- Some titles are linked to my highlights from the book. | Title | Author | Notes | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | A Bend In The River | V. S. Naipaul | Novel about post-colonial Africa, its political and cultural complexities. | | [[The Story of Russia\|The Story of Russia]] | Orlando Figes | Historical exploration of Russia’s identity and history, focusing on how myths shape the country’s self-perception. | | Martin Luther | Eric Mataxas | Detailed biography of the Protestant reformer, exploring his impact on Western thought. | | [[The Bilingual Brain\|Bilingual Brain]] | Albert Costa | Examines the science behind bilingualism, exploring how learning and using two languages shape the brain. | | [[Travelers in the Third Reich The Rise of Fascism\|Travelers in the Third Reich]] | Julia Boyd | Fascinating account of foreigners' experiences in Nazi Germany during the rise of fascism. | | Empire of the Summer Moon | S. C. Gwynne | Chronicles the rise and fall of the Comanche Nation and its influential leader, Quanah Parker. | | The Selfish Gene | Richard Dawkins | Introduced the concept of the "gene-centered" view of evolution. | | The Son | Phillip Meyer | Multi-generational historical fiction and saga about a Texas family. | | Sicilian Carousel | Lawrence Durrell | A reflective travelogue documenting the author's journey through Sicily. | | [[The Farmers Wife\|The Farmer's Wife]] | Helen Rebanks | Memoir of life on a Lake District farm, offering insights into rural life and the challenges of farming. | | [[Oranges]] | John McPhee | Reread. Exploration of the history, science, and culture surrounding oranges, presented with McPhee's signature style. This was the first McPhee book I read, 15 years ago. | | Red Smoking Mirror | Nick Hunt | A reimagining of historical events and myths, weaving a compelling tale of conquest and resistance in pre-Columbian times. | | Ornament of the World | María Rosa Menocal | Explores medieval Spain's multiculturalism age under Islamic rule. | | Stoner | John Williams | Reread. Novel about the life of an unremarkable academic, exploring themes of love, ambition, and failure. | | Point Reyes: The Solemn Land | Jack Mason | History of Point Reyes, California. | | Murder in the Marais | Cara Black | Beach read mystery. | | Pastoral Song | James Rebanks | Reflection on modern farming. | | [[CIRCE\|Circe]] | Madeline Miller | A retelling of Greek mythology from Circe’s perspective. | | [[Season of the Witch\|Season of the Witch]] | David Talbot | Collection of stories about various extremism and intrigue within San Francisco politics and culture. A must-read for any San Franciscan. | | [[The White Album\|The White Album]] | Joan Didion | Essays capturing California's cultural and political upheavals in the late 1960s and 1970s. | | [[South and West\|South and West]] | Joan Didion | Published posthumously; journal from a road trip she took in the South, interesting observations about the South as America's "psychic center" – not California. | | Molly | Blake Butler | Salacious page-turner; true story of a writer who discovers secrets about his wife after her death that reframe their marriage and his grief. | | [[Portal\|Portal]] | John King | History of San Francisco's Ferry Building (which coincidentally is a replica of Sevilla's Giralda) from the Chronicle's architecture critic. | | My Half Orange | John Julius Reel | Anecdotes from an American writer who relocated to Sevilla and married a local. | | Short Stories in Spanish, Beginner, Vol 2 | Olly Richards | Series of graded readers. | | Short Stories in Spanish, Beginner, Vol 1 | Olly Richards | Series of graded readers. | | Driving Over Lemons | Chris Stewart | Anecdotes from a British farmer in Spain in the style of A Year in Provence. |