The books I read in my twenties are NOT the same kind of books I read in my thirties or forties. Gosh, my 50s flew by. So here is a list of my top 100, favorite books now that I'm in my 60s. Many of these books I have read two or three times, so they are highly recommended!

Keep in mind, I am not a Christian, nor am I an Atheist. With that said, my most favorite writers fall on both sides of this equation. From Christopher Hitchens to G.K. Chesterton, with Søren Kierkegaard somewhere in the middle? Reference politics, current events and history, I much prefer the conservative point of view to the vapid left-wing screeds so prevalent in our education system today. There are many incredible history writers out there who do not hate the United States or our history. From Victor Davis Hanson, Amity Shlaes, Lawrence Wright, Paul Johnson, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, Milton Friedman, Thomas Sowell, Adam Smith, to Friedrich Hayek, I buy and read their books.

As for biographies, I won't waste my time on a "celebrity" but I will spend hours reading about someone who has made a significant contribution to history and society, be it good or bad.

The classics, you may ask yourself what do I mean by the classics. Well, there are the incredible ancient classics like Aristotle, Socrates and Plato. But there are also the great classics of fine literature of the 1800s and the early 1900s, especially the British and Russian authors of that time. I love both and I highly recommend readers of all ages to discover them.

Let's just say, I'm a conservative, philosophical agnostic who loves to read philosophy, politics, current events, history, biographies, the classics and last but most certainly not least, science fiction and espionage.

Science fiction and espionage? Well, we all read for different reasons, sometimes for information, sometimes for insight into the human condition and sometimes to escape. When I want to escape, I love to lose myself in a great science fiction book. From Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, George Orwell, Philip K. Dick, Stanislaw Lem, John Haldeman, to John Scalzi and Octavia Butler - just a few of my most favorite sci-fi authors. When I want to read a book that places emphasis on the "good" and the "bad" guys and lots of action, I read espionage. Who hasn't read John le Carré, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, Vince Flynn, David Baldacci or Daniel Silva It is so easy to lose yourself in any of these writer's books.

I just won't waste my time or hard-earned money on popular self-help books, young adult books, vampire/zoombie pulp fiction, or books on political correctness and left-wing intolerance.

Life is just too short to waste what precious little time we have!
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197 books · 28 voters · list created September 23rd, 2016 by Phyllis (votes) .
18 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Phyllis 914 books
6 friends
~☆~Autumn 8118 books
151 friends
Sarah 1890 books
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Lewk 9 books
0 friends
Jeff 4849 books
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Lmarie 2598 books
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Peter 116 books
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Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)

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message 1: by Donne (last edited Sep 17, 2024 08:54AM) (new)

Donne "Life is just too short to waste what precious little time we have!"

My exact sentiments!!! I also feel that life is too short to waste on reading crappy books. It's why I have no problem, at all, of DNFing a book that I am not enjoying because it's boring me to sleep or triggering me in some way. It's why I no longer read hard-core horror (loved it in my teens to 30's)

Like you, I have now reached 60, but my tastes haven't changed all that much. I've always enjoyed crime thrillers, murder mysteries, urban fantasy, sci-fi, as well as some romance. The only change is the frequency that I read them. When I was younger, I read a lot of urban fantasy, paranormal and romance, and while I still read those genres, the frequency isn't as much. These days, I read a lot of crime thrillers, which I've always read, just more so these days.

For me, reading is an escape and a form of relaxation for me. If a story is not fulfilling one of those acts, then it doesn't bode well for me continuing the book. Enough said.


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