The Block Party by Jamie Day

 A neighborhood thriller along the lines of Big Little Lies. Pretty good.

The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom (again)

 Re-read of an all-time classic, and one of those books that is a companion book with which you dialog over a lifetime. Every time I read it, I come away with new insights, and also perhaps new places where I would disagree or at least qualify the ideas of Bloom.

The Kingdom of Speech by Tom Wolfe

 Tom Wolfe takes on the Theory of Evolution and specifically the evolution of language with his usual engaging style and human insight. I quick and excellent read.

Curing Mad Truths by Remi Brague (again)

 I read this back in 2023 and just reread it. It's an excellent, short book about the philosophical roots of our current "madness." This is a book I will reread every few years.

Bitter Frost by Bryan Gruley

 I've been hoping Gruley would write some more fiction. I enjoyed his Starvation Lake series that I read more than 10 years ago.  This novel is a good story about a former hockey player accused of murder.

Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea

 Another good "popcorn" book by Donlea. Donlea loves the time-shift plot, where events in the past interact with contemporary events to drive the plot. In this one, a woman who was under indictment for murder dies (supposedly) in the twin towers on 9/11. Twenty years later, her story becomes enmeshed with that of a TV true crime reporter whose father also happens to be a much wanted white collar criminal. An easy and fun read.

A Map of Life by Frank Sheed

 Excellent short primer on the Catholic Church and its place in our lives.