The Reading List

March 18, 2026 (last update)

Love – Roddy Doyle – Great book about two guys with their stories of family, love and loss over a day of visiting some pubs. It’s a bit hard to read, just one long stream and Irish slang, but it worked well. Read it in three days. (Read March, 2026)
The Travels of Finch – Kate Baucherel – I really don’t know why this book was on my recommendations list (an Amazon algorithm), why I picked it up or why I continued reading it after I started. It’s a badly written book about a travelling bird in a fake universe full of creatures. It’s nonsensical and perhaps written for not very bright 9 year old children. Don’t read it. (Read March, 2026)
Annie Bot – Sierra Greer – A little sci-fi about a female sex bot and her owner. There are a lot of interesting insights on humanity, AI, and how they might intertwine. Oh and a lot of sex too. (Read March, 2026)
Maybe Someday – Colleen Hoover – This was an audio book. I started it last November and found myself in a car, and not wanting to listen to music, so I finished it off. I picked it solely for the title and it is a silly romance novel, but at least I have finished it. (Listened to March, 2026)
The Judge’s List – John Grisham – I wanted to try something a bit easier to read for a change and this was a good choice. It carried well, had enough twists and turns to keep it from being boring and I was done in three days. (Read March, 2026)
Amsterdam: A Novel – Ian McEwan – Winner of the Booker Prize in 1998, I read this novel and was intrigued. I went through its (short, 175) pages in two days and it was an interesting story, with lots of deep writing on music and art and publishing. The depth and insights regarding human emotions and the process of creating beautiful things made for good, if sometimes difficult reading. The story was also worthy of the prize! (Read March, 2026)
the little liar – Mitch Albom – I thought I would skip future work by this author, but was drawn into this one. A story about truth, its many characteristics, twists and turns, all wrapped up in a wonderful story about a Jewish kid, his family and friends, from Greece during WWII. This is really a story about the Holocaust and it’s many horrors with a parable of redemption entrenched within. A enjoyed it immensely. The story telling, the characters, the pace were all excellent. (Read February, 2026)
Theo of Golden – Allen Levi – a wonderful story of a mysterious visitor who transforms a neighbourhood with his kindness and gifts of portraits. It’s a bit too much in some places but it’s a great read and a touching tribute to kindness, beauty and love. Picked up from the NYT bestseller list. (Read February, 2026)
The Correspondent – Virginia Evans – Another fantastic book. Sybil, despite a marvelous legal career, (stubbornly) prefers to communicate via letters. This book is simply a long series of her letters (to and from) detailing her life. The format is interesting (I love letter writing, although I don’t do it much anymore due to the seeming anachronistic nature of the act, but I may restart) and the material is uplifting and heart wrenching at the same time. I read this in a day!! From the NYT bestseller list. (Read February 2026)
I See You’ve Called in Dead – John Kenney – If you look down this list, there are many, many books to read. Some have won awards and some are just fun to read; some are a waste of time. This book is funny, poignant, insightful and worth every moment spent reading it. Like “Twice” another amazing read, it just worked really well. Perhaps it is just where I am at this point in life, but the thrust is … “go live, before you die”, but without any sense of preachiness and through the fictional lives of and perspectives of some really funny, broken people. From the NYT bestseller list. (Read January 2026)

Chasing Daylight – Eugene O’Kelly – the author, the former CEO of KPMG, details how he planned and progressed through his dying days after a shock diagnosis with glioblastoma. (Read January 2026)
Less – Andrew Sean Greer – this Pulitzer Prize winner is a great read. It meanders a bit, but with purpose and the story has a lot of human insights. The trials and tribulations of a gay man trying to find his path with humour, pain, and loves won and lost are just as appropriate to heterosexuals. (Read January 2026)
The Rare Metals War: the dark side of clean energy and digital technologies – Guillaume Pitron – This book was a bit difficult to read, still an excellent overview of some issues facing the rare metals markets (and mining and resource extraction in general). The book vacillates between informative, lamenting and scolding in a way that made it hard to get through. Despite this there is deep research, meaningful commentary and insights for readers to understand issues related to progressing down our current ‘green’ path. (read January 2026)
Chip War – Chris Miller – An excellent review of the history of the microchips that allow the modern world to operate. It covers the entire history in an easy to read fashion and this latest update (published Sept. 2025) covers right up to some of the events driving the current AI data centre buildout and the parabolic increase in demand that has caused. An excellent and deep look at many of the geopolitical, military and commercial aspects of the current state of the microchip industry. (read January, 2026)
The Price of Money: A Guide to the past, present and future of the Natural Interest Rate – Jamie Rush (et al) – This is a highly technical economics book about the most important number in finance, the natural interest rate. Used to set prices of almost everything in the economy, the book highlights a new model (essentially from a team at Bloomberg Economics), to estimate an appropriate rate for the 10 year treasury. I have been predicting a rise in rates for many years and it has come to pass. This book highlights that will likely continue and goes into exceptional details as to why. Interesting for me, is this group of authors details causal attribution and is far less pessimistic about how high rates need to go under a wide variety of situations. Not for the feint of heart, but well worth the read if you love economics (read December 2025).
All the Colour in the World – CS Richardson (read December 2025) – A novel about a man’s recollections of his life, from childhood, through WWII and surviving his trauma and life’s many events. He intertwines art in the telling, pieces that reflect emotions and history. It is an easy read. Also a Giller Prize Finalist in 2023.
The Double Life of Benson Yu – Kevin Chong (read December 2025) – Benson Yu suffers trauma as a boy but gets to explore his future through a time warp. This book has a lot of complex themes and I found it hard to read, with the prose moving around a lot. It also has a lot of information about martial arts throughout which is not an area that I found interesting to learn about, but I am sure it enriched the story if the reader was aware of intricacies of the Samurai. Still it was nice to get through another Giller Prize finalist.
Some Bright Nowhere – Ann Packer (read November 2025) – this book was emotionally difficult to read. Taking away the sadness of the setting (wife dying of cancer, husband trying to help), it really focused on how women and men are at odds with their approach to so many things. Eliot is serving his wife, Claire, who is dying, trying to please but she feels stifled and controlled but is trying not to offend. The context rings true for many relationships. Love has many facets and love does win in the end, at least here.
For One More Day – Mitch Albom (read November, 2025) – a second effort for this authors work. Not as good as “Twice” and while there is no mention of faith in the book other than a god reference or two perhaps, this is steeped in love and loss, forgiveness and duty. A man describes his descent into self destruction and a small window into his redemption. It’s very well written but prescriptive I think. It’s a modern parable.
Study for Obedience – Sarah Bernstein (read November 2025) – This book is a finalist for the Booker prize (2023) and that is how I found it. While those esteemed judges know a LOT more than I do about what constitutes a good book, this work is not for me. It’s a lot of prose with no particular purpose that I can ascertain. It didn’t do a good job of creating a world that I wanted to explore, a character that had a purpose or meaning or a plot that could be followed. Beautiful prose just the same, and I did finish the book, but it was not a book for my tastes.
Twice – Mitch Albom (read November 2025) – what if you got to do everything in your life twice? This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Alfie can go back in time and relive any moment. Get a do over. Unfortunately he can’t get a woman to love him twice. A great read.
Into The Abyss – Carol Shaben (read September, 2025) – A book about the crash of a small commuter airplane in the Northern Alberta wilderness on October 19, 1984, killing six (including politician Grant Notley) and leaving four alive (including politician Larry Shaben). The story is well written by Larry’s daughter and does an excellent job of following up on the diverse lives of those involved. It also does well examining the complex issues related to the people, regulations and outcomes.
All Fours – Miranda July (read September, 2025) – A book about a woman who is searching for meaning in her life despite having professional success, great friends, a good husband and a child. The writing is really good (funny, incisive and sometimes poignant) and the story flows nicely. It seems autobiographical despite being labeled as fiction.
Held – Anne Michaels (read August, 2025) – I didn’t actually finish this book. As a winner of the Giller prize in 2024 others clearly liked it but it wasn’t for me.
Reproduction – Ian Williams (read August, 2025) – winner of the Giller prize. A long and difficult read I think but an intimate look at complex family relationships. Well crafted.
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr (read July 2025) – The rest of the world has written a world of good things about this book, but it was excellent. The prose was very descriptive, yet brought meaning to much of the work and the story flowed nicely.
Disappearing Ink – Travis McDade (read July 2025) – This is a ‘true crime’ book about a prolific book thief (David Breithaupt with co-conspirator Christa Hupp) and his downfall. Thankfully it was short but still an interesting read about how one guy stole massive amounts of rare and valuable books from Kenyon College. It was dry reading but interesting.
The Long Walk – Stephen King (read June 2025) – more apocalyptic prose. This was a bit dark but easy to read although it lacked a purpose and just ended when the last walker finished. Written in the ’70s under a pseudonym, very good prose.
The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern (read June 2025) – A strange circus that only works after dark and is full of impossible magic but is really just a playground for a magicians duel. Interesting concept and some very descriptive language and scenery with a human interest story buried in there too. It was worth reading.
The Nightingale: A Novel – Kristin Hannah (read May 2025) – This is a wonderful book about how lives were affected during the Second World War in France. A precocious young lady and family and friends around her work to thwart the efforts of the Germans. Beautifully written and easy to read.
The Invention of Prehistory – Stefanos Geroulanos (read May 2025) – Actually, listened to as an audiobook. This is an excellent (but very heavy) book about how we have created a narrative over the past few hundred years, about history, often slanted by the colour of our skin and political motivations. If you ever wondered about how and why depictions of history are formed, this is a really good backgrounder.
How To End a Love Story – Yulin Kuang (read April 2025) – this book was really well written. It’s chic lit or as I learned it may fall into fan fiction, or Beach Reads. It’s light and fast paced with great character development. The author was a screen writer for Emily Henry (see below), but this is better writing I think.
The Midnight Library – Matt Haig (read March 2025) – This is another really good book about navigating life. The premise is easy to swallow, the writing is clear and flows well and the lessons/advice supporting the thesis are presented without pushing them. I was happy to have read the book. (Also see The Humans by the same author which I enjoyed as well.)
On Tyranny – Timothy Snyder (read March 2025). Everyone should read this book to understand these twenty lessons about what tyranny looks like, how it starts, progresses and what you can do to fight back. It is an easy read and thoughtful. It should be in every classroom and every living room.
Edge of Collapse – Kyla Stone (Read March, 2025) – ‘A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller’ was a quick read. Lots of descriptive writing and not much to the book really, but it was free and easy. The tone changed a lot, the plot was mostly predictable and I would say ridiculous, but then, I have read all of the Harry Potter books and even Trump’s first book, so ridiculous doesn’t really have an appropriate rating. It’s fantastical.
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pel (read Feb, 2025) – An easy to read novel about a bunch of people who are all coincidentally connected. Sort of narrated by a really talkative octopus. It’s a good book, but not great.
Hello Beautiful – (read January, 2025) – I started this book some time ago, but finished it in the rain today (January 5th) in Santa Marta, Colombia. It’s long and tedious but the twists and turns that resolve around the absolutes of love that brings true happiness, is a theme that speaks to my heart.
We Are Not Ourselves – Matthew Thomas (read in 2016 I think). – I only put this book here because I still remember it. Chronicling a family as the husband and father descends intellectually due to dementia, it was a good read, but went on too long. I am currently reading “Hello Beautiful”, another long read about family trauma and relationships. Also well, written but overwrought.
Pirate Hunters – Robert Kurson (read January 2025) – Book was provided by Vitaly on Shiksa after he met Mattera in Samana. I read the book quickly while stuck in Santa Marta, Colombia doing repairs and it was a good, quick read during breaks to cool off.
Sea of Tranquility – Emily St. John Mandel – an odd book about coincidences and time travel. It took me a long time to get into it but in the end I figured out the thesis.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art – James Nestor (Audiobook version, July 2024)
Eruption – James Patterson/Michael Crichton (Audiobook version, June 2024)
Outlive – Peter Attia (Read May 2024)
The Power of Geography- Tim Marshall – a great overview of how geography affects the power and security of a few parts of the world. A bit dry, a bit limited (as it must be) but informative. (Read July 2024)
I may be missing some stuff in here…I haven’t updated for a while!
I Owe You One – Sophie Kinsella (Read spring 2024)
The Islands – Dionne Irving – I finally got my hands on the finalists from the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize (Thanks Christina!). This is the first one that I chose to read and it will likely not be my favourite. Its a collection of short stories (fiction) about people’s lives and their connections to Jamaica. I am not really a fan of short story books. But this was well written, easy to read and the stories were compelling. (Beartown took me six months to finish. I read this book in a day). I can understand why it was a finalist in the competition. (Read December, 2023)
Beartown – Frederick Backman – It took me a long time to finish this book. All about hockey culture in small towns and the human side of the decisions people make. (Read December, 2023)
Britt-Marie was here – Frederick Backman – A Quirky woman, facing a life crises, is dropped into a dying village where she changes the course of lives. There is soccer involved and soul searching and pain and all is well in the end despite it all. A fun read. (Read July, 2023)
Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus – I really enjoyed this book, which has a lot of threads that all come together too neatly at the end. It is a book about a strong woman overcoming misogyny in the middle of last century. Not at all realistic but very empowering and well written. (Read July, 2023]
if We Were Villans: A Novel – M.L. Rio – it took a while to get into it and much of the Shakespeare was tedious and frequently unnecessary, (to be fair, if you know Shakespeare’s work it may have made this book better and I just didn’t recognize it!) yet the book, in the end, was a good read. (Read May, 2023)
Book Lovers – Emily Henry – I am embarrassed to say I read this book. Entirely predictable and also easy to read. It has passed through the family like a virus and we (mostly) found it entirely enjoyable and predictable and a worthy waste of time. (Read May, 2023)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- Rebecca Skloot – I picked this book randomly because it was supposed to be a great science/human interest story. It’s better than that. An amazing story about a woman who died, her family’s struggles, and the wealth, knowledge and monetary, that has come to others due to her death. Easy science and a great examination of the world of medicine and medical research. (Read February, 2023).
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed (2021 edition) – Eric Cline – Another awesome book about humanity’s evolution. While reading this book, it occurred to me that everything I was taught as a child about this period of history (Egyptian mummies and pyramids encompassed most of it, but also I remember some Old Testament stuff too) has now been substantially changed by recent methods, new discoveries and a view that is less focused on religion. It is a bit hard to read in places but enlightening and very informative. (Read February, 2023)
the curious incident of the dog in the night-time – Mark Haddon – an autistic boy tries to figure out who killed his neighbour’s dog and grows a lot in the process. Really unique and touchingly well written. (Read November, 2022)
An Island – Karen Jennings – a novel about a man’s life as colonial powers sweep him up, churn through his world and the aftermath that allows him to survive. It is neatly packed and well written, although some parts are overdone and others maybe rushed. The author focuses on the history of ‘uncharted people’. (Read November, 2022)
The Humans – Matt Haig – a somewhat funny, somewhat wistful and a tiny bit preachy, story about a god like interstellar traveller who comes to earth and tries to integrate with the strange inhabitants of this planet. Worth the read. (Read September, 2022)
Ain’t Nothing But A Stranger In This World – Bruce Sudds – This is the first book from a neighbour of mine. It is uneven, very personal, and reminds me of JD Vance’s book Hillbilly Elegy which was just a way to introduce himself to the world before running for public office (overcoming personal hardship etc.). It is a local (to me) book, and that made it interesting. (Read July 2022)
Hail Mary – Andy Weir – from the author of Mars (not shown on this list, but one of the best books I’ve read in a long time), this novel is a bit more technical and involved, but a very good story about how a high school science teacher works to save the planet, with most of it while in space. (Read June 2022, thanks to Bob W)
A Brief History of Earth: Four billion years in 8 chapters – Andrew Knoll – I love these books that take the reader through an arc of history to describe our place in the world in sufficient detail to keep the reader moving but not too much to bore us to tears. This is a fabulous book. And unless you think that the story of Noah’s Ark is literally true, you should read it. (Finished reading in June 2022)
Fight Night – Miriam Toews – Another finalist in the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize, When I started it was tough, by the end it was impossible to stop. A wonderful story of a trio of crazy women from the perspective of the youngest, the grand daughter. Not making this the prize winner would have been a tough call. (Read February, 2022)
The Listeners – Jordan Tannahill – Another finalist in the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize, this was a good read, although it was not very tight prose. The story is about a woman who hears a low level buzz and the result is that her life falls apart. (Read February, 2022)
What Strange Paradise – Omar El Akkad – The winner of the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize, this was a great read, not just for the story and writing but for the social context. The story of a young boy, a migrant and his difficulties on the journey and at his destination it was a well packaged examination of the issues related to human migration. (Read February, 2022)
The Son of The House – Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onubia – Finalist for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize, this was a good book. The prose was interesting and was a window into an interesting culture of which I personally know nothing. It’s a story of two women struggling through life in Nigeria over the past 50 years with the men and boys ruling their lives being a counterpoise. (Read February, 2022)
Glorious Frazzled Beings – Angelique Lalonde – I was gifted this book as part of a collection of nominees for the the Scotiabank Giller Prize (kudos to Scotiabank for supporting the arts!) and it was a very tough read. A bunch of short stories written by an emerging author who seems to be of native descent (possibly Metis, I don’t know) or at least is very aware of the difficulties in that culture. The book is full of suffering as well as versions of love which don’t seem to sustain the storyline. The prose is very nice, the storylines are uneven, and it is heavy to read. (Read January, 2022).
The End of The Ocean – Maja Lunde – A wonderful, fictional story highlighting the damage being done to the world by those of us living woven together with a peak into a future when our children and grand children try to survive while the fresh water of the world disappears. Better than ‘The History of Bees’ which I read last month and well worth the read. [read November 2021]
The Shepherds Life – James Rebanks – a nostalgic look at Sheparding in northern England by a guy who is still doing it. Not my favourite read, but I can feel his pride in the words he writes. All the more interesting because our land home is very close to some of Canada’s largest traditional sheep farms and we see and hear the sheep daily. [read October 2021]
The Pull of The Stars – Emma Donoghue – It was many years ago that I read ‘Room’, one of the author’s best known books and it remains a very memorable and amazing book in my mind. When a friend suggested the Pull of The Stars, I had to read it. I didn’t realize that Ms. Donoghue is now a Canadian, living in London, ON, so “Go Canada!”. This book was also tightly written, had way, way, way more details on childbirth than was good for my brain and all set in a hospital in Ireland during the Great Flu of 1918. The interesting bit is that one of the characters in the book, is based on a real life doctor and hero of the Sinn Fein movement during that period. I won’t say more, but the history was interesting. The book is good, but doesn’t live up to ‘Room’. [read October 2021]
The New Farm – Brent Preston – Brent and his wife Gillian Flies along with their two children give up life in Toronto to buy a farm in Creemore and go organic, while trying to make a business of farming. They succeed and have a wonderful story to tell. Worth the read, but a little preachy in places and a solid reminder that farming is really, really, really hard work although quite fulfilling in this account. [read Sept 2021]
The History of Bees – Maja Lunde – an interesting book (a novel, though, with some creative license on facts) about bees, bee culture and peering into a future where pollination becomes a problem. [ Read Sept 2021]
Breakfast of Champions – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. – For a period, this was one of the best selling books in America, but it was bizarre in every way. I may never read another one of his books because of it. [Read Spring 2021]
Kudos – Rachel Cusk – Okay, I admit it. I was hoodwinked into buying all three books of the trilogy, but there really wasn’t any point at all. There was never a conclusion, a point of reference or even a message. The first one (Outline) was interesting because it took me through Athens and along the water to Sounio (all very beautiful) but nothing ever happened. It progressed to less powerful along the way. A lot of snippets of stories with no conclusion, just a lot of prose. Don’t bother reading Transit or Kudos. Outline . . . maybe, but I may just have been personally engaged because of the geography. [Read in January 2021]
Transit – Rachel Cusk – Another interesting read, but I am still not sure what the point is. It seems to be a bunch of dialogue to allow Rachel to tell about events in her life while sharing the emotional and philosophical thoughts surrounding her evolution. An interesting method, but there is little point to the stories. Still I will read the third book to see if there is any point at the end. The prose is good at least. [Read in January 2021]
Outline – Rachel Cusk – An interesting book and I went through it in a few hours, as it was pretty easy to read. The story takes the reader to various parts of Athens which are now quite familiar to me, even the parts on the water. [Read in January 2021]
East of Eden – John Steinbeck – A classic – It was long but worth the read really. Timshel, is my new favourite word. [Read spring of 2021]
Take Me With You – Catherine Ryan Hyde – I forgot that I read this book. An excellent story of loss and redemption set in the Western USA. Well written and easy to read. [Read Spring of 2020]
Too Much and Never Enough – Mary Trump – An inside view of Trump, his lies and cheating, and efforts to take power in the ‘fake it ’til you make it’ world we are living in now.
Sapiens – Yuval Harari – this is the book that I wish I wrote. I should have read it five years ago, but now is better than never. Many might find it difficult (it took me a month actually) and those who have a God may find it either offensive or enlightening but it is a great ‘brief history’ account of our place on earth.
Bel Canto – Ann Patchett – Another very well written story that I really enjoyed. [Read Fall of 2018]

In The Garden of Beasts – Erik Larson – I read this a few years ago, but with Trump’s actions, I wish all of my readers would read this historically accurate account of Hitlers’ first years in power. It is a great example of how powerful forces can slowly alter the balance of society by raising up some and diminishing others. When done without a conscience, the outcome can be both disastrous and unintended.
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood – The latest edition has a nice forward from Margaret Atwood. It is an interesting dystopian examination of misogyny and how fanatical beliefs can lead to unintended loss of freedom for ‘non-believers’.
The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway – A Classic Novel. One of many that I expect to attack this year . . . we will see if I get through them. [Read fall of 2019]
I Owe You One – Sophie Kinsella – A nice little love story. [Read Fall of 2019]
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens – A wonderful story from the bogs and swamps of North Carolina. [Read Summer 2019]
1984 – George Orwell – A reminder from my days in high school and well worth re-reading. This is particularly meaningful in the age of Trump, Putin and Xi. [Read Fall of 2019]
Norwegian Wood – Haruki Murakami – A Japanese coming of age novel. The official English translation was an excellent read but the novel was emotionally taxing.
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
- The author has a few mental issues (truthfully, that’s why her blog is a big hit), and this book made me laugh out loud a number of times. It is not a novel, it’s a series of short essays and a bit over the top at times, and a bit of a downer at others. Sounds a bit like the author’s disease. It was an easy and enjoyable read. [Read January 2018]

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a family and Culture in Crisis
- What started out as an interesting story quickly became a ‘make me famous’ story of success and stamina to overcome a very troubled past. Interesting, but then you realize he was contemplating a run for the US senate just after it’s publication and well . . .
The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway – [Read Winter of 2018]
Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson – [Read Winter of 2018]
Educated – Tara Westover – Wonderful story about overcoming history and the family that doesn’t want to let you out. [Read Fall of 2018]
Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
- Reading this tome has given voice to all of my inclinations about Donald Trump. For years while he has been building his image I have stated emphatically that he is a terrible businessman and an idiot and the machinations uncovered for this book clarify my assertions. Enough said. It’s a good read, but only if you are interested in the internal workings of a dysfunctional, budding dictatorship.
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
- This book meanders through the life story of Kathy H. The prose is very appealing and the book is an easy read, but it lacks any real excitement, just a sustained level of modest intrigue for what will happen to Kathy and her friends.
Bad Girl, by Mario Vargas Llosa
- As I started this book I got the feeling it was a biography, and the details are magnificent, if somewhat distracting, but certainly lend an air of authenticity to the characters. A great story about love, social climbing and the vagaries of time.
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
- This is one of the best selling books of all time and I can understand why, but really, don’t bother reading it. It’s just blather about mystical reasons for justifying whatever path your on. A good book on planning would be more helpful.
Red Notice, by Bill Browder
- This book should be read by everyone who wants to understand the dangers of dealing with Russia, their corrupt regime and the consequences for the world at large. This small bit of modern corporate and political drama is still playing out on the international scene (Canada recently passed the Magnitsky Act). [Read Fall of 2017]
Londongrad, by Mark Hollingsworth & Stewart Lansley
- Just starting this one, but it looks to be a nice bit of research along the lines of Red Notice. If you weren’t already worried about Putin, Xi, Trump and the rest of the leaders seeking absolute control of their country and indeed the world, these stories should scare the crap out of you. Certainly they should cause you to use your freedom to vote!! … [Update – August, 2018] Finally finished. This is not an easy book to read, with lots of details regarding the oligarchs, their minions and their transactions. I am particularly interested in the effects of this money trail on everyday citizens. With the ‘easy money’ pushing up prices on assets and causing distortions in sovereign markets. This book details effects on housing, autos, art and other luxury goods, but also does a good job of describing how the middle class was moved out of the way by this surge of spending. Also some notes regarding the inefficient taxation caused by these actions. [Read Fall of 2017]
The Immortalists, by Chole Benjamin
- An interesting read about a group of children and how their fates are all intertwined and seemingly controlled by a gypsy fortune teller. An interesting depiction of the gay scene in San Francisco in the 70’s as well as a depiction of life for an artsy high school drop out and her struggle to achieve her dream. The overall story isn’t very realistic, but these depictions were well done.
Broken For You – Stephanie Kallos – Another memorable book that I forgot to list previously. It meanders a bit and is perhaps a bit overwrought in various places, but the book and writing are still memorable. [Read Summer of 2017]
The Organized Mind – Daniel Levitin – This is one of my favourite books ever. The confusion of modern society may make winners of some but others are paralyzed by the same environment. I constantly talk about these concepts with my friends and family when I see them struggle with simple things. It’s a must read to avoid being overwhelmed no matter how your think! (Read 2017)
The Art of Vanishing (A memoir of Wanderlust), by Laura Smith
- So I bought this book because it was to be an examination of what drives someone to drop everything and leave . . . it was not at all as expected. This is a story of author Barbara Follett who wrote two books before the age of 16 and then suffered through much of the rest of her (known) life until she (apparently) walked away from her life at 25 and has never been seen or heard from again. It is intertwined with the author’s own story about wanting to avoid societal norms and her attempts at the same, including trying an ‘open marriage’ with her husband. This book was nothing like what I expected and a fascinating read. I read it in 24 hours and had to know what happened to Barbara Follett. I would tell you what I know, but that would spoil the book.

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