Science

The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf

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Several months ago Deb on her blog Readerbuzz featured 10 random books from her shelf, and I liked her idea so much I did the same. Putting that post together was a lot of fun and after getting some positive feedback I did it two more times. In the mood to do another of these posts earlier today I pulled 10 random books off my shelves and here they are. Just like last time I’m hoping this will inspire me to finally crack of few of these books open and give ’em a chance.

The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America by Louis Menand (2001) – I probably bought this one at a Friends of the Library book sale in Portland. Since I’ve been wanting to read more intellectual history I should give it a try.

To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History by Edmund Wilson (1940/2003) – One of my buddies is a retired sociology professor and after he retired he let me pillage his academic library. This one he especially encouraged me to take. Believe it or not the foreword is by the above-mentioned Luis Menand.

My European Family: The First 54,000 Years by Karin Bojs (2017) – Grabbed this one late last year at the Friends of the (Monmouth) Library book sale. I have a hankering for this deep history/ancient DNA kind of stuff. Translated from Swedish I could apply this towards both the European and Books in Translation reading challenges.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997) – I started this one on a flight to Las Vegas and sadly never finished it. Time for me to give it another shot. If I do I should follow it up with her 2025 highly acclaimed memoir Mother Mary Comes to Me.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (1988/1998) – One of many books I feel everyone has read but me. On Saturday afternoon I stopped at a garage sale up the street from my mom’s old house and ended up buying small pile of books. The kind woman hosting the sale threw this in for free.

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (1948/1959)- Another book I think everyone has read but me. I probably bought this at yet another Friends of the Library book sale in Portland. Long overdue to be read.

Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah (1999) – Bought this one a church book sale. Thinking about reading it for Introverted Reader’s new Immigration Reading Challenge.

Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia by David Greene (2014) – Yet another book I bought at the annual yard sale put on by the Lutheran church in nearby Independence, Oregon. I’ve been thinking about doing a series featuring books about, or set in Siberia, Alaska and the Bering Sea. If and when I do this book is at the top of the list.

A Wicked Company: The Forgotten Radicalism of the European Enlightenment by Philipp Blom (2010) – Used a gift certificate to buy this one from Powell’s in Portland and it’s sat unread on the self for years. Maybe 2026 is the year I finally read it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (2007) – A buddy I worked with gave me this a long time ago. Considering how much I enjoyed Hosseini’s earlier novel The Kite Runner I’m surprised I still haven’t read it.

There you go, 10 random books from my personal library. Who knows, at this rate this might wind up being regular feature on my blog. Stay tuned and find out.

2025 In Review: My Favorite Nonfiction

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I apologize for the lateness of this post. After being distracted by a million different things here’s my favorite nonfiction books of 2025. Of course if this post looks familiar it’s because it’s pretty much this same darn thing I posted back in November for my Nonfiction Year in Review. As you can see this year’s selection is a mishmash of history, politics, infectious disease and memoir. And if you’ve been following my blog for any length of time you probably know that’s pretty much the kind of books I read.

My Favorites 

For 2026 I’m hoping to read more espionage, history and memoirs. In response to our current political predicament I’m also planning in reading more political stuff. By year’s end I guess we’ll see how well I stuck to those intentions.

2025 In Review: My Favorite Fiction

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With the year just about over here’s my list of my favorite novels I read in 2025. Like always almost all of these I borrowed from my small town library or through Overdrive/Libby. As you can see there’s a ton of historical fiction as well as a little cloak and dagger stuff.

My Favorites 

  1. One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver (2025)
  2. The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (2013)
  3. Small Wars by Sadie Jones (2010)
  4. The Bucharest Dossier by William Maz (2022)
  5. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (2021)
  6. The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin ( 2021)
  7. Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder (1991)
  8. Oromay by Baalu Girma (1983/2025)
  9. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict (2016)
  10. The Wages of Sin by Harry Turtledove (2023)

Honorable Mentions

  1. Metropolis by Philip Kerr (2019)
  2. Basil’s War by Stephen Hunter (2021)
  3. Shanghai by Joseph Kanon (2024)
  4. An Artful Assassin in Amsterdam by Michael Grant (2020)
  5. Budapest in Pieces by Richard Wake (2022)
  6. Winter Blood by Allan Martin (2022)

2025 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

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The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge has become one of my favorite reading challenges. It’s fun because I’m a lover of history and it synchs so well with other reading challenges I enjoy like the European Reading , Cloak and Dagger and Books in Translation reading challenges. As 2025 draws to a close it’s time to look back on the many works of historical fiction I read over the course of the year.

  1. Winter Blood by Allan Martin (2022)
  2. Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell (2014)
  3. The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O’Melveny (2012)
  4. Metropolis by Philip Kerr (2019)
  5. One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver (2025)
  6. Basil’s War by Stephen Hunter (2021)
  7. The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (2013)
  8. The Second Sun by P. T. Deutermann (2025)
  9. Small Wars by Sadie Jones (2010)
  10. The Bucharest Dossier by William Maz (2022)
  11. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (2021)
  12. The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue (2025)
  13. The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin ( 2021)
  14. One Man’s Flag by David Downing (2015)
  15. The Rest Is Memory by Lily Tuck (2025)
  16. Shanghai by Joseph Kanon (2024)
  17. The Devils of Cardona by Matthew Carr (2016)
  18. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict (2016)
  19. The Begotten: A Novel of the Gifted by Lisa T. Bergren (2006)
  20. Jack of Spies by David Downing (2014)
  21. The Wages of Sin by Harry Turtledove (2023)
  22. Budapest in Pieces by Richard Wake (2022)

Last year I read just eight books but this time around I was much more productive earning the “Medieval” of participation. Until I sat down to write this post I was worried my list would be dominated by novels set during World War II but much to my surprise things were all over the place with settings ranging from 16th century Spain to late 19th century Midwestern America. In a rarity for me I even explored the sub-genres of alternate history and Christian historical fiction.

It’s a fun challenge and I can’t wait to read more historical fiction in 2026.

Nonfiction November 2025: New to My TBR

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This week for Nonfiction November our topic is New to my TBR.  Our host Deb at ReaderBuzz starts us off with the following prompt.

It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about that book!

Over the month of November bloggers featured so many intriguing works of nonfiction I don’t know where to begin.

As you can see I now have no shortage of book recommendations. Perhaps in 2026 you might see a few of these promising works of nonfiction featured on my blog. Once again stay tuned and find out.

Nonfiction November 2025: My Year in Nonfiction

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Once again, Nonfiction November snuck up on me. Just like last year even Rebekah’s helpful  kick-off post on her blog She Seeks Nonfiction couldn’t make me to remember one of my favorite book blogger activities was around the corner and I needed to get with the program. Unlike the past two years  there isn’t a modest atmospheric river dumping rain and forcing me to hunker down inside my cabin and crank out a post. Instead it’s gorgeous outside with sunny skies and the trees around me are awash in beautiful fall colors. I so need to go outside and enjoy it while it lasts. But right now I’m gonna blog.

Just like last year our host for Week 1 is Heather of Based on a True Story.  Following in the footsteps of previous hosts she gets the ball rolling by asking us a few little questions.

Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

My Favorites (so far) of 2025

As you an cane see this year nonfiction has been a mishmash of history, politics, infectious disease and memoir. Pretty much my style.

To hopefully answer Heather’s last two questions for the rest of the year and well beyond I’m planning on reading a few more books about 20th century European history. Sadly, just like last year my plan to read more books about China and Iran has failed. Likewise, so has my plan to read more memoirs. As for what I’d like to get out of this year’s Nonfiction November my goals remains the same year after year. I wanna come away with great book recommendations, discover new book blogs, and maybe even pick up an additional subscriber or two.

Library Loot: Historical Fiction Edition

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Even though I’m STILL working my way through Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy and Regina O’Melveny’s The Book of Madness and Cures I couldn’t resist dropping by the library and borrowing a few more books. As you can see all three works of historical fiction so I’ll be applying them towards the Historical Fiction, as well as the Library Love reading challenges. Adding these to the tower of unread library books by my reading chair will undoubtably wreck my plan to read a few more interesting memoirs before the arrival of Nonfiction November. But hey you can never have enough books, right?

  • Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict (2022) – After having good luck with Benedict’s The Other Einstein and The Personal Librarian I thought I’d explore more of her historical fiction. I’ve enjoyed how she brings to life women from history who despite making vital contributions have been horribly ignored.
  • The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent (2008) – Hard to resist a novel set during the Salem Witch Trials.
  • Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig (2021) – I have a weakness for historical fiction set during World War I. I’ve seen some positive buzz about this novel online so I’m optimistic I’ll enjoy it.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading to encourage bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write-up your post, steal the Library Loot icon and link your post using the Mr. Linky on Sharlene’s blog.

The Second Sun by P. T. Deutermann

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An historical thriller set during World War II dealing with Imperial Japan’s secret atomic weapons program was too hard for me to pass up when I spotted P. T. Deutermann’s 2025 The Second Sun last week at the public library. Nevertheless, I remembered back in January borrowing Deutermann’s 2011 novel  Pacific Glory that I let sit ignored and unread by my reading chair. This time I vowed to at least give The Second Sun a chance. After cracking it open last weekend I’m pleased I did.

It’s May 1945 and Germany has finally surrendered. What’s left of the German High Command has ordered all U-boats to cease wartime operations and peacefully proceed to the nearest Allied port so their vessels can be impounded and crews interned as POWs. Soon one of these surrendering U-boats sets off alarm bells when it arrives at a naval shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Larger than most U-boats this one is strangely devoid of torpedo tubes and appears to have a secret second deck. In addition to a dissembled German jet fighter on board are several Japanese passengers. A subsequent search of the vessel’s hidden second deck reveals a radioactive cargo of uranium oxide. US Naval Intelligence quickly realizes this is no ordinary German U-boat. It’s mission was to deliver uranium to Japan for its military’s top-secret atomic bomb program.

Confronted with this news Chief of US Naval Operations quickly selects Captain Wolfe Bowen to join a small secret team entrusted with assessing Japan’s atomic weapons program. After receiving an in-depth briefing on America’s highly top secret Manhattan Project he’s eventually given a critical assignment. If Japan is well on its way to building a bomb Bowen must covertly travel across the Pacific to Japanese-held territory and witness firsthand the bomb’s testing. Over the course of his mission he rubs shoulders with a array of real-life historical notables including Generals Douglas MacArthur and Manhattan Project leader Leslie Groves, Admirals Chester Nimitz and Ernest King and even newly-sworn in President Harry Truman. Assisting him at every turn is Lieutenant Commander Janet Waring, a brilliant Naval Intelligence officer fluent in Japanese.

This novel of course rests upon the notion Japan not only had a secret atomic weapons program but one that was on the verge of producing a bomb by the summer of 1945. While historians agree Japan was working on a bomb progress was minimal due to the lack of resources and was hindered by America’s brutal bombing campaign. Compounding all of this was a lack of coordination between competing Imperial Navy and Army research and development teams. Nevertheless, the notion is intriguing and helps make for an entertaining novel.

If you’re a fan of Alan Furst or Philip Kerr (or newcomers like Andrew Gross) and their first person historical fiction set during World War II then I’m confident you’ll enjoy The Second Sun.

Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World’s Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen

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Thanks to Trump making RFK Jr. Secretary of Health and Human Services, allowing Elon Musk’s DOGE minions to abolish AID and do God knows what to the CDC you can bet your bottom dollar we’re gonna see horrible resurgence in infectious disease both in America and around the world. Therefore, now is probably a good time to prepare for this onslaught by reading up on the many diseases that have plagued us throughout history, especially those we thought we’d previous beaten. With all that in mind I decided to start things off with a borrowed ebook edition of Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen’s 2021 book Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World’s Worst Diseases. I whipped through the readable and informative book with ease and finished it in no time.

As long as humans have walked the earth we’ve had to contend with infectious disease. Some, like smallpox polio and influenza are caused by incredibly small agents known as viruses, or in the case of AIDS a retrovirus. Tuberculosis, typhoid as well as sexual transmitted diseases syphilis and gonorrhea are bacterial infections. A parasite is responsible for malaria while mysterious rogue proteins dubbed prions are responsible for relatively rare transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like kuru and mad cow disease.

Insects and animals also play a role in disease transmission by serving as delivery vectors. While yellow fever and zika are viruses humans only get them through mosquito bites. (Similarly, to how we get malaria but that caused by a parasite.) Bubonic plague and typhus, both bacterial infections are spread by fleas and lice. The virus rabies is almost exclusively spread via the bit of an infected mammal. Other diseases such as HIV, Ebola, SARS and possibly smallpox originated in animals and later jumped to humans sometime in the past. Lastly, Nipah and many harmful influenza viruses migrate between multiple animal species before infecting humans.

After spending thousands of years believing diseases were caused by evil spirits, curses, out of whack bodily “humors” or foul smelling air over the last 150 odd years as science has progressed we’ve discovered a dizzying array of microorganisms that are instead responsible. After finding ways to halt their transmission eventually by the mid-20th century we found cures and more often than not even vaccines to prevent them. This work however has been ongoing since new diseases emerge from time to time and many older ones develop resistance to treatment.

Given our current state of the world this straightforward and well-written piece of nonfiction, like John Green’s Everything Is Tuberculosis is perfect reading for those who fear America’s leaders and their claque of propagandists are putting us at risk for future pandemics. A timely book to say the least.

20 Books of Summer 2025

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When Cathy of 746 Books announced last year she’d no longer be hosting her annual 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge I figured that was the end of it. But thanks to Helen of Helen’s Book Blog I learned mere days ago Annabel of AnnaBookBel and Emma of Words and Peace have kindly volunteered to serve as the challenge’s new co-hosts. Running  from June 1 to August 31 everyone is once again encouraged to  sign up to read 10, 15 or 20 books over the course of the summer and check in with folks along the way. Just like last year things are pretty flexible. You’re welcome to make a list or just work your way through your bookshelves. If you do make a list feel free to swap out books as you go. It’s just a fun way to spend summer putting a dent in your to be read pile (TBR).

For the summer of 2025 I’ve selected 20 books I’ve been wanting to tackle, some which for years. Unlike past years I’m not including books I’m already reading for the Big Book Summer Reading Challenge.

  1. The Origins Of The Second World War by A. J. P. Taylor (1969)
  2. Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy by Mortimer J. Adler (1961)
  3. Rats, Lice and History: A Biography of a Bacillus by Hans Zinsser (1963)
  4. Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia by David Greene (2014)
  5. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (2021)
  6. The Coming of the French Revolution by Georges Lefebvre (1967)
  7. The Politics of Chaos in the Middle East by Olivier Roy (2008)
  8. A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley (2014)
  9. Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language by Eva Hoffman (1990) 
  10. Embers by Sandor Marai (2002)
  11. ‘Tis: A Memoir by Frank McCourt (2000)
  12. Circles: Fifty Round Trips Through History, Technology, Science, Culture by James Burke (2000)
  13. Going to Extremes by Joe McGinniss (1980)
  14. Three Stations: An Arkady Renko Novel by Martin Cruz Smith (2010)
  15. The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama by Will Bunch (2010) – On Kindle
  16. The Soviet Century by Moshe Lewin (2005) – On Kindle
  17. Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society by David Sloan Wilson (2002) – On Kindle
  18. Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church by Chrissy Stroop and Lauren O’Neal (2019) – On Kindle
  19. The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold by Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy (2003)- On Kindle
  20. The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court by Sheldon Whitehouse (2022) – On Kindle

This is the perfect opportunity to dive into my personal library while also participating in a number of reading challenges, especially the TBR 25 in ’25 and Mt. TBR. With several of these books published prior to 1980 it’s also a great chance to work on my Old Books Reading Project. Looks like I’ve got no shortage of reading material this summer. Can’t wait to get started.