I’ve been sharing book recommendations on the blog for years and created a landing page if you want to check them out here .
Fiction
Shōgun (The Asian Saga) by James Clavell
The FX series was excellent, but I enjoyed the books as well. The classic epic novel of feudal Japan that captured the heart of a culture and the imagination of the world, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell
The Son by Philipp Meyer
The best novel I’ve read in a long time. The critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling epic, a saga of land, blood, and power that follows the rise of one unforgettable Texas family from the Comanche raids of the 1800s to the oil booms of the 20th century.
Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, Book 1) and Winter of the World: Book Two of the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett
The first two books in his epic 20th century trilogy. I’m sure the third one is great too, I just started it.
Sports
Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate by Gary Myers
Even though we’re on the cusp of a new Maye and Vrabel dynasty, I went back to the archives to remind myself about the last one.
Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson by Mark Kriegel
From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author whose coverage of Mike Tyson and his inner circle dates back to the 1980s, a magnificent noir epic about fame, race, greed, criminality, trauma, and the creation of the most feared and mesmerizing fighter in boxing history.
Non-Fiction
Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather by Mark Seal
So much more than just the making of the movie, I really enjoyed this. This “wickedly pacey page-turner” (Total Film) unfurls the behind-the-scenes story of the making of The Godfather, fifty years after the classic film’s original release.
Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot
The best Reagan biography I have read. Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician―America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
If you start now, you’ll be done by the time this list comes out next year. But that’s Chernow and Twain is worth reading about. Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow illuminates the full, fascinating, and complex life of the writer long celebrated as the father of American literature, Mark Twain
