As usual, my reading selection in 2025 was all over the place — literally. I read in a variety of locations: at home in Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Hong Kong! I read fiction and non-fiction, Christian and secular, many China-related, but some not. These are the best eleven books I read:…
Books
Listening to the Bible
I am a fan of David Suchet, the great British actor probably best known to Americans for portraying Hercule Poirot in the wonderful 13-season series produced in the UK. Gracie and I discovered the show during the pandemic and enjoyed watching every one of them. Suchet began his acting career as a stage actor with…
Road Trip Reading
It’s road-tripping time again! This year I’m meeting up with a former teammate from China (the indomitable Amy) in Wyoming for some much-needed R&R in the mountains outside of Yellowstone. We’ve had some crazy adventures together in Asia over the years (beach vacations in Thailand, a Thanksgiving in Hangzhou, and a train ride to Mongolia,…
Best Books of 2021
I set a goal of reading 50 books this year; unfortunately, I have fallen short. Never mind. I’m not an overly competitive person (even against myself), so don’t feel like a failure for having knocked off 34 books. These are the best ones I read this year: Anxious People: A Novel, by Fredrik Backman A…
Farewell, Jonathan Spence
I was saddened to read this morning of the death of Jonathan Spence, Yale professor and author of some of my favorite books about Chinese history. Like so many others, I was introduced to the world of Chinese history by his book The Search for Modern China, published in 1991. During my stint in China…
North Shore Reading
It’s time for the annual trip to the north shore of Lake Superior for the Thanksgiving weekend. This will be year #11. I’m looking forward to a few days of hiking, enjoying the scenery, eating, and reading. As usual, I find myself behind on my goal of reading 50 books in the year, so this…