I think I told you before that if you were to read a year’s worth of books and rate them all on a 1-to-5-star scale you’d find a shitload of three-star books. You would probably never run across a one-star book (no one sucks at picking that bad) and, according to my personal calculations, you’ll only encounter a five-star book, the Holy Grail of every bookworm, about nine percent of the time.

But something funny seems to be happening in 2019. I know people of a certain persuasion consider this the year of the pig, but maybe it’s the year of the book?

So far, I’ve read nineteen books this year (and, well, this post mostly exists to give myself a pat on the back and say that publicly). That makes me well-read and a lot of other really smart things but what you probably didn’t know is that seven of those nineteen were five-star books. That’s a whopping 36.8 percent!

This is a fascinating phenomenon. Maybe authors are trying harder, maybe my moon is in the seventh house or, more likely, maybe I’m a book genius … I share that genius with you now.

Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives In World War II by Adam Makos

It’s just after D-day and a tall American teenager is part of a Sherman tank crew pushing towards Germany in the pivotal days of the war. His journey is part of the story we should be passing on to future generations … A wonderful book, masterfully written … It is unlike any book that I can recall in this genre because instead of getting lost in schloads of background info and weighed down by battlefield logistics and topography, Makos puts us – from almost the very first page – in a World War II tank introducing us to people and concepts and circumstances as we drive along … The research is astounding and the story is one of a kind.

Say Nothing: A Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

An engaging, mind-numbing story, beautifully told … Growing up in the 1970s, the IRA (Irish Republican Army), Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams would be concepts I overheard on the news, but I had no idea what they meant nor did I have any context for understanding the life-and-death ramifications – now I do. Protestant versus Catholic, big guy versus little guy, violence and heartache … Keefe is a fantastic writer and the complex story he tells about “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland is filled with political intrigue and is memorable in the extreme.

The Game: Harvard, Yale and America in 1968 by George Howe Colt

A wonderful snapshot of a singular time and place … Two revered learning institutions, a period of emotional social anguish and a legendary football game, all the ingredients needed for a great American story. Packed with compelling characters and storied traditions, this is a groovy introduction to the Ivy League.

The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock ‘n Roll by Ian S. Port

The birth of rock as told through the voice of the guitar, a great idea pulled off with style … Lots of great stories here about rock music and the humble origins of the tools that allowed rockers (and blues players) to turn up the volume … Leo Fender and Les Paul are fascinating polar opposites who made an invaluable contribution to the sound we dig so much. Really cool that all this happened right here in Fullerton and Hollywood.

On Desperate Ground: The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War’s Greatest Battle by Hampton Sides

World War II is over and the Korean Peninsula is divided between the Americans and Russians. It isn’t long before the Soviet-backed communists of the North invade the South; America fights back but then miscalculates. China enters the war and all hell breaks loose. A riveting account of an obscure fight in a forgotten war … The author introduces us to memorable characters in a style that is infinitely readable … It is an epic reminder about so many truisms of war, namely, they get started by ego and oversimplification, no one ever really wins and any gain creates a whole new set of problems and, most important, American heroes will always rise to the occasion and the price will never be worth it.

The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End by Gary Pomerantz

This is essentially a heartfelt biography of Bob Cousy (still alive). He has but one regret, his relationship with legendary teammate Bill Russell. Wonderful, from many perspectives: the early NBA, athletics innovation and achievement, the human condition, the perpetual millstone that is racism in this country … It is indeed sobering that the character of two bright, sincere, fairly enlightened people, Cousy and Russell, isn’t enough to arbitrate our genetic issues of race … It is clear though that fairness and any form of true equality can only be achieved one relationship at a time

The Library Book by Susan Orleans

The Los Angeles Central Library burns down. This book rises from the ashes, part crime story, part history of libraries, part love letter to our friend the book. Beautifully written … The best books are often found in the most out-of-the-way places – like the library … An engaging, sincere and super-interesting ode to books, book people and the places (libraries) where they live.

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