Over the last year or two I’ve “read” (by listening to Audible audio books) some fantastic books. For awhile now I’ve wanted to sit down and give you the highlights of my favorites. If you’re looking for some really great reading material, here it is.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
This nonfiction (yes, nonfiction tops the list!) is written by a journalist for an outdoor sporting magazine who joins a Mount Everest expedition led by world-famous climber Rob Hall in May of 1996. Intending to attempt the summit and write about the experience for the magazine’s readers, Krakauer gets much more than he bargained for when a freak storm hits their expedition, and combined with inexperienced climbers and a lapse in judgement spurred by a lack of oxygen results in the worst loss of life in the history of the mountain. An amazing account, told in the only way it truly can be — by someone who was there. By the end of the book, you will have a greater fascination for climbing, a respect for those who do it, and true awe of Mount Everest. In addition, this is one book that is worth springing for the audio version whether you’re into audiobooks or not — because it’s read by the author himself. Definitely 5 stars.

Series: Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn
The three books in this series — Across the Nightingale Floor, Grass for His Pillow, and Brilliance of the Moon, comprise some of the best storytelling I have ever heard in my life. The genre(s) these books fall into, Historical Fiction/Fantasy, never really interest me, but I decided to give the first book a try because it was so highly rated on Audible and the description did look intriguing. I am so glad I did. Set in a fantastical feudal Japan, the series weaves the life of hero Takeo, a young man who at 16 discovers he posseses unusual skills and powers, and that he is part of a greater plan that even he does not completely understand. A story of deception, treachery, the skills of a dark art and inseparable first love. By the time I reached the end of the third book, I never wanted to leave these characters, so well did I feel I knew them. Highly recommended, 5 stars.

The Company by Robert Littell
This enormous, 900 page, 42+ hour historical fiction of the CIA is mind-blowingly large in its scale of time, places, and characters. Beginning just after World War II, in the Berlin base that was the front line for the growing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, The Company takes us all the way through the Bay of Pigs, Afghanistan, the Gorbachev coup and the decline of communism in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is told through the eyes of spies on both sides of the iron curtain, many of whom began their careers in the 1950s and are still at it by the end of the book. You see what they encounter and how it changes them over the course of their lives, and you see the secret, silent war of wits and deception between the CIA and the KGB, the decades-long hunt for a mole deep within the CIA, what really happened behind the scenes of many of the most famous conflicts of the Cold War, and the special relationship that exists between those who must serve their nation in secrecy, never to be recognized for their extraordinary contributions. Tom Clancy himself said, “If Robert Littell didn’t invent the American spy novel, he should have.” A must read for anyone who is even remotely interested in this kind of stuff. 4.5 stars.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
This, I think, is Dan Brown’s best book. If you liked The DaVinci Code, by all means read this. In fact, even if you didn’t like The DaVinci Code, read this; I think it’s better. 4.5 stars.

Honorable mentions: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Funny, very informative, a great read. Also America: The book — A citizen’s guide to democracy inaction by Jon Stewart and the Daily Show team is absolutely hilarious.

While I’m recommending books, I’ll also recommend some to avoid (mostly because they were boring or the the story was really predictable or lame): Detour by James Siegel, Meg by Steve Alten, Deception Point by Dan Brown, and Paranoia by Joseph Finder.

So that’s about it for now. I strongly recommend picking out at least one of these books I’ve mentioned and taking the time to read it — I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I know as we’ve gotten older and busier many of us don’t have time to read anymore (which is why I mostly just listen to audio books now), but making the time for these books will certainly be worth your while.