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I tend to be a voracious reader, and I read widely. This list has its origins in an old signature file which I would update periodically with the current book that I was reading. That gradually transmogrified itself into the current massive archive with brief reviews.
| What I've been reading lately |
| Number of books read and reviewed each year | |
|---|---|
| 1995* |  (28) |
| 1996 | (47) |
| 1997 | (74) |
| 1998 | (61) |
| 1999 | (62) |
| 2000 | (27) |
| 2001 | (51) |
| 2002 | (60) |
| 2003 | (37) |
| 2004 | (36) |
| 2005 | (32) |
| 2006 | (46) |
| 2007 | (109) |
| 2008 | (78) |
| 2009 | (65) |
| 2010 | (68) |
| 2011 | (98) |
| 2012 | (129) |
| 2013 | (114) |
| 2014 | (101) |
| 2015 | (88) |
| 2016 | (82) |
| 2017 | (76) |
| 2018 | (67) |
| 2019 | (95) |
| 2020 | (90) |
| 2021 | (85) |
| 2022 | (101) |
| 2023 | (124) |
| 2024 | (154) |
| 2025 |  (23) |
| * Partial year | |
[Finished 3 March 2025] A fun little twist on Shakespeare which seems a great example of how to write a novel about another literary work in a way that respects both the reader and the work.
Silence
by John Biguenet
[Finished 27 February 2025] Biguenet is one of my favorite little-known writers and he has yet to disappoint. Here, he takes a deep dive into the meanings of silence in a brief meditative little book.
Community Board
by Tara Conklin
[Finished 25 February 2025] A fun read, better than I might have hoped, with Conklin managing to create a book that conveys the madness of 2020 without actually setting the book in 2020.
The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy: What Animals on Earth Reveal About Aliens—and Ourselves
by Arik Kershenbaum
[Finished 25 February 2025] An intriguing book, although I think one better suited for writers creating science fiction than for me.
James Madison: A Biography
by Ralph Louis Ketcham
[Finished 21 February 2025] Up to number 4 on my presidential biography reading (with any luck, I’ll be dead before I get to Nixon, let alone Reagan or, God forbid, Trump). A few interesting insights, but overall, not quite that interesting. Oddly, Marbury v. Madison doesn’t make the cut for this book.
Made to Explode: Poems
by Sandra Beasley
[Finished 20 February 2025] Some delightful poems by one of the faculty members from my MFA. Other than readings, I’d never really engaged with her poetry before this and I enjoyed what she wrote here and will definitely pick up more of her writing as I come across it.
The List
by Yomi Adegoke
[Finished 19 February 2025] I think my tastes are running in the opposite direction of high-concept books like this. With the set-up: a woman’s fiancé appears on a #MeToo-style list of abusers and the couple has to address the consequences of this in their relationship and professional lives, but Adegoke, who’s a journalist, is not an especially good novelist. Her prose is often overindulgent and frankly the plot leaves a lot to be desired. I’d really hoped for more ambiguity in the situation than was given.
Palmares by Gayl Jones
[Finished 13 February 2025] One of these books that ended up getting dug up from the depths of my to-read list that I don‘t remember putting there. An interesting enough book although apparently the historical details are frequently incorrect and the Portuguese is closer to Spanish (which explains why I was able to so easily understand it), but even so, this was an interesting read even if the story was a bit meandering.
The Seven Storey Mountain
by Thomas Merton
[Finished 10 February 2025] I read this book sometime in the early 90s and coming back to it again over 30 years later, I found it so much more powerful than I did on the first reading. Merton’s account of being drawn to the church and religion and his indirect road to becoming a Trappist monk is beautifully written and greatly inspiring.
The History of Sound
by Ben Shattuck
[Finished 8 February 2025] A collection of loosely linked stories, exploring interconnected lives in New England (and, apparently, Canada). The writing is beautiful and the sometimes surprising connections between the stories enriched the collection.