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Register to join the Sickos community trip to Italy: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/italy/italy-with-michael-kist-nov-2025

The Fall of the Roman Republic... is it comparable to what's happening in America today? Was it a disaster or a necessary revolution? What books can we use to learn all about 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

Book List:
The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan https://amzn.to/4hux8Ly
Mortal Republic by Edward Watts https://amzn.to/4avpkqp
The Fall of the Roman Republic by Plutarch https://amzn.to/3WyZpsl
Rubicon by Tom Holland https://amzn.to/4gdyNnu
Caesar by Adrian Goldsworthy https://amzn.to/3E2rTnJ
The Landmark Julius Caesar https://amzn.to/4jrK9qV
Cicero by Anthony Everitt https://amzn.to/42t8Kps
The War That Made the Roman Empire by Barry Strauss https://amzn.to/3PNaBxt
The Roman Revolution by Ronald Syme https://amzn.to/3Ec51lV
Pax Romana by Adrian Goldsworthy https://amzn.to/4h8z2S3

0:00 Intro
0:25 Is it America
2:31 Italy Group Trip
3:08 Origins of the Fall
5:59 Sweeping Histories
7:42 Crossing the Rubicon
9:35 Key Figures
11:00 War of Actium
12:00 The Roman Peace
14:04 First Among Equals
#booktube #historybooks #history #ancientrome

Book Recommendations for the Fall of the Ancient Roman Republic

Early access to my YouTube video of book recommendations covering the Fall of the Roman Republic!

EARLY ACCESS (YOUTUBE VIDEO) - Book Recs for the Fall of the Roman Republic

Travel to Italy with our Sickos community: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/italy/italy-with-michael-kist-nov-2025

Six books, six reviews from the History Sickos Book Club reads (July-December 2024)!

Book List:
Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham https://amzn.to/42qjC7u
Agrippina by Emma Southon https://amzn.to/40Ebvmh
The Rise & Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson https://amzn.to/4g7ggt8
K* Anything That Moves by Nick Turse https://amzn.to/4g5TTnP
The Anarchy by William Dalrymple https://amzn.to/4gpe14J
The Greatest Knight by Thomas Asbridge https://amzn.to/4ht8ivz

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
1:18 Midnight in Chernobyl
3:15 Agrippina
5:36 Ancient Egypt
6:35 Anything That Moves
9:03 Anarchy
 11:23 Greatest Knight
#booktube #historybooks #nonfictionbooks

History Book Reviews and Recommendations

Six books, six reviews from the History Sickos Book Club reads (July-December 2024)!

6 History Book Reviews and Recommendations

The Sickos are going to Italy! Specifically, Rome and Florence (Nov. 8-13 of 2025) and there's a fantastic itinerary with tons to do and free time baked in to go exploring. We're hitting all the best landmarks, tasting some wine, hunting for bookshop hauls and more!

Links in my bio will take you to the full trip info and a place to register to be notified when the trip goes live on January 21st!
#bookstagram #ancientrome #bookishtrip #history

The Sickos group trip to Italy w/early bird discount, is live!

Register to get notified when the Sickos trip to Italy goes live (enter your email under my name): https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/michael-ogzb6

Five books that I read in 2024 that just missed out on my Top 10 Fiction Books!

Book List:
Artificial Wisdom by Thomas Weaver https://amzn.to/3C7Ax3S
A Woman of the Sword by Anna Smith Spark https://amzn.to/4ahW5HA
Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi https://amzn.to/4h7vwam
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah https://amzn.to/40lajmm
Sharpe’s Tiger by Bernard Cornwell https://amzn.to/40kW0OZ

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
1:19 Artificial Wisdom
3:25 Woman of the Sword
5:53 Kaiju Preservation Society
7:04 Chain Gang
8:36 Sharpes Tiger
#booktube #fictionbooks #sciencefiction

Good Books to Read from Multiple Fiction Genres

Five books that I read in 2024 that just missed out on my Top 10 Fiction Books!

Sicko Exclusive - Cobalt Red Book Review

Sickos! I recently mentioned in the Discord that I was working on an exclusive review for y'all and here it is! My review of Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara. Hope you enjoy!

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!

Tester

Michael Kist

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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!