Books I finished in October 2025.
- 10/3//2025 - The Elements of Style (4th Edition) by William Strunk, E.B. White (Audible, Narrated by Frank McCourt): This is a concise guide to clear, effective writing that emphasizes simplicity, precision, and proper grammar. It offers practical rules of usage and composition, encouraging writers to express themselves with clarity and style.
- 10/11/2025 - The Devil and the White City by Erik Larson: This story intertwines the true stories of architect Daniel Burnham, who masterminded the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and serial killer H. H. Holmes, who used the fair’s allure to lure his victims. The book contrasts the grandeur of human innovation and ambition with the darkness of deceit and murder lurking beneath it.
- 10/18/2025 - The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson(Audible, Narrated by Will Patton) : This story chronicles the tense months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the outbreak of the Civil War, revealing how fear, pride, and miscommunication pushed America to the brink of conflict. Through vivid portraits of figures such as Major Robert Anderson and secessionist Edmund Ruffin, Larson illustrates how personal ambition and national division sparked the first shots fired at Fort Sumter.
- 10/29/2025 - The Outermost House by Henry Beston: The Outermost House by Henry Beston is a poetic reflection on the author’s year living alone on Cape Cod’s outer beach, where he observes the rhythms of the sea, the seasons, and the wildlife around him. Through his solitude, Beston discovers a deeper connection to nature and argues for a more spiritual, respectful relationship between humanity and the natural world.