I read of an intriguing idea recently: that a list of the books we read is a kind of autobiography reflecting our deepest interests. For what it’s worth, I decided to compile my list from last year and post it here. I was surprised to find that I had equal numbers of fiction and non-fiction. The seven titles with a preceding asterisk are ones I read as part of a Bayerl Family book group that is entering its ninth year.

I’ve already posted blog reviews of three of last year’s books, as follows:

“Killers of the Flower Moon” as Book and Film, book written by David Gann, film directed by Martin Scorsese, 1/22/2024

“Anything Is Possible” by Elizabeth Strout, 5/27/2024

What’s My Excuse?, a review of Viktor Frankl’s “Yes to Life in Spite of Everything”, 6/24/2024

NON-FICTION

1 *Killers of the Flower Moon, David Gann

2. The Gospel According to James Baldwin, Greg Garrett

3. Uncle Tom’s Journey from Maryland to Canada – The Life of Josiah Henson, Edna M. Troiano

4. Yes to Life, (translation of Viktor Frankl’s essays called “In Spite of Everything”). Daniel Coleman (ed,)

5. Proof of Heaven, Eben Alexander

6. *Democracy Awakening, Heather Cox Richardson

7. A Year to Live, Stephen Levine

8. * Beautiful Country, Quian Julie Wang

9. A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit – the Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune, Noline Rooks

10. In Search of Stones,M. Scott Peck

11. The Road He Travelled – The Revealing Biography of M. Scott Peck, Arthur Jones

FICTION

1. *American Savior, Roland Merullo

2. *The River We Remember, William Kent Krueger

3. Anything Is Possible, Elizabeth Strout

4. *Goodnight, Irene, Luis Alberto Urea

5. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout

6. The Little Liar, Mitch Albom

7. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom

8. *Trust, Hernan Diaz

9. Olive, Again, Elizabeth Strout

10. *The Storm Beyond the Tide, Jonathan Cullen

11. Foregone, Russell Banks

John Bayerl, 1/26/2025