![\"My](\"https:\/\/www.henryhartley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_20260101_028043.jpg\")
<\/a>My 2025 Reading<\/p><\/div> As usual, the list of books is below. You can sort the table by the order read (the default), title, author, and date written*<\/sup> by clicking on the headings. After only reading 44 books last year, I didn’t know how this year would turn out. In the end, I read 58 books this year, although that includes six science fiction books that averaged only about 169 pages each (1,012 pages total) and six more of O’Brian’s Aubrey\u2013Maturin books which are relatively quick reads (though they are a bit longer, averaging just under 300 pages each, 1,790 total for the six books).<\/p>\n I read the first two of the four volumes of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s March 1917<\/em> and now have the other two on my shelf to be read in 2026. I read Spymaster<\/em>, by Oleg Kalugin, which isn’t really my style of book but he lives around the corner from us (and I got him to sign it for me). I read and thoroughly enjoyed James Fenimore Cooper’s five Leatherstocking Tales<\/em> books, the best known of which is The Last of the Mohicans<\/em>. I enjoyed reading The Quark and The Jaguar<\/em> by Nobel Prize winning physicist Murray Gell-Mann. He and my father were freshman roommates at Yale in 1944 and I had Gell-Mann sign this copy and gave it to my dad for Christmas when it came out.<\/p>\n My 2025 Reading In The Order Read<\/p><\/div>\n Probably the most contriversal book I read this year was Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf<\/em>. This goes under the heading of ‘read books by people you think you will disagree with’ and I certainly do. That’s the book in a plain, brown wrapper. I’m definitely not a fan of either the man or his ideology.<\/p>\n In case you are interested, here are links to my reading posts from prior years: 2024<\/a>, 2023<\/a>, 2022<\/a>, 2021<\/a>, and 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nJump Back to my 2024 Reading List<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n<\/a>\n\n
\n \nOrder
Read <\/th>\nTitle<\/th>\n Author<\/th>\n Date <\/th>\n Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n 1<\/td>\n Martin Chuzzlewit<\/span> Martin Chuzzlewit<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Dickens, Charles (February 7, 1812 \u2013 June 9, 1870)<\/td>\n Serialized between January 1843 and July 1844<\/td>\n This story chronicles the lives of two men named Martin Chuzzlewit and their extended family and assorted friends. It’s a relatively light story and I found it enjoyable.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2<\/td>\n Far Side Of The World<\/span> The Far Side Of The World<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 \u2013 January 2, 2000)<\/td>\n 1984<\/td>\n The tenth of the Aubrey\u2013Maturin novels, where Jack and Stephen sail around Cape Horn into the South Pacific. This novel provided some of the plot-structure for the 2003 film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World<\/em>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3<\/td>\n Quark and the Jaguar<\/span> The Quark and the Jaguar<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Gell-Mann, Murray (September 15, 1929 \u2013 May 24, 2019)<\/td>\n 1994<\/td>\n Subtitled “Adventures In The Simple and The Complex”. The blurb from Amazon says, “From one of the architects of the new science of simplicity and complexity comes an explanation of the connections between nature at its most basic level and natural selection, archaeology, linguistics, child development, computers, and other complex adaptive systems. Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann offers a uniquely personal and unifying vision of the relationship between the fundamental laws of physics and the complexity and diversity of the natural world.” Gell-Mann was dad’s freshman roommate at Yale in 1944, arriving there shortly before his 15th birthday.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4<\/td>\n English Romantic Poetry<\/span> English Romantic Poetry<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Appelbaum, Stanley (editor)<\/td>\n 1789 through 1835<\/td>\n This is an anthology with selections from the six major romantic poets:<\/p>\n \n
\n 5<\/td>\n Framley Parsonage<\/span> Framley Parsonage<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 \u2013 December 6, 1882)<\/td>\n 1861<\/td>\n This is the fourth of six books in the Chronicles of Barsetshire<\/em> series. I’ve skipped over number three (Doctor Thorne<\/em>, 1858) but will plan to read that as soon as I come across a copy in a used book store. Quite an enjoyable story.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 6<\/td>\n Taras Bulba and Other Tales<\/span> Taras Bulba and Other Tales<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Gogol, Nikolai Vasilievich (April 1, 1809 \u2013 March 4, 1852)<\/td>\n 1831 to 1836<\/td>\n This includes the following seven short stories:<\/p>\n \n
\n 7<\/td>\n How Not To Get Sick<\/span> How Not To Get Sick<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Bikman, Benjamin, PhD (Born September 25, 1977) and Diana Keuilian<\/td>\n 2024<\/td>\n This is the sequel to Why We Get Sick<\/em>, published in 2020 and which I read last April. It is a “Cookbook and Guide to Prevent and Reverse Insulin Resistance, Lose Weight, and Fight Chronic Disease.” I lost seventy pounds and I believe I am considerably healthier having followed Bikman’s advice. I recommend it highly.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 8<\/td>\n Reverse Of The Medal<\/span> The Reverse Of The Medal<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n O’Patrick, Brian (December 12, 1914 \u2013 January 2, 2000)<\/td>\n 1986<\/td>\n This is the eleventh book in the Aubrey\u2013Maturin series. Our well-known crew return to England and Aubrey gets himself into trouble with authorities. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll leave it at that.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 9<\/td>\n Persian Expidition<\/span> The Persian Expidition<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Xenophon (circa\u2009430 \u2013 354 B.C.)<\/td>\n 4th Century B.C.<\/td>\n Sometimes titled with the transliterated Greek Anabasis<\/em> (\u1f08\u03bd\u03ac\u03b2\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2 meaning an “expedition up from”), this chronicles the expedition of the ‘Ten Thousand’, an army of Greek mercenaries hired by Cyrus the Younger to help him seize the throne of Persia from his brother, Artaxerxes II, in 401 B.C.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 10<\/td>\n Bleak House<\/span> Bleak House<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Dickens, Charles (February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870)<\/td>\n Serialized between March 1852 and September 1853<\/td>\n Although the story has quite a few sub-plots, the main story concerns an interminable probate case in the Court of Chancery named Jarndyce and Jarndyce<\/em>, in which a testator has written several conflicting wills. The main story deals with the lives of potential beneficiaries of the wills.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 11<\/td>\n Sacred Wood<\/span> The Sacred Wood<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Eliot, T. S. (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965)<\/td>\n 1920<\/td>\n This is a collection of 20 essays by T. S. Eliot, first published in 1920. Topics include Eliot’s opinions of many literary works, including William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and poets and authors such as Richard Brome, Gustave Flaubert, Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, Philip Massinger, Baruch Spinoza, Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), Algernon Charles Swinburne, and William Makepeace Thackeray. I enjoyed it more than I might have although the fact that some of his opinions are based on passages quoted in French makes it hard for me to form an intelligent opinion at times. It’s obviously targeted at an more linguistically literate audience.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 12<\/td>\n Letter of Marque<\/span> The Letter of Marque<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n O’Briank Patrick (December 12, 1914 \u2013 January 2, 2000)<\/td>\n 1988<\/td>\n This is the twelfth book in the Aubrey\u2013Maturin series. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 13<\/td>\n Spymaster<\/span> Spymaster<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Kalugin, Oleg Danilovich (September 6, 1934 \u2013 )<\/td>\n 2009<\/td>\n The first edition was published in 1994. The copy I have was a reissue from 2009, which has an additional chapter at the end that brings things up to a more recent date. This isn’t normally the sort of book I’d read, but the author lives near me, so I was intrigued. I even got him to sign my copy.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 14<\/td>\n Poems From The Old English<\/span> Poems From The Old English<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Raffel, Burton (Translator, April 27, 1928 \u2013 September 29, 2015)<\/td>\n Second Edition, 1964<\/td>\n The poetry translated in this book date from between the seventh and eleventh centuries, in a language called either Anglo-Saxon or Old English.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 15<\/td>\n Mein Kampf<\/span> Mein Kampf<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Hitler, Adolf (April 20, 1889 \u2013 April 30, 1945)<\/td>\n 1924 and 1925<\/td>\n With all the current use of the ‘fascist’ epithet, I thought I’d read what an architypical fascist had to say and see if it actually fits those it’s used against or those who use it (hint, it doesn’t just mean “someone with whom I disagree”). I was also interested in learning how early in life the author’s racial hatred was established. Earlier than I’d have guessed. As I said above, I’m definitely not a fan.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 16<\/td>\n Truffle Hound<\/span> Truffle Hound<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Jacobsen, Rowan<\/td>\n 2021<\/td>\n This is an interesting book about truffles, truffle hunting, and truffle farming.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 17<\/td>\n Thirteen Gun Salute<\/span> The Thirteen Gun Salute<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 \u2013 January 2, 2000)<\/td>\n 1989<\/td>\n This is the thirteenth book in the Aubrey\u2013Maturin series.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 18<\/td>\n King Edward III<\/span> King Edward III<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\n Printed anonymously in 1596<\/td>\n Possibly written—in whole or in part—by Shakespeare. The play starts with Edward wooing of the Countess of Salisbury. After he fails in that, the action shifts to the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War, including the Battle of Cr\u00e9cy (August 26, 1346), the siege of Calais (September 4, 1346 to August 3, 1347), and the Battle of Poitiers (September 19, 1356).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 19<\/td>\n Journal<\/span> The Journal<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Fox, George (July 1624 \u2013 January 13, 1691, Julian dates)<\/td>\n First published posthumously in 1694<\/td>\n I found this book told me much less about the Quakers than I had hoped. It does illuminate some significant issues of mid-seventeenth century England.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 20<\/td>\n Nutmeg of Consolation<\/span> The Nutmeg of Consolation<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 \u2013 January 2, 2000)<\/td>\n 1991<\/td>\n This is the fourteenth book in the Aubrey\u2013Maturin series.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 21<\/td>\n Henry VIII<\/span> Henry VIII<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\n 1613<\/td>\n The last of the plays about English kings, this is widely believed to be a collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher (December 1579 \u2013 August 1625).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 22<\/td>\n Deerslayer<\/span> The Deerslayer<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Cooper, James Fenimore (September 15, 1789 \u2013 September 14, 1851)<\/td>\n 1841<\/td>\n This was the last of the five Leatherstocking Tales books to be published but the first by internal chronology, the others being The Last of the Mohicans (1826), The Pathfinder (1840), The Pioneers (1823), and The Prairie (1827).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 23<\/td>\n Imitation of Christ<\/span> The Imitation of Christ<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Kempis, Thomas \u00e0 (circa\u20091380 \u2013 July 25, 1471)<\/td>\n Published anonymously in Latin in the Netherlands c.\u20091418\u20131427<\/td>\n I found this to be fairly interesting, if a bit repetitive. Like the lives of many in a monastic setting, it’s not always easy to emulate in today’s world. Still, worth considering.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 24<\/td>\n He Knew He Was Right<\/span> He Knew He Was Right<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 \u2013 December 6, 1882)<\/td>\n 1869<\/td>\n For the most part I enjoyed this, although the part of the story dealing with Louis Trevelyan (the \u2018He\u2019 referred to in the title) were my least favorite parts of the story. There are some lovely passages and some really nice characters, as well as one \u2018villain\u2019 (Colonel Osborne) who is simply malicious. Sir Marmaduke Rowley isn’t particularly likeable, but fortunately plays a relatively minor role in the action. There are plenty of characters to like: Nora Rowley, Hugh Stanbury, and Dorothy Stanbury stand out. It isn’t going to rank among my favorite stories, but I enjoyed it, well enough.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 25<\/td>\n Last of the Mohicans<\/span> The Last of the Mohicans<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Cooper, James Fenimore (September 15, 1789 \u2013 September 14, 1851)<\/td>\n 1826<\/td>\n Subtitled A Narrative of 1757<\/em>, this is probably the best known of Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales<\/em>. It was the second of the five to be published—after The Pioneers<\/em>—and is also the second by internal chronology—after The Deerslayer<\/em>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 26<\/td>\n Cymbeline<\/span> Cymbeline<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 \u2013 April 23, 1616)<\/td>\n before 1611<\/td>\n I enjoyed Cymbeline<\/em> and am sort of surprised it isn’t more well known that it is. The king (Cymbeline) isn’t really the main character, even though he’s in the title role. It’s really more about his daughter (Imogen), her husband (Posthumus Leonatus), the queen, and her son (Cloten).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 27<\/td>\n Truelove<\/span> The Truelove<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 \u2013 January 2, 2000)<\/td>\n 1992<\/td>\n This is the fifteenth book in the Aubrey\u2013Maturin series.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 28<\/td>\n Supper of the Lamb<\/span> The Supper of the Lamb<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Farrar Capon, Robert (October 26, 1925 \u2013 September 5, 2013)<\/td>\n 1969<\/td>\n My copy is from the Modern Library Food series from 2002. The recipes are a bit dated and even some of the main text. I can’t say I learned a lot I didn’t know, but it got me thinking about food and about life, which isn’t a bad thing.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 29<\/td>\n Ehrengard<\/span> Ehrengard<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Dinesen, Isak (Karen Blixen, April 17, 1885 \u2013 September 7, 1962)<\/td>\n 1963<\/td>\n This is a nice short story with a pretty good twist at the end.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 30<\/td>\n 84, Charing Cross Road<\/span> 84, Charing Cross Road<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Hanff, Helene (April 15, 1916 \u2013 April 9, 1997)<\/td>\n 1970<\/td>\n This is \u201can epistolary memoir composed of letters from the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer for Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, located at the eponymous address in London. It was later adapted into a 1975 television play, a 1976 radio drama, a 1981 stage play, and a 1987 film.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 31<\/td>\n Henry Esmond<\/span> Henry Esmond<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Thackeray, William Makepeace (July 18, 1811 \u2013 December 24, 1863)<\/td>\n 1852<\/td>\n I didn’t really love this story, although it was fine. It’s set in a period I’m unfamiliar with, late 1600s through early 1700s, William and Mary, Queen Anne (1665\u20131714), which I found a bit interesting.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 32<\/td>\n Rudin<\/span> Rudin<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n Turgenev, Ivan (November 9, 1818 \u2013 September 3, 1883)<\/td>\n 1856<\/td>\n I’m not sure I really got the point of the story. I guess if it was just about a type of character, that would be fine. It did illustrate that. The ending was a little odd and made odder by the fact that part of it was in French, which I find both amusing and annoying. On the one hand, it presumes a level of education in the reader that isn’t borne out in reality, at least in my case. Occasionally I get editions that have translations in the footnotes, but that is generally not the case.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 33<\/td>\n Restoration Plays<\/span> Restoration Plays<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n <\/td>\n 1671 through 1707<\/td>\n \n \n
\n 34<\/td>\n Pathfinder<\/span>