| Book Cover | Title | Author | Completion Date | Notes | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 On Amazon | John Adams | David McCullough ISBN 978-0-7432-2313-3 656pp. | 2024-03-26 | My oldest gave me this as a Christmas present two years ago and it took me this long to get the guts to start reading it, as it is long, and text-dense. I read McCullough's book on the Wright Brothers and really enjoyed it also (see below). | I really, really liked this book, and, I learned a great deal. I not only learned about John Adams, but also about Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and a little about Alexander Hamilton. I look forward to revisiting this book. By the way, some things never change. |
 Amazon | The Algebra of Happiness: Notes on the Pursuit of Success, Love, and Meaning | Scott Galloway ISBN 978-0-593-08419-9 232pp. | 2023-12-29 | Very quick read, small pages. Some good humor. | Although I am a Christian, and at the time of writing anyway, the author is atheist, I did enjoy reading the book. He was uncommonly honest and humble and I enjoyed reading the book. I look forward to watching some of his YouTubes. |
 Amazon | Brave New World ISBN 978-0-06-085052-4 259 pp. Originally published in 1932 | Aldous Huxley | 2023-12-12 | Was this a utopian or dystopian story? This was a "Classics Book Club" read at work. | Very unusual book and narrative, especially given the publish date. You may find his Wikipedia page useful, as I did, to get some context from the author. I looked up quite a few vocabulary words. |
 Amazon | Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters ISBN 978-1-59448-549-7 177pp., not including the notes section | Tim Keller | 2023-07-31 | This was the summer book club book at The Commons Church in Okemos, Michigan | I liked the book and found it useful. |
 Amazon link | The Hero Code Lessons Learned From Lives Well Lived ISBN-13 : 978-1538719961 157 pp. | by Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) | 2023-06-11 | The Hero Code 1. I will always strive to be COURAGEOUS; to take one step forward as I confront my fears. 2. I will work to be HUMBEL; to recognize the limits of my intellect, my understanding, and my power. 3. I will learn to SACRIFICE by giving a little of my time, my talent, and my treasure to those in need. 4. I will be a person of INTEGRITY; every decision I make and every action I take will be moral, legal, and ethical. 5> I will be kind and COMPASSIONATE; to at least one person every single day and expect nothing in return. 6. I will never give up on matters that are important to me, my family, my country, or my faith. I will PERSEVERE. 7. Whatever job I am given, whatever DUTY I am bound by, I will do it to the best of my ability. 8. I will use my unique talents to inspire others and give them HOPE that tomorrow will be a better day. 9. I will use HUMOR to comfort others, and never be afraid to laugh at myself. 10. No matter how great or small the offense agains me, I will try to FORGIVE. I will be the victor, not the victim. | Short, quick, read. I liked it. |
 Amazon Link | Atomic Habits Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results 978-0-7352-1129-2 305 pp. | James Clear | 2023-03-26 | This was a company-wide book club book at my employer (FNBA). | I like the book, recommend it thus far, and look forward to finding ways to apply what I learned. I need to read this one or two more times, for sure. |
 Amazon link | Black Box Thinking Why Most People Never Learn From Their Mistakes-But Some Do 978-1-59184-822-6 322 pp. | Matthew Syed | 2023-02-11 | This was a department book club reading at my employer (FNBA). | I like the book and I learned a lot and would welcome reading it again. I look forward to finding ways to apply what I learned. |
 Amazon link | Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity 978-0310092643 384 pp. | Nabeel Qureshi | September 23, 2022 | Loved this read. | I learned much and very much enjoyed reading the book. |
 Amazon link | Catch Me If You Can The True Story of a Real Fake 978-0767905381 277 pp. | Frank Abagnale with Stan Reading | June 24, 2022 | 277 pp. Not to spoil stuff, but it appears, like "Three Cups of Tea", referenced below, that a number of the items in the book and movie have been debunked. What do you think? Frank Abagnale, Jr., on Wikipedia | |
What Are The Odds? Amazon link | What Are the Odds? 978-1734283419 325 pp. | Mike Lindell | 2022-04-30 | "What are the odds?" is right. Mike should have died so many times. I like that Mike is a "doer", has big dreams and plans and executes them. 325 pp. | I enjoyed the book. |
 Amazon link | Never Split the Difference - Negotiating As If Your Life depended On It ISBN-13: 978-0062407801 288 pp. | Chris Voss with Tahl Raz | March 29, 2021 | Written by a former FBI hostage negotiator. | I liked it. |
 | "Ja"Hard Times, Good People 274 pp. 978-1-68394-340-2 | Kurt D. Thelen, Ph.D. (my brother-in-law) | September 8, 2019 | The second book written by my brother-in-law about the growing up of his Father and Mother's families. Well done! | Great story! |
 | One Last Great Thing A Story of a Father and a Son, a Story of a Life and a Legacy 130 pp. 978-1-4767-1165-2 | John Burke | August 16, 2019 | Second time I read the book, and for a reason. See below. | Great book. Written by the son of the founder of Trek Bicycles, who was a very passionate man. |
 | Bobke II 195 pp. 1-931382-28-X | Bobke (Bob Roll) | September 4, 2018 | Absolutely hilarious...and irreverent. I'll never watch TdF coverage the same. | You WILL laugh out loud. |
 | A Practical Guide to Culture 340 pp 978-1-4347-1101-4 | John Streenstreet & Brett Kunkle | Didn't document my exact finish date. | Useful book. Christian Dad's breakfast book. | |
 | Toy Box Leadership 183 pp. 1-59555-328-2 | Ron Hunter Jr. & Michael E. Waddell | Started, but haven't finished. | Clever premise. | |
 | Land of Second Chances - The Impossible Rise of Rwanda's Cycling Team 327 pp. 978-1-937715-20-5 | Tim Lewis | Finished March 15, 2017 | Enjoyed the book. | |
 | The One Year Bible (New Living Translation) 1,442 pp. 0-8423-3289-8 | many authors | January 25, 2017 | I've read out of the Bible almost every day since the fall of 1980, but this offers a structured way to read through the whole Bible in one year, reading Psalms and Proverbs twice. | Must read...daily! |
 | When Boppa Was a Boy 197 pp. 978-1-62772-386-2 | Kurt D. Thelen Illustrated by Kelsey D. Thelen | January 22, 2017 | This was written by my brother-in-law, Kurt Thelen Ph.D., and was illustrated by his daughter (my niece), Kelsey. | |
 | The Wright Brothers 267 pp. 978-1476728742 | David McCullough | About January 12, 2016 | This was an amazing book about some amazing people. Royally enjoyed the book. | Great book. I still have to read his 600+ page book, "John Adams", on which an excellent HBO series was based. |
 | The Last Lion: Winston Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940 - 1965 1,050 pp. 978-0345548634 | William Manchester & Paul Reid | About December 15, 2015 | Probably the longest book I've ever read outside of the Bible. I really enjoyed the book and had fun making a mind map of all the people, places, etc. that are involved to keep them all straight. | Great book. Here's a hand-written "mind map" I wrote while reading the book to keep all of the names straight. |
| One Last Great Thing A Story of a Father and a Son, a Story of a Life and a Legacy 130 pp. 978-1-4767-1165-2 | John Burke | August 21, 2015 | Really enjoyed the book. Great story (about the foundation of Trek bicycle company), great tribute. | Quick read. Great book. Written by the son of the founder of Trek Bicycles, who was a very passionate man. |
 | 7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness 194 pp. 978-1-5955-5469-7 | Eric Metaxas | December 26, 2014 | George Washington Eric Liddell Dietrich Bonhoeffer William Wilberforce Jackie Robinson Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) Chuck Colson | I liked the book and recommmend it. |
 | Lance Armstrong - It's Not About the Bike - My Journey Back to Life 275 pp. 0-399-14611-3 | Lance Armstrong | November 26, 2014 | The book brought me much closer to those undergoing cancer treatment, especially when the treatment is misrable. Lance is amazing, a maniac, and sort of an unrestrained child. But people are complicated and never perfect. I enjoyed the book. | In the end I enjoyed the book. Knowing that he is (now) and admitted doper I wonder when he started and how that correlates with the books' timeline, where Lance claims he would never dope, not after chemo. I'm curious as to why he and his wife divorced. |
 | How Now Shall We Live? 641 pp. 978-0-8423-5588-9 | Chuck Colson with Nancy Pearcey | August 29, 2014 | It took me, honestly, a couple of years to get through the book. It is deep, and Chuck is intellectual. I liked the book and found it quite valuable. | Great book on Christian worldview. Chuck is right on. Contains some great (and true) stories. You can definitely see some of the roots in Colson's book come from C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity". |
 | American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History 381 pp. 978-0-06-208235-0 | Chris Kyle | July 21, 2014 | I definitely learned more about Navy SEALs and the life of a sniper. I am even more grateful for the work, risk and sacrifice of our military. A movie with the same title is now out on Chris Kyle's life (which I also saw, and also liked). | Interesting read. I enjoyed reading it and feel I have a tiny insight into what that military role was like. The author did a great job. Not for everyone. |
 | Upgrade: 10 Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child 206 pp. 0-8054-4030-5 | Kevin Swanson | February 22, 2014 | I've heard Kevin speak in person and I could "hear him" as I was reading the book. Very challenging, not for the faint. | Highly recommended. Kevin sets the bar high and is a great communicator. |
 | Boy Racer: My Journey to Tour de France Record-Breaker 285 pp. 978-1-93403064-6 | Mark Cavendish | October 8, 2013 | I wasn't so interested in Mark Cavendish...not at all, but I was interested in learning more about professional bike racing and especially the Tour de France and I enjoyed reading about Mark and his story. | Enjoyed the book. There's always a razor sharp edge dividing confidence and arrogance. It was nice to see him express gratitude for the work of his teammates! |
 | Biking Across America - My Coast-to-Coast Adventure and the People I Met Along the Way 222 pp. 978-0-8007-2178-7 | Paul Stutzman | June 23, 2013 | What a great adventure. Should the opportunity arise I would like to do something like that. I definitely learned more about the culture of certain areas of the country and enjoyed the book. | Enjoyable read. Nice to learn more about this great country, too. |
 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Dog Days 217 pp. 978-0-8109-83915 | Jeff Kinney | March 23, 2013 | I read this together with my youngest daughter. Don't forget, "Honesty is the best policy." | If you were ever a teenage boy you have to think a lot of this is hilarious. |
 | Gospel-Powered Parenting 220 pp. 978-1-59639-135-3 | William P. Farley | February 24, 2013 | Our small group Bible study read this together. The book talks about applying the gospel to parenting. | Good book. Glad I read it. Parents need the gospel too. |
| The One Year Bible (New Living Translation) 1,442 pp. 0-8423-3289-8 | many authors | December 31, 2012 | I've read out of the Bible almost every day for the last 39 years, but this offers a structured way to read through the whole Bible in one year, reading Psalms and Proverbs twice. | Must read...daily! |
 | Unbroken 406 pp. 978-1-4000-6416-8 | Laura Hillenbrand | April 3, 2012 | The story of Olympian and war hero Louie Zampirini. Amazing story about an amazing person. Must read! | Must-read...an outstanding book. I am a tougher person after reading this book. The content of the book is pretty much guaranteed to make you uncomfortable at some parts. |
 | Living Hope for the End of Days - A 52 Week Devotional from the Book of Revelation 518 pp. 9781933561202 | Dr. John Barnett | December 31, 2011 | The book was a gift. Daily devotional through the book of Revelation. Definitely learned some things. The author challenged the reader often and in a number of ways. | |
 | I Beat the Odds 250 pp. 978-1-592-40612-8 | Michael Oher | October 1, 2011 | Can't believe how tough some have it. Thank God for a number of loving and caring people who intervene. Also great to read about a very determined person who didn't let their circumstances determine their outcome. | Good read. |
 | Crazy Love - Overwhelmed by a Relentless God 205pp. 978-1-4347-6851-3 | Francis Chan | July 16, 2011 | 205 pp. | Our small group Bible study read this together. Generalization: There are two kinds of christians, those that focus on "doing" and those that focus on "being". Francis, in my mind, focuses on doing. The book is very challenging to the reader. |
 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Rodrick Rules 217 pp. 978-0-8109-9473-7 | Jeff Kinney | December 4, 2010 | I read this together with my youngest daughter. Don't forget, "Honesty is the best policy." | |
 | Prey 364 pp. 0-06-621412-2 | Michael Crichton (deceased) (the Jurassic Park, and Andromeda Strain guy) | October 17, 2010 | A little far-fetched, but hey...it's a sci-fi book. What I really got the most out of was the author's preface about not engineering nature. | |
 | It's Your Ship - Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy 212 pp. 0-446-52911-7 | Captain D. Michael Abrashoff | September 10, 2010 | A few more pages and I will have read this two times. I totally love this book and every manager should read it. | Absolutely a must-read, especially for anyone who manages people. This includes parents. I really enjoyed this book. Great job, Captain Mike, especially about being so transparent! |
 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid 217 pp. 978-0-8109-9316-6 | Jeff Kinney | May 19, 2010 | I read this together with my youngest daughter. Does not exemplify ideal behavior but was funny. | |
 | The 12 Week Year 63 pp. 978-0-9729635-1-0*** | Brian P. Moran (friend of mine) | May 19, 2010 | I was seriously motivated by this book and thought Brian put to the reader straight saying that change is painful, but worthwhile goals are worth the pain. | Read it. Do what it says. ***A new edition has subsequently been released. |
 | Wild at Heart 220 pp. 0-7852-6883-9 | John Eldredge | May 2, 2010 | Book was a gift. I liked how the author was very transparent and very honest. | |
 | Star Wars: Dark Lord - The Rise of Darth Vader 338 pp. 978-0-345-47733-0 | James Luceno | August 22, 2009 | ||
 | Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace - One School at a Time 349 pp. 9780143038252 | Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin | Somewhere in Q3 of 2009 | I read this book twice. I learned so much about a place I really knew nothing about. | Apparently it has come out that some parts of the book were ad-libbed to fill in some blanks, but I still really liked the book. It's funny how many Pakistani people I've met since I've read this book. |
 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 759 pp. 0-545-01022-5 | J.K. Rowling | December 20, 2008 | Loved the whole series. Very clever. Glad I made it to the end! | |
 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 652 pp. 0-439-78454-9 | J.K. Rowling | November 27, 2008 | ||
 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 870 pp. 0-439-35806-X | J.K. Rowling | October 30, 2008 | ||
 | Life of Pi audio book version, about 11 hours (book is 420 pp.) 0156030209 | Yann Martel | September 29, 2008 | ||
 | Nineteen Minutes 778 pp. large print 978-158547-991-7 | Jodi Picoult | July 29, 2008 | ||
 | Absolute Power 469 pp. 0-446-51996-0 | David Baldacci | April 30, 2008 | Neighborhood book club book, if I remember correctly | |
 | Water for Elephants 335 pp. 1-56512-499-5 | Sara Gruen | January 19, 2008 around 12:30am | Neighborhood book club book, if I remember correctly | |
 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 734 pp. 0-439-13959-7 | J.K. Rowling | January 11, 2008 | Fun read | |
 | Flags of Our Fathers 540 pp. 0-553-58934-2 | James Bradley | November 20, 2007 | Watched the movie, too | Amazing story and amazing book. |
 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 547 pp. 0-439-65548-X | J.K. Rowling | October 11, 2007 | ||
 | Veil of Roses 309 pp. 987-0-553-38388-1 | Laura Fitzgerald | August 31, 2007 | Book club book | |
 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 341 pp. 0-439-06487-2 | J.K. Rowling | August 27, 2007 | ||
 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 309 pp. 0-590-35342-X | J.K. Rowling | August 12, 2007 | ||
 | The Glass Castle 288 pp. 0-7432-4754-X | Jeannette Walls | In the wee hours of April 28, 2007 | Unbelievable how hard some have it growing up. | Must read. You won't be the same thereafter, and that's good. |
 | Confessions of a Reformission Rev - Hard Lessons From an Amerging Missional Church 197 pp. 0-310-27016-2 | Mark Driscoll | March 10, 2007 | Very glad I read the book. Absolutely laughed out loud multiple times. | |
 | The Pursuit of HappyNess 302 pp. 0-06-074487-1 | Chris Gardner | Also on March 10, 2007 | Again, unbelievable how some get off to a hard start. | Gained some interesting insights |
 | Boundaries 296 pp. 0-310-24745-4 | Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend | January 2, 2006 | Can't hear no. Can't say no. Can't hear yes. Can't say yes. | Absolutely must read for pretty much everybody. Who doesn't have at least one of the four boundary problems? |
 | An Unfinished Life 272 pp. 1-4000-7614-5 | Mark Spragg | October 18, 2006 | ||
 | Vanishing Act 418 pp. 978-0-7434-5454-4 | Jodi Picoult | July 20, 2006 | Neighborhood book club book. | |
 | The Devil in the White City - Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America 396 pp. 0-375-72560-1 | Erik Larson | May 16, 2006 | About the Chicago World's Fair near the turn of the century. | Absolutely amazing, clever book. You will not sleep the same for a while after reading it. |
 | A Different Kind of Teacher - Solving the Crisis of American Schooling 230 pp. 1-893163-21-0 | John Taylor Gatto | Somewhere near the beginning of May 2006 | Profound book. Strongly recommended reading. | |
 | Kite Runner 371 pp. 1-59448-000-1 | Khaled Hosseini | October 15, 2005 | ||
 | The Gold Coast 500 pp. 0-446-51504-3 | Nelson DeMille | April 25, 2005 | Not safe for church on Sunday | Very entertaining read |
 | Escape from Slavery 285 pp. 978-0312306243 | Francis Bok | March 4, 2005 | If any of this is true, and I assume, for now, that it is, this was a horrible situation | |
 | The Time Traveler's Wife 650 pp. (big print edition) 015602943X | Audrey Niffenegger | February 12, 2005 | Not safe for church on Sunday | An interesting twist on time travel...but not as excellent as Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure |
 | Your Money Counts 168 pp. 0-9651114-0-7 | Howard Dayton | November 30, 2004 | I greatly benefitted from Crown Ministries | |
 | The Five Love Languages 204 pp. 1-881273-15-6 | Gary Chapman | October 25, 2004 | Mandatory read. Excellent, profound book. | |
 | Three Weeks with My Brother 356 pp. 0-446-53244-4 | Nicholas Sparks | August 2004 | Anybody with siblings, especially close ones, would really enjoy this book. | |
 | Three Junes 353 pp. 0-375-42241-2 | Julia Glass | July 2004 | Total chick-flick book. FIction. | Neighborhood book club book. There have never, ever, been so many words in a book I didn't recognize...probably over 100! |
 | The Secret Life of Bees 320 pp. 0142001740 | Sue Monk Kidd | July 2004 | Neighborhood book club book. Fiction. Total chick-flick book. | Entertaining...especially for a chick flick book. |
 | Empire Falls 483 pp. 0-679-43247-7 | Richard Russo | June 2004 | Neighborhood book club book. | I wonder if in the author's world view he thinks very low of humanity |
 | What's So Amazing About Grace? 304 pp. 978-0310245650 | Philip Yancey | May 2004 | I've probably read through this three times but not sequential. Excellent book. Must read. | Profound book. A must read for every Christian. I keep reading and re-reading out of this book. |
 | The Cabinet of Curiousities 466 pp. 0-446-53022-0 | Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child | January 3, 2004 | Neighborhood book club book. Fiction. This is actually part three of a series. | Absolutely one of the most clever, creative books I have ever read...and to think that the authors live on separate coasts. |
 | Hell Above and Hell Below 114 pp. 978-0911293050 | Richard Lewis | Q4 2003 | Richard was the neighbor of some of my former neighbors, Kenny and Marlene Burleson (I think back in Connecticut). Non-fiction. | Absolutely amazing story. War is awful. Some parts are more awful than others. |
 | Learning Joy from Dogs without Collars 368 pp. 978-0743201025 | Lauralee Summer | Q4 2003 | Neighborhood book club book. Non-fiction. I can't believe how hard some have it. | Enjoyable read. |
 | Living the Simple Life 350 pp. 978-0786862191 | Elaine St. James | Q4 2003 | A loaner from my friend and co-workder (at the time), Mr. Chris Kloecker | Valuable read. |
 | The Millionaires 560 pp. 0446611921 | Brad Meltzer | Q3 2003 | Neighborhood book club book. This was my first book club book. I was told in order to enjoy our neighbor's Tiramisu you had to read the book. So I did. And got hooked. | Really enjoyed the book. It was clever and had some good twists and turns. Also interesting to find out more about Disneyworld. |
 | Wild at Heart 220 pp. 0-7852-6883-9 | Q2, 2003 | |||
| The Hobbit 275 pp. 978-0345538376 | J.R.R Tolkien | Q2, 2003 | What an amazing tale, J.R.R Tolkien! |