Books read in 2016

At the end of the year, I like to look back at the books I've read in the last 12 months.  This year's list includes a mix of both fiction and non-fiction, thrillers and history, phycology and forensics, science fiction and science fact.

This lists stretches across a broad spectrum and reflects my interest in a wide sweep of subjects. I use this interest to expand the breadth and depth of my thrillers.

History of the Supreme Court

Science Odyssey

Potsdam

The Affair

The Righteous Mind

The Ghost

Trails of Evidence

Forensic's: Bugs, Burns, Prints

Lincoln's Melancholy

Tarkin

Boys in the Boat

My next novel is a mystery set in Glacier National Park and centers around an arson fire that destroys a genetics lab on the BlackFeet Indian Reservation.  Twenty Seventeen's list of books will likely include titles dealing with arson investigation, BlackFeet Culture, and how to write a mystery.

What did you read this past year? Any recommendations?

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers

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