I cut down my reading goal from 100 books to 50 books this year, as I wanted to double down on work. It is likely that next year will be much the same. The goal this year is to read more women writers, as I did last year. Comparing that to last year, I only did marginally better going from 20% to 24.5% — still it is an improvement. I also wanted to read more non-fiction. In this regard, I also had a marginal jump from 17% to 22%.
But the biggest scalps for me this year was to finally complete reading Moby Dick and Middlemarch, the two twin Ms. The former was what I hoped it to be, the latter was somewhat a disappointment. Now I need to find Middlesex and I’ll be set. The other was to finish Harry Potter, which is always nagging me. I finally doubled down and finished the series.
Next year, expect more of the same. Nonfiction and books related to my profession will be key next year. In this way, I expect that at least 35% of the books will be non-fiction. Perhaps, my reading goals for next year is best written in another article.
So, onto the list of my highlights then.
Best Book — Letters from a Stoic by Seneca
Seneca came in at the right time when I needed some stoic wisdom. I am naturally nervy and anxious which often lead to inaction. Seneca put this in perspective, that it is best to take your anxieties head on instead of prolonging the pain of it. Gallop downwards with the horse instead of holding your head back and losing balance as a consequence. Since then, I have given Letters from a Stoic and suggested them to close friends off mine. Those who read it were also changed somewhat.
Honourable Mentions: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Middlemarch by George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot again (2 Eliots, I know :)), The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, The New Odyssey by Patrick Kingsley, The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
Worst Book — The Cat and Shakespeare by Raja Rao
There were a few stinkers this year, but no one star rating. The book that I liked the least with a 2 star rating was the metaphysical tosh that was the Cat and Shakespeare. I read essays about the book afterwards to see what I missed. I definitely missed a lot, to the point that Rao suggested that the unwritten part is at least the size of the written part but he could not find any publisher who would take on publishing the “unwritten” part. Yeah right mate, go fuck yerself.
Honourable Mentions: The Whisperer in Darkness and Other Tales by H.P. Lovecraft, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Tarantula by Bob Dylan
Most surprising (in a good way) — Heidi by Johanna Spyrri
I’m a bit iffy about kids books. The main reason I read them is mostly superficial, because I don’t want them nagging in book lists dangling as books that I’m supposed to finish. But Heidi really surprised me. Sure, it is full of Christian sentimentality that could get over the top at times, but I fell for Heidi’s innocence and the effect she had on people around her. In 2020, where all bad shit happens, I needed a book like Heidi to lift me up. I needed to believe in kindness again. Heidi is my feel good book this year.
Runners Up: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, The New Odyssey by Patrick Kingsley
Most disappointing (in a bad way) — Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov
By any means, disappointing doesn’t mean bad. But some authors carry a weight of expectations and sometimes they’re just not for you. In my case, the biggest disappointment this year was Forward the Foundation by Asimov, which is the final book of the Foundation saga, written before Asimov’s death. The book tied everything together, but it ended up making me less Hair Seldon less, and it was full of plot holes. In any case, I’m glad that I can put the Foundation saga to rest.
Honourable Mentions: Roughing it by Mark Twain, The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Tarantula by Bob Dylan
Most Difficult — The General Theory of Employment, Money and Interest by John Maynard Keynes
In reality, we live in the shadow of economists without our knowing. General Theory is one of the seminal texts of the 20th Century that nobody talks about. It is with good reason — this text is dedicated for economists to challenge the traditional thinking of the day. It is written in the lens of the Great Depression where some of these traditional ideas break — e.g. supply creates demand. It is a difficult text to read, and if you couldn’t grasp a concept properly it will haunt you to the end of the text. Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile read.
Honourable Mentions: Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Big Short by Mike Lewis, The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
