298 ratings | 61 reviews | avg rating:4.46

Bill’s Year In Books

Bill’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Bill’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Bill Thorness’s Followers (13)

Bill’s Bookshelves

to-read (79)
currently-reading (3)
read (320)
classics (9)
gardening (29)
my-all-time-faves (10)
seattle-area-authors (104)
writing-editing (10)
wwii (12)

Bill’s Friends (97)

Lesa

934 books | 121 friends

Peter Rock

343 books | 267 friends

Jonathan

91 books | 1,839 friends

Charmaine

401 books | 200 friends

Jill

2,384 books | 32 friends

Carol Saller

37 books | 48 friends

Kevin

1,502 books | 80 friends

Kathleen Crook

44 books | 57 friends

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Bill Thorness

Goodreads Author

Born

in Williston, North Dakota, The United States

Website

http://www.billthorness.com

Genre

Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel

Member Since

July 2012

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Bill Thorness's most recent book is All Roads Lead to Rome: Searching for the End of My Father's War a memoir where the author crosses continents and history to retrace his father’s steps on the battlefields of World War II. All Roads Lead to Rome (December 2024, University of Nebraska Press) was named an Independent Book Awards 2025 finalist.

A Seattle-based author, editor and freelance writer, Bill currently focuses on travel, lifestyle and history.

Visit Bill's website billthorness.com and read his Substack newsletter Annotations.

Memoir:
All Roads Lead to Rome: Searching for the End of My Father's War

Join his Goodreads book group related to WWII, focused on the First Special Service Force, the subject of his memoir.

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Combine Editions
Bill Thorness’s books

Average rating: 4.17 · 107 ratings · 21 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	Cool Season Gardener: Extend the Harvest, Plan Ahead, and Grow Vegetables Year-Round 4.19 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cycling the Pacific Coast: The Complete Guide from Canada to Mexico 4.64 avg rating — 25 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Biking Puget Sound: 50 Rides from Olympia to the San Juans by Bill Thorness (Goodreads Author), Bill Woods 3.64 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2007 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Edible Heirlooms: Heritage Vegetables for the Maritime Garden 4.13 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	POWER: How J.D. Power III Became the Auto Industry’s Adviser, Confessor, and Eyewitness to History by Sarah Morgans, Bill Thorness (Goodreads Author) 3.38 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Biking Puget Sound: 60 Rides from Olympia to the San Juans, 2nd Edition really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	All Roads Lead to Rome: Searching for the End of My Father's War 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	POWER: How J.D. Power III Became the Auto Industry's Adviser, Confessor, and Eyewitness to History by Bill Thorness (Goodreads Author), Sarah Morgans, Bill Griffeth (Foreword) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Building green: energy efficiency takes root at habitat for humanity.(Currents): An article from: E 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Bill Thorness…

6 posts
Bill Thorness's Blog

Named an Indie Book Award finalist!

I'm proud to report that my book All Roads Lead to Rome: Searching for the End of My Father's War has been named an Independent Book Awards 2025 Finalist.
It's gratifying to have recognition for a project that was ten years in the making.
Thanks very much to my publisher, Potomac Books at the University of Nebraska Press, and the editors and readers who helped me craft my story.

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Published on June 25, 2025 09:30 • Tags: all-roads-lead-to-rome, independent-book-awards, memoir, thorness

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Bill is Currently Reading

Bill Thorness is currently reading

The Name of This Band Is R.E.M.

by Peter Ames Carlin (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, seattle-area-authors

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Jan 08, 2026 08:57PM

Bill Thorness is currently reading

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives

by David Eagleman (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jun 25, 2025 09:14AM

Bill Thorness is currently reading

The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth

by Zoë Schlanger

bookshelves: currently-reading, gardening

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Oct 21, 2024 09:49AM

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Bill Thorness is currently reading The Name of This Band Is R.E.M. by Peter Ames Carlin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 08, 2026 08:57PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Name of This Band Is R.E.M. by Peter Ames Carlin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Name of This Band Is R.E.M. by Peter Ames Carlin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Thorness wants to read Americans by choice by Angelo M Pellegrini	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 06, 2026 05:35PM · like
Bill Thorness finished reading Iron Lake (Cork O'Connor, #1) by William Kent Krueger (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 06, 2026 05:31PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Thorness rated a book it was amazing Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home by Chris LaTray (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Bill Thorness finished reading The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 06, 2026 05:29PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Thorness finished reading The Biochar Handbook: A Practical Guide to Making and Using Bioactivated Charcoal by Kelpie Wilson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 06, 2026 05:28PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Biochar Handbook by Kelpie Wilson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Biochar Handbook by Kelpie Wilson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Thorness has read The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Bill Thorness has read Morning and Evening by Jon Fosse	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Bill Thorness has read Winter (Seasons Quartet, #2) by Karl Ove Knausgård	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 06, 2026 05:26PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Winter by Karl Ove Knausgård. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Winter by Karl Ove Knausgård <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Thorness finished reading Summer (Seasons Quartet, #4) by Karl Ove Knausgård	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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