New Site Default Bookshelf

Five books that just missed out on my Top 10 History/Nonfcition Books of 2024! All above 4 stars and covering subjects from around the world!

Book List:
Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning https://amzn.to/40oWYe0
Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen https://amzn.to/3BW37Fj
Fifth Sun by Camilla Townsend https://amzn.to/4h0Euqp
The Ghosts of Cannae by Robert L. O’Connell https://amzn.to/4085tJ9
Henry V by Dan Jones https://amzn.to/4fQV0I7

Join our Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

0:00 Intro
0:40 Ordinary Men
2:09 Nuclear War
4:31 Fifth Sun
6:15 Ghosts of Cannae
8:13 Henry V

5 Must-Read History/Nonfiction Books!

Five books that just missed out on my Top 10 History/Nonfiction Books of 2024!

I recently finished reading all six volumes of the AKIRA 35th Anniversary Box Set, here's my review of the iconic science fiction/cyberpunk series with thoughts on the groundbreaking anime!

Shop it here: https://amzn.to/4j1gNzt
Try the Vol. 1 paperback here: https://amzn.to/3BMiPTv

Join our Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist
#manga #anime

AKIRA 35th Anniversary Box Set Review (plus movie thoughts!)

I recently finished reading all six volumes of the AKIRA 35th Anniversary Box Set, here's my review of the iconic science fiction/cyberpunk series with thoughts on the groundbreaking anime!

I read eight books and completed one manga series and the genres were all over the map, hang out for my spoiler-free reviews and recommendations!

Book List, Shop Here: https://amzn.to/4j2ZHRJ
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Stiff by Mary Roach
The Greatest Knight by Thomas Asbridge
Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano
AKIRA Vol. 6 by Katsuhiro Otomo
Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara

Join our Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

0:00 Into
0:43 The Handmaids Tale
2:47 Dawn
4:48 Blood Over Bright Haven
5:25 Ship of Magic
7:18 Stiff
8:19 The Greatest Knight
9:54 Open Veins
12:13 AKIRA
13:06 Cobalt Red

Reviewing the 8 Books I Read in December (+1 Manga!)

I read eight books and completed one manga series and the genres were all over the map, hang out for my spoiler-free reviews and recommendations!

EARLY ACCESS - Reviewing the 8 Books I Read in December (+1 Manga!)

Reading goals can serve a purpose, and I'm glad I set one for 2024, but I think I've reached a point where it's no longer useful to chase the numbers. Let me explain why I have done away with reading goals in 2025.

Join our Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

Books Mentioned:
Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty
Shogun by James Clavell
The Abyss by Max Hastings
The Third Reich Trilogy by Richard J. Evans
Five Families by Selwyn Raab

Games Mentioned:
Red Dead Redemption 2
Civilization VII
#booktube #readinggoals #booktok #bookishlife

Why I'm Reading Fewer Books in 2025

Reading goals can serve a purpose, and I'm glad I set one for 2024, but I think I've reached a point where it's no longer useful to chase the numbers. Let me explain why I have done away with reading goals in 2025.

Of the 71 books from a variety of fiction genres (literary fiction, fantasy, science fiction, manga contemporary romance etc etc), these are my Top 10 books of 2024!

Get these on my storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/michaelkist/list/3SQOHPJ2YLEUZ?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_MDNT0ZSZV6DT60SSANGJ
Book List:
Tokyo Ghoul
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Between Two Fires by Chrisopher Buehlman
Stoner by John Williams
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
Project Hail Mary by Andry Weir
Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang
The Devils by Joe Abercromie

Join our Sickos Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: 
https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

0:00 Intro
1:07 Bonus Manga Rec
1:46 Book Lovers
3:04 Between Two Fires
4:21 Stoner
5:58 Lies of Locke
7:09 Kim Jiyoung
8:05 Kindred
9:38 Short Stay in Hell
11:21 Project Hail Mary
12:31 BOBH
14:17 The Devils
16:47 Closing

#booktube #fictionbooks #bookrecommendations

The Best 10 Fiction Genre Books I Read in 2024 (I read 71!)

Of the 71 books from a variety of fiction genres (literary fiction, fantasy, science fiction, manga contemporary romance etc etc), these are my Top 10 books of 2024!

Sunday Life Dump

Of the 50 history/nonfiction/biography books I read in 2024, these are my top 10! This features history from all over the world, including American, Islamic, African, Roman, Greek, Asian, and European subjects. Leave a comment with your best history/nonfiction read of 2024!

Grab these on my storefront!
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe: https://amzn.to/3BHgyJ4
White Malice by Susan Williams: https://amzn.to/423e02T
Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder: https://amzn.to/3Dp0FYe
Messalina by Honor Cargill-Martin: https://amzn.to/4gBWLty
Olympias by Elizabeth Carney: https://amzn.to/4gOnJy9
Sengoku Jidai by Danny Chaplin: https://amzn.to/49N7Hlz
Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick: https://amzn.to/3ZLfWtN
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild: https://amzn.to/3P72MSZ
A Rome of One's Own by Emma Southon: https://amzn.to/3BAVhAP
How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith: https://amzn.to/401rmer
Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary: https://amzn.to/3P6nUsM

Join our Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: 
https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

0:00 Intro
1:26 The Rules
1:57 Tie for 10
2:36 White Malice
3:48 Bloodlands 
5:37 Messalina
8:51 Olympias
11:18 Sengoku Jidai
13:27 Nothing to Envy
14:59 King Leopold’s Ghost 
16:51 A Rome of One’s Own
19:20 How the Word is Passed
21:43 Destiny Disrupted
#booktube #historybooks #history #nonfiction

Top 10 History/Nonfiction Books of 2024 (I read 50!)

Of the 50 history/nonfiction/biography books I read in 2024, these are my top 10! This features history from all over the world, including American, Islamic, African, Roman, Greek, Asian, and European subjects. Leave a comment with your best history/nonfiction read of 2024!

Top 10 History/Nonfiction Books of 2024

Here are six history book recommendations covering topics all over the world for readers that want to start reading history or are casual history readers!

Book List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/michaelkist/list/9JVHX92KCVL2?ref_=aipsflist
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford (Mongol hisotry)
Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary (Islamic history)
A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Emma Southon (ancient Roman history)
Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs by Adrienne Mayor (ancient history)
The Greatest Knight by Thomas Asbridge (High Middle Ages English history)
Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy (science/history)

Join our Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

0:00 Intro
0:30 How I Got Hooked
1:30 The Popular History Genre
3:15 Genghis Khan
6:51 Destiny Disrupted
9:38 A Fatal Thing
11:23 Rapid Fire Recs
#booktube #historybooks #historybuff #booktok #worldhistory

Six banger history books for casual readers

Here are six history book recommendations covering topics all over the world for readers that want to start reading history or are casual history readers!

I read four fantasy/science fiction trilogies in 2024. Would I recommend them?! Here are my full spoiler-free reviews and recommendations.

Book Series Reviewed:
Farseer by Robin Hobb
Age of Madness by Joe Abercrombie
The Devoured Worlds by Megan O'Keefe
The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne

Join our Bindery Sickos community of book-reading Sickos: 
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

0:00 Intro
0:52 Farseer
2:50 Devoured Worlds
7:29 Age of Madness
10:39 Bloodsworn Saga
#booktube #booktok #fantasybooks #sciencefiction #bookrecommendations

Should you read the 4 trilogies that I completed in 2024?!

I read four fantasy/science fiction trilogies in 2024. Would I recommend them?! Here are my full spoiler-free reviews and recommendations.

After thinking it over, these are two books that I'd give a lower rating to today versus how I rated them initially. Do you have an example of a book you'd rate lower after you've had time to process your thoughts on it?!

Join our Bindery community of book-reading Sickos: https://kistreadsbooks.binderybooks.com/
Check out my wife's homemade bookmarks: https://kiststudio.etsy.com
Follow my other efforts across various platforms: https://linktr.ee/michaelkist

Books I Liked Less the More I Thought About Them

After thinking it over, these are two books that I'd give a lower rating to today versus how I rated them initially. Do you have an example of a book you'd rate lower after you've had time to process your thoughts on it?!

Tester

Michael Kist

amazon

bookshop

My Real Name

This is a longer entry about me. I love to write, and I love to share my thoughts with the world. I hope you enjoy my work!