Churchill by Paul Johnson

Short biography of Churchill from Johnson, who is a fan, and who could blame him? As usual, Johnson gives a different perspective on events that you thought were settled history, like the Gallipoli misadventure in WW1.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Outstanding novel about a teenage killer, told from the point of view of his mother. Shriver is a perceptive psychologist.

Empires of the Sea by Roger Crowley

Outstanding work of narrative history concerning the contest for control of the Mediterranean Sea in the 16th century. From the conquest of Rhodes, to the Siege of Malta, to the Battle of Lepanto, it's all here, told in thrilling style. One of the most enthralling history books I've ever read.

Socrates by Paul Johnson

Johnson is an historian (maybe the greatest living historian), and he takes an historians approach to an introduction to Socrates. Excellent. (audiobook)

1984 by George Orwell

A classic I've always meant to read but never got around to. Finally listened to it in the car; one of the greatest novels I've ever read.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Aaron is reading this in his Brave New Worlds class at UMass, so I reread it to follow along. You can never read this one too many times.

The City of Man by Pierre Manent

This was a re-read of a book that is among the most profound philosophical reflections I have read. I was impressed the first time I read it, and found myself regularly returning to it. Some books almost take on a living presence in your life; you don't just read them, but you have a dialogue with them over years as you explore their depths. Chesterton's Orthodoxy, Kierkegaard's Concluding Unscientific Postscript, and Plato's Dialogs are in this category for me. The City of Man, I am discovering, is entering it as well.