This title is a bit misleading because I am currently between books. I will soon be starting “Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love,” which has been on my list for a while, and I’m looking forward to it. So, instead of “What I’m Reading,” “What I Read Recently” may make more sense, but alas, not as catchy.
I like to rotate between fiction/novels and self-help/non-fiction. Occasionally, I’ll have one of each going. Below is a list of books I’ve recently completed, starting with the most recent.
- The Last Good Heist: The Inside Story of The Biggest Single Payday in the Criminal History of the Northeast by Tim White
My son got me this one for Christmas, and it was fantastic. He read “The Mona Lisa Vanishes” at school, and wanted us both to have “heist books” to read. It’s a very easy read, and living in the Northeast myself made it all the more exciting. If you enjoy true crime, with a bit of mafia, Vegas, and hitmen mixed in, you’ll enjoy this book. It’s an easy read, written by Providence journalists, and the level of research they put into it shows. - Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
A sci-fi classic and one of my all-time favorite books. I first read it about 20 years ago. Recently, my son and I were at the library waiting for my wife to get her hair done, and I picked it up again and couldn’t put it down. I knew the ending, and it was still just as good. I never did read further in the series, so I plan to start “Speaker For The Dead” in the near future. - The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jon Haidt
If you are a parent of a Gen Z child or younger, I’m sure you’ve heard of this one. If you listen to any podcasts or subscribe to any Substacks, I’m sure you’ve heard of this one or heard Jonathan talk about the principles. I can assure you it is still well worth the read. The main talking point of “moving from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood” sends chills down my body.
I would encourage all parents with children growing up in the smartphone era to read this book. You might feel curbing screen time is a losing battle, so why try? But this book offers practical steps you can take at home, at school, in your community, and beyond. Read it. - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I was perusing the free table outside my local library when another sci-fi novel, “Station Eleven,” caught my eye. I had watched the HBO series based on the book when it aired during the pandemic and really enjoyed it. I had friends at the time tell me that the book was even better, so I picked it up. They were right, it’s fantastic.
While most of the main characters appear in both the book and the HBO series, there are many differences, some quite significant. And with any book vs. show/movie, you are allowed inside the characters’ minds to a much greater depth. Recommended for anyone who enjoys sci-fi or enjoyed watching the miniseries. - North Woods by Daniel Mason
Not going to lie, I did not see this one coming. My wife was reading it, but eventually it got a bit too “scary” for her, and she recommended I read it. I picked it up and did not put it down again.
The setting is one single house in Western Massachusetts, seen through the eyes of its inhabitants over many different generations. On the surface, they have no connection, save for living in the same house at different times, but the house binds them. There is an element of supernatural, ghosts, that I was surprised by and really enjoyed. This one may not be for everyone, but it was for me.
I’ll write about whatever I finish next as it comes.
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