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January

1. by Louise Bates Ames
Finish Date: January 5
Rating: B
My son is now two. This is a great series of books that covers what parents might expect and how your child is developing. Some things are a little dated, but I enjoyed the book.

It looks like it is really good Bryan.

I am sooo impressed that a father is reading up on childrearing! That is tooo cool. Your boy has got to be a real wonderment to you. - I guess I see in my world that men are more involved with their children than they were in my day of childrearing. I really love it.

Bekah
an old grandma-type

Becky wrote: "I am sooo impressed that a father is reading up on childrearing! That is tooo cool. Your boy has got to be a real wonderment to you. - I guess I see in my world that men are more involved wit..."

Thanks, Becky. I have read a number of books to help me out. I agree, I think more fathers are becoming more involved and it is a good thing.

Bryan wrote: "January

1. by Louise Bates Ames
Finish Date: January 5
Rating: B
My son is now two. This is a great series of books that cove..."

Hi Bryan

When I was raising kids it was Dr. Spock and it was a regular ready reference but I never "sat down and read it" -

Whatever book/ books you read/use you are at the beginning of a great adventure

Thanks Vince. It is a great adventure!

Format perfect Bryan, citations are according to guidelines - thanks and thanks for your help assisting others.

Bentley wrote: "Format perfect Bryan, citations are according to guidelines - thanks and thanks for your help assisting others."

Thanks, Bentley, I check formatting as part of my job, so I'm right there with you :-)

Good job. When folks follow the formatting it is easier for everybody to see and read the information they are looking for easily and completely. Also, it allows the goodreads software in the case of the citations to do its job properly. Thanks.

February

2. by Don Lessem
Finish Date: February 15
Rating: A

I got this book for my son and I loved it just as much as he did. He is a little young, but the pictures are great and it gives you a pronunciation guide with each dinosaur. It is a first rate encyclopedia.

March

3. Nathaniel Fick
Finish Date: March 1
Rating: B+

This is a good book to read to learn about the viewpoint of a Marine officer during Afghanistan and Iraq. Although I prefer books that look at the higher level of strategy, you can't go wrong with this one.

4. Ed Gillespie
Finish: March 1
Rating: B

Gillespie is a former GOP chairman and aide to George W. Bush. It is a solid look at the election process of the 1990s and 2000s as he examines lessons he learned on the campaign trail.

5. Richard Matheson
Finish: March 27
Rating: B+

This was a pretty good haunted house book, considered a classic. I think it was made into a movie staring Roddy McDowell.

6. David. A. Nichols
Finish: March 15
Grade: A-

This is a great re-assessment of Eisenhower and how he handle a huge crisis. He was not out golfing, but in charge even after suffering surgery, a heart attack, and a re-election!

April

7. Colleen McCullough
Finish Date: April 12
Grade: A-

This is another great installment of the Rome series. I liked the first one just a little bit better than this one, probably because I was introduced to the Roman world and had a little more plotting go on.

I am loving this series too.

8. Tim Weiner
Finish Date: April 25
Grade: B+

It is a close A, but he glossed over some big issues related to the CIA and he needed just some more context. This is a fascinating book and it reads quickly. It is an eye opener.

9. Walter R. Borneman
Finish Date: April 25
Grade: B

This is a great overview of Polk's life and presidency. This is not a "life and times" book, though, and Borneman doesn't show many of Polk's warts. But he brings a new perspective such as how he got to be president, debunking the "dark horse" candidate theory.

10. by James Chace
Finish Date: April 28
Grade: B+

This is a very readable biography of Truman's Secretary of State that forged NATO, the Truman Doctrine, and helped with the Marshall Plan. He really believed that you had to see Russia not as a evil entity, but another major power to negotiate with. Chace does a great job in keeping things moving and I recommend this to anyone who is interested in this time period.

May

11. Jeff Shaara
Finish Date: May 6
Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade: A-

I really enjoy Shaara's books. He puts in the minds of people like Patton, Rommel, and Eisenhower, but includes a couple characters who are on the front lines. Great read and seems pretty accurate to me.

July

12. Suzanne Collins
Finish Date: July 3
Genre: Young Adult science fiction/fantasy
Grade: A

This is a book that lives up to the hype. The characters are interesting and the action is good. I'm looking forward to the movie, but right now, I will continue the series and I highly recommend it to any fan of the genre.

13. Sarah Vowell
Finish Date: July 8
Grade: B

The author has a quirky sense of humor and this is the book's strength. She will go into the histories of the deaths of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, and if you know the stories well, you will probably flip through those parts to get to her funny comments and more unusual stories. It was a fun read.

14. Rick Riordan
Finish Date: July 20
Grade: B+

This is a interesting story using ancient Greek mythology. I liked Riordan's writing style with his touch of humor throughout the book. I will continue the series.

August

15. Guillermo Del Toro
Finish Date: August 1
Grade: A
Genre: Horror Fiction

This is a great vampire book. Say good-bye to "Twilight" and hello to vicious monsters. The writing style is fast-paced and lively. I can't wait to read the next one.

Hi Bryan

I have read this book and was most impressed with the opening. It is a big book and got a bit bogged down in the middle, but in general, very good.

I don't want to offend anyone, but I threw Twilight out after reading the first two pages.

My favourite genre for as long as I can remember is Gothic Horror. One of the best of this genre is Sheridan le Fanu's "Carmilla". A classic. If you havent read it, it is worth a look.

Guillermo Del Toro

Stephenie Meyer

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Another story of Sheridan le Fanu's you may enjoy is "Green Tea", a haunting tale, though not vampiric. Sheridan Le Fanu

Thanks, Karolina. I have read Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and I loved it. It is a true classic of the genre.

Thanks for other suggestion, very cool.

16. by Rick Riordan

Finish Date: August 16
Grade: B-
Category: Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy

Second in the series, fun and the author still has the good humor. I like the first a little better but I'm still reading the series, a good sign.

17. Rick Riordan
Finish Date: August 23
Grade: B+
Category: Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy

This installment ranks with the fast. Interesting story and good humor, well paced. Two more to go.

18. (no image) A Companion to Franklin D. Roosevelt by William D. Pederson
Grade: A
Finish Date: August 1
Category: Reference

This will come out next year and it is must for anyone who is starting to research FDR. This is the first in a series of companions for Wiley (publisher).

19. James M. Cain
Finish Date: August 20
Grade: B
Category: Fiction

I liked this book. I read it after seeing parts of the HBO miniseries. I wanted to get deeper into Mildred's motivations, but I didn't think it went deep enough. Yet, I still recommend it.

September

20. Rick Riordan
Finish Date: September 13
Grade: A-
Category: Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy

The next to last in the series and it is getting better. The author is very creative in using Greek mythology.

21. Eliot A. Cohen
Finish Date: September 26
Grade: A
Category: History

This is a great book. He focuses on the war leadership of Lincoln, Clemenceau, Churchill, and David Ben-Gurion and comes up with some interesting results. I won't spoil it for you.

Anything about Churchill has to be good.

October
22. Rick Riordan
Finish Date: October 7
Grade: A
Category: Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy

A great ending to the series. It is a series I will re-read another day, which is saying something.

23. T.J. English
Finish Date: October 11
Grade: A-

This is a really interesting book; the story of racism and corruption in NYC from the 1960s until the mid-1970s. The book is well written and thought-provoking. Highly recommend it.

24. Guillermo del Toro
Finish Date: October 31
Grade: A

This has become a really good vampire series. It is original and well-paced. Now I wait for the final book.

Now that we can call a Halloween special (smile). I have to say that I have never been into vampires. The closest I got was reading The Historian. (which I liked by the way)

Elizabeth Kostova

Indeed, a great way to close Halloween. I have heard good things about:

Elizabeth Kostova

It was long but kept my interest; I listened to the unabridged on audible I think or I got the cds from the local library; but I do remember listening to it versus reading it. A real thriller.

Hi Bryan,
this one just came out (and it'sssss nicccce - bite bite...):

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Thanks, Andre. I just downloaded it to my Kindle. Woo Hoo.

Let me know if the Kindle makes the blood glow.

Lol-the Kindle should be oozing blood from this series.

Wow, I always thought that would mess up the electronics. But hey, we never stop learning, right?

November

25. by Bill Clinton
Finish Date: Nov. 6
Grade: A-/B+

The first part of this book is very good, very interesting. Once he is in the presidency, I think he could have used an editor to tighten it up. It seems he was trying to put in everything he could and it was dense, less illuminating. Overall, honest and highly recommended.

26. Alex Berenson
Finish Date: Nov. 17
Grade: C+

This was a pretty good thriller; the pacing was brisk and I liked the main character, Wells. But it all came to a climax very fast and I didn't feel the thrill so much. Solid, not great.

December

27. Brad Thor
Finish Date: Dec. 10
Grade: B
Category: Thriller

This was a solid effort and good action. If you need some escapism, you can't go wrong.

28. Guillermo del Toro
Finish Date: Dec. 12
Grade: A
Category: Horror

Great ending to a very good vampire series. I highly recommend this to any horror fan.