"Yumi and the Nightmare Painter" and "Tress of the Emerald Sea" - Two of Brandon Sanderson's "secret projects" that he released this year and easily my favorites of the bunch. Tress is just such a fun adventure and Yumi left me an emotional wreck by the end.
"There Is No Antimemetics Division" - I had a brief period where I wanted to read some stories about clandestine operations around odd anomalies, SCP-adjacent if you will. This, alongside "Agents of Dreamland", is rather short and great for getting through in a couple sittings. It's all about taking on an entity that you actively can't remember the existence of.
Non-Fiction:
"Letters to a Young Poet" - This is a collection of ten letters sent from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke to a younger aspiring poet in the early 1900s. As a creative that sometimes struggles with the whole "what am I doing this for?", I found this a highly inspiring and comforting read.
"On Writing" - I'm sure most of you know the book, or at the least know Stephen King. The info in here on writing (at least in the style of King) is fantastic, but I think the memoir portions are the killer part of this book. The man certainly has a storied past, for better or worse.
I never really clicked with biology in school - but learning about systems is always fun. A bit of a pop-sci read on the subject that's very approachable. Most chapters are <10 pages. Dettmer manages to distill information very effectively though, he paints a fascinating picture of the complicated machinations of the human immune system.
But one other mini-series stood out (potentially going to be a trilogy, but both #1 & #2 can stand alone).
Teixcalaan #1 & #2, "A Memory Called Empire" and "A Desolation Called Peace" by Arkady Martine for being very different feeling sci-fi books that are not your typical western-centric fare. Highlights are the language, and that the story feels both very small and contained, and also all-encompassing, at the same time.
Highly recommend the series, but a warning: if you find yourself bouncing off book one, don't bother with the rest of the series. I find that the later books are slightly better written and slightly better structured, but the core writing style issues are still there (notably, perspective whiplash and a magic system that is so complex that it sometimes feels like deux ex machina).
These were marvellous, well worth reading for any fans of Malazan/other fantasy or sci-fi.
RIP
The Divine Comedy by Dante - It is hard to underestimate how much it has influenced our culture.
A Distant Mirror - The history of the 14th century, but engaging like a novel.
Name of the Rose - Mystery novel set in Medieval times.
On Lisp by Paul Graham - http://www.paulgraham.com/onlisp.html
Seasoned Schemer - Kind of an interactive book that teaches computer science concepts in an interactive paper based way. Probably best to start with the Little Schemer first.
So it is kind of a way of create a Socratic dialog with a book. I found it to be a great way to engage with the material in a way that promotes understanding in a hands on way, but without putting a computer in the way. When you are writing your answers you have to be more intentional than just, "well lets see if this works."
4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burke - deconstructs the hustle/productivity mindset and rejects it in favor of an existential view of accepting your finitude and prioritizing accordingly. I wouldn’t say the book changed my mind but reassured some of my feelings and put some words to why trying to pursue too many goals or experiences typically fails or is unfulfilling. Sort of ironically takes its main point a little too far by the end in my opinion but I recommend it anyway, it’s pretty short.
Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner - still in progress but clearly a great book so far. I recommend it to anyone living in western US/MX.
Tom Swan and the Head of St George (By Christian Cameron)
I fell in love with the lead character, who is like a 15th-century Indiana Jones wandering the Mediterranean and getting into trouble. He bumps into key historical figures and events along the way.
I Am Pilgrim (By Terry Hayes)
This is the best thriller I've read in 5 years. I read this book in one go as I could not put it down.
Thief of Souls (By Brian Klingborg)
The series is about a policeman named Lu Fei who lives in rural China. He ends up with a rural posting after stepping on some powerful toes. The author does a fantastic job describing what it is like to work in that power system and how he has to navigate the realities of modern China.
I shared a full list of these 3 here: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/ben-fox
I also interviewed 1,201 authors (more coming) and asked them for their 3 favorite reads of the year. Then I tabulate the results: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023
I break it down by section with things like nonfiction (https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/nonfiction), best audiobooks (https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/audiobooks), and genres like hard sci fi (https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/hard-science-fiction).
Wayne Liquorman does free weekly satsang via zoom at Advaita.org.
A book I recommend is I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj - a transcript of his Advaita talks and also one of the most influential books for 2023 or any other year in my life.
An Advaita pointer (a question to sincerely investigate - which investigation brings realization) that has been productive for me, has been to observe my choices and see what caused them.
I have been doing this for years and still haven’t observed an independent force which one may call “free” will.
Wayne’s take on “authorship” vs “doership” introduces the concept of “false sense of authorship”.
The Advaita teaching does not seem to recommend a specific practice. It provides pointers which may bring out awareness.
I’ve only interacted with books and satsang with Wayne Liquorman who I believe to be a carrier of the teaching.
My approach so far is as practical as it gets, through sincere inquiry and presence in the moment.
Or is it an insensitive message/delivery?
Anyway, back to the question of whether you've read the book and are criticizing the arguments that it actually makes or are you just reacting reflexively to an imaginary argument based on the title and second-hand descriptions?
If you own the simulation then youre not limited in measurement. We are limited because we cannot measure without interaction.
somewhere in there there is a free will, that is neither order (things predetermined) nor chaos (things happening randomly) but a secret third thing.
thinking in any other way is myopic, in my point of view.
maybe i don't get something important?
Judge: “The same applies to me convicting you.”
- "The Dark Forest" by Liu Cixin and the whole Three Body Problem/Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. Truly massive, grand SciFi. Would recommend 10/10. [HN]
- "Anna Karenina" by Tolstoy. Made me face deeper parts of my mind. Attempted to answer some questions I had. Great story. Huge book. Historical fiction is something I like across languages.
- "Candide" by Voltaire. Genuinely fun and entertaining, besides it being- you know- Voltaire.
- "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson. Very good story, world buulding, nice technology. Great thinking by the author.
Non Fiction:
- "Fermat's Last Theorem" by Simon Singh. Was very happy to see a Popular Math book where there are so many Popular Science books. Great book. Goes over FMT's solving history, with many many fun anecdotes, short biographies, etc. Truly enjoyable to read.
- "Code Book" by Simon Singh. Genuinely fun and learned a lot. Cryptography's history, progress, and so much more. [HN]
Self-Help:
- "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig. Truly marvelous book and nice to read. This book requires the reader to be of certain kind attaining a certain level. Without that, this book will seem a fluff and overrated hugely. Fundamentally changed my thinking. [HN]
- "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Bourkeman. Thought this was about saner time management with some wisdom. But was much deeper than that. Will recommend.
Bengali:
- "Abhajaner Mahabharat" by Mahbub Lilen. A fun and serious retelling of the Mahabharata. Goes deep, too. Really fun to read.
- "Khana Mihirer Dhipi" by Bani Basu. An account of feminism in the light of female-dominated inner part of Bengali elite households- and that in the light of female dominated, fully maternalistic hunter-gatherers of early human history. Very thought provoking and unique.
[HN]- chose primarily because recommendation in some past HN threads.
Read 23 so far. Target is 25. Currently reading Snow Crash and Exhalation.
Is there a purchase link to this book, you could share? I was unable to find this on Amazon.
The best way would be to buy the book through Books of Bengal/ReadBengaliBooks (if you have friends based in India/Bangladesh) or Rokomari/Batighar (Bangladesh). I see it for sell here- https://booksofbengal.com/in/product/9789848825754/ . So when a friend has received it, I would recommend they FedEx it to you. (India only- https://readbengalibooks.com/k29780000000098.html - I can vouch for ReadBengaliBooks)
If this is not an option, consider "other ways".
It seems I am the kind of not reaching the certain level as I had to drop the book halfway due to being boring. Not trying to troll here, but would you kindly elaborate how the book helped to changed thinking? I am trying to understand what did I miss here.
Fiction:
"Wool" and "Shift" (by Hugh Howey) - Fell in love with this series when the TV show debuted on Apple TV. I just had to read the book to find out what happens next. Still need to read the third book in the series.
Non-Fiction:
Algorithms to Live By (Brian Christian and Tom Griffith) - An interesting take on how to apply algorithms to regular day-to-day living.
Crucial Conversations (Kerry Patterson et. al) - A good primer on how to have difficult conversations
The Effective Engineer (Edmond Lau) - This book provided me a good framework on how to be more effective at prioritizing my work.
Programming Phoenix LiveView (Bruce A. Tate and Sophie DeBenedetto) - I found this very helpful for getting acquainted with Phoenix and LiveView.
Talk about a renewed interest in reading. After getting through Gardens of the Moon, I realized that I didn't really know what was going on or why these characters were doing what they were doing. I found a readalong podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-very-big-books-a-m...), which really helped me put into context the storylines throughout the series.
It's the most epic fantasy series out there. The stories are based on GURPS games that Erikson and his gaming partner Ian Cameron Esslemont ran in the 1980s on archeological digs.
And there are an additional 16 novels, written both by Erikson and Esslemont, which continue to flesh out the universe.
I became completely enamored with the books. I couldn't put them down. It took me from about February through October to finish all 10. There's so much content, and they really shine on a readthrough.
I dunno if there's something wrong with me or the books, but I just can't read his fantasy. I keep trying, but have bounced off both Shadows and the Bear/Serpent one.
I adore his sci-fi and other shorter works, but even though I prefer fantasy overall, I just can't stick with them.
Set in the DnD universe a adventure retires and sets up a coffee shop in a large city. Except no one knows what coffee is, and her past follows her there.
This is a quick read at around 200 pages, so if you read massive fantasy tomes like I do you'll knock this one out really quickly. Where it shines though is its world building and the sense of community you get from the characters as you make your way through the story. I've been recommending it to my friends and they have all loved it just as much as I did.
Forget the Funnel by Claire Suellentrop and Georgiana Laudi - concise and insightful overview of modern marketing thought, moving beyond MQLs
Pocket Guide to Product Launches by Mary Sheehan - a nice introduction to product launches from a product marketing perspective or a helpful refresher with lots of fresh insights.
I've also been really enjoying the podcast "If Books Could Kill," which questions and fact-checks many poplit "airport books" with a lighthearted vibe.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425570-how-will-you-me...
I always feel uneasy with the notion of work-life balance. At the same time I always want more time and attention with my family. Family is part of life, work is part of life, everything you do is part of life. Why the two often appear to be opposing each other? The book offers much counsel on family, parenting and profession. Many of the business examples appeared in the book Innovation Dilemma and a talk at google https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rHdS_4GsKmg
* I'll always bring up The Three-body problem because I re-read it every year
* Piranesi because of it's fantastical story-telling
* The Covenant of Water - because it's a fantastic medical drama and a sweeping story spanning generations
* Victory City - Salamn Rushdie's latest novel which is surprisingly readable
* The Enchanted Forest/Kaikeyi/Palace of Illusions - because they cover the major Indian epics from the lens of the women characters (think Circe with an Indian background)
* Trust - The same story told from different viewpoints with a setting in the early NY financial world, which makes it extra interesting
I notice that I do tend to favour books with an Indian background because of my nostalgia for it as I live in a foreign land. Maybe I'll branch out more next year!
As for myself, I liked reading about some bits of Chinese history that I was not very familiar with, and it also provides a really good foundation for the reason behind the lead character's far-reaching actions. I also do think the best parts of the story do come later in books 2 and 3 - I like the larger-than-life ideas and the imperfect characters.
William Gibson, Neuromancer: finally went back and read this. It’s so culturally entrenched now, it’s hard to remember that it wasn’t always. Great example of a cautionary tale turned into a corporate roadmap.
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five: first Vonnegut I’ve ever read, definitely more in 2024
Rick Ruben, The Creative Act: A successful guy trying to sound wise for hundreds of pages. It was ok, but ultimately boring.
From a photo of his last interview in the WSJ.
You can create a reading challenge usually at start of a new year and then follow progress. Start slow, one book per month is a good starting point IMO.
I started doing this in 2016 and completed the challenge each year and it motivate in kind of strange way to complete the challenge each year.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. If you like LitRPG this series is just so good.
Paul's "Works of the Law" in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception by Matthew J. Thomas. If you are a theology nerd this is just exceedingly interesting.
Most of early-mid Plato is very worth reading, and surprisingly accessible assuming you find a modern translation and don't cheap out by going for some inscrutable 150 year old public domain translation.
They generally leave you feeling like you understand fewer things after you've read them than before (in a good way).
'Spiritual Formation', Henri Nouwen. A deep, Catholic, thinker with much to offer those who are looking in this direction.
'In A Sunburned Country', Bryson. Bryson is an ideal travel companion.
'The Information', Gleick. A tour of the ideas and technologies underneath how we became so dependent on bits.
'Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons'... the most worthwhile part was how my son and I bonded over working through the lessons.
I also liked Eon by Greg Bear (RIP), for actually quite similar reasons.
I didn't read it this past year, but the first one that came to mind was Tigana. That book was rather weird for me, because the process of reading it wasn't very enjoyable, but after finishing I loved it.
If anyone has suggestions for fantasy or sci-fi books with weird or non-standard magic systems I'd love to hear em. I've already read most of the big names like Sanderson.
Glynn Stewart: Starship's Mage series
Here are two I've enjoyed so far this year:
"Slouching Towards Utopia" by J. Bradford DeLong (2022). This is a narrative economic history of the 20th century. It heavily focuses on the interaction between policy and economic thought.
"Lost Continents" by L. Sprague de Camp (1954). This book looks at Atlantis and other lost continents as rhetorical devices in ancient history and philosophy, 20th century pseudoscience/pseudohistory, and science fiction.
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Gaiman), which is beautiful in a way I can’t quite describe
- Century Rain (Reynolds), which is best described as a hard boiled 1930’s noir hard science fiction novel.
Books I read this year which I really enjoyed:’
- Exploding The Phone (Lapsley): Super engrossing description of the phone phreak scene almost from its start to its end
- Hyperion and sequels (Simmons): Probably one of my favourite science fiction series now, and I’ve already felt the need to go back and re-read passages from it. Also really enjoy how each part of the series (Hyperion, then Fall of Hyperion, then the Endymion books) re-invent the style and the story.
- The Annotated American Gods (Gaiman, Klinger): 1000’s of footnotes is a great way to revisit the story :)
Thanks for tipping me off about the Annotated American Gods! I read it ages ago, and I've been yearning to get back into Gaiman lately. This sounds like a good way to do it.
Haven't heard of this one, sounds right up my alley too!
I need to check out more Gaiman too, I really enjoyed Neverwhere
I was also listening to Evan Doorbell’s telephone tapes [1] as I read Exploding the Phone, which was super interesting because you can see the events of the book line-up with some of the comments Evan and other phreaks make on the tapes (like phone company security agents harassing them at their schools)
I feel this way about all the Gaiman I've read. I really didn't like some of the plots and finales (looking at you _American Gods_) but I still walk away with very warm feelings towards the books.
What hooked me about the series were two things: 1) It was very, /very/ weird and 2) it often times felt like the characters had no power.
"Bliss Montage" by Ling Ma [1]. The short stories felt dreamy - drifting in perspectives, places, and times. Many of the stories had a supernatural aspect to them.
"Invisible Cities" by Italo Calvino [2]. This book is a puzzle. You could read it front to back, or you could read it in the various different orders. There is no intended order. Again, very dreamy and weird. This book is a conversation, where Marco Polo is telling Genghis Khan of the cities within his kingdom. I was introduced to this book by Jacob Geller's video essay "Cities without people" [3].
"Ring" by Koji Suzuki [4]. One of my first horror book reads, and also the first in the Ring series. The "Ring" movies are based off of this book. I also read the 2nd one, which provides a very different view on the series and gives the horrors in the book a scientific backing.
This year for me has been the year of strange novels.
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Reach_Trilogy
[1]: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374717124/blissmontage
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Cities
It was only fair that I tried another one of his trilogies, Borne, The Strange Bird and Dead Astronauts.
With Borne being pretty normal (for Vandermeer standards) and the other two reading like pretty ramblings at times if you lack the context. I still loved them but they may not be for everyone. You should read them in the order above so that you have as many pieces of the prose puzzle when you reach Dead Astronauts. But even if you end up not liking the writing of the last two books, Borne can still be enjoyed independently.
As for this year. "Blood music" by Greg Bear. Biology scify with a pretty weird concept.
"Firefall" trilogy by Peter Watts Usually a scify story revolvs around one core idea, this one does too, but it kept surprising me with new secondary but interesting ones until the end. Read The Colonel between the two main books.
"Rifters" trilogy by Peter Watts Exploring sexual abuse, empathy
"Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang Short story about a linguist learning the recently arrived aliens language. Liked the humor depicting the different perspectives between scientists and military. Pretty emotional.
I'm not sure what it tells about me but all of these are bittersweet scify with good prose.
The "Silo" series by Hugh Howey is excellent, I read it after watching the TV series from Amazon, and no regrets.
"Recursion" and "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch is also really great
I read this one this year too. I quickly read the first one before watching the show. I thought the 2nd book was a bit of a slog and kinda took the wind out of the series a bit but the 3rd one finished pretty strong. The show does a good job of displaying what I had in my head while reading the first book.
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. I loved this book because I learned so many new things about sleep. It also made me more disciplined about my sleeping habits.
Kilo by Toby Muse. The book is about cocaine trade in Colombia. It is eye-opening and generated intense negative emotions at times.
Tracers in the Dark by Andy Greenberg. I love to read about cybersecurity, hackers, etc. so this book was an amazing read.
I read many more books which I loved but keeping this list short. Many of these books were mentioned in the comments on HN!
Edit: fixed the spelling of Colombia
You mean Colombia?
Rose/House, a novella from Arkady Martine, a surprisingly deep little murder mystery involving an A.I.
My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell. I started this not long after finishing Nabakov's Lolita. It's the same story, seen from the victim's POV -- though for whatever reason, she doesn't see herself as a victim. A good, post-MeToo contrast to Nabakov.
edit: lol downvotes?
The Blacktongue Theif - Christopher Buehlman
Kings of the Wyld * Bloody Rose - Nicholas Eames
Farseer Trilogy - Hobin Hobb
I'd add the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erickson to that list, if you like a grittier dark fantasy.
Something similar happens with Tad Williams.
Big baddie about to destroy town? When all hope is lost, a powerful, benevolent force sprouts from the ground to end the threat.
Science fiction gets “one thing”. People are the same, but now you can backup your conscience onto a chip. How does humanity adapt?
Erickson gets 1000 things that will be revealed the moment you think you know where the plot is headed.
All that being said, it is interesting, layered, and a wild ride.
I totally get where you're coming from here. I adore Erikson, and I enjoy Williams but I sometimes need to force myself to keep reading his works (and then really enjoy them when I do).
However, Bobby Dollar (his shorter trilogy) is exceptionally fun. It's much tighter and funnier, well worth reading maybe especially if you've bounced off his other works.
1) Nothing To Fear - This book is about the Great Depression in the USA and how president JFK took steps to bring the economy back.
2) Digital Minimalism - This is one book I would like to revisit every two years. About digital distractions and how to minimize it.
3) The Odyssey By Emily Wilson- This was a surprising easy read with author's notes on the backdrop. Helps you understand Greek mythology and some unraveling of human emotions. Pretty deep. Highly recommend.
4) Long Walk to Freedom - Autobiography of Nelson Mandela plus a good history of events in South Africa during his time.
5) Lies My Teacher Told me - This is about lies that usually are represented in US high school history and the author debunks some myths. This is also a USA history primer, but all the tones associated are negative.
6) India After Gandhi - Sneak peak into some Indian History and political environment after Independence, events leading to formation of states etc.
7) Lend Me Your ears: Great Speeches in History - This is a great collection of speeches grouped by events. Highly recommend. Nice way to learn some history through speeches.
Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (it's NOT about making money - I found it more useful on "adding value" more than "making money - it changed my perspective on 'how to work, how to operate, how to see things, how to see/seek/grab opportunities' but ultimately how to add value - _and_ get paid handsomely for it)(ok it is about making money, but as a result, not as a driver) (if you ignore the "too much Judaism" bits, it is a great book)(I read it a few years back and then again this year as a self-follow-up)
If you are a parent, Meg Meeker's - Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters - Strong Mothers, Strong Sons (if you ignore the "too much Christianity" bits, these are great books) I found them to be super useful manuals/cheatsheets to building strong loving and trusting relationships with my kid(s). I used it with/for my daughter and our relationship moved from a cold father-daughter-we-don't-understand-each-other to a thriving friendly loving respecting listening relationship where she ASKS to actually spend time with me. I cannot recommend it enough to any parent that asks me for books(again.. ignoring the "too much Christianity" bits)
(Disclaimer: I don't want to proselytize anyone to either/or/both Judaism, Christianity or any other religion.)(it's just that I found the Prosper and Strong books so useful..)
"Tess of the d'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy. I'm huge Hardy fan but hadn't read his masterpiece until this year
- Smil, Vaclav. How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going.
- Doucleff, Michaeleen. Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans.
I don't know that I would recommend it to most people, it's a hell of a lot of words to read about one guy: volume 1 alone is 850 pages in hardcover, covering 1874-1932. The writer (William Manchester) is also very fond of his subject, so those who consider Churchill a villain (or even a deeply flawed hero) will likely not care for it.
But man, could Manchester write. This is history as literature. He's especially good at long, dramatic, paragraphs that build to a crescendo over hundreds of words and close with a flourish.
The last volume was finished by another author after Manchester died, so it isn't as good.
1. The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh 2. The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews 3. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 4. Daughter of the Moon Gooddess by Sue Lynn Tan
1. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy 2. Eat & Run by Scott Jurek 3. Center Center by James Whiteside 4. The Color of Water by James McBride
(Two books I recommend that I read last year: The Signature of All Things and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert)
- The Persuaders by Anand Giridharadas
- No Bosses by Michael Albert
Everyday Utopia was certainly a beautiful read, it is ultimately a book about hope and how we should be experimenting more in our world. The Persuaders had some really good insights into contemporary political persuasion tactics. No Bosses is very provocative in its argument for a change in the fundemantal division of labor in our age.
Also I would recommend the "Monk & Robot" series by Becky Chambers. It takes place in a solar-punk style world that is more character driven and less conflict driven.
Even with all the spoiler, a really great book.
* Philosophical Investigations – I've wanted to read and understand Wittgenstein's PI for a while now. This year I've made a serious effort and it has been very worthwhile. Best read with a companion text (I used Routledge Guidebook to Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations).
Plato might ponder the nature of “love”. Wittgenstein asks, “what is love in this particular context?” Loving chocolate, loving your partner? Love between fictional characters? Was the speaker being sarcastic? Could a person born without language “love” without the framework of words and mutual understandings we get through culture, or would it be something different?
Surprisingly relevant to programming.
[0]: The Will of the Many: A fun take on the genre. You get magic, academia, mystery, etc
[1]: Jade City: My favorite series I've read in the last year or so. Super bummed it's over. Highly recommend.
[0]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58416952-the-will-of-the... [1]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43587154-jade-city
I’ve mostly been reading fiction this year. On reflection, I think my favourite book of 2023 was “The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi” by Shannon Chakraborty. The “Wool” series by Hugh Howey was also a highlight.
I do the same. https://thealchemist.dev/reading-list/
Thanks for sharing!
A life changer. Makes a compelling case that insulin resistance is at the root of many illnesses. Clarified my nagging questions about added sugar vs sugar in fruits (both are bad) and gave me a simple way to make food choices. Convinced me to finally go LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) or Keto.
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile, Candice Millard
The Fleet That Had To Die, Richard Hough
Trapped Under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness, Neil Swidey
1. First Law cycle by Joe Abercrombie - too much violence for me is first books, but last trilogy is quite interesting.
2. Dark Tower by Stephen King - do I need to say more?
3. Old Man's War by John Scalzi, like this guy writing.
4. The Farseer trilogy and The Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb - pure pleasure.
5. Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E.Schwab, re-read, preparing to read new cycle.
6. Some Terry Prachett books.
Non Fiction:
1. Ghost Map by Steven Johnson, about cholera outbreak in London in 1854, but more about society and life of that period.
2. Donnie Brasco - FBI guy infiltrated to one of five Mafia families and bring many people to justice, worth reading.
3. Oppenheimer by Kai Brid - didn't watch movie yet, prefer to start with book.
4. Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality by Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jethá - interesting stuff about our sexuality and how we became who we are.
The book was fascinating for many reasons. It made me realize how much people’s concerns, worries, and perspectives from over 100 years ago from Russia are similar to the ones in todays western world. The book is timeless.
Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer
The Beginning of Infinity, David Deutsch
A Philosophy of Software Design, John Ousterhout
This was a very entertaining novel, if you like them dark, funny and smart. I imagine (like me) there are a lot of non-fiction readers in this thread, I deliberately picked this to read as a break from the usual. Loved it and will read another book of his next.
1) Betty Smith "A tree grows in Brooklyn". Maybe a bit too sentimental, but still very pleasant to read. Apparently this book was a WWII classic, but I never heard about it before.
2) Kazuo Ishiguro "An artist of the floating world". Maybe, not as strong as his other best two novels, but pretty interesting anyway.
3) Olga Tokarczuk "The Books of Jacob". An extremely long, but at the same time incredibly interesting book. It tells the complex story of a Jewish sect in Central Europe in the 18th century. It was a long read but it was definitely worth it.
- Awakening Through Love by John Makransky: https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Through-Love-Unveiling-Good...
- The Heart of Unconditional Love by Tulku Thondup: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Unconditional-Love-Loving-Kindn...
Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Grant/dp/178854160X
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt: https://www.amazon.com/Theodore-Roosevelt-Modern-Library-Pap...
Political Religions, Eric Voegelin
The Warden, Anthony Trollope
The Mystery of the Grail, Julius Evola
What if? 2 by Randall Munroe. The physics, biology, and chemistry textbook we should have had in high school.
Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist by Frans de Waal. Primatologist with half a century of experience analyzes current gender identity debates from the viewpoint of someone who knows about more than one primate species (not just humans).
“Beware of Chicken”
“Mother of Learning”
Read those in the hospital with my son. I found them to be excellent stories and they gave me a lot to think about as far as major decisions I was making.
A trilogy I ended up finally reading and really enjoyed after pushing through the first half of the first book was “The Shadow of What was Lost” by James Islington. It started out feeling like a love child of WoT and Sandersen’s writing, but after that first half of the first book it went it’s own way to excellent effect.
* The Locked Tomb Trilogy -- the first book is so good and the second and third books are good and unique.
* The Great Cities Duology (first book was stronger)
* The Paladin's Legacy (sequel series to The Deed of Paksenarrion, great to be back in that world)
* The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett
* The Up and Under series by Deborah Baker is super whimsical
* The Redwinter Series by Ed McDonald
If you're into the genre, all of these are great (at least the ones I've read, haven't finished all the series).
Gideon is amazing. Harrow is amazing. Both are good casual reads. Nona is far more demanding of the reader.
I did find Nona difficult going, agreed. Love how the author keeps switching up styles.
"The ultimate ETF guidebook" by David Stevenson & David Tuckwell - still reading but the book that goes deep into ETFs, way (and I mean way) above laconic "oh just invest in S&P500 and forget it" approach.
Edit: 7 -> 5 I counted 2 too many
But be advised that there are downsides to this - this time around I won't be able to stop myself from buying Frodos/Bilbos "Sting" when attending Fantasy Covent here in Warsaw (and its comming this weekend)
it's my first time reading it, and i'd recommend it to anyone who has an interest in LotR and has only seen the movies; it adds so much context and nuance.
Only tentatively :)
Thorin is from Hobbit and was long gone when plot of LOTR started.
Victory City- new Salman Rushdie book. Great retelling of the history of one of the great medieval South Indian kingdoms. Not his best, but his writing is still top notch.
Sea of Tranquility- speculative fiction from Emily St. John Mandel (of Station Eleven fame). It's a series of interconnected stories spanning centuries from the near past to the near future. Beautifully written. Read when I was down with COVID earlier this year and it invaded my dreams (in a good way). Short and easy read.
Giovanni's Room- story of an American expat in Paris caught between his love for a man and his duty to his girlfriend. This is the first James Baldwin book I have read but will definitely check out more of his work in 2024.
Theory of Bastards- speculative fiction by Audrey Schulmann. Literary sci-fi similar to Station Eleven. It's about a woman researching primate behavior set in the near future where the earth is ravaged by the effects of climate change. Very well researched, beautifully written and nothing like I have ever read before. This won the 2019 Philip K Dick Award.
Invisible Cities- literary fiction by Italo Calvino. It's less than 200 pages but a very dense and tough read. It's a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan where MP is describing cities in KK's vast empire. It's a strange, strange book that I think I will return to often. If you liked the world building in Piranesi and want more, this is the book for you. Calvino describes 55 cities in under 200 pages, with each one feeling very different. Again, first Calvino book I have read and will definitely check out more of his works in 2024.
Non-fiction:
Thinking in Systems: A Primer- by Donella Meadows. Read this based on HN's recommendation. Thank you!
On Intelligence- by Jeff Hawkins. This was on my shelf for years and am glad I got to read it this year. The creator of the Palm Pilot presents his theory of intelligence and how the brain works. It's compelling. I hope to read his follow up book in 2024. Would love HN's recommendations of similar books.
A Primate's Memoir- by Robert M. Sapolsky. Enjoyable read of the author's research on Savannah baboons and his adventures in Africa. His love for primates and humans alike come through clearly.
Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making- by Tony Fadell. A great business book by the co-founder of Nest. Draws on his experience both as a startup founder and leading innovative teams at large tech companies (Apple, in his case). Just as any business book, this could have been shorter and less repetitive but thankfully, there is enough good material here to be a book rather than a blog post.
- Typee: A peep at Polynesian Life by Herman Melville
- Fatu-Hiva, Back to Nature by Thor Heyerdahl
- The lost world: being an account of the recent amazing adventures of Professor E. Challenger, Lord John Roxton, Professor Summerlee and Mr Ed. Malone of the 'Daily Gazette'
Whatever you think of the man and his decisions, you will learn deep history and what's at stake in the increasing world chaos evidenced by the invasion of Ukraine, current Israel-Hamas war, impending Venezuelan invasion of Guyana, Sudanese Civil War, Myanmar Civil War, and the fate of Taiwanese lives.
The Mark Manson one was not good.
It’s ok, but if you can read the title you get every point made in the book.
The author must be very handsome or something.
It is ostensibly about the 2016 Fort McMurray, Alberta wildfires, but the background is broadly interesting as context for this last summer’s historic wildfire season and the ones sure to come.
The Road, Cormac McCarthy
Sometimes a Great Notion, Ken Kesey
Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion
The Last Emperor of Mexico, Edward Shawcross
Super-Infinite, Katherine Rundell
Stasiland, Anna Funder
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Three-Body Problem
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
I'd recommend leaving that one in the bathroom in case you run out of toilet paper.
In Rand's world, Musk (on a bad day) would be your god, your boss and your parent figure. I can see how it'd go down well with the rabid "I am the centre of the universe and all shall yield" types that seem to fall out of the American academic system into servitude friendly startups that are promoted on here like they are a good thing.
Like I said, toilet paper. Put it next to Mein Kampf and Ready Player Two. Both are as morally and literarily offensive in the same way.
It’s not meant to be realistic as it’s Rand’s belief system. It’s like complaining that Plato’s Cave isn’t realistic or something.
It’s nowhere near Mein Kampf and it’s a bit offensive to equate this with Hitler (or Ready Player Two).
Also, this is poor advice as this book is so big and the paper so thin it is absolutely horrible as toilet paper.
Purple Cow - It's classic but seems quite relevant to AI era.
Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer. Fiction? Non-fiction?
Had to be made up. A guy born in England to poor circumstances ships out to New Orleans, jumps ship, fights in the Civil War on the confederate side, gets captured, fights in the Civil War on the union side, gets wounded, ends up fighting in the union navy. After the war, becomes a journalist in the American west. Then organizes an expedition to the Ottoman empire...OK he's 26 years old at this point. Sure there's some stuff later but...that's a pretty good resume for a 26 year old. Unbelievable.
Lou Reed: The King of New York Same thing. Just completely real but also unbelievable. The songs he had written by 1965.
Hitler: A Biography, by Ian Kershaw. Completely real, also unbelievable. The German people voting against democracy. Unbelievable.
Escape From Rome, Walter Scheidel, "The gripping story of how the end of the Roman Empire was the beginning of the modern world". I think about the Roman Empire a lot, so basically it was a military slave state and it fell and that's bad?
The Great Depression: A Diary, I thought I would hate this, let's read a diary, right? Reading a diary of the Great Depression happening in front of you, it's amazing. The dread, and the bargaining. He's like bargaining against reality that the depression will end.
- Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
- The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
- Moneyball by Michael Lewis
- 1984 (re-read again!)
It picks up where "Behave" left off.
“How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question” by Michael Schur is a fun book that opens with a good question, “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?”
I have been meaning to and this year I finally read The Diary of a Young Girl.
For 2024, here are some of the ones from my list (sorry for the formatting, copied Markdown from my notes);
- [Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_War:_The_Fight_for_the_Wo...) by [Chris Miller](https://www.christophermiller.net)
- [First Principles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Principles_(book)) by [Thomas E. Ricks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_E._Ricks_(journalist))
- [Greenlights](https://greenlights.com) by [Matthew McConaughey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McConaughey)
- How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World's Most Dynamic Region by Joe Studwell
- [Poor Economics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_Economics): A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by [Abhijit V. Banerjee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhijit_Banerjee), and [Esther Duflo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Duflo)
- Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child The Heart of Parenting by [John Gottman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gottman), and Joan DeClaire
- [The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read](https://www.amazon.com/Book-Wish-Your-Parents-Read/dp/198487...): (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by [Philippa Perry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippa_Perry)
- [The End Of The World Is Just The Beginning: Mapping The Collapse Of Globalization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_the_World_is_just_t...) by [Peter Zeihan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Zeihan)
- [The Tatas: How a Family Built a Business and a Nation](https://www.amazon.com/Tatas-Family-Built-Business-Nation/dp...) by [Girish Kuber](https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/गिरीश_कुबेर), and English translation by Vikrant Pande.
- [Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming](https://www.amazon.com/Windfall-Booming-Business-Global-Warm...) by [McKenzie Funk](https://www.mckenziefunk.com)
- [Dieter Rams: The Complete Works](https://www.amazon.com/Dieter-Rams-Complete-Klaus-Klemp/dp/1...) by [Klaus Klemp](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Klemp)
Titanium Noir, Nick Harkaway
Built to Sell, John Warrilow
Also came here to share my recommendation, which isn't mentioned here by anyone. The #1 book I read in 2023 that has been deeply impactful to my life.
Courage to be Disliked - by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi
Alcohol explained, this changed my mind on booze. Basic theory is that it gives you a mild high followed by anxiety that is relieved by having another drink. This plus the Huberman podcast episode on alcohol have resulted in me going from always boozing on weekends and finding it a struggle not to, to not having drunk in nearly 3 months.
Edit, honestly I've read other give you alcohol books and they don't even come close. This one just clicked. It has a sequel too.
Can't recommend it enough.
Also:
- "The Battle of Midway", by Craig Symonds
- "Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna" by Edith Sheffer
Novelist as a Vocation by Murakami
The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier
I started to read that but honestly had to stop on page 2, perhaps the earliest I've ever given up on a book. My initial impression was that it was written for children?
I picked it up related to my woodworking hobby, but also thought it was an interesting way to think about Risk in a tech company, and how (for example) more and more structure is built around releasing software to minimize risk and increase certainty of success.
I also really enjoyed:
“Joinery, Joists and Gender: A History of Woodworking for the 21st Century” by Deirdre Visser
“Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back” by Cory Doctorow, Rebecca Giblin
“Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein
“How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States” by Daniel Immerwahr (this one prompted by honeymooning in Panama and learning the US used to control the canal)
How To Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell, recommended by Julia Fox in an interview, similar book, if you're interested in fashion, publishing or beauty and where it intersects with addiction. Super funny, super sharp, super bitchy, reading her 2nd book now
Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black by Cookie Mueller, if you like Nan Golden or John Waters you know who Cookie is, a really fun and crazy ride, made me wish I was best friends with Cookie.
Black Friend by Ziwe Fumudoh, if you like Ziwe, then obvi. An interesting mini memoir, has some of the bite of her talk show but pulls back the mask and makes you realize how damn brilliant she is, really interesting refection of the experience of a 2nd generation Nigerian
I Was Better Last Night by Harvey Firestein, a fun look back at the alt theater scene in NYC, still listening on audible, he has the best voice ever, something that is a must listen
Feeding the Soul (Because it’s my business) by Tabitha Brown, if you fell in love with Tab’s vegan soul during the pandemic like me this audio book was like a warm hug from a super nice auntie. I don’t share a lot of the same beliefs as her, but it was interesting look at one person’s faith and how it made them the person they are
The Fuck Up by Arthur Nersesian, if you ever dreamed of living in the East Village in the 1980s this book was great, paints a lively picture of NYC at that time
The New Animals by Pip Adams, a kiwi fashion scene slice of life, like if Virgina Wolf had written Bret Easton Ellis' Glamorama. Some interesting musings on social media and it's place in the fashion world
Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis, re-read after 20 years, really appreciated the non stop references, if you want to live in the late 90s fashion world for a bit it’s a great book
I Am Not Ashamed by Barbara Payton, old hollywood starlet who ended her life broke and addicted, an interesting look at the dark side of the old studio system and the seedier parts of Los Angeles. Picked up at Mast Books in the East Village (along with a few others on this list), highly recommend the book store, great selection of artsy fartsy stuff
The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis, didn’t finish it, mostly because it’s massive and I never could bring myself to pack it, intend to finish to next year, but if you like his other books, especially less than 0, it’s worth reading. Picked up at Literati in Ann Arbor, great bookstore near a few other great bookstores on the edge of Kerrytown, highly recommend
Eve's Hollywood by Eve Babitz, if you want to fall in love with a Los Angeles even more, great writing
An Attempt at exhausting a place in Paris by George Perec, a quick read can’t remember if it was the first book I bought from Wakefield Press at Artbook Hauser & Worth LA, but thankful for that bookstore introducing me to that press
Psychology of the Rich Aunt by Erich Mühsam, another Wakefield title, funny and still felt modern despite being a century old. The authors real life was really interesting to me, he was one of, (if not the first, I remember reading somewhere but can’t find the source), victim of the Nazis
The Sundays of Jean Dézert by Jean de La Ville de Mirmont, another Wakefield title, I read it one sitting (easy to do with this press, they publish almost entirely novellas from what I can gather), made me think of Notes From Underground and Seinfeld
Honey I'm Homo by Matt Baume, A really wonderful guided tour of LGBT representation in television. Was not expecting this book to hit so hard. I cried more times reading this than anything else this year. If you grew up gay in the 1900s, it's a really powerful reminder of how vital accurate and compassionate representation is. Made me realize how much things have changed for the better, really made me appreciate being alive today.
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel, really romantic crime non fiction about a prolific art thief, his girfriend, his family, extremely cinematic, would be shocked if it's not made into a movie very soon
Paris by Paris Hilton, a really dark look at the troubled teen industry, made me really respect Paris Hilton as a cultural engineer (she was mostly in on the joke) and abuse survivor. Also, a really dark look at revenge porn, consent, and technology in the aughts
Mean Baby by Selma Blair, really enjoyed the parts about her childhood, a very specific look at the Jewish Detroit suburbs at the last quarter of the 20th century
Unprotected by Billy Porter, if you watched Pose, and wanted to know more about the actor that brought Pray Tell to life . A memoir about demanding your place in the world
Spinning Plates by Sophie Ellis Bextor, read at the start of the year, but love that with Saltburn coming out “Murder on the Dancefloor” is everywhere again. Loved the early parts of the book and the britt pop teenage stories, the obvious music career throughout, and then interesting look at motherhood. She’s so charming, smart and talented, I’ve always wondered why she wasn’t as big as the other pop stars of her era but her podcast Spinning Plates is also great, and most recent album Hana is a charming love letter to japan.
Pageboy by Elliot Page, really made me want to go Nova Scotia, feels like a long late night conversation on a porch chain smoking cigarettes in college while a party is going on inside but the conversation is more compelling
When We Cease To Understand The World by Benjamín Labatut, suggested to me in last years version of this, really beautiful and thoughtful, lots of very specific truths in a fictional history
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy, a look back at being a child star, written as if it’s all happening in the present, interesting reflections on Mormonism and Nickelodeon
Atomic Habits, nothing earth shattering but a pleasant, picked up a few things from it i started doing day to day that increased my quality of life
Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry, a really dark look at what addiction combined with fame does to a person, didn't enjoy reading it, but when Matthew Perry died I was glad I had.
The Woman in Me (Le Femme en Moi), currently enjoying this as an audio book in French, if you're learning another language and love pop culture, the vocab is simple, being able to slow down the speed on audible is really nice. Read the book in English first and it was a really interesting look at sexism in the media and the commodification of celebrity, super sad
Valid by Chris Bergeron, currently reading, trans dystopian sci fi in a near future Montreal. Enjoying it so far
Bunny by Mona Awad, also currently reading, reminds me of Heathers if it was made by Wilt Stillman
The Love of Singular Men by Victor Heringer, also still reading, really visceral writing, one of those books that really makes you feel like you are seeing what the author is writing about, was suggested by the staff at De Stille in Montreal on Duluth, a great english language bookstore highly recommend
Goodreads recommended me this after I read Slouching Towards Bethlehem (which I really liked). Now I have a second opinion so I'll check it out. Thanks :)
2. The Myth of Christian Beginnings by Robert Wilkin — an older title (1971), short well written book on how Christians mythologize early Christians, & frame it as some static model of heavenly perfection that they're always trying to get back to, or maintain
3. Everyday Utopia by Kristen Ghodsee — on the surface, a book about utopian community experiments but is so much more, imaginative conjuring on thinking outside the box, how we blindly just accept things the way they are, so dismissive of nonorthodox ideas
4. Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris — just as the title advertises, have read a lot of history but the 19C on California presented here was so interesting