Fiction, Non-fiction, and Business reads this year.
January
Ancillary Sword by Anne Leckie
Ancillary Mercy by Anne Leckie
Translation State by Anne Leckie
These were all excellent. I really enjoyed the gender ambiguity and continually examined my response to this while reading. Well worth the time. Translation State pushes this in a somewhat different direction and it isn’t as effective.
February
Theft by Finding by David Sederis
It was interesting but grew tiresome after a while.
Circe by Madeline Miller
This was superb. The character growth arc was a joy to follow along.
Inside Moebius (part 1), by Jean Giraud
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
Clever and worthwhile, but also the epistolatory nature of the story is obvious.
March
On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle
Unexpectedly interesting in the continual mundanity. It is such a close examination of the practical matters that an “average” person would have to deal with in this situation (one suspects).
The Work of Art by Adam Ross
Many interesting interviews, but also sort of feels like it misses an opportunity. It makes the most of what it is, but I would have liked there to be more there. Maybe there just isn’t.
The Notebook by Roland Allen
Easy read that I wish also went a bit deeper.
Tiny Experiments by Anne-Loure Le Cunff
Better in bullets. Didn’t need 200 pages to make the point. I don’t regret reading it.
April
Rules by Lorraine Daston
Quite possibly the best read, and most unexpected, of the year.
Autumn by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Knausgaard has become one of my favorite authors, up there with Borges in his observations and insights and connections.
Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion
Initially good, but my enjoyment withered. The detachment from the subject felt judgy, like the author found them disturbing, not just disagreeable. It reflected more on the author and their audience than on the subject.
May
Saving Time by Jenny Odell
Glad I read it, and will recommend it to others interested in this author’s topics.
The Utopia of Rules by David Graeber
Loosely related collection of essays. Thought provoking and insightful, as usual for this author.
June
Understanding Comics by Scott McCleod
Helpful and worthwhile read.
The Ongoing Moment by Geoff Dyer
Interesting and exhausting. Abandoned.
July
The Sound Book by Trevor Cox
Interesting material but something didn’t resonate. Abandoned about 20% in.
Calaban’s War1 by James S. A. Corey
Better than the first book.
The Electric State by Simon Stalenhag
Cool art. Why do they always make the stories such downers?
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds (audio book)
Fascinating, annoying. Very 1970s story for a book published around the turn of the millennium.
August
A Swim In A Pond In The Rain by George Saunders
Another unexpected delight. Both the short stories themselves were excellent, as was the discussion. It is likely that I will revisit this book to extract more.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
It salvaged my relationship with this author. I found Slouching… initially quite engaging, but soon the wry and detached style became off putting. Turning it inward however, treating herself as the subject in the same, that is genius.
September
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
Very good, funny and sad. A truth.
October
Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard P. Rumelt
Excellent introduction to the principles of strategy.
November
The Crux by Richard P. Rumelt
Dissappointing, to me at least. It was primarily corporate case files, and difficult to find the application to my own Silicon Valley tech situation. I abandoned it about half way through.
December
Winter by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Continues the excellent thing started in Autumn.
On the Calculation of Volume II by Solvej Balle
Reading in progress.
Fun fact: the name Caliban is from Shakespeare and worth looking up. Also appears in Wednesday (Netflix) and other places randomly. ↑