This is the fourth edition of Books That Moved Me—a tradition dating back to 2016—in which I’ll list the fiction and nonfiction books I’ve liked most since my Books 3 post in January 2023. As in the past, virtually all the books I’ve read have been recommended by a trusted group of friends, as well as interesting people I happen to meet and habitually ask: “Have you read anything great recently?” or “What’s the best book you’ve read in the last year?”

Sadly, I’ve read quite a few books during these past two years that were disappointing, and others that I started but gave up on midstream (as I get older I’ve decided life is too short to forge ahead with a book I don’t like just for the sake of finishing it; thankful for Kindle Samples). More than a few of those books were on the New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (which also contained some omissions I found surprising with my more pedestrian taste in books, such as  A Gentleman in Moscow, The Sweetness of Water, and Sapiens, to name just a few.)

Some of my friends seem to be in the same boat as me, hunting in vain for a great book to read. When I’ve emailed seeking their recommendations, they’ve either come up empty-handed or suggested books written years ago, a few of which are included below (I’m still trying to work up the will to delve into The Powerbroker, as more than one friend has repeatedly urged).

But enough whining. With all that said, I’ve been fortunate to have read some great books of late (even if I have trouble remembering what they were about within weeks). Here they are:

Fiction

• The Book of Longings (Sue Monk Kidd)—A historical novel about the wife of Jesus Christ. Perhaps my favorite contemporary novel since my Books 3 post. Monk also wrote another excellent novel, The Secret Life of Bees, back in 2002.
• East of Eden (John Steinbeck)—This classic is the best novel from any period that I’ve read in the past few years. Long, but worth it: A wonderful story spanning the range of human emotions, and beautifully written. A reminder of why Steinbeck is considered one of our greatest authors.
• Gilded Mountain (Kate Manning)—A big sweeping historical novel revolving around the brutal tactics used to crush the labor movement in the early 1900’s. Both heartbreaking and, at times, heartwarming.
• The Great Mrs.Elias (Barbara Chased-Riboud)—Not a favorite of Melissa’s, but I found this to be a thoroughly engaging, suspenseful, and educational historical novel about Elias’ rise from abject poverty and prostitution on the streets of Philadelphia to riches in NYC, battling the virulent racism of the times along the way.
• The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (James McBride)—Excellent, as is everything he writes, but not as good in my view as Deacon King Kong. One note: although I don’t listen to a lot of books, I love the audio versions of McBride’s books.
• Horse (Geraldine Brooks)—Enlightening and engaging historical fiction. I’ve liked several of her books, but this is my favorite.
• James (Percival Everett)—This one seems to be on almost everyone’s list of favorites. Although I was skeptical at the beginning, it won me over.
• Kantika (Elizabeth Graver)—A rich, beautifully written historical novel tracing a Jewish family’s often heartbreaking century-long journey from Ottoman Constantinople to Spain and ultimately Queens.
• Matterhorn: A Novel of the Viet Nam War (Karl Marlantes)—Although billed as fiction, this gut wrenching book seems frighteningly accurate, insofar as the horrors described are largely indistinguishable from those chronicled in Hue 1968, Mark Bowden’s nonfiction account. Matterhorn gave me a new perspective on the Viet Nam War I protested and, in particular, those who bravely fought and needlessly died there. Marlantes’ 2024 Cold Victory is also excellent.
• My Friends (Isham Matar)—A terrific novel by the author of The Return  (a great memoir that won the Pulitzer about Matur’s search for his father, who disappeared  while a  member of the opposition to Gaddafi in Lybya).
• Table for Two (Amor Towles)—Short stories and a novella. I usually find short stories unsatisfying; not these. He’s a remarkable writer. Gentleman in Moscow remains one my favorite contemporary novels.
• Tell Me Everything (Elizabeth Strout)—All I can say is that Strout is a remarkable writer who, in her sparse style, manages to write engaging, incisive books, about ostensibly small events.

Nonfiction

• A Fever in the Heartland (Timothy Egan)—a chilling account of the KKK’s enormous following in the Midwest and among elected officers in the 1920’s.
• American Prometheus—The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Bird and Sherwin): I thought this book, on which the Oppenheimer movie was based, was much better than the movie.
• The Coldest Winter (David Halberstam)—A brilliant book written in 2007 about the Korean War and the politics of the time. Fascinating in ways beyond the war, which has been largely invisible, and about which I’d known nothing.
• G-Man—J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century (Beverly Gage)—An illuminating and ostensibly balanced biography of this notorious, enigmatic figure and the decades in which he rose to power and reigned.
• The Island at the Center of the World (Russell Shorto)—A fascinating history of the earliest days of Manhattan.
• Master Slave Husband Wife (I Lyon Woo)—The story of a couple’s extraordinary escape from slavery, and their roller coaster lives thereafter.
• The River of Doubt—Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (Candace Millard)–A captivating account of Roosevelt’s nearly fatal journey down uncharted waters in the Amazon.
• The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution (David Stewart)—A week by week account of the negotiation and drafting of the Constitution, including provisions at the center of our politics today.
• The Wager (David Grann)— The story of the 1742 shipwreck of the Wager, and the harrowing trials, judicial and otherwise, that followed. My only quibble: While extremely engaging, I found the book reminiscent of Endurance—The Discovery of Shackleton’s Legendary Ship, and not quite as good.

Thankfully, people have responded to Books 1, 2, and 3 with recommendations of their own. If you have further recommendations, please put them in the Comments to this blog post so others can reap the benefits.