My 2025 Booklist

Mid-year review

In response to requests from friends asking for book recommendations, since 1996 it has been my tradition to informally rate the investment-related and other books I read in the past year. I send the full list out along with my annual family newsletter during the holiday season. Thus the list is from December through November. Here’s my list halfway through the year.

Opinions about books are very personal, so these ratings reflect my tastes and opinions, which might be very different from yours.

Distinguished (5)

The Humble Investor-Rasmussen

A Calamity of Souls-Baldacci

The Things We Cannot Say-Rimmer

Resurrection Walk- Connelly

Dreamtown-Baldacci

Excellent (5)

Madame Fourcade’s Secret War-Olson

The German Wife-Rimmer

The Waiting- Connelly

The Big Empty-Crais

Wedding Station-Downing

Very Good (8)

Think Twice-Coben

Dead Simple-James

A Richer Retirement- Bengen

How Not to Invest-Ritholtz

The House of Special Purpose-Boyne

Spearhead-Makos

Devotion-Makos

Sharpe’s Command-Cornwell

Good (14)

Macbeth-Nesbo

Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell-Meyer

The Jews Should Keep Quiet-Medoff

The Land Beyond the Sea-Penman

Worth Dying For-Child

The 6:20 Man-Baldacci

The Secret-Child & Child

The Kingdom-Nesbo

It Had To Be You-Clark & Burke

The Boy From The Woods-Coben

Chance-Shulevitz

Kingmaker-Purnell

The Edge-Baldacci

Union Station-Downing

Fair (1)

Even-Grant