Thanks to all 32 contributors who submitted favorite reads from the first half of this year. The breakdown between Fiction (58%) and Non-Fiction (42%) was similar to the Female (58%) and Male (42%) breakdown of contributors.
One book, Theo of Golden (F) by Allan Levi was mentioned five times. London Falling (NF), by Patrick Radden Keefe, Sispsworth (F), by Simon Van Booy, and I See You Called in Dead (F) by John Kenney were all mentioned twice.
As usual, it is what what contributors wrote about their submissions that contributes to the value, strength, and diversity of books listed below.
The contributors are listed alphabetically by first name, and if you missed the ‘early’ deadline, you can still send me any one or two favorites, which I can easily add to the list.
And, of course, any errors in the listings below are mine and can easily be corrected if you email me.
Enjoy.
Richard
Allan Latts:
I was on an AI learning kick… and recently finished two books that provide a fantastic look at how we arrived at our current moment in artificial intelligence.
The Thinking Machine (NF) by Stephen Witt: A compelling biography of Jensen Huang and his journey building Nvidia into the indispensable engine powering today’s AI revolution.
The Infinity Machine (NF) by Sebastian Mallaby: A deep dive into the work of Demis Hassabis, exploring how he founded DeepMind and pursued the quest for artificial superintelligence.
Barbara Friedman:
The Sea Captain’s Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the Bottom of the World (NF) by Tilar J. Mazzeo is a true, wonderful, and sad story of a young, sea-faring New England couple, Mary Ann and Joshua Patten. On their boat, Neptune’s Car, they sailed around the world. However, part way on the trip, Joshua fell seriously ill and the first mate was consigned to the brig for insubordination. Mary Ann then took control, sailed the boat back home to Boston – a treacherous journey – and became the first woman to command a merchant vessel as captain. This is an incredible story and well worth the read.
Pride and Pleasure:The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution (NF) by Amanda Vaill tells the story of Angelica and Elizabeth Schuyler from the late 1700’s. They were raised to be grand matrons of society but instead became embroiled in America’s fight against Great Britain. This is a wonderful and well-told story . . . and well worth a good read.
Brandt Tilis:
Football (NF) by Chuck Klosterman .A book about Football written for people 50 years from now. Why do we love Football? And what could make us stop loving Football?
Recursion (F) by Blake Crouch Science Fiction-y book about the human mind and memories. It’s told along several timelines so it might be hard to follow. I couldn’t put the book down.
Charles Atherton:
Here Where We Live Is Our Country (NF) by Molly Crabapple – We’ve been “reading” this 20 hour audiobook narrated by the author on our trip from Arizona to Virginia Beach. It presents a history of the Jewish Labor movement, known as the Bundt, between the late 1800’s through the end of WWII.
Chris Rothenberger:
The Women (F) by Kristen Hannah. This was a reread for me as I was both the person who recommended the book to out book club and was the discussion leader. The book was universally voted at “5”, and the conversation was in depth and with warmth, thoughtful, and with admiration for both the author’s depth of research and story. Set in 1965, sheltered and naïve “Frankie” enlists in the Army Nurse Corp and is immediately sent to Vitenam. This is the story of her experiences there, relationships she built, survival, friendship and about the horrors of this war. Each day represented the battle between life and death, and the reader could feel and visualize through Frankie’s eyes. The book was emotional, educational, and deeply moving. The real battle for Frankie was in coming home to a changed world, a divided USA and confrontations of protesters and NO acknowledgement of whatsoever of the commitment she and other women made. Simultaneously dealing with what we now know as PTSD was very revealing and hard. Author Hannah shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and spotlights their sacrifice, brokenness, and challenges.
For this reviewer, it filled in the gaps of the era in which I was deaf to what was going on in the world, working many hours while commuting to university, carrying a full load and solely focused on studies and not focused on what was happening in the world and in Vietnam. Thus, it turned out to be an important read for me X2.
An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960’s (NF) by Doris Kearns Goodwin is an important history by one of America’s most beloved historians. Goodwin creates both a memoir, biography and history in this fascinating book that takes us behind the scenes of the Kennedy – Johnson White House. The book is really a time capsule of history and the 1960’s, spotlighting a decade of history that was both fascinating, and often unknown. The story proceeds as Doris and her husband Dick Goodwin (one of the brilliant young men of John F Kennedy’s New Frontier and who both named and helped create Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, and was Johnson’s speechwriter and close friend/advisor of Robert Kennedy) open more than 300 hundred boxes of letters, diaries, documents and memorabilia that Dick had saved for more than 50 years. These items were skillfully woven into a compelling story of the decade when individuals were powered by the conviction they could make a difference, and at a time marked by struggles for racial and economic justice, loyalties, and pivotal moments of the 1960’s. It proved to be fascinating for this reader who was then a college student, not deeply concerned with politics, but who was also living and working during these times. She created memorable images of the important figures of the time – JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson who both impacted the Goodwin’s lives, but also our own. This reader is not typically a fan of political tomes, but the book was about living legends and proved to be fascinating and impactful.
Cindy Olmstead:
Sola (HF) by Allegra Goodman (historical fiction). Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the story of a woman fighting for survival. She is an orphaned heiress whose wealth was squandered by her dominant guardian. She was abandoned to a remote island with her forbidden lover where they struggled for survival in harshest conditions. Her emergence as a resilient, courageous and wise woman made for a fascinating read. She became a shrewd woman using intense tactics for her own salvation. The fact the novel is based on a true story makes it even more compelling.
Theo of Golden (F) by Allen Levi. A heartwarming story about an elderly stranger who arrives in a fictional Southern City. He makes friends by buying pencil drawings of local residents that were on display in a coffee shop. He returns each portrait to its subject where he creates meaningful friendships. The book’s theme is kindness, reciprocity and powerful connections. Must say I thought the author dragged the story out with too many encounters and the ending was a complete switch. Yet overall it was a heartwarming read that makes one wish our world could be filled with Theo kindness.
Dixon Butler:
Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy (NF) by Julia Ioffe. It is a revealing history of the Soviet Union plus the periods before and after.
Elizabeth Tilis:
I‘ve spent most of the last year reading The Seven Sisters series (F) by Lucinda Riley. The series follows the story of seven sisters, beginning when their adoptive father – the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt – dies, and each sister receives a tantalizing clue to her true heritage. Each book tells the story of one sister as she traces her origins all over the world in “spellbinding tales of love and loss.” I started the first book in the series last fall, The Seven Sisters, followed by The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister, The Pearl Sister, The Moon Sister, The Sun Sister and The Missing Sister. I recently finished the eagerly awaited final book of the series, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt which came out in May 2023. It’s the only book I’ve rated five stars recently. It ties the series up nicely, which is satisfying after reading more than 6,000 pages. I’m sad the series is over, but looking forward to reading books under 800 pages again and will be carefully watching Millerstime for recommendations.
Interesting tidbit: The eighth book in The Seven Sisters series, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, was co-authored by Lucinda Riley and her son, Harry Whittaker. Riley wrote important passages and detailed notes, but he passed away from esophageal cancer before he could complete the book in 2021.
Her son finished the novel according to her wishes.
Ellen Miller:
Mother Mary Comes to Me (NF) Arundhati Roy’s first memoir. I was already a fan of her writing, but this deeply personal account of her life is impossible to put down. The book tells the story of how Roy became the person and writer she is today, shaped by circumstance but above all by her complex relationship with her extraordinary mother, Mary Roy, whom she describes as “my shelter and my storm.” This is an intimate, inspiring, and beautifully written memoir.
There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America (NF) by Brian Goldstone. Everyone should read this book. Goldstone shines a light on a growing crisis that many of us rarely see clearly: the rise of homelessness among people who work every day and still cannot afford a stable place to live. Set in Atlanta, the book follows five working families as they struggle to keep a roof over their heads, moving from extended-stay motels to shelters, relatives’ couches, their cars, and sometimes the street.
Emily Nichol Grossi:
Land (F) by Maggie O’Farrell. Her newest work, Land imagines the story of some who survived the Great Famine in Ireland and stayed rather than emigrating. O’Farrell is a seriously gifted writer, and I was ensorcelled by her primary characters as well as the various senses of place, loss, hopes, dreams she creates as she tells their tales. A powerful, memorable, uniquely-crafted book!
Eric Stravitz:
Invisible Man (F) by Ralph Ellison. Somehow I never read this book during my school years. It allows the reader to see mid-century life in both a fictional Southern college town and New York City through the eyes of a beleaguered young African-American man as he contends with his skin color, issues at college, public speaking and persuasion, working odd jobs, finding a place in a Communist political organization, the sometimes fine line between being exploited and using those who would exploit you for your own ends, and more. A classic, it contains excellent writing and storytelling.
String Theory (NF) by David Foster Wallace. Comprised of about 5 articles about tennis, Foster Wallace, both a player and observer, brings a keen eye and a massive vocabulary to his writing. The book transports the reader back to the 1990s and the aughts. One wonders what additional writing he would have produced had he not taken his own life 18 years ago.
Fruzsina Harsanyi:
Angel Down (F) by Daniel Kraus. The winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for fiction is not an easy book to read. The style — one long sentence, no periods — is described as speculative fiction. If you can stay with it long enough to let the plot grab you, it works. I ended up reading every word. The setting is World War I with the American army in France. Five soldiers (gravedigger detail) are sent to No Man’s Land to recover or “put to rest” any remaining bodies. When the soldiers get to the field they hear shrieking “Save me!” and they follow the sound only to find, not a person, but a fallen angel. What happens next to the soldiers, their relationship with the angel and to each other, and what the angel offers them makes for a morality tale and an exhilarating read.
London Falling, A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth (NF) by Patrick Radden Keefe. The subtitle describes what the book is about. It’s based on the true story about the mysterious death of a young con man who led a secret life posing as an oligarch’s son. The writer is the investigative journalist who wrote Empire of Pain about the Sacklers. London Falling is expanded from a piece he initially wrote for the New Yorker. Both the article and the book are based on extensive interviews with the family and people who knew him in his assumed guise. But the real focus of the book is London and the oligarchs who embed themselves in the city’s culture and a city that lets them thrive “hidden in plain sight.”
Hugh Riddleberger:
I See You Called in Dead (F) by John Kenney. A funny but illuminating story about an obituary writer whose career and life moves from loss to discovery.
The Book of Lost Names (F) and/or The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel (F). Both worthy of a read..both engrossing. Kristin is a great story teller. The first book’s heroine is a forger in a small southern French village during WWII. The other heroine is the wife of a winemaker in the Champagne region of France during WWII, who makes a tragic mistake as a young wife and spends the rest of her life attempting to redeem herself. You don’t have to read both!!!
Jane Bradley:
The Things We Never Say (F) by Elizabeth Strout. The intimacy of her writing and depth of the characters in Elizabeth Strout’s latest book is what we’ve come to expect from her, but this one is also full of surprises.
Janie Radcliffe:
Sipsworth (F) by Simon Van Booy. I just finished reading my all time favorite book! I thought it started out a little slow, but my sister in law said “keep reading”, and I did! A wonderfully touching story. I cried & actually laughed out loud! I highly recommend it to both women & men!
Theo of Golden (F) by Allen Levi. Second favorite book that I read recently!
Jeff Friedman:
The Soccer War (NF) and Shadow of the Sun (NF) by Ryszard Kapuściński. Kapuściński was a Polish journalist who was assigned to report on Africa’s decolonization in the 1950s. He traveled the continent widely, producing amazing essays on a wide range of topics: portraits of national leaders, life in remote villages, war reporting, travel experiences. I ended up reading all of his books, and these two stood out for their combination of vivid description and insights.
Dictatorland: The Men Who Stole Africa (NF) by Paul Kenyon. Each chapter profiles a different national leader: some I knew about (e.g., Libya’s Qaddafi or Zimbabwe’s Mugabe) and others were new to me (e.g., Ivory Coast’s Felix Houphouet-Boigny and Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki). The story of how these men devastated their countries is fascinating, but perhaps more interesting is how all of them had remarkable origin stories: the author makes clear how each of them came to national prominence, how they generally possessed outstanding and admirable qualities, and how, at some point, a combination of power and “yes men” led them down dark paths.
Jessie Leigh Maniff:
The Wayfinder (F) by Adam Johnson.
When We See You Again (NF) by Rachel Goldberg-Polin.
Judy White:
The Beauty of What Remains: How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift (NF) by Steve Leder. I had read it (and purchased it) years ago, but I think being in my mid-80s now has made it even more relevant. From his experience as a rabbi and son of a dying father, the author looks closely at death, especially what we can gain from our experience with dying family members. I will probably read it several more times in coming years.
Kate Latts:
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage (NF) by Belle Burden is a memoir about trust, identity, and what happens when the people we think we know best turn out to be very different from who we believed them to be. Belle Burden thinks she is happily married to her husband of twenty years with whom she is raising three teenage kids in NYC. In the early days of COVID, Belle learns that her husband has been having an affair and is leaving her and wants no custody of the kids. Belle shares her journey through courtship, career, parenting, and ultimately divorce in this gripping story. I listened to it on Audible (Belle narrates) and was hooked from page one. While there has been some criticism of Belle Burden’s portrayal of her family’s financial struggles—with some readers arguing that she was never quite as destitute as the book suggests—I still found the story fascinating and a story that can resonate with all women and men as well. At its core, it is an exploration of how quickly a person’s life can be turned upside down by revelations about someone they trusted, and the resilience required to rebuild a sense of self in the aftermath.
Yesteryear (F) by Caro Claire Burke was one of the wildest books I have read in a long time. The story follows Natalie Heller Mills, a hugely successful “tradwife” influencer whose online brand is built around an idealized vision of traditional family life, faith, and pioneer-style living. Then she suddenly finds herself seemingly transported back to the mid-1800s and forced to live the reality of the lifestyle she has been romanticizing for millions of followers. As Natalie struggles to survive without modern conveniences, the novel becomes part thriller, part satire, and part social commentary on social media, authenticity, privilege, and the stories we tell ourselves about the past. I am not one to normally enjoy a story like this, but this is a page turner that cannot be put down. The plot constantly kept me guessing, and the less a reader knows about where it ultimately goes, the better. My book club hasn’t talked this much about a book in a long time.
Kathy Camicia:
American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Reunion (NF) by Neil King Jr.
Other Traditions (NF) by John Ashberry.
Kevin Curtin:
The Free (F) by Willy Vlautin. This is a novel about trauma and human connection written through the intertwined lives of a wounded Iraq War veteran, a troubled nurse, and an elderly man grappling with loss. I’ve read a couple other of Vlautin’s books, and they all seem to explore how ordinary people endure suffering while at the same time find meaning in it. Highly recommend this author.
Larry Makinson:
Lessons in Chemistry (F) by Bonnie Garmus. When an ambitious female chemist hits the glass ceiling in her chosen profession in the early 1960s, she stumbles into a local TV job as the improbable host of a cooking show. What follows is not just a national sensation showing housewives how to cook using chemistry, but a model for women breaking out of their traditional roles. Enormously entertaining and witty.
Louise McIlhenny:
I See You’ve Called in Dead (F) by John Kenney. This was a gift, and I was put off by the title at first. It’s about a man who writes obituaries and is very funny, entertaining, loved it!
Sipsworth (F) by Simon Van Booy. This is a story about an older woman who encounters an odd surprise that changes her perspective.
Mary Bardonne:
Theo Of Golden (F) by Allen Levi. A simple but heartwarming story of kindness and giving back, no technology involved. A lesson for us all.
Wild Dark Shore (F) by Charlotte McConaghy. A powerful emotional thriller about grief, caring and climate change. Hard to put down and was sorry to have it end.
Melanie Landau:
Rules of Civility (F) by Amor Towles – A fascinating novel about New York Society in the late 1930’s. The hundred Rules of Civility are timely as they are historic.
Michael Weinroth:
I recently finished a book that was charming and thoughtful. Theo of Golden (F) by Allen Levi by is an enjoyable read, and if you were a Southerner, especially a Georgian, you might pick up that the city of Golden is actually Columbus, Ga. It was Allen Levi’s (not Jewish) first novel and a New York Times best seller.
At one time Columbus was bigger than Orlando. They had three synagogues and beginning in the 50’s and 60’s kids who grew up there began leaving to attend colleges and universities around the country. For several years they staged “Good Bye Columbus” parties in Atlanta. Many flew in from other cities for these events. The first one had over 200+ “kids”. It was a brain drain for Columbus, Muscogee County. Many of these kids went to UGA, Emory or other faraway schools and became very successful and returned to Atlanta. One such person was Esther Gerson. For 60 years she’s been Esther Levine. She left Columbus and went to Brandeis. She married Michael Levine, who was a New Yorker, low key like Esther. He was instrumental in beginning one of the largest pediatric practices in Atlanta.
Esther began the Atlanta Jewish Book Festival, one of the largest in the country. Held at the Marcus* Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, he brings in world renowned authors for this annual event.
*Bernie Marcus and partner Arthur Blank created the Home Depot Store chain.
Rebecca Lamaitre:
City of Night Birds (F) by Juhea Kim. Her descriptions of rivalry and rigor in the Russian ballet are riveting, but more so, her writing in general is simply luminous. A simple story that makes for a gorgeous book.
Spectacular Things (F) by Beck Dorey-Stein – Perfect beach read, about two sisters (one a professional soccer player, the other the “responsible” older caretaker) which makes for a heart-warming and perfectly timely read for the World Cup
Richard Miller:
London Falling, A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth (NF) by Patrick Radden Keefe. Perhaps not quite as outstanding as his Empire of Pain, but nonetheless good enough to keep you reading and also revealing aspects of London (e.g., impact of oligarchs, etc.) I had not known.
Master Slave Husband Wife (NF) by Ilyon Woo. A book club reread from my 2024 favorites. More “Who Knew” – Story of Ellen and William Craft and their escape from slavery in 1848. Worthy for not only for the extraordinary story but also for the history surrounding the story and for the relationship of the two primary characters. A Best Book of 2023 by various outlets and a 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner for History. This book sent me to: Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: The Escape of William & Ellen Craft from Slavery by William & Ellen Craft and also to Love, Liberation, and Escaping Slavery in Cultural Memory by Barbara McCaskill.
Ruth Guillemette:
The River is Waiting (F) by Wally Lamb. It was a very well written and heartfelt story.
Nash Falls (F) by David Baldacci. A real page turner and well set up story plot. Cannot wait for the sequel Hope Rises to come out.
Ruth Quinet:
The Keeper (F) by Tana French. This is the third book in a trilogy describing the underlying traditions of revenge and resentment in a small Irish village. The best of two bad options lays bare the characters’ moral code. The author fully captures the nuances of speech and culture in this excellent character study.
The Usual Desire To Kill (F) by Camilla Barnes. Two aging English parents, one a philosopher, one a scold, live in a decaying house in rural France with an assortment of ducks, cats, llamas, and other pets. Their eldest daughter, a playwright living in Paris, visits frequently and serves as a conduit between the two. It is wryly humorous with shifting viewpoints.
Sam Black:
Paper Girl (NF) by Beth Macy. Reporting from declining small Ohio towns. Macy’s an excellent journalist based in Roanoke. She’s running for Congress from western Virginia, and she could win.
Humanly Possible (NF) by Sarah Bakewell. Bakewell’s a serious philosopher and an excellent and versatile writer, easy to read. The book is an analysis of humanist thinkers and thought over about 2500 years.
Tom Perrault:
I’m late to the Larry McMurtry game but recently listened to:
Lonesome Dove (F) and Terms of Endearment (F) and was enthralled by both. His characters are such….characters. :) Just brilliant. Ed: Lonesome Dove is a Pulitzer Prize winner and Terms of Endearment (inspired the Oscar winning film).
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If you can’t find anything in the list above, you can always check out the list from 2025.
