The Best of 2025.

This is a "best of" list based on the 84 books I read and reviewed in 2025. I do not focus on new books, so there are books on this "best of" ranging from being published in 1973 to being published in 2025.

The titles are active links to my reviews.

*** = Best of the best in that category

MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY

I acknowledge that it is odd that I found a 39 sports autobiography to be the best book in this category, but I found this to be thoroughly enjoyable read. The cover has a blurb from Playboy saying it was the "best sports book of the year." They may have been right - it is very good. If you are an old fan of NASCAR, this will be a fantastic read for you.

***King Richard I: The Autobiography of America's Greatest Auto Racer by Richard Petty with William Neely.

A Paper Orchestra by Michael Jamin.

Brian Epstein: A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History.

Our Subway Baby by Peter Mercurio.

John Wesley Hardin: A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History.

HISTORY/NON-FICTION

Winston Groom will always be best known as the author of Forrest Gump, but he should be equally well known as the author of a series of well-told American histories. His history of the Civil War's Vicksburg campaign is part of a trilogy, but it is a solid stand-alone telling of one of the greatest military campaigns in American history.

***Vicksburg, 1863 by Winston Groom.

Lincoln's Generals (Gettysburg Civil War Institute Collection) edited by Gabor S. Boritt

Commemorative History of the George Rogers Clark Bicentennial Exhibit by the Indiana State Museum

The Swedish Empire: A History from Beginning to End by Hourly History.

GRAPHIC NOVEL

I read so many great graphic novels this year. Jeffrey Wilson's interview with Chomsky was unique, but I really liked Soule's tale of Anakin Skywalker's first few months as Darth Vader. It does not make Vader sympathetic, but you end up hating the Emperor even more.

***Star Wars: Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, Volume 1 - Imperial Machine by Charles Soule

Slaughterhouse-Five: The Graphic Novel by Kurt Vonnegut and Ryan North.

Superman '78 by Robert Venditti

The Instinct for Cooperation: A Graphic Novel Conversation with Noam Chomsky by Noam Chomsky and Jeffrey Wilson

Batman - One Bad Day: Penguin (One Bad Day series) by John Ridley

FICTION

This was a tough category, as it usually is. Samira Ahmed's well told tale of a controversial book banning campaign in a small town was excellent. The story is emotionally compelling and the reader, Kauser Mohammed, is a real talent. Put them together and you will find yourself looking for chances to keep listening.

***This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed

The Price You Pay (Peter Ash #8) by Nick Petrie

The Big Empty (Elvis Cole/Joe Pike #20) by Robert Crais

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Dragonlance Chronicles #1) by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Lullaby Town (Elvis Cole #3) by Robert Crais

THE BEST of 2024

This is a "best of" list based on the 89 books I read and reviewed in 2024. I do not focus on new books, so there are books on this "best of" ranging from being published in 1953 to being published in October of 2024.

The titles are active links to my reviews.

*** = Best of the best in that category.

HISTORY/MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY/NON-FICTION

This is a tough category every year. Every one of these is great, but Tim Alberta's book just stuck with me. His look into the world of Christian Nationalism was an alarm bell in the night for all American Christians.

***The Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta.

Attucks! Oscar Robertson and the Basketball Team that Awakened a City by Phillip Hoose. 

Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy by Nathaniel Philbrick.

Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith by April Ajoy.

The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard and Clint Howard.

The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope by Munther Isaac. 

Kurt Vonnegut: The Last Interview and Other Conversations edited by Tom McCartan.

FICTION

Clearly, I was doing a deep dive into older authors this year. Among this list of eight novels I have 4 books from the 1950s and 1960s - all classics of their genre.

***Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

The Waiting (Ballard and Bosch book 6) by Michael Connelly.

Cost of Malice by H. Mitchell Caldwell.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut.

Ban this Book by Alan Gratz.

Sun Moon Star by Kurt Vonnegut and Ivan Chermayeff

GRAPHIC NOVEL

I chose to read several graphic novels this year. All of these were good for different reasons. I chose the one that most would not - a crossover comic with Batman in the Fortnite universe. This could have been such a cheesy mess, but it was made into an interesting mystery.

***Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point by Christos Gage and others.

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru.

March (Series - Books 1, 2, 3) by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.

Run: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott.

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin.

SHORT STORY

All of these short stories were excellent in their own way. There is a paranormal story, a Western, a what if? war story and a sci-fi story. 

***Tiger Chair by Max Brooks.

Ushers by Joe Hill

Comrades in Arms by Kevin J. Anderson.

The Turkeyfeather Riders by Louis L'Amour

THE BEST of 2023

 

This is a "best of" list based on the 87 books I read and reviewed in 2023. I do not focus on new books, so there are books on this "best of" ranging from being published in 1939 to being published in December of 2023.

The titles are active links to my reviews.

*** = Best of the best in that category.

HISTORY/MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY

This was a tough category this year. Every one of these is excellent, but it's almost unfair to compare any book to the Pulitzer Prize winning Maus. Maus practically invented the modern genre of the graphic novel and its iconic images with the Nazis as cats and the Jews as mice are unforgettable. 

***The Complete Maus (graphic novel) by Art Spiegelman

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Anne Frank, Ari Folman, and David Polonsky.

Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy.

Che: A Revolutionary Life (graphic novel) by Jon Lee Anderson and Jose Hernandez.

Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty by Dan Jones.

Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine by Barry Strauss.

FICTION

Like the previous category, the winner in this category that stands out in any collection. The Grapes of Wrath won the Pulitzer Prize, The National Book Award and its author won The Nobel Prize. This is a strong category, though. Vonnegut is, well, Vonnegut. He's a name brand author. Not many have sold more than Michael Connelly in the 21st century. Underground Airlines was an unexpected trip into another (unpleasant) world. Nick Petrie shows up 3 times here. I discovered him this year and very much enjoyed his action novels

***The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

The Drifter by Nick Petrie

Tear It Down by Nick Petrie

The Wild One by Nick Petrie

Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters

YOUNG ADULT

Every book I read in this category I read because it showed up on a banned books list created by Moms for Liberty or Purple for Parents or a similar MAGA group. I purposefully read several books this year from various banned books lists (9 in all) and these four were all excellent - and all great choices to put in school libraries.

***You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

The Girl from the Sea (graphic novel) by Molly Knox Ostertag

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Anne Frank, Ari Folman, and David Polonsky.

NON-FICTION (non-history)

This category is amazingly diverse. Sociology, religion, mental health, politics, economics, linguistics, and race. Ultimately, I decided that Of Boys and Men explained actually laid the foundation for the situations discussed in many of the other books. 

***Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It by Richard V. Reeves

On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living by Alan Noble

Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney.

Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond

The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr. 

The Corruption of Lindsey Graham: A Case Study in the Rise of Authoritarianism by William Saletan

Talking Back, Talking Black: Truths About America's Lingua Franca by John McWhorter

THE BEST of 2015

THE BEST OF 2015

This is a list of the best of the best of the 73 books that I read or listened to in 2015. They did not have to be released in 2015.

I broke the books into several categories. The titles are hyper-linked to their reviews. 
* indicates the best book in that category.

Fiction Books

I love Havill's Bill Gastner series - it is a shame that this series has not gotten the attention they deserve. The Battle of the Crater was a great description of a tragedy in the making and a look at leadership failure at all levels in the Union Army in the Civil War.  C.J. Box's Joe Pickett character is always a joy and these two books were excellent. But, the poorly named Insurgent (who knew that there would be a popular series with a book of the same title that would all but shove this book out of the spotlight?) was a book that made me think and made me turn the pages on my Kindle as quickly as possible. It is still the only book that I have purchased with real money on my Kindle in the last 7 years (there are so many freebies and the online library).

*Insurgent: Book 2 of America's Future by Charles Sheehan-Miles
Stone Cold by C.J. Box
The Battle of the Crater - by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen
Free Fire by C.J. Box
Red, Green, or Murder by Steven F. Havill


Fiction Audiobooks

So many good choices in this category. Enemies and Allies was a fantastic audiobook by Graphic Audio. To Try Men's Souls had iconic scenes that made you appreciate the generation of the Revolution all the more. The Giver is a classic with a sucker punch scene that took the air right out of me. And...Michael Connelly. There's a reason that he is listed in this category twice.

*To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Enemies and Allies by Kevin J. Anderson
To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen
The Burning Room by Michael Connelly
The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
The Giver by Lois Lowry

Non-Fiction Books

I read so many good non-fiction books this year. Every one of these was worthy of being labeled the best. But, I am a teacher and Danza's foray into teaching was insightful, rewarding and reassuring.

*I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High by Tony Danza
A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea by Eunsun Kim and Sebastian Fallet
Gettysburg: The Final Fury by Bruce Catton
What Caused the Civil War: Reflections on the South and Southern History by Edward L. Ayers
The Price They Paid: Enduring Wounds of War by Michael Putzel

Non-Fiction Audiobooks

I also listened to a lot of excellent non-fiction audiobooks this year. The Good Shepherd pointed out exciting things that I had never read or thought about in 47 years of going to church. Food: A Love story was the more-often-than-not laugh out loud funny soundtrack to my family's summer vacation. The Aviators was an amazing triple biography. NPR's look at National Parks was fun and worthy of a listen by anyone. The Jefferson Rule was a great look at American history from a different perspective. But, in the end, I just remember the feeling I had as I was listening to MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail. Such a fantastic essay that just soars when it is read aloud.

*Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Good Shepherd: A Thousand Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament by Kenneth E. Bailey 
Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan
The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh and the Epic Age of Flight by Winston Groom
The Jefferson Rule: Why We Think the Founding Fathers Have All the Answers by David Sehat
NPR Road Trips: National Parks Adventures: Stories that Take You Away by NPR

Childrens (Books and Audiobooks)

My entire family enjoyed the Avengers audiobooks. Woof is a very fun turn at a kids book by a veteran author. The Martha Washington book was a trip down memory lane for me. But, The Witch of Blackbird Pond still has it. The 1959 Newberry Medal winner still grips you and brings you into its world.

*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Print book)
Marvel's Avengers: Phase One: Captain America, the First Avenger by Marvel Press (audiobook)
Marvel's Avengers: Phase One: The Incredible Hulk by Marvel Press (audiobook)
Woof by Spencer Quinn (print book)
Martha Washington: Girl of Old Virginia (Childhood of Famous Americans Series) by Jean Brown Wagoner (print book)

THE BEST OF 2014

This is a list of the best of the best of the 72 books and short stories that I read

or listened to in 2014. They did not have to be released in 2014.

I broke the books into several categories. The reviews are linked. 

* indicates the best book in that category.

Fiction books:

The Black Box (Harry Bosch #18) by Michael Connelly
Steelheart (The Reckoners Book #1) by Brandon Sanderson
Republic: A Novel of America's Future by Charles Sheehan-Miles

Short Story:
The Big Trip Up Yonder by Kurt Vonnegut
Noose by Ernie Lindsey
Mildred by Sean Ryan O'Reilly
Hard Place by Ernie Lindsey

Non-Fiction books:
*Ripples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think by Victor Davis Hanson
Game Plan: How to Protect Yourself from the Coming Cyber-economic Attack by Kevin D. Freeman
An Empire on the Edge: How Britain Came to Fight America by Nick Bunker
Crazy is Normal: A Classroom Expose by Lloyd Lofthouse
The History of the Ancient World:  From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer

Fiction audiobook:
*Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Read by Kirby Heyborne)
Orbit by John J. Nance (Read by John J. Nance)
The Sea of Trolls (Sea of Trolls Trilogy #1) by Nancy Farmer (Read by Gerald Doyle)
Trident's First Gleaming: A Special Operations Group Thriller by Stephen Templin (Read by Brian Troxell)

Non-fiction audiobook:
*The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible (audiobook) by Simon Winchester (Read by Simon Winchester)
Mandela: An Audio History by Radio Diaries (multiple performers)
A Call to Arms: Women, Religion, Violence and Power by Jimmy Carter (Read by Jimmy Carter)
NPR Chronicles: World War I  by NPR (multiple performers)
NPR Driveway Moments: All About Animals by NPR (multiple performers)

*Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez

*Truth and Dare by Nathanael Green

BEST of 2013

This is a list of the best of the best of the 101 books and short stories that I read or listened to in 2013. They did not have to be released in 2013.

I broke the books into several categories. The reviews are linked. 

* indicates the best book in that category.

Fiction books:

*Breaking Point (Joe Pickett #13) by C.J. Box

His Majesty's Dragon (Temeriare #1) by Naomi Novak

Suspect by Robert Crais

Unthinkable (Jane Candiotti and Kenny Marks #4) by Clyde Phillips

Short Story:

*That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made by Eric James Stone

Overtime in the Woods by Ryan Sean O'Reilly

Sledge by Ernie Lindsey

Cage Life by Karin Cox

Non-Fiction books:

*Under the Wire: Bestselling World War II of an American Spitfire Pilot and Legendary POW Escape Artist by William Ash and Brendan Foley

A Dream So Big: Our Unlikely Journey to End the Tears of Hunger by Steve Peiffer with Gregg Lewis

A Portrait of Jesus by Joseph F. Girzone

Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and the Birth of the Indy 500 by Charles Leerhsen

Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government by P.J. O'Rourke

Fiction audiobook:

*Civil War (Marvel Comics) by Stuart Moore (Multiple performers)

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (Read by Will Patton)

Star Wars: The Original Radio Drama by Brian Daley (Multiple performers)

Streets of Fire by Thomas H. Cook (Read by Ray Chase)

The Intercept by Dick Wolf (read by Peter Ganim)

Two for Texas by James Lee Burke (read by Will Patton)

Short Story audiobook:

*UR by Stephen King (Read by Holter Graham)

Rendezvous by Nelson DeMille (Read by Scott Brick)

Titanium Rain, Volume One by Josh Finney (multiple performers) 

Stationary Bike by Stephen King (Read by Ron McClarty)

Non-fiction audiobook:

*Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir (read by Robert Petkoff)

The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy (Read by Bob Walter)

My Mother Was Nuts: A Memoir by Penny Marshall (read by Penny Marshall)

Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves by Henry Wiencek (Read by Brian Holsopple)

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Famous People Who Returned Our Calls: Celebrity Highlights from the Oddly Informative News Quiz by NPR (multiple performers)