UPDATED: September 19, 2026
This list is in descending order so the latest reads are on top.
One of the issues of graduate school, for me at least, was that there was a lot of reading to be done, but it was rarely reading a whole book cover-to-cover. Last year, I decided that this year I would actively pursue recreational reading alongside academic reading. I set a soft goal of reading 50 books in 2026.
Current
Lafayllve, Patricia M. A Practical Heathen’s Guide to Asatru. Llewellyn Publications, 2013.
A bibliography find and follow up to Nordvig’s Ásatrú for Beginners. Many practitioners of Ásatrú utilizes modern interpretations of Anglo-Saxon and Norse mythology and lore. It is integral to understanding these cultures and their influences on the modern western world.
Morris, Marc. The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England 400-1066. Pegasus Books, 2021.
This is my opening salvo of Anglo-Saxon studies. There are several facets of my study plan: history, lore, religion, and linguistics.
Gorrie, Colin. Ōsweald Bera: An Introduction to Old English. Vergil Press, 2024.
This is an ongoing read. It is intended to be read several times to familiarize the reader with Old English and develop a working vocabulary to read many of the OE documents and books available.
Top of the Pile
Leekey, William. The Young Clerks Assistant: Or Penmanship Made Easy, Instructive and Entertaining: Being a Pamphlet Pocket-Copy-Book Courtiously Engrav’d for the Practice of Youth in the Art of Writing. Richard Ware, 1787.
Waterhouse, Keith. Waterhouse on Newspaper Style. Viking, 1989.
Waterhouse, Keith. English Our English (and How to Sing It). Viking, 1991.
Campbell, James, Eric John, and Patrick Wormald. The Anglo-Saxons. Penguin Books, 1991.
Books Read – 2026
Davies, Lyn. A Is For Ox: A Short History of the Alphabet. The Folio Society, 2006.
This was a source book mentioned on the RobWords YouTube channel. Excellent read and very interesting if you want to know more about the history and origins of the characters used to communicate in the English language.
McPharlin, Paul. Roman Numerals Typographic Leaves and Pointing Hands: Some Notes on Thier Origin, History and Contemporary Use. Vol. 7. Typophile Chap Books. The Typophiles, 1942.
Also in keeping up with field research and reading. A citation find.
Nordvig, Mathias. Ásatrú for Beginners: A Modern Heathen’s Guide to the Ancient Northern Way. Callisto Publishing, 2020.
A second reading for a research project.
Oberon, Aaron. Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South. Moon Books, 2019.
This is my second reading of Southern Cunning. What I appreciate most about it is that it isn’t a paint-by-numbers book. It politely demands that you do your own research and understand what you are doing, and why. In most cases it presents folkloric traditions in general terms, certainly enough that you can sus out what’s going on and where you might want to look for more information, and it often gives more than one perspective on a topic. Oberon makes it very clear that they are not the last word on any of the topics, they discuss only what their research has come up with, and what works for them. This is an excellent starting point for research in Southern US folkloric traditions.
Gill, Eric, and Christopher Skelton. An Essay on Typography. Fourth softcover printing. Godine, 2007.
“The classic & long unavailable argument for good taste, common sense & human involvement composed for anyone remotely interested in the subtle & changing challenge of the typographic arts.” This is a reprint of Gill’s second edition (1936) of his classic 1931 An Essay on Typography. Gill goes to great lengths in narrowing the scope of his analysis to Anglo-Saxon, western European & British, Christian typography. The demographic is more important than one might think, in part because the actual discussion, beyond typographical history, is a comparison between commercial and artisanal interests in printing during the interwar period. Gill makes a case for both of these groups, though leaning in philosophy towards the artisanal, he casts no dispersions on either side. An excellent read for historians on the topics of printing and typography as well as those interested in the philosophical perspective.
Stuart, Spencer W. Contemporary Issues in Rare Book & Manuscript Collecting: A Handbook for Collectors and the Trade. Spencer W. Stuart, 2023.
I had the privilege of being on a teleconference Spencer was presenting on this topic to the Private Libraries Association in May. The presentation was very interesting and raised questions about the future landscape of the rare book industry, a topic that is near to my current and future practice. One of the offerings was a copy of his book on the topic, which I recently received from PLA. I am interested to see where the book expands on matters covered in the presentation.
Houston, Keith. Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols & Other Typographical Marks. W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
While watching The hidden logic behind #, @, & and § on the RobWords YouTube channel, Rob mentioned Shady Characters. It sounded interesting, and since it right up my bibliographical ally, I picked up a copy. It is fascinating and has a wealth of historical insight into these and other related characters. An excellent read for book nerds, grammarians, and those with an interest in the arcane history of symbols used in written communication. As a fan of thorn, eth, and ash, & the use of &c., I found this book a lot of fun with some great leads on other books that will be gracing this page soon.
Cockerell, Douglas. Bookbinding and the Care of Books: A Handbook for Amateurs Bookbinders and Librarians. Appleton, 1902. Reprint, Lyons & Burford, 1991.
Douglas Bennett Cockerell (1870 – 1945) is one of the most referred to “modern” authorities on bookbinding and has contributed significantly to the field in many ways. I chose to move this book to the top of the reading list because it is more of a reference book than a workbook, at least this time around.
Abbott, Kathy. Bookbinding: A Step-By-Step Guide. The Crowood Press, 2010.
This book was a recomendation by DAS Bookbinding’s YouTube channel, in his video, Books About Bookbinding, he recommends 12 titles on bookbinding. If you are interested, Darryn’s website is DAS Bookbinding. I am using this book as the initial text for a Practicum on bookbinding.
Fitzpatrick, Megan. Dutch Tool Chests. Lost Art Press, 2004.
This is one of Lost Art Press‘s great books. Megan is one of the founders of LAP, and I am a huge fan of her and Chris. They have done an amazing job with the publishing house and with every book they publish. I have never been disappointed with their work. This book was further down the list, but my shop reorganization project is at a point where I need to build the Dutch Tool Chest to move all of my woodworking hand tools to clear out some factory-made tool chests. I have read it before; however, a re-read while working on the chests is a good idea to keep me on target.
Naudé, Gabriel. Advice on Establishing a Library. Greenwood Press, 1976.
Middleton is a big book; I have a couple of smaller books I wanted to read before focusing entirely on bookbinding for a while, and Naudé is 110 pages. It is quite wordy in the 17th-century style. The advice is sound, and the processes are valid as well.
Wheatley, H. B. How to Form a Library. A.C. Armstrong and Son, 1886.
In the same vein as Naudé, this is a short book I wanted to read before diving deep into bookbinding. A good 19th-century book on building a library. Sound and valid advice for the collector.
West, Herbert Faulkner. Modern Book Collecting for the Impecunious Amateur. 1st ed. Little, Brown, and Company, 1936.
I don’t remember how this title came to my attention; I am sure it was a bibliographic notation in one of the other bibliophile books, but I love the title. A good read if our are a book nerd and a bit sardonic.
Gallup, Donald. On Contemporary Bibliography: With Particular Reference to Ezra Pound. University of Texas Press, 1970.
This was another bibliographic reference. It is a short monograph, just 21 pages of text, published in a limited edition of 500 books. It is an interesting look at the eccentricities of building a canon bibliography for an author and the problem the bibliographer might run into.
Muir, P. H. Book Collecting as a Hobby: In a Series of Letters to Everyman. Alfred A. Knopf, 1947.
This was a bibliography find. Muir is referenced, as is this title, in several other books on collecting. Muir’s wisdom takes the form of letters from a mentor to a new collector. Although half a century has passed since its writing, it remains a good basic primer on what to look for in books themselves as physical objects, and in the motivations of collectors. It is, and will remain, a good reference for the inexperienced collector.
Ahearn, Allen, and Patricia Ahearn. Book Collecting 2000: A Comprehensive Guide. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2000.
This was a recommendation from a colleague in the Private Library Association. It is definitely a dated reference book but it does have invaluable information on identification of first editions by author and publisher. It has its limitations but it will certainly be a go-to reference book for me. Plus, my copy is a g/ng 1st edition.
Stanley, Jason. Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. One Signal – Atria, 2024.
Just arrived in paperback. I have seen Stanley in several interviews and read his book How Fascism Works. Mr. Stanley does not disappoint. This is a great look at how and why fascists attack and manipulate educational systems to promote propaganda and alternative histories as fact, and eliminate narratives that contradict the one they are pushing.
Frisvold, Nicholaj de Mattos. Serpent Songs: An Anthology of Traditional Craft. Scarlet Imprint, 2013.
This is a title in my philosophy/theology stack. It is a collection of articles on specific traditional beliefs and philosophies as seen by the individual practitioners. It was mentioned as an interesting read by a fellow esotericist. Not really my cup of tea overall but interesting.
Le Cunff, Anne-Laure. Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely In a Goal-Obsessed World. Profile Books, 2025.
Reading now. Also mentioned in Ryder’s Bullet Journal. This is a great book. I will be incorporating several techniques into my process.
Allen, Roland. The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper. Biblioasis, 2023.
This book is mentioned several times in Ryder’s Bullet Journal, and being the bibliographic nerd that I am, it was an easy sell. I jumped down that rabbit hole headfirst. It is a great read if you ever wondered how long notebooks have been around and how they have been used throughout history. It is a truly fascinating topic. I am not surprised the earliest paper notebooks came from Florence in the 1300s, or that the Florentines invented modern double-entry accounting at that time. Ricordi, ricordanze, and zibaldoni. Great book, even a slow reader like me was able to crush this 400+ page tome in a few days. Loved it.
Carroll, Ryder. The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future. Penguin Publishing Group, 2018.
Somehow this one slipped past me. I read it over a couple of days at the end of February, just in time to implement a “BuJo” of my own on March 1st. I like notebooks, okay, I love notebooks, and I like to buy them. They usually sit on a shelf or in a box for years, but I like them. I have been trying to keep a long-format journal for several years now. I started in a Moleskine, then went to Field Books because they seemed easier. After journaling a full year in Field Books, the small ones, A larger format seemed like a better option. I started carrying a fountain pen daily in 2023, and it worked well with most of the options, but I really wanted to do something special and new for 2025. I got a nice faux leather journal in the 5×8 size range. I used it throughout 2025, journaling long form most days. I called it a success for reaching my target of keeping a journal. I am a little bast half way though it now. But this didn’t help productivity or memory. In January, I was seriously considering a Day Planner, or something similar. Part of my go analog desires as well. Somewhere in my search for a planner, I came across “Bullet Journal,” so I looked it up, watched a couple of videos, and decided I needed to read the book. I have been using the basic system, no graphics, doodles, or a ton of fancy collections, and I have to say it has increased my attention and productivity significantly. I already have some subtitle changes planned for April, but I am very enthusiastic to try it out with a whole class (next class starts on the 23rd), not to mention as I move into my dissertation. There will be more on this later.
Faircloth, Sean. Attack of the Theocrats! How the Religious Right Harms Us All– And What We Can Do About It. Pitchstone Pub, 2012.
I have to admit, I was disappointed in this one. It has a great comic book like cover, but it doesn’t really hit any marks. It covers a long list of politicians who are pretty much out of the picture. It provides some good political context for right-wing extremism, but the sense of immediacy and contact information show that this is a book with a very limited shelf life. Faircloth clearly had a purpose in mind, but it just falls flat after a decade.
Popović, Srđa, and Matthew Miller. Blueprint For Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World. Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
This one popped up on my radar when ICE was at its worst in Portland, and the Frog Patrol was still just one or two strong. This is a two-fer; it is a great reference for a conflict historian such as myself, with lots of good information on the Baltic resistance in the 1990s and 2000s. It is also a good red for anyone who might be thinking about revolt against the revolting. It’s a good read and gives you a lot to think about. Nonviolence is not compliance.
Doctorow, Cory. Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It. MCD, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025.
I am a fan of Cory Doctorow. I have been following him since the BoingBoing days. He writes both fiction and non-fiction, and this is very much in the latter category. For several years now, I have been disgusted by the obscene wealth of the tech monopolists, how they conduct business, and what they clearly think of everyone else consuming oxygen on their planet. Cory lays out, in his clear and distinctive voice, just how shitty they are. I have tried to get out from under the surveillance economy for some time, and after reading Enshittification, I was inspired to tell Zuck to piss off and delete my Facebook and Instagram accounts. I still have a long way to go, but I am working on it (see my Social Media page). To be clear, I’m not anti-tech or anti-Internet, quite the opposite. I just want to stop giving billionaires money and opt out of the surveillance economy. It’s a process.
Bernays, Edward L. Propaganda: The Public Mind in the Making. Horace Liveright, 1928.
I have two editions of this book and have read both. They are short, 168 pages, and there are some differences in the text, but reading either one would get you all you can get from either. This is about propaganda in the early sense, advertising, before the negative connotation was applied to the word.
Axelrod, Alan. Selling the Great War: The Making of American Propaganda. 1st ed. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
This book kicked off a lot of questions that needed answers. I have cited it numerous times and used its citations to start fleshing out my own research library. Selling the Great War inspired me to look for the differentiation between Early American Propaganda and Modern American Propaganda, and I believe I found it in George Creel and the Committee on Public Information. If you are interested in how we went from a nation bound and determined to remain neutral in The Great War (WWI) to a nation with a mission to destroy the German invaders of Western and Southern Europe, this is a great place to start. It presented a lot of rabbit holes for me to go down.
Belew, Kathleen. Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. Harvard University Press, 2019.
I bought this because it had good reviews and was clearly on topic for my research. It discusses the connection between military service and dissatisfied veterans in the white power movement. Belew has done some great research and presented it well in this book. It has excellent footnotes, a good source list, and a good index.
Maddow, Rachel. Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism. First edition. Crown, 2023.
While I was familiar with the rough outline of the existence of the German-American Bund, I didn’t appreciate the scope of influence and infiltration of the Nazi Party during the Interwar period. Not only is Maddow a skilled writer, her research is also impeccable. When I bought the book, I was expecting another well-researched subject-matter book. I wasn’t expecting an academic book. I had no idea that Maddow had a Ph.D. Her academic achievements are clear in the composition, research, and citation included in this work.
Hayes, Christopher. The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource. Penguin Press, 2025.
I knew the Attention Economy was there; I just hadn’t considered how prolific it was, or to what lengths Big Tech would go.
Schwartz, Christopher. The Anarchist’s Workbench. Lost Art Press, 2020.
Another in the Anarchist trilogy, it is an excellent book on building a workbench and so much more. The third in the series is The Anarchist’s Design Book, a massive tome, and while I am about a third of the way through, I want to get back to it when I can build some of the furniture in it.
Schwartz, Christopher. The Anarchist’s Tool Chest. Revised. Lost Art Press, 2025.
I love Chris’s writing. I have been following him and his publishing company, Lost Art Press, for many years now. I bought the ATC’s first edition because I am a woodworker, I like Chris’s writing style, I wanted to support a new small press, and as a bibliography nerd, I loved the attention to detail in the production of all of LAP’s books. They really care about the quality of the book, content, and physical appearance. I have many LAP books, and I am never disappointed. Thank you, Chris and Megan, you guys are rockstars.
The Anarchist Tool Chest is an excellent book on building a tool chest, but it is so much more. There is a philosophy behind Chris’s work and ethic. It is akin to the maker philosophy as well as the right-to-repair philosophy. If these words mean something to you, woodworker or not, you will enjoy this book.