a list of books that Nick Hornby likes, and if history is any guide, I shall find a great deal of them enjoyable as well. True, he’s never pushed Cryptonomicon, and I don’t think I got The Lonely Protagonist from him. Or did I? Looking back at my log, I see I don’t know where Polygamist comes from… it just showed up on my Amazon Wish List.

But, he did get me into Charles Dickens. Granted, the whole world tells us to get into Dickens all the time, but it took the author of High Fidelity to take the recommendation seriously.

Most amazingly, several of his recommendations are book that I, via Stacey, already owned. Let the Great World Spin, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks… Not things I would have picked up on my own. Nor would Stacey, in fact, but thank goodness for her book club. And Nick Hornby.

Apparently, I need to check in on Muriel Sparks, and also a biography of Dickens by Claire Tomalin. So, I’ve got all that to look forward to.

In honor of the “Stuff I’m Reading” column:

Books Bought:
The Blood of Flowers: A Novel by Amirrezvani, Anita
Peter and the Shadow Thieves (Peter and the Starcatchers) by Barry, Dave
The Wee Free Men: A Story of Discworld by Terry Pratchett (repurchase)

Books Reading:
Blink by Malcom Gladwell
Doctor Who: Who-ology by Cavan Scott
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Joss Whedon

Book Log – Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase

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Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

I’m a big fan of Stroud’s Bartimaeus series, and he doesn’t disappoint with this new one.

Yes, yes, it’s a young adult novel. In my defense, I bought it at Little Shop of Stories as a bedtime read-aloud that both kids might enjoy, but then read a little bit to see if it was any good… and never put it down.

Stroud is a sharp writer with a sense of humor and a talent for character and atmosphere. Picture this book as a kind of dark Encyclopedia Brown meets Ghostbusters.

The story takes place in an alternate history where 40 years previously, ghosts suddenly became prevalent and dangerous. The only people who can detect, track and therefore bust the ghosts are certain children with abilities. Ghost extermination agencies have cropped up, typically led by an adult who used to have the gift and staffed by children agents.

Lockwood & Co are different, in that they are an independent agency run by three kids, two boys and a girl. You might roll your eyes at the Harry Potter/Percy Jackson 2-boys-and-a-girl-against-the-supernatural-without-much-adult-assistance, but the story and style is so different and well done that neither of my eyes ever rolled once throughout.

The Screaming Staircase is the first of a series… I plan to be on line as each installment comes out.

Book Log – The Yiddish Policemen’s Union

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The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon

The first tip that this was an alternate history fiction was my knowledge of Northern Exposure. I was pretty sure, based on the TV Show, that there was no Jewish territory in Alaska. Because Joel Fleischman would have mentioned it.

I’m pretty embarrassed that that is what tipped me off, but I’m often gullible because I assume there’s a lot of stuff I just don’t know about.

The second tip was when they offhandedly mentioned dropping an atomic bomb on Berlin.

Michael Chabon is a great storyteller. This is ostensibly a mystery novel, but the best mystery novels are those where you don’t care about the mystery, you just enjoy the ride. This is one of those books.

If he ever dove into a topic that lights my fires like cryptography or science or money, Chabon would rank up there with Neal Stephenson.

But hard-boiled Jewish detectives in a mythical Jewish state in Alaska is pretty okay, too.

Book Log – Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon

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Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

I bought this for the Chicago trip we took before Thanksgiving. It’s a prequel of sorts to the Bartimaeus trilogy, taking place during the time of Solomon. Bartimaeus, for the uninitiated, is a sarcastic mid-level djinn, summoned to Earth from the Other Place by magicians.

Like the trilogy, it’s a great read. Even better than the trilogy, I would say, because there’s a lot more Bartimaeus in it, and that character is fun to read.

The other main character is a worthy foil for Bartimaeus, a bad-ass female assassin type with just enough magician training to keep B in check.