Blood and Thunder, by Hampton Sides

Title: Blood and Thunder 

Author: Hampton Sides 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 11/6/2026

Finished: 11/11/2026

What an unexpectedly amazing book.  Another reddit recommendation, this one blew me away.  

Welcome to the Deep Estate, by Kevin Kane

Title: Welcome to the Deep Estate 

Author: Kevin Kane 

Borrowed from Audible 

Started: 10/25/2026

Finished: 10/27/2026

Rare rec directly from the author who posted to Reddit that the narrator of his book had won an award.  Since the book was free on audible I gave it a shot and am glad I did.   

The first half of this was hilariously enjoyable.   Second half lost the way a bit but by then I was invested enough to continue and overall really liked this one. 

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon

Title: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Author: Edward Gibbon 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: Spring 2026

Finished: 10/26/2026

Been wanting to read this one for decades.  My college had the multi volume set and I used to look at it thinking - I can read and understand that (at the time I definitely could not).  

Well I was able to listen to it and understand it and love it.  But I still don't think I'd have ever committed to physically reading it in print.  Great book.  

Tales from the Gas Station Vol 1, by Jack Townsend

Title: Tales from the Gas Station Vol 1

Author: Jack Townsend 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 10/19/2026

Finished: 10/21/2026

I liked this but not as much as I'd hoped.  Felt more like a blog (I know, I know) or podcast maybe, won't be continuing with the series.  

This House Will Feed, by Maria Tureaud

Title: This House Will Feed 

Author: Maria Tureaud 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 10/17/2026

Finished: 10/20/2026

Great title and great narrator.  Otherwise terrible book for me.  A rare DNF but I gave up 2/3s of the way through.  Loved the setting and would have been up for a novel about the famine but this was a terrible Gothic horror novel.  

Looking for Rachel Wallace, by Robert B Parker

Title: Looking for Rachel Wallace 

Author: Robert B Parker 

Paperback picked up at take one leave one 

Started: 10/15/2026

Finished: 10/16/2026

My favorite Spenser novel.  A masterpiece.  I've read it probably 5 or 6 times now and never tire of it. 

Promised Land, by Robert B Parker

Title: Promised Land 

Author: Robert B Parker 

Paperback picked up at take one leave one

Started: 10/13/2026

Finished: 10/15/2026

Read this one a bunch of times but it's still great.  These earlier Spenser books are so satisfying.   

Vainqueur the Dragon: The Complete Series, by Maxime J Durand

Title: Vainqueur the Dragon: The Complete Series

Author: Maxime J Durand 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 9/17/2026

Finished: 10/9/2026

Four books in one, enjoyed the first two books quite a bit but the final books no so much.  

The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening, by Naomi Kuttner

Title: The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening 

Author: Naomi Kuttner 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: August 2026

Finished: August 2026

Forgot to record this one a month or so ago.  Didn't enjoy it.  Trying a bit to hard for the quirky fun thing that you get with Thursday Murder Club.  This one didn't work for me.  

Battle Cry of Freedom, by James M McPherson

Title: Battle Cry of Freedom 

Author: James M McPherson 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 9/7/2026

Finished: 9/16/2026

This was a thoroughly enjoyable history of the civil war.  

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by William L. Shirer

Title: The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich 

Author: William L Shirer

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 8/31/2026

Finished: 9/7/2026

Interesting detailed overview of Hitler's rise to power and ultimate downfall. 

Lost in the Dark and other Than excursions, by John Langan

Title: Lost in the Dark and other Excursions 

Author: John Langan 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 8/22/206

Finished: 8/25/2026

Loved this collection of stories.  Pretty sure the last few I had read in other anthologies, but could be mistaken.  The titular story was so great as I love found footage style stories.  Highly recommend this one. 

Blood on the Tracks, by Barbara Nickless

Title: Blood on the Tracks 

Author: Barbara Nickless 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 8/20/2023

Finished: 8/23/2023

Another Reddit recommendation, this one wasn't for me. 

Ark Royal, by Christopher G Nuttall

Title: Ark Royal 

Author: Christopher G Nuttall 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 8/10/2026

Finished: 8/19/2026

Space military war type book.  Enjoyed it enough to finish the book, but not enough to continue the series.  

The North Water, by Ian McGuire

Title: The North Water 

Author: Ian McGuire 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: sometime in 2025

Finished: 8/18/2026

Started this one over a year ago and was really into it before a few depressing scenes just too the wind out of me. Finally picked it back up to finish.  

The Commentaries, by Julius Caesar

Title: The Commentaries 

Author: Julius Caesar 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 7/15/2026

Finished: 8/16/2026

I loved this one.  Now I know where every book or movie on ancient Rome got many of their stories from.  Incredibly approachable and entertaining.  

The Histories, by Herodotus

Title: The Histories

Author: Herodotus 

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 8/1/2026

Finished: 8/16/2026

Enjoyable, ancient read.  

Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry

Title: Lonesome Dove 

Author: Larry McMurtry 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 7/4/2026

Finished: 8/10/2026

It's probably been 15-20 years since I last read Lonesome Dove.  Such a masterpiece, and this time I did it as a audiobook with one of the best narrators around, Will Patton.  Enjoyable beyond words.  

Diary of a Nobody, by Weedon & George Grossmith

Title: Diary of a Nobody 

Author: Weedon & George Grossmith 

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 7/27/2026

Finished: 8/1/2026

Pretty enjoyable and endearing novel.  

My Friends, by Fredrik Backman

Title: My Friends 

Author: Fredrik Backman 

Hardcore gift

Started: 7/28/2026

Finished: 8/2/2026

I like Back man's books a lot and this was good, but it didn't grab me the way the others have.  Still, life affirming so ultimately satisfying.