Stoner, by John Williams

Title: Stoner

Author: John Williams

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook

Started: 7/20/2026

Finished: 7/23/2026

I loved Williams' books Butchers Crossing and Augustus, so I never doubted that I would like Stoner as well, but the synopsis never grabbed me.  So it has taken me a few years to finally read this one and sure enough, it was fantastic.

The Spellman Files, by Lisa Lutz

Title: The Spellman Files

Author: Lisa Lutz

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook

Started: 7/17/2026

Finished: 7/20/2026

This series is often recommended on various Reddit boards and it sounded right up my alley.  Unfortunately, this wasn't for me, but I can see why others love it. 

As I think I've mentioned here before I'm a law librarian and Lutz clearly did work in the people finding business because there are repeated, detailed descriptions of the use of public records databases -- the kinds of details you need to locate your target, how to use details you know about someone to pinpoint the right person, etc.  We use those resources frequently in my profession is this same way so that was interesting but the characters and plot never materialized that I was expecting.

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S Grant

Title: Person Memoirs of Ulysses S Grant 

Author: US Grant

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 7/10/2026

Finished: 7/17/2026

Wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one but it was fantastic.  Wish it had been twice as long and continued through his presidency.   Captivating.  

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo

Title: The Hunchback of Notre Dame 

Author: Victor Hugo 

Borrowed from Audible 

Started: 6/16/2026

Finished:  6/25/2026

Forgot to record this one earlier, extremely enjoyable.  

Let's Pretend This Never Happened, by Jenny Lawson

Title: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Author: Jenny Lawson

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook

Started: 7/1/2026

Finished: 7/10/2026

Lots of reddit suggestions for this one and it was funny at times, but not for me.  

We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman

Title: We Solve Murders 

Author: Richard Osman 

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 6/29/2026

Finished: 7/7/2026

I liked this one ok, but not enough to keep going with the series.  

Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman

Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl 

Author: Matt Dinniman 

Paperback picked up at free library 

Started: 6/29/2026

Finished: 7/4/2026

I know, I know, but hear me out. This time I wasn't doing the audio but the print version.  

Space: 1972, by Bill Oakley

Title: Space:1972

Author: Bill Oakley

Borrowed from Audible

Started: 6/22/2026

Finished: 6/24/2026

They must have heard my complaints about the first title (1969) because this one was free.  It wasn't great, but was cute.  Solid voice acting.

The Screwtape Letters, by CS Lewis

Title: The Screwtape Letters 

Author: CS Lewis 

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 6/21/2026

Finished: 6/23/2026

I'm a sucker for epistolary novels and this short one was great. The overall Christian theme wasn't heavy handed and the writing was great.  

Space: 1969, by Bill Oakley

Title: Space: 1969

Author: Bill Oakley

Purchased on Audible

Started: 6/18/2026

Finished: 6/22/2026

Not sure I should could this as a book but that's how it was sold.  Turned out to be a radio-drama.  Entertaining if stupid, but that's what I was expecting.  Feels like it should have been an Audible freebee instead of a purchase though.

The Fury, by Alex Michaelides

Title: The Fury

Author: Alex Michaelides

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook

Started: 6/13/2026

Finished: 6/16/2026

Overall I liked this one but the constant unreliable narrator got a bit old.  

Sugar on the Bones, by Joe R Lansdale

Title: Sugar on the Bones

Author: Joe R. Lansdale

Purchased from Audible

Started: 6/6/2026

FInished:6/8/2026

Mentioned that I read these last two Hap & Leonard novels out of order, glad I did. This one was significantly better than the one I just finished.  Mostly due to the character of Al who Lansdale seemed to really be able to channel (or maybe he was channeling Charlie Portis), either way, the dialog in this one was best in recent memory.  

Roseanna, by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahool

Title: Roseanna

Author: Maj Sjowall & Per Wahool

Borrowed from DC Public Library 

Started: 6/6/2026

Finished: 6/8/2026

Short but taught crime novel, most similar to those Ed McBain 87th Precinct novels.  Pretty enjoyable.  

Hatchet Girls, by Joe R Lansdale

Title: Hatchet Girls 

Author: Joe R Lansdale 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 6/1/2026

Finished: 6/4/2026

The most recent, I think, Hap & Leonard book.  Not great, same as most of these later H&L novels, but the characters are fun and familiar and I'll keep reading as he keeps writing.  

Accidentally skipped the one before this one so working through it now.  

None of This Is True, by Lisa Jewel

Title: None of This is True

Author: Lisa Jewel 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 5/25/2026

Finished: 5/28/2206

Promising start for one of these plot twist troubled woman novels.  Fell apart for me in the second half.  Multiple big reveals were pretty lame. 

A Parade of Horribles, by Matt Dinniman

Title: A Parade of Horribles 

Author: Matt Dinniman 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 5/12/2026

Finished: 5/16/2026

Didn't post as soon as I finished this latest DCC title because, embarrassingly, I immediately started it again once finished.  Embarrassing because I am so in the take for these books. Series is winding down so these are less fun from a build-up and survive perspective, but since I care about the characters and ultimate resolution they're still very enjoyable.  

This Inevitable Ruin, by Matt Dinniman

Title: This Inevitable Ruin 

Author: Matt Dinniman 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 5/1/2026

Finished: 5/4/2026

Yet another re-read of the most recent DCC book in anticipation of the next book in the series coming out in a week.  Enjoyed it and a good reminder of where things stand in this series.  

To Walk The Night, by Williams Sloane

Title: To Walk The Night

Author: William Sloane

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Kindle Edition

Started: 4/29/2026

Finished: 5/5/2026

I really enjoyed this one, kind of a novel length twilight zone-ish novel.  I was captivated by the story and the interesting way it is told.

The Accursed Huntsman, by Douglas Hoover

Title: The Accursed Huntsman

Author: Douglas Hoover

Borrowed from Audible

Started: 4/29/2026

Finished: 4/30/2026

First of these Hoover books I didn't enjoy.  I wanted to like it, but it was a struggle to finish.

Monumental, by Adam Nevill

Title: Monumental 

Author: Adam Nevill 

Purchased from Amazon Kindle edition 

Started: 4/20/2026

Finished: 4/29/2026

Disturbing folk horror by Nevill, I've enjoyed most of his work and this was no exception.  

The North Woods, by Douglas Hoover

Title: The North Woods

Author: Douglas Hoover

Borrowed from Audible

Started: 4/27/2026

Finished: 4/28/2026

I enjoyed this book immensely.  It's not as ambitious as the other Hoover book I read (The Saravan), but I loved it all the same.  A hard-to-believe happy ending in the epilogue -- impossibly  hard to believe.  But that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of this one.  Fun to discover an author I wasn't aware of with back-to-back enjoyable reads.

The Tainted Cup, by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: The Tainted Cup

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook

Started: 4/21/2026

Finished: 4/28/2026

I listened to this one in between other reads because I wasn't really into it.  I kept at it because it was just good enough, but I'm not a big fan of fantasy so that kept me from any real enjoyment.  

The Impossible Fortune, by Richard Osman

Title: The Impossible Fortune 

Author: Richard Osman 

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 4/24/2026

Finished: 4/26/2026

Another Thursday Murder Club book.  Charming like the others

The Saravan, by Douglas Hoover

Title: The Saravan

Author: Douglas Hoover 

Borrowed from Audible 

Started: 4/21/2026

Finished: 4/23/2026

A rare Audible plus offering worth reading.  Enjoyed this folk horror novel. 

The Labyrinth House Murders, by Yukito Ayatsuji

Title: The Labyrinth House Murders 

Author: Yukito Ayatsuji 

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 4/18/2026

Finished: 4/21/2026

Similar to Decagon house, I didn't love this one.  

Gone by Midnight, by Candice Fox

Title: Gone by Midnight

Author: Candice Fox

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook

Started: 4/19/2026

Finished: 4/21/2026

Third in the Crimson Lake series, noticeable drop in quality.  Keeping Ted & Amanda separate most of the book when their repartee is part of the reason the series is so enjoyable (and when they were separated for most of book 2 already).  Also Ted making the stupidest decisions available for the first time his kid is visiting.  A somewhat frustrating read with the dumb decisions everyone was making.

Redemption Point, by Candice Fox

Title: Redemption Point 

Author: Candice Fox 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 4/18/2026

Finished: 4/19/2026

Second in the Crimson Lake series and really finishes off the main story.  Very enjoyable. 

World of Trouble, by Ben H Winters

Title: World of Trouble 

Author: Ben H Winters 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Kindle edition 

Started: 4/18/2026

Finished: 4/19/2026

Final entry in The Last Policeman series.  Really enjoyed this trilogy.  

Countdown City, by Ben H Winters

Title: Countdown City 

Author: Ben H Winters 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Kindle edition 

Started: 4/14/2026

Finished: 4/18/2026

Second in the Last Policeman trilogy.  Pretty damn entertaining.  

Crimson Lake, by Candice Fox

Title: Crimson Lake 

Author: Candice Fox 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 4/13/2026

Finished: 4/15/2026

A recommendation from Reddit that I absolutely loved -- a rare feat these days.  Reddit used to be pretty reliable for recs but not so much lately.  

This book was simply fantastic, enjoyed it immensely. 

The Keeper, by Tana French

Title: The Keeper

Author: Tana French

Purchased from Audible

Started: 4/9/2026

Finished: 4/13/2026

These Tana French books are probably my favorite, or tied for favorite with a couple of others for the top spot.  I hate when these books end, want to continue to exist in the world they're describing.  Up there with the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson, the man who is just trying to do the right thing.  Though at least in these Tana French books, Cal is recognized for all he does.  Loved this one as much as the previous two and I'm sorry it's over.

The Last Policeman, by Ben H Winters

Title: The Last Policeman 

Author: Ben H Winters 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Kindle edition 

Started:  4/3/2028

Finished: 4/8/2026

I loved this one -- captured me immediately from the start.  Hope the rest of the series lives up to the promise of this first novel.  

About a Place in the Kinki Region, by Sesuji

Title: About a Place in the Kinki Region

Author: Sesuji

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library

Started: 4/3/2026

Finished: 4/8/2026

I liked this one but it probably would have worked better in print than as an audiobook.  I suspect images and page layout/font in the book would have added something.

Also interesting how this book and the one I just posted (Ghost that Ate Us) were both just released but have a similar narrative.  SPOILERS -- the book is what is propagating the ghost.

The Ghost That Ate Us, by Daniel Kraus

Title: The Ghost That Ate Us

Author: Daniel Kraus 

Purchased from Audible 

Started: 4/1/2026

Finished: 4/8/2026

I wantes to like this one more than I did.  I enjoy this type of horror and applaud the attempt, but it didn't quite land with me.  

The Hard Line, by Mark Greaney

Title: The Hard Line 

Author: Mark Greaney 

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Kindle edition 

Started: 3/30/2026

Finished: 4/4/2026

Latest Grey Man novel, entertaining as ever.  Also interesting how much of this one too place in DC and named places we dine at or visit regularly, and also the Northern Ireland connection since we were just there over New Year's.  

Julius Caesar: Man, Soldier, and Tyrant, by JFC Fuller

Title: Julius Caesar: Man, Soldier, and Tyrant 

Author: JFC Fuller 

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 3/31/3/2026

Finished: 4/3/2026

Pretty enjoyable history of Caesar.  Narrated by someone in usually love (Frederick Davidson/Davis Case) but he didn't shine here.  I normally read fiction and Davidson/Case is fantastic narrating those books (Flashman series is a great example), but here he lacked all personality.   

Rock Paper Scissors, by Alice Feeney

Title: Rock Paper Scissors 

Author: Alice Feeney 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 3/30/2026

Finished: 3/31/3/2026

I didn't see the big twist in this one coming, but guessed most of the smaller twists.  Decent but didn't love this one.  

The Word is Murder, by Anthony Horowitz

Title: The Word is Murder 

Author: Anthony Horowitz 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 3/30/2026

Finished: 3/30/2026

A rare same day start & finish book.  Loved this one.  Was fooled at the start thinking it was non-fiction.   Embarrassing in hindsight but it is true.  

Sentinel, by Mark Greaney

Title: Sentinel 

Author: Mark Greaney 

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Kindle edition 

Started: 3/25/2026

Finished: 3/29/2026

Book 2 of the Sean Duffy series.  Enjoyed this one like I did the previous.  

The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown and Other Stories, by Peter Lovesey

Title: The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown and Other Stories 

Author: Peter Lovesey 

Borrowed from Audible 

Started: 3/24/2026

Finished: 3/26/2026

Very enjoyable collection of short stories with various narrators I like.  Most of the twists were easy to guess, but a few took me by surprise, and I liked all of these.  Loved a few.  

Rolling in the Deep, by Mira Grant

Title: Rolling in the Deep

Author: Mira Grant

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library

Started: 3/21/2026

Finished: 3/23/2026

A decent mermaid horror novella in a roughly found footage style.  I liked this in novella form but when I earlier tried the full novel version of this (Into the Drowning Deep) I quit on it pretty early on.  Maybe I'll give it another shot.

Wylding Hall, by Elizabeth Hand

Title: Wylding Hall 

Author: Elizabeth Hand 

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 3/19/2026

Finished: 3/20/2026

The start of 2026 is my re-reading extravaganza.  But I love this book.  It's not long, but the interview format, folk horror, and music bio is just too perfect.  

The Homemade God, by Rachel Joyce

Title: The Homemade God 

Author: Rachel Joyce 

Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 3/8/2026

Finished: 3/11/2026

Recommendation from my mom. I liked this one though it was frustrating at times, it kept me guessing as to where it was going.  

Armored, by Mark Greaney

Title: Armored 

Author: Mark Greaney 

Borrowed from DC Public Library Kindle edition 

Started: 3/3/2026

Finished: 3/10/2026

Pretty entertaining military action thriller.  I like Greaneys other series and this is just as easy and fun.  

Mountain Main 2nd Prequel, by Keith C Blackmore

Title: Mountain Man 2nd Prequel

Author: Keith C Blackmore

Purchased from Audible

Started: 3/3/2026

Finished: 3/10/2026

The final (I'm pretty sure) MM book.  I liked this more than the previous prequel since Gus was his alcoholic awesome self, but there were too many call backs to the other books, little foreshadowing, etc.  I'm sure some folks love that and I get the appeal and reason, but a little too cute in some parts.

Holy Bible NIV

Title: Holy Bible NIV

Author: various, read by David Suchet 

Started: 2/23/2026

Finished: 3/9/2026

New Testament Only 

Well it took me months to get through HR old testament but the new testament flew by.  Of course I'd already read the NT via the Johnny Cash King James version.  This was the NIV read by Suchet. 

May have mentioned this in my Old Testament post but it took a while for Suchet to warm up to being an audiobook narrator.  Start of the old testament he wasn't speaking with much personality.  But after a while he got into it, started using inflections, tone, voice, and his narration better fit the individual stories. 

By the time he's narrating the new testament he's a seasoned professional which may be why this flew by more quickly.  

The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse, by PJ Fitzsimmons

Title: The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse

Author: PJ Fitzsimmons

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library

Started: 3/1/2026

Finished: 3/2/2026

Anty Boisjoly book, charming and fun, if less stellar than previous entries in the series.

The Tale of the Tenpenny Tontine, by PJ Fitzsimmons

Title: The Tale of the Tenpenny Tontine 

Author: PJ Fitzsimmons 

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 

Started: 2/25/2026

Finished: 2/28/2026

I give up and have resigned myself to a reread of the entire Anty Boisjoly series.  Enjoy these too much.  

The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning, by PJ Fitzsimmons

Title: The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning

Author: PJ Fitzsimmons

Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook

Started 2/23/2026

Finished 2/24/2026

Sigh -- I couldn't help myself from continuing a re-read of these Anty Boisjoly books.  This is book 2 and it contains some of the funniest parts of the series.  One highlight is Boisjoly having to sing a newly written Christmas song about St Stephen written by the local minister and I can't even begin to do it justice in this post, but I was laughing throughout (and I already read this book last year).  

Holy Bible New International Version

Title: Holy Bible NIV

Author: hahaha "Various", but read by David Suchet

Purchased on Audible 

Started: Fall 2025

Finished: Old Testament only, so far, 2/22/2026

I listened to Johnny Cash read the new testament (King James version) last year and decided to give the full Bible a shot.  Leaving religion out of this review, I enjoyed this a fair amount to read the real stories behind the stories I'd heard growing up in Catholic school and church.  Also so much of the book/stories I had never heard before, I think my upbringing was much more focused on the new testament.