Books Read in 2018

It was another year spent reading a wide variety of books.  The books read span non-fiction history to political thrillers.  Once again, there were several thousand pages read, most on recent current events, but also hundreds of pages on the scientific evidence for how life started on earth and where life might exist in the Universe.  Also, a few hundreds pages spent on bubblegum political thrillers and adventure.  

Most memorable of the bunch is likely Shelby Foote's Civil War narrative Vol. 1.  It is the first volume of a three part history of the American Civil War.  Starting prior to the south's secession and concluding near the end of 1862, this first volume weaves an engaging story of the major events and players of America's bloodiest conflict.  Written in 1958, the narrative is told primarily however, from the south's point of view and paints a largely favorable view of the Southern cause.  Much additional scholarship has been done since this book was written providing a more balanced view of the war's main cause and a more complete sketch of its main actors.

Origin
Undeniable
Life in the Universe
Influence
Fire and Fury
Russian Roulette
Higher Loyalty 
The President is Missing
The Civil War: A Narrative Vol. 1 : Fort Sumter to Perryville
Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone

What was your favorite read of 2018?  Let us know in the comment section.


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Sean Smith is an award winning conservationist and author. He is a former National Park Ranger at Yellowstone, Glacier, and the North Cascades. He is a TEDx speaker, and private pilot. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1989 with a degree in Political Science. He got his master's in Natural Resources Management from Central Washington University in 1996. He currently runs Washington State's efforts to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals from consumer products and serves as the Mayor Pro Tem of Covington.

He has been writing stories and books since he was a child and currently writes national park thrillers from the shadow of Mount Rainier.

All his novels can be found here: Mr. Sean D Smith

Books Read for 2017

Since 2003, I've read more than 200 books totaling a little more 50,000 pages. This year I read ten
titles totaling more than 3500 pages. The majority of the titles were non-fiction focusing on world and US history.  One was on the 2016 presidential election, another on arson forensics, a third on how to write a murder mystery, a handful on the civil war, and the last a bubblegum spy thriller.

These books covered diverse subjects, yet there were a couple common themes throughout them: conflict, warfare, science, and politics.  Most notably, whether its ancient Rome or modern south east Asia, human's political ambitions come in contact with others.  But despite the passage of two millennium humans have progressed toward resolving problems without open warfare.  

Here's the 2017 book list.

The Decline and Fall of Rome

Rebel Yell

Arson

How to write a damn good Mystery

Asia's Cauldron

Last Full Measure

Terrible Swift Sword

Shattered

Sherman's March

Point of Contact

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Sean Smith is an award winning conservationist and author. He is a former National Park Ranger at Yellowstone, Glacier, and the North Cascades. He is a TEDx speaker, and private pilot. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1989 with a degree in Political Science. He got his master's in Natural Resources Management from Central Washington University in 1996. He currently runs Washington State's efforts to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals from consumer products and serves as the Mayor Pro Tem of Covington.

He has been writing stories and books since he was a child and currently writes national park thrillers from the shadow of Mount Rainier.

All his novels can be found here: Mr. Sean D Smith

My 2014 Reading List

Here's my 2014 reading list. It's a mix of fiction and non-fiction, history, science, and thrillers.  The list is more than 8000 pages. It's the most pages I've read in a single year since college. Many of the books were for fun, but most were research for my next novel.

My favorite was Dark Invasion, a history of German covert operations in the United States during World War I.  This book got me wondering about other foreign covert operations in the United States.  Hmm.  Might be a thriller in there somewhere.

Atomic Accidents was the most scary in its detailing of the countless nuclear accidents and potential disasters. Many were kept secret for decades and several resulted in numerous deaths.

The most fun was Inferno, Dan Brown's latest Robert Langdon thriller. 

What was your favorite book this past year?  Looking for a good couple reads in 2015? Make sure to check out my National Park thrillers.

Inferno

Dance with Dragons

Counter Strike

Physics for Future Presidents Locked On Death Ride Hitler vs. Stalin American Creation The Columbus Affair The Burning Shore Operation Paperclip Gettysburg: the Last Invasion Dark Invasion American Panic Atomic Accidents The Watchers Legacy of Ashes Shadow Factory

My 2013 Reading List

December 31, 2013: At the end of the year, I like to look back at the books I've read over the past 365 days. Here is my list. There are some really great reads, others not so much. Although, I didn't set out the year to read a broad spectrum of works, 2013 turned out to have a great mix of fiction and non-fiction, thrillers, science, history, and fantasy.  Every one of the books made me think, which I believe is the ultimate goal of every author.

What does your list look like?

1. The Lost Bank
2. The Inner Circle
3. The Magic of Reality
4. Pearl Harbor: FDR Leads the Nation to War
5. Feast of Crows
6. Why the North Won the War
7. Area 51
8. The Story of Medieval England, from King Arthur to the Tudor Conquest
9. Dance with Dragons
10. Inferno