I’m a highlighter/notetaker with books I’m learning from, so my audiobooks are just-for-fun entertainment. And, for the last couple of years, I’ve picked a theme for my audiobooks. Two years ago, I listened to classics. Last year, I listened to biographies.
This year, I listened to all 14 of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels (and short stories).
I listened to them in published order and enjoyed hearing his progression as a writer. For those of you who watched the movies, there are a few general differences:
- There’s no Q! In fact, 99% of the time, it’s just Bond, his wits, and his gun. If there is a gadget, it’s something simple like a miniature Geiger counter for detecting radiation.
- My favorite books are those in which Bond meets the main villain early on. I found the psychological battle of wits even more entertaining than the physical battles.
- There are women in the novels, and romance happens, but it’s a lot more PG than the movies.
- I’m pretty sure Fleming liked playing cards because all of the card-playing scenes are detailed and fantastic.
- I’m also fairly certain Fleming liked the Caribbean because a large percentage of stories took place on those islands.
The Bond Books In Published Order (and My Reading Order)
Casino Royale
Bond is sent to Royale-les-Eaux to face Le Chiffre, a Soviet agent whose power comes from money. The mission is simple in theory: beat him at cards and collapse his influence. Much of the story happens at the card table.
Since it’s his first book, the writing is so straightforward that it feels sparse. I’d almost recommend skipping it and just watching the fantastic movie, but it’s fundamental, so it’s worth a listen.
Live and Let Die
Bond investigates Mr. Big, a Harlem crime boss suspected of funneling funds to hostile powers. The trail moves from New York to Florida and into the Caribbean (the first many trips there).
Felix Leiter joins Bond on a US adventure. The beginning and middle were entertaining enough, but the finale was really fun. There were two action scenes that were particularly well written.
Moonraker
Britain’s Moonraker missile project is overseen by national hero Sir Hugo Drax. Bond is brought in quietly after noticing inconsistencies that don’t add up. The story is unusually domestic, focused on investigation, observation, and the danger of misplaced trust. Spoiler: Bond never goes to space!
The book is far superior to the movie. The opening card-playing scene is amazing. It’s just... so different than the movie. I think that’s because there isn’t a ton of action, but I think a modern remake of Moonraker could be fantastic. It’s my second-favorite book.
Diamonds Are Forever
Bond goes undercover to break a diamond-smuggling pipeline run by a ruthless American syndicate. His journey takes him from Africa to London to Las Vegas, revealing how crime scales when it’s treated like a business rather than a racket.
It’s OK. Parts of it were almost too far-fetched, but it’s a fun (though forgettable) standalone adventure.
From Russia, with Love
Soviet intelligence orchestrates an (overly complicated) plan, with Bond as the intended pawn. Much of the tension comes from watching the machinery of espionage turn, long before Bond realizes he’s caught inside it.
The second half of this adventure unfolds on a train, and now I want to take an overnight ride with my family. I wish there were more interaction with the main bad guy... or something. I felt the tension, but the end wasn’t quite as thrilling as I expected. But I 1,000% want to ride a train now.
Dr. No
Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate disruptions linked to the reclusive Dr. No. His search leads him to Crab Key, an isolated island ruled by intellect, surveillance, and control. Along the way, Bond meets Honeychile Rider, who becomes his first love interest and plays a significant role.
This feels like classic Bond. He’s sent to look into something semi-mundane, and it turns out to be a world-ending villain. To get to Dr. No, Bond survives some highly elaborate trials. I just wish there were more of Dr. No himself in the book.
Goldfinger
By far, this is my favorite book; it’s fantastic. Bond encounters Auric Goldfinger, a wealthy industrialist with a massive gold obsession. What begins as financial surveillance escalates as Bond pieces together the scope of Goldfinger’s ambitions.
What I love about this novel is that Bond interacts with Goldfinger from the beginning and gets wrapped up in Goldfinger’s crazy steal-all-the-gold scheme. It’s got everything you’d want from a Bond novel. If you only read one Bond book, this is the one. The movie is also great, but the book is even better.
For Your Eyes Only
This one is a set of short stories. These stories place Bond in tighter, more personal assignments. The focus is less on spectacle and more on judgment and restraint. They’re fun. Quantum of Solace, which is nothing like the movie, was my favorite because it ended with a sweet life lesson about judging people too quickly.
Thunderball
Enter SPECTRE with another classic Bond novel. Led by Emilio Largo, SPECTRE steals nuclear weapons to extort the World (yep, it’s about money). Bond is tasked with tracking the threat under intense time pressure, relying on endurance, intelligence work, and persistence rather than clever tricks.
I re-watched the movie, and the book is much better. I really enjoyed the investigative feel since Bond (and Felix) don’t really know for sure if the stolen warheads are in the place they’re looking. I felt the high-stakes in this one.
The Spy Who Loved Me
This one is written from the perspective of a woman Bond rescues. Bond appears as a catalyst rather than the protagonist. It’s a standalone novel in which Fleming experiments with a different writing style. It was fun.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
More SPECTRE! Bond resumes his pursuit of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, leading Bond to an alpine research facility. Along the way, Bond meets Tracy di Vicenzo, introducing a more personal dimension to his otherwise professional mission.
Again, I enjoy the ones where Bond is in the thick of it with the main villains a majority of the time. The ending is super sad.
You Only Live Twice
This picks up right after the previous book. The sad ending leaves Bond adrift. So, M assigns Bond to Japan under diplomatic cover. There, Bond gets roped into another classic adventure and gets a chance for revenge.
There are some fun characters, and I enjoyed hearing Bond embrace Japanese culture. Yet, once again, it’s not the happiest of endings. You can tell Fleming is getting better at writing cliffhangers.
The Man with the Golden Gun
My third favorite book. Bond gets brainwashed (which seemed to get resolved too easily) and has to prove his loyalty with a seemingly impossible mission: to confront Francisco Scaramanga, a legendary hitman whose reputation alone creates tension. The story narrows its focus to identity, skill, and direct confrontation rather than elaborate plots.
I can’t help but say “Scaramanga” the way Oddjob says it in the movie (who is only in Goldfinger). This one felt like a finale with many classic characters making an appearance.
Octopussy and The Living Daylights
And his final book is actually a collection of short stories. They’re good, but not required reading. If anything, I interpreted them as an epilogue teaser — “James Bond will return” — showing Bond continuing his spy work after the previous adventure.
Final James Bond Thoughts
As someone who enjoys Bond films, I was surprised by how different the novels are. The novels are procedural and often inward-looking. Bond succeeds because he prepares, observes, endures discomfort, and makes hard calls — not because he uses clever toys. That doesn’t exactly translate into cinematic entertainment. So, instead of Fleming’s Bond being competent under pressure, we got the film Bond who handles spectacle under control.
Both are good. They’re just different. I expected to be thrilled by the descriptions of the action scenes, but I was pleasantly surprised by Fleming’s focus on Bond’s inner dialogue.
Other Books
I read a few more books this year. Here’s the list with short descriptions:
Faith & Theology
- Beyond Biblical Integration - Faith shouldn’t merely be added to the classroom; it should fundamentally reshape how everything is done.
- Prayer Begins with Relationship - Treat prayer as an ongoing relational posture with God rather than a technique for asking for things.
- The Measure of a Man - Biblical character traits, like integrity, humility, and responsibility, are the true benchmarks of maturity.
- Orthodoxy - A philosophical (and non-traditional) defense of Christian belief by G.K. Chesterton presented as a personal journey.
- Why We Ask - A practical, faith-rooted guide to building meaningful relationships by asking open-ended questions.
- Bible - A unified story that leads to Jesus, showing how God’s covenant love keeps moving forward despite human failure.
Business & Systems
- Main Street Millionaire - How to build wealth through buying stable, ordinary businesses.
- Buy Back Your Time - How to reclaim time and energy by systematically removing yourself from low-value work.
- $100M Money Models - The core financial structures and business models behind building scalable, cash-efficient businesses.
- $100M Lost Chapters - Additional frameworks and clarifications that expand on earlier books.
- The Reporting Revolution - How to make modern-day reports; we can do better than slides and PowerPoint.
- The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge - Read parts of it for my remote drone pilot’s license class.
- NASCLA Contractors Guide - To get your contractor’s license, you must read this manual, which covers the laws, math, safety, and business principles.
Self-Improvement
- Validation - How to show people you’re there, you get it, and you care. My favorite book of the year.
- Money For Couples - Shared values, communication, and trust matter more than tactics when couples manage money together.
- 67 Day Year - How to leverage the latest in neuropsychology to wire your mind to achieve goals. The concepts are good, but I didn’t love the repetitive writing style.
Next Year’s Theme
For the US's 250th birthday, I thought it would be fun to listen to books that collectively span American history. I divided the last 250 years into quarter-centuries and picked one or two books per era that looked interesting. I think it’ll be a fun way to celebrate and learn more about this country.