Books I'm reading
Reading is critical to my mental health. Ever since I was a kid, I read, at least a little bit before I fall asleep. In fact, it’s almost a trained behavior now. If I start reading during the day, I get sleepy! What I like about reading is that it gives me an opportunity to stop thinking about the day, put all of that aside and focus on something else. Almost like “parking” my brain for the evening.
I want a good book, not a great book. It needs to be something I enjoy, but easy enough to put down. If it’s too good, it’s easy to lose track of time and only notice the clock at 4am!
Currently I’m reading Dance with Dragons, the 5th book in the Game of Thrones series. It moves slowly, but it’s still interesting. I’m not sure what I’m going to do if I finish this before the 6th book is out, which seems likely.
Here are a few other books I’ve enjoyed over the last few years.
The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey, recommended by my friend Richie. The books are good, a little too good at times, and have caused a late night or two. The TV show does a good job representing the books.
One Way by SJ Morden (and the sequel No Way), was an interesting read. I’d call it a crime drama, mixed with Mars, and a little dystopian capitalism thrown in for good measure. I had a hard time putting it down.
The Nexus Trilogy by Ramez Naam, according to Amazon, I powered through those books in about 6 days each. I don’t really remember the storyline, but I do remember enjoying them.
And finally my kryptonite, Clive Cussler books, specifically the Oregon Files series. Honestly these books are like eating candy to me. They’re so easy to read, but they offer no “nutritional” value whatsoever! They’re super formulaic, the action is always on, there’s little character development, but damn, they’re fun!
Some of the other books I’ve enjoyed:
- The Stowaway by Laurie Gwen Shapiro (non-fiction) I thought this was fun, about a boy who tries to stowaway on a ship to Antarctica when the first explorers were heading down.
- Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America’s Most Storied Hospital by David M. Oshinsky (historical) A fascinating look at Bellevue Hospital in NYC, and a little history of medicine. Next time you’re in NYC, go visit Washington Square Park, it’s actually a cemetery for many of NYC’s yellow fever victims.
- Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky (sci-fi)
- Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson (sci-fi)
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (biography) This is an academic book, neat to learn some of the actual history, but really heavy. There were nights I didn’t even finish a paragraph before I closed the book to go to sleep. In the end, it took me almost a year to finish!
- The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast by Michael Scott Moore (non-fiction)