For a better future, study the past.
For a better future, study the past.
Books I Read in 2025 jumps on the recent bandwagon of sharing (bragging really) about the number of books a person has read during a year. Many of the numbers I have seen for 2024 seem highly suspect. Of course, if a reader is reading short, fluff fiction and has no job, I suppose reading 150+ books a year could be possible. Should quantity be the goal rather than quality? I think not, but for many readers it’s a chance to brag about a high (and to me pointless) number.
For the purposes of this exercise, I will be including books I have physically read whether an actual book or electronic, AND books I have listened to through Audible. I am not going to argue the semantics of what reading is. Reading and listening ARE different, however does it really matter in the mid of the consumer. I drive an hour and a half to two hours per day round trip to work and back. Often times it’s the only chance I have to get through certain books. I may not be reading in the traditional sense, but I feel it’s worth including these titles as long as they are unabridged. If it’s abridged, I will note that.
Please remember, books on this list are not all that I read. I read portions of (but seldom full) MA Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertations, numerous academic journal articles, dozens of mainstream magazine articles, and literally hundreds, if not thousands, of historic newspaper articles throughout the year.
I suppose an exercise such as this should include a goal. Let’s set it ridiculously high (remember, I read non-fiction almost exclusively, much of it academic in nature, and it just takes longer than reading most NYT bestselling fiction.) In addition, I am not a fast reader. I never have been. Let’s have a goal of 52 books; one per week. Realistically, let’s stick to 26; one every other week. Maybe with some effort I will surprise all of us.
I will be listing books and authors, most of which will have a link for you to learn more and purchase if you so desire. I may say something briefly about the book, especially if I really liked it. Or didn’t. If I post a separate book review, I will provide a link to that. Unless noted, these are the physical book. Books will be listed in the order read and not in alphabetical order by author or title. I may or may not own copies of these books.
And without further ado, lets kick off Books I Read in 2025!
Destination Dixie: Tourism & Southern History edited by Karen Cox.
Unfortunately, this was not quite what I thought it was going to be and so it took a while longer to read than if I had enjoyed it more.
The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore written by Evan Friss. Listened to using Audible.
While interesting, I had higher expectations.
America’s Alligator: A Popular History of Our Most Celebrated Reptile written by Doug Alderson
Read as preparatory research for a forthcoming book.
Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits written by Aaron Goldfarb. Listened to using Audible.
No matter what they say, or how the author tries his hardest to portray them, these people are about two things, money and fame. They came off very unlikable to me.
Disney’s Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park that Changed the World written by Richard Snow. Listened to using Audible.
A fascinating look at the creation of the California park that launched all the Disney theme parks we know today. We meet an interesting cast of characters (see what I did there) and learn of the financial struggles, the innovations, the highs, and the lows, as Disney and his team brought Disneyland to life.
Into Thin Air written by Jon Krakauer. Read using Kindle.
Mount Everest climbing disaster. I read this every few years.
100 Things to Do in St. Augustine Before You Die written by Amy Angelilli.
Read as part of research for a similar book I am writing in the 100 Things series. Look for it in 2026.
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland written by Patrick Radden Keefe. Listened to using Audible.
So far, the best book I have read this year. By far.
The Bible Told Them So: How Southern Evangelicals Fought to Preserve White Supremacy written by Dr. J. Russell Hawkins. Listened to using Audible.
South Carolina racists trying to hold on to their power using religion as the basis for their claims.
100 Things to do in Orlando Before You Die written by Jon Busdeker and Brendan O’Connor.
Read as part of research for a similar book I am writing in the 100 Things series. Look for it in 2026. Keep up with everything going on in Orlando by following O’Connor’s amazing website Bungalower.
The Jackson County War: Reconstruction and Resistance in Post-Civil War Florida written by Daniel R. Weinfeld. Listened to using Audible.
A bit difficult to follow in audio format. Keeping the names straight was difficult for me. Thoroughly researched. Jackson County seems like it was a bad place in the immediate post war years.
Burdine’s: Sunshine Fashions and the Florida Store written by Seth Bramson. Read using Kindle.
If you know Mr. Bramson, this is vintage Seth. He has a very high opinion of his knowledge (which I am not refuting here) and he can be quick to toot his own horn and put down the work of others. I could do with less of that to be honest.
A Night to Remember: The Sinking of the Titanic written by Walter Lord. Read using Kindle.
This book is still the starting place for all study of the Titanic tragedy.
Isaac’s Storm: A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History written by Erik Larson. Read using Audible.
A bit slow to get going and dragged in places for me. A tragic story that highlights just how little weather forecasters knew, know now, and how inaccurate they are even today.
written by Andrew Fink. Read using Audible.
I guess I expected more. Maybe it was too home town hyped since I live near Sanford. The “headless miser legend” seemed almost an add on at the end of the book. An interesting local history story though.
Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinkley Firestorm of 1894 written by Daniel James Brown. Read using Audible.
A combination of weather, land conditions, disbelief, and the convergence of two fires led to the deaths of more than 400 people. An incredible story.
Hidden History of Civil War South Carolina written by D. Michael Thomas. This book was provided by Arcadia Publishing.
Fifty short takes on South Carolina history from the “War for Southern Independence” as the author calls it.
Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg: The Creation of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Written by Brad and Linda Gottfried. Read using Kindle.
An excellent, brief introduction to this important after battle aspect of Gettysburg.
Historic Jacksonville Theatre Palaces, Drive-Ins, and Movie Houses. Written by Dorothy K. Fletcher. Read using Kindle.
A tough topic to research. This book is based mostly on a few newspaper articles and “good old days” memories. A fun look back if you lived in Jacksonville during the days of these businesses even if not overly historically useful.
Whiskey Master Class. Written by Lew Bryson. Read using Audible.
A very useful book but would have been better using a physical book.
