Recently Read (Oct. 4, 2025)
I have an extremely long list of books "to read" on Goodreads. Making matters more challenging, I have a subscription to Kindle Unlimited, so when I finish books I am immediately presented with additional tomes I might enjoy. I often find myself diving into these suggested readings and fail to make progress in paring down my ever growing list of desired reading.
I'm going to share three books I've read recently that I really enjoyed. I don't plan to write reviews, you can find those elsewhere. I'll include just a few notes about each book, but I don't want to give too much away, or unduly influence your reading selections. These are books that I have enjoyed, if I didn't, I would not share them.
Sprinting Through No Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France by Adin Dobkin (non-fiction). I am amazed by the endurance of current day grand tour cyclists, but reading about the athletes who completed in the 1919 Tour de France (immediately after World War I) made modern cyclists appear pampered. Incredible fact: bicyclists in the early tours were required to complete the entire race on the same bicycle and were not allowed to accept outside assistance -- including support fixing flats or repairing their bikes during the race. No individual team support cars, feed zones, or domestiques. If you enjoy cycling and history, this book is a good choice.
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger (fiction). I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I absolutely loved it. It is set in 1961 in small town Minnesota. The character development is excellent and there are many layers to this mysterious novel. It is written from the perspective of Frank, a thirteen year old boy who along with his family, endures a summer of tragedy and loss. This book is an excellent treatise on perseverance, faith and hope in the face of despair. Ordinary Grace is one of the best books I have read in a long time.
The Last Season by Eric Blehm (non-fiction). The Last Season documents the search for Kings Canyon National Park backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson, who disappeared in the summer of 1996. The book is a riveting account of search efforts in the High Sierras as well as a biography of Morgenson. The author blends these two aspects of the work to give a complete picture of Morgenson, as well as the people engaged in the effort to find him. If you are a hiker, backpacker, or enjoy outdoor adventure this is an intriguing read.
If you want to see what else is on my reading list, or monitor my progress, check in with me on Goodreads.