This year I read quite a lot compared to 2024, when I felt like I barely read at all. Interestingly, I had about 2–3 months around the middle of the year when I didn’t read any books. I literally couldn’t focus on a book for more than 10–15 minutes. Yes, I read online, articles and blog posts, but I couldn’t read anything in a longer format.
I usually read on Kindle, because I can increase the font size. Because I don’t see as well anymore, right?
Unfortunately, that means I can’t support independent bookstores as much as I’d like. I know that on bookshop.org you can buy ebooks from independent bookstores, but you can only read them in their mobile app or on the web. I read a lot on e-ink Kindles, so it’s more complicated, but we’ll see.
Alright, the list below is split into the following categories: Read, Currently reading, Won’t finish. The books in the “Won’t finish” category are books I know I won’t come back to. I’ve never had the idea that I MUST finish a book once I start it, so if I tried and it didn’t keep me there, that’s that. I don’t quit after 5 pages, but if after 50-100 it still doesn’t pull me in, I stop.
In general, I read several books at the same time, especially non-fiction. So in the “Currently reading” category there are more than you might expect. Because some of them are books I return to and I read 1–2 chapters depending on what I feel like.
The fiction books I read this way are books that have something that draws me in (the subject, a character, etc.), but that are written in a heavier or different style. I come back to them from time to time, but it’s possible that some of them will move into the “Won’t finish” category at some point. A book like that is Dan Brown’s latest, Secret of Secrets.
Ah, one last thing: I didn’t include links because everyone gets their books from different places and I’m sure it’s easy to search. If you want more information about a book, ask me.
Read
Fiction
The Classic Collection of Philip K. Dick, Vol. 1: 50 Short Stories (Philip K. Dick)
I’ve started reading quite a bit of short fiction lately, and Philip K. Dick’s collection seemed like one that shouldn’t be missed.
Labyrinth (A. G. Riddle)
I like A.G. Riddle’s style, but Labyrinth didn’t leave me with anything. Maybe I was in a weird period, but I remember I struggled a bit to finish it. The initial mystery feels interesting, and then the book starts moving slower than usual for a Riddle novel.
The Shattering Peace (Old Man’s War, Book 7) (John Scalzi)
I read the first books in the series many years ago and didn’t remember much. The big advantage is that The Shattering Peace isn’t connected to the rest of the books except for the fact that it’s the same universe. If you like Scalzi, you’ll probably like this one too.
Lost to Eternity (Star Trek: The Original Series) (Greg Cox)
If you liked the Star Trek movie where Kirk and Spock steal whales from the present to repopulate them in the future, this book continues the idea about 40 years later. Someone tries to unravel the mystery of the whales and of the person who disappeared completely. Very good as a franchise tie-in. If you don’t remember the movie, it’s worth rewatching it before reading the book.
The Mercy of Gods (The Captive’s War, Book 1) (James S. A. Corey)
From the authors of The Expanse, a new series. Very interesting. More of a prison book (in the vein of Clavell’s King Rat), set in a scenario where Earth has been conquered by an alien race that doesn’t seem to care much about the people they conquer.
Time Lost: A UFO Time Travel Thriller (Elyse Douglas)
I had a time-travel reading phase and this was one of the recommended ones. Not bad at all: someone from the 1950s in the United States is transported to the present and exposed to modern social norms (a bit freer than in the ’50s). Her effort to return “home” runs into opposition from authorities, but also brings her unexpected allies.
The Object (Joshua T. Calvert)
An object appears at the edge of our solar system. Initially considered an asteroid, the main character doesn’t believe that’s what it is. That’s where the story starts: an alien civilization and what we do with that information. A hopeful book, not a militaristic one.
Star Trek: Picard – Firewall (David Mack)
Despite the online reactions, I liked the Picard series. And I liked Seven of Nine’s story. “Firewall” adds some context. The action happens between the end of Voyager and the start of Picard, and it tells how Seven became part of the Rangers. I enjoyed it and it’s worth reading if you’re a Star Trek fan (especially Voyager).
Village in the Sky (Alex Benedict, Book 9) (Jack McDevitt)
Probably the last book in the Alex Benedict series, one of my favorite series. McDevitt is old; I don’t think he’ll get to write another one. That made me read pretty much everything else he wrote that I hadn’t gotten to yet. This one didn’t feel as good as others in the series (Seeker is excellent if you want to start), but if you’re a fan, you’ll like it.
Ancient Shores (Jack McDevitt)
A weird sci-fi. An alien object is found by a farmer, buried in his yard. It’s more political and sociological – about how people are affected, both individually and globally. Toward the end it became too complex and I wasn’t interested in reading the sequels.
I read this after Village in the Sky, which made me want to read more McDevitt.
The Hercules Text (Jack McDevitt)
Good message: “Humanity isn’t ready to learn yet.” After we receive a warning message from a distant civilization, what do we do next?
Eternity Road (Jack McDevitt)
Humanity self-destructed. Thousands of years later, descendants live in tribes and small kingdoms. From time to time they discover old technology, but most of the time they have no idea what it is. The characters search for Haven, a city that “solves everything.” They find it, but it’s not what they think. I liked it.
System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)
Now that it’s also a TV show, more people know about the books. I loved the early ones, the later ones less so. System Collapse is more interesting because Murderbot isn’t as effective anymore after being “injured” in the previous book. It’s more interesting than the previous two.
Antarctica Station (A. G. Riddle)
The kind of book you expect from A.G. Riddle: tension, global stakes. An earlier civilization put “something” in a prison under Antarctica. What do humans do when they discover something like that?
Found in a Bookshop (Stephanie Butland)
A book about COVID and what many of us felt: isolation, lack of human connection – and how books and a bookstore can help. It’s hopeful and slow, but it might be exactly what you need. I liked it.
Run (Blake Crouch)
What happens when part of the population loses empathy and gives in to its darkest impulses? A family runs, trying to escape groups of people whose only goal is to kill and destroy.
The Book of Doors (Gareth Brown)
A fantasy book where spells are books with special powers. The Book of Doors lets you pick any door in the world and step through it. It’s basically teleportation, but more than that. I liked it, though sometimes it felt a bit slow.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye (John Scalzi)
How would humanity react if the moon turned into cheese? Completely crazy premise, but Scalzi said he wanted to write simple stories about ordinary people, and this felt like a way to do it. I liked it, but it’s pretty “un-Scalzi.”
The God Engines (John Scalzi)
A short story with a fairly unexpected ending. The core idea about humanity is brutal.
The Tainted Cup (Robert Jackson Bennett)
One of my favorite books this year. Even though I’m not especially into fantasy, I love detective/mystery stories set outside the human present (see the Alex Benedict series). The main characters are a Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson type duo, in a world where monsters in the ocean regularly, seasonally, come and destroy the land.
A Drop of Corruption (Robert Jackson Bennett)
The sequel to the above. A new mystery that expands the world and who the main characters are. Again, exactly my kind of book, so I read it in a day or two.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (V. E. Schwab)
An interesting concept I haven’t read elsewhere. A woman born in 1700s France becomes immortal, but in exchange for immortality, nobody remembers who she is the next day. Great concept, and it hits on relevance and presence in the lives of others.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (Claire North)
A time-loop book. Humanity has people who continuously relive their lives: they die and return to their own life, in childhood. Not immortal in the classic sense. But now someone started killing these “special” people. Why? How?
The Bookshop (Evan Friss)
A history of independent bookstores in the United States. I liked it more than I expected. It presents bookstores as part of their communities – places that protect or promote unpopular or revolutionary ideas.
It made me want to have a bookstore someday.
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop (Hwang Bo-reum)
A Korean book about a bookstore as an escape, a place of rediscovery, both for the owner and for the people who come there, from employees to readers. A feel-good book, but also an interesting snapshot of Korean society.
Monte Cristo (Jordan Mechner; Mario Alberti)
A graphic novel created by the developer of the original Prince of Persia. It’s the first graphic novel I’ve read in what feels like 20 years. It’s the story of The Count of Monte Cristo rewritten in a modern context. Interesting, but I don’t know if I’d read more in this format. It doesn’t attract me at all. We’ll see.
Non-fiction
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (James Clear)
This year was more difficult because of long trips, and I felt the need to understand how to recreate habits in an unfamiliar context.
Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World (Anne-Laure Le Cunff)
A book that continues the Atomic Habits idea, but with atomic experiments. Small experiments that show you whether an action fits you and whether it’s worth turning it into a habit.
Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary (Linus Torvalds, David Diamond)
Linus Torvalds created Linux. This early-2000s book tells you how. Linus is an interesting person and it’s worth reading if you’re into technology. I would have liked to read about the last 20 years too.
Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games (Mike Drucker)
I related to many of the ideas in this book. I learned to program at 5-6 years old, in Basic, and the first things I made were games. I’ve played video games my whole life and, together with reading books, I can’t imagine life without them. If you feel the same, you’ll like this book. Plus some nostalgia, since we keep getting older.
Useful Not True (Derek Sivers)
Does information have to be correct as long as it helps us? A Derek Sivers-style book: short, punchy chapters, almost like his blog. You finish it in an hour, max.
Careless People (Sarah Wynn-Williams)
A book about Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, and his inner circle. Interesting if you want to see what happened inside Facebook of those years. But as you read, keep in mind the author was an active part of what happened, even though she tries to shift the blame onto others. Worth reading.
Never Enough (Andrew Wilkinson)
A bit self-serving, lots of name-dropping, but I was interested because of the business model: buying businesses with more potential and growing them.
Mistrețul
A friend’s manuscript (in Romanian). A dark book about Romania in the 1990s. I hope he publishes it someday, because it’s extraordinarily powerful. That’s also why I’m reading it so slowly: it’s uncomfortable, and it’s also possible that I might have known people like that during those years.
Currently reading
Non-fiction
How to Protect Bookstores and Why: The Present and Future of Bookselling (Danny Caine)
My new (old) obsession with bookstores. It’s a book I pick up from time to time when I have time and feel like it.
Source Code: My Beginnings (Bill Gates)
I have no idea if I’ll continue it, but it’s here because there’s a chance. It starts pretty early in his life (family, childhood), and I’m not that interested – since I know the next book will be the one specifically about Microsoft.
The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World Order (Jim Sciutto)
I started reading this in Cărturești Verona – a bookshop in Bucharest, Romania, despite the name – while I was waiting for my wife to meet me. So I bought it and I’m still reading it. It’s interesting, though from an American point of view. And I don’t know how up to date it is with the new (old) administration in the White House.
The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation (Conor Niland)
I’ve read the biographies of Agassi, Sampras, Federer, Djokovic – former world No. 1s. But this is the biography of Ireland’s No. 1, a player “only” ranked around the top 150. It tells a completely different story about what it means to be a professional tennis player. It’s written a bit slowly, but I chip away at a chapter whenever I remember it.
American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback (Seth Wickersham)
In recent years I started watching American football and I’m fascinated by the business side as well as the sports side. And American society worships QBs, as they’re called. It’s interesting to see the historical thread.
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of a Deadly Disease (John Green)
I like the Green brothers’ YouTube channel (vlogbrothers), so I wanted to buy the book as soon as it came out. And I got lucky and found a signed copy in the US, on one of my visits. It’s interesting to read about how there’s a disease (tuberculosis) that could be completely eradicated, but humanity doesn’t make the effort. From there you get a whole discussion about options, choices, etc. at the macro level. Oh, and more than 1 million people die from tuberculosis every year, so eradicating it would be worth it in more ways than one.
Fiction
The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby (Ellery Lloyd)
My wife recommended it to me: it’s a mystery with puzzles and so on, and three narrative threads across different periods. It started well and I’ll finish it in the next few days.
Witch King’s Oath (Heirs to Eternity, Book 1) (A. J. Glasser, Hillary Sames, Rosalind Sterling)
I started it because I know AJ Glasser and I was curious to see how she writes. It’s fantasy (not my favorite), but it starts well and I’ll probably finish it in a few days.
The Secret of Secrets (Dan Brown)
It didn’t grab me at all, even though I read the first 90 pages, if not more. Maybe I’ll finish it someday, but no promises. I liked Brown’s early books, but now they feel very heavy to read and follow.
The Phoenix Guards (The Phoenix Guards, Book 1) (Steven Brust)
I ended up reading these because I understood they’re heavily influenced by Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. Basically Dumas’ books in a fantasy world. I’ve only read the first pages, but I’ll definitely return to them. I started after watching the French Three Musketeers production, which I liked a lot.
Won’t finish
Fiction
1Q84 (Haruki Murakami)
I read the first part, but it didn’t hook me. Murakami doesn’t really attract me as fiction, even though I like the non-fiction he wrote.
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, Book 2) (Laurie Gilmore)
Part of the trend of books set in bookstores, this one started fairly interesting, but it turned into a romance and became boring.
