As usual, a few books were repeat reads for me for various reasons—those will be noted in blue. For the most part the titles should tell you what the subject is. The list is in the order in which I read them. When I note how many pages the book has it doesn’t include indices, bibliographies, etc—just the reading pages. You will notice that I didn’t get as many books read this year and— as you can see from the length of several of them—I got slowed down!
I still tend to get books faster than I can read them because people give me gift cards for Barnes & Noble for birthday and Christmas. Unless a need requires otherwise, I read the books in the order in which I acquire them—that’s how they are put on the shelf. Adding to my reading congestion were the 14 books I picked up at a library book sale in November 2022; excellent condition and given by will to the library to sell. I finished four of those last year so that shows how far behind I am. Total books still on my "To Read" shelf as of today is 54 (not counting current reading). Books read to Jill aren’t a part of the “To Read” shelf and are almost always novels.
All that being said, here are the books I read in 2025:
The Cat Who Went Underground, by Lilian Jackson Braun. 281 pages. Novel, read to Jill. This is the 9th in the “Cat Who” series and the first one I had a bit of a problem with, and I’m going to spoil the plot by telling what bothered me. The murderer is a woman who killed carpenters because her father was a carpenter and molested her and her sister while growing up. Psychobabble enters the picture when she has another personality with a different name and it’s THAT girl who is the killer because she’s always been a bad girl. Psychobabble to have her kill carpenters because carpenters are bad as demonstrated by her father. This book was not as fun as the others.
The Story of Joseph and the Family of Jacob, by Ronald S. Wallace.135 pages. Pretty good commentary of Genesis 37 through 50. Acquired from my pastor who was cleaning out his library. Read out of sequence of the “to read” books because I wanted to pass it on.
The Beauty and the Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War, by Peter Englund. 508 pages. Very interesting book. The author took 20 people and used diaries, journals, letters, etc to follow them through the war: civilians, school girl, German sailor, infantrymen, engineers, cavalrymen, fighter pilot, ambulance driver, nurse, etc. The author wove their various stories together chronologically. Fascinating way to do it. This was the 5th book of the 14 I acquired at the book sale in 2022.
After the Flood: The Early Post-Flood History of Europe Traced Back to Noah, by Bill Cooper. 252 pages. The last time I read this book was 1997 when I bought it. Recently I wanted some information about many European royalties tracing their ancestry back to Noah well before Christ. So I decided to go out of my way of “to read shelf” sequence and read this again. It’s a fascinating history using ancient manuscripts, which not only show how the pre-Christian people understood creation and genealogy from Noah, but also how different cultures reported living among what we would not call dinosaurs. Highly recommend.
The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts, by Lilian Jackson Braun. 277 pages. Novel. I read this one to Jill, and it is the 10th of a series of books she read a couple decades ago and which I’ve never read. As noted last year, they are detective stories with a Siamese cat who is a remarkable critter; he helps solve cases by things he does. The highlight on the back of the book gives the plot: When Mrs. Cobb heard unearthly noises in the antique-filled farmhouse, she called Jim Qwilleran for help. But he was too late. It looked as if his kindly ex-housekeeper had been frightened to death—but by whom? Or what? Now Qwilleran’s moved into the historic farmhouse with his two cat companions—Koko the Siamese is spooked Is it a figment of feline imagination, or the clue to a murder in Moose County? And does Qwilleran have a ghost of a chance of solving this haunting mystery?
A Pictorial Tour of the National Museum of the United States Air Force 2024. 224 pages, 8.5X11 format. Read out of sequence because I could sit in the living room with it for whenever I was waiting for things. Just as many photos as text. If you want to get a good idea of what is in that monstrous museum (which I’ve visited 51 times from 1969 to 2023) then this book is for you.
Pax Britannica: The Climate of an Empire, by Jan Morris. 527 pages. A study of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Year celebration. The book discusses what was going on throughout the British Empire and short histories of everything in the various countries which led up to the celebration in 1897. This was the 6th book of the 14 I acquired at the book sale in 2022.
The Cat Who Lived High, by Lilian Jackson Braun. 298 pages, novel. Yep, another one I read to Jill. Here’s the plot from the back cover: The. Colorful Casablanca apartment building is in danger of demolition—but not if Jim Qwilleran can help it. He’s determined to restore the building to its original grandeur. So he moves in with Koko and Yum Yum—and discovers that the Casablanca is steeped in history…and mystery. In Qwill’s apartment, a glamorous art dealer met an untimely fate, and the veteran journalist and his crime-solving cats are about to reach new heights in detection as the evidence builds up…and the Casablanca threatens to crumble down around them.
The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal, by Lilian Jackson Braun. 275 Pages, novel. Another one I read to Jill. Again, the plot from the back cover: All the world’s a stage—and now Jim Qwilleran’s apple orchard has become the staple for a real-life murder scene. The much-disliked director of the Pickax Theater Club’s Shakespeare production, Hilary VanBrook, has been found dead after the closing night cast party. With the help of his super-smart Siamese, Qwill must cast a suspicious eye on all the players—especially the ones pussyfooting around behind the scenes…
A History of the Twentieth Century; Volume One: 1900-1933, by Martin Gilbert. 846 pages plus photos and 29 reference maps. This was the 7th book of the 14 I acquired at the 2022 book sale. Outstanding coverage of the period noted, including all the European wars which led to WWI, an in-depth look at the war,, as well as the various wars afterwards and Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. Very thorough. My only problem with it was that about 85% covers the eastern hemisphere with the rest being little coverage of the western side of the earth. I guess that’s because the author is British
The Cat Who Moved a Mountain, by Lilian Jackson Braun. 261 pages, novel. Read to Jill, and it’s the last of the series she has; there are 16 more but she gave up since they weren’t as fun as at the earlier books. The back cover plot: Qwill’s on top of the world when he rents a house on Big Potato Mountain. The owner, J.J. Hawkinfield, brought real estate development to the once-peaceful Potatoes. But Hawkinfield paid a steep price for his enterprise: He was pushed off a cliff by an angry mountain dweller. Qwilleran, however, suspected the man is innocent—and Koko’s antics have him convinced something’s wrong. He may be making a mountain out of a molehill…but he’s determined to find the truth. Even if it means jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire!
A History of the Twentieth Century; Volume Two: 1933-1951, by Martin Gilbert. 927 pages plus photos and 44 reference maps. This was the 8th book of the 14 I acquired at the 2022 book sale. As with volume 1, the coverage of this period of time is excellent; it covers the rise of Hitler as well as Mussolini’s rise, and the rise of the Japanese military. When it comes to WWII his coverage of the European war is much greater than that of the Pacific War. Again, he does’t examine the history of the western hemisphere as he does the Eastern. Nevertheless, it is an outstanding history book.
A History of the Twentieth Century; Volume Three: 1952-1999, by Martin Gilbert. 932 pages plus photos and 36 references maps. This was the 9th book of the 14 I acquired at the 2022 book sale. Excellent coverage again of the time period. My one heartbreak is that he never mentioned the 1981 U.S. air traffic controller strike which impacted airline travel in the USA and Canada especially. Good coverage of the Korean and Vietnam Wars and other wars around the world, including between Israel and Islam. Good summation at the end describing all the technological advances (computers, space travel, etc), the medical advances and really all sorts of advances in science, culture, warfare, etc. I highly recommend the series.
And God Created Darwin: The Death of Darwinian Evolution , by Duane Arthur Schmidt. 201 pages. This book was given to me by the author, a local dentist, back in 2003 and that’s the last time I read it. I decided to read it again to determine if I wanted to keep it and Jill wanted me to read it to her.. Duane often had commentaries in the local newspaper, as did I, and he sent this book to me because I defended the Christian faith, and inside he wrote “To another soldier for the Lord—God Bless.” He died in 2013 and I still have his obituary. I also have the column he wrote in 2005 titled “Be honest when teaching kids about evolution.” Both these items are kept in the book. The back cover says “Duane Schmidt, DDS, has studied Darwin’s theory of evolution for 35 years. He travels nationwide and speaks about the subject to churches and organizations, and he’s been featured on First Edition and other radio broadcasts. Schmidt resides in Iowa with his wife Dianne, where he is CEO for one of the area’s largest dental practices.” As for the book itself, it is one of the most outstanding short examinations of evolution that I have ever read, and it’s done with plenty of humor to keep one’s interest up.
Black Rednecks and White Liberals, by Thomas Sowell. 294 pages. I read this book out of sequence because it was an obvious need to be able to understand better, and deal with better, the common culture of today. It was referred to in an article I read on American Thinker on 20 February: America’s slavery: More complex than black and white. I immediately ordered the book and it arrived 1 March but I had to wait until I finished the book I was on. This is a book every American should be forced to read! Sowell has six separate essays on issues that should be important to know. The topics are as follows:
Black Rednecks and White Liberals [black rednecks were from the south with all the southern accents and language, etc, which makes them a whole different culture than blacks from the North]
Are Jews Generic? About how minority people are usually looked upon in the same way—as the enemy.
The Real History of Slavery. How it’s been worldwide forever and American slavery was just one little spot in the whole realm of things. The people to blame for slavery are those who sold their people into slavery.
Germans and History. A really interesting examination of who they were/are and how they have affected history from Roman times to now.
Black Education: Achievements, Myths and Tragedies. When black students went to black schools they got outstanding education but when civil rights laws of the 1960s forced integration their education suffered. The ignorance of the LEFT, especially, promoted the idea that blacks needed to be integrated for “real” education and always considered blacks unable to progress educationally.
History versus Visions: Most history nowadays is biased, trying to see history from the so-called victims of those in the majority. Sowell refers back to the previous discussions as examples of how wrong history ideas can propagate false history. He sums up the chapter thusly: Where beliefs are not checked against facts, but instead facts must meet the test of consonance with the prevailing vision, we are in the process of sealing ourselves off from feedback from reality. Heedless of the past, we are flying blind into the future. To confirm what he says here, all we have to do is look at the REAL history of Islam instead of letting Muslims invade every country again.
The Palestinian Lie: Shattering the Myths, by O. Isaac, 125 pages. I read this new book out of sequence because Jill wanted me to read it to her. I believe EVERY American should read this book so as to better understand the history of the conflict between Israel and “Palestinians.” The absurdity of support for “Palestinians” is only because of intentional ignorance and media brainwashing. Israel has done everything possible to bring peace to the area but the “Palestinians” (Muslims) want nothing less than total eradication of Israel.
An Army At Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, by Rick Atkinson. 541 pages, including maps. This was the 10th book of the 14 I acquired at the 2022 book sale. I’ve never before read a detailed history of the WWII North African Campaign and this was really eye-opening regarding the horrendous loss of lives and more wounded and missing in action. At the beginning of the campaign the American Army was no where near the caliber of the British units, but the leadership of many of the British and French units was also poor, which is why so many nonsensical errors were made in combat planning. One HUGE error was the epidemic of the lack of reconnaissance, leading horrible losses. Of course the Allies finally won the North African Campaign, and from it they learned many lessons for the future campaigns in Sicily, Italy and D-Day in France, etc.
Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill, by Candice Millard. Hardbound, 326 pages. This was the 11th book of the 14 I acquired at the 2022 book sale. The author gives a condensed history of Churchill up until he was 24 and went to South Africa so as to have a context as to who he was. The remainder of the book provides some details of the war itself, highlighting horrid battles, all the while describing Churchill’s escape after being captured as a prisoner of war—although he was there only as a journalist.
A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute. 401 pages, novel. I read this one to Jill back in 2020 and we decided to read it again since we had just watched the PBS series after 5 years. It is really an excellent story which I can highly recommend. The mini-series really, really followed the book (except in the series Jean and Joe had sex soon after meeting in 1948 while in the book they waited until marriage), which left you wanting the further story! The author was an aeronautical engineer in England and founded an aircraft manufacturing firm which provided 1000 training aircraft to the RAF in WWII. He moved to Australia a few years after the war and the larger part of the book takes place there.
The Civil War, A Narrative: Fort Sumter to Perryville, by Shelby Foote. 816 pages. This was the 12th book of the 14 I acquired at the 2022 book sale and it is one of a 3-volume set. I found it to be a very engrossing “narrative” with details of battles and politics, and I learned much more than I already knew about that rebellion as well as the political activity behind the scenes.
Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation, by Pete Hegseth with David Goodwin. Hardbound, 251 pages. I took this book out of sequence; it was to be next after the three volume Civil War collection and was purchased 12/7/22 when it was still fresh, having been published in 2022. Jill wanted me to read it to her because of the subject matter. The book examines the origin of American public education and how it was taken over by socialists in the early 20th century and then deteriorated in quality mostly since the 1960s. By the current years it is downright horrid, becoming more and more “woke” indoctrination instead of education. The remedy is also examined but will take much time to institute. I recommend that every conservative and/or Christian read this book to learn how to protect children and grandchildren from such indoctrinations.
The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume two: Fredericksburg to Meridian, by Shelby Foote. 971 pages. This was the 13th book of the 14 I acquired at the 2022 book sale and I started this immediately after finishing volume 1. Some battles I never previously heard of and some of the political intrigues behind the lines were also new to me. Captivating story-telling.
Civil War, The: A Narrative, by Shelby Foote: Volume three: Red River to Appomattox, by Shelby Foote. 1065 pages. The last volume of the outstanding series and finally the last book of the 14 books from the 2022 book sale. Not only does it cover, as the other volumes, many battles of which I’ve never heard but also continues with the assassination of President Lincoln, the capture of those involved in the conspiracy, the political intrigues following Lincoln’s death, the many deals to pardon/give amnesty to members of the Confederate military, how the war affected the USA for the next few decades, as well as following the lives of various military leaders. I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in learning more about the Civil War.
The Storyteller: Live for Today and Look Toward the Future, by David L. Schapira. 324 pages. Out of sequence. I met the author—an Army Vietnam War veteran —on 11/5 and he told me of this book among other writings. He said it was his story about his time in the Army and Vietnam. So when I got home I ordered the book and it arrived two days later. I had to finish my last volume on the Civil War before I read this one. I had told him about the Wednesday morning meetings I attended with several other veterans and he said he might join us, so I wanted to read the book to be able to discuss it with him. At any rate, the prologue says the book is “a fictional writing, but it is also loosely based on actual events.” One had to read half the book to get to his time in Vietnam. I can’t recommend this book because he spends too much time talking about how many troops, in training and in Vietnam, would engage in sexual relations with prostitutes (I skimmed through these parts). The actual time he spent in combat was interesting, though.
Suddenly Soldiers: The 166th Infantry Regiment in World War II, by Robert Thompson, hardbound 228 pages. The 166th was originally the 4th Ohio Militia butt was nationalized and made part of the National Guard, which renumbered the unit. For World War I the unit was part of the famous 42nd Infantry Division — the “Rainbow Division.” The book tells of the training for war and the months spent in the war fighting the Germans. The author’s research was excellent; you learn about the horrors of war, including the lack of uniforms and shoes, illnesses, lice, etc, as well as the many ways men were wounded and killed. For those interested in WWI, this is well worth reading.
Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldviews, by Jeff Meyers & David A. Noebel. Hardbound, 498 pages. I read the original edition of this book, which was just by David Noebel, about 20 years ago. I gave that edition away several years ago and bought this one in March 2024. I had started reading it and had gotten half-way through the last chapter when it got lost. I found it December 14th and finished it! The competing worldviews examined are Secularism, Marxism, Postmodernism, New Spirituality, Islam, and Christianity. The topics discussed are Theology, Philosophy, Ethics, Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Law, Politics, Economics, and History. The point is demonstrating that the Christian worldview surpasses all the others for quality of life, etc.
War in the Far East: Asian Armageddon 1944-1945, by Peter Harmsen. Hardbound, 188 pages. This book is actually the last volume of a 3-volume series on “The War In the Far East,” but it was the only one on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. However, it is excellent as a stand-alone volume with an excellent survey of this period. The violence of the Japanese, especially with suicide pilots and wave units on the ground, demonstrates the hardship of the Allied troops fighting them. The jungle terrain all over the Far East created hardships, including those leading to diseases. The last chapter examines the results of the war and how it led to Communist takeovers of China, Korea and Vietnam. Well worth reading if you are interested in history.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Novel, 629 pages. I read this one to Jill so it is out of sequence. I started this after I was finished with the last volume of Shelby Foote’s Civil War series. During this the first volume of this series, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was mentioned often so I decided to get it to see just what it was about. I already knew it was an abolitionist book, but it was excellent for explaining just how slavery operated in the USA. Slaves were sub-human property for the most part. Good masters would treat them more humanely while bad masters treated them like animals. Families were divided, nice looking women used for sex, and the abuse could be horrid. I highly recommend this novel for understanding why abolitionist bought thousands of copies of it. Lots of teaching of the Gospel throughout the book.
Now, just to give you an idea of how far behind I am in my book reading, the one I’m reading now I just got this month but the author asked for my critique. So here are how many books are on my two “TO READ” shelves:
Books from 2022 1
Books from 2023 13
Books from 2024 24
Books from 2025 14
I hope my reviews will lead some of my readers to chase after a book or two from my list!
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