This post marks the sixth year I’ve published my reading list online. For the data junkies, I read 37 books, 3.1 million words, and just over 11,000 pages. According to the detailed database I keep in Notion, that makes 2023 one of my lowest years so far. It appears parenthood (maybe just adulthood) is finally starting to catch up with me.
It’s hard not to become pensive about the act of reading whenever I write this post. Perhaps that’s because I feel an existential threat opposing reading, the same metaphorical dragon, aka distraction, manifested with different heads.
In the past, I’ve wondered whether reading is any better entertainment than television (yes), or whether consumption steals time away from creation (often). Now, I’m pondering attention spans.
These days, I only get twenty free minutes at any given time. The temptation to pick up my phone proves almost irresistible, and even when I choose the better path and read, it’s hard to stay focused. And so I’m at war with my own psychology, the animal part of my brain begging for a quick digital fix, the rational part of my brain struggling to resist.
One strategy has been to engage with deliberately hard books. In November, a friend from work handed me his copy of Gravity’s Rainbow, a 300,000+ word/800-page post-modern behemoth. There’s no good time in life to read a book like Gravity’s Rainbow, so why not start now, I thought.
The Sluggish Scholars Club helped me power through several of these titles. It took weeks to finish A Tale of Two Cities, Sapiens, and Man is Not Alone. Nevertheless, not every book has been such a slog (a pleasurable slog, don’t get me wrong). Though reading feels somewhat academic at times, the magic of fiction, compelling writing, and human experiences can still transport me off the page just as it did when I was a pre-teen reading fantasy novels.
Whatever the book, I hope that my endurance and investment in reading pays off. The world could benefit from deeper, nuanced thinking, the kind brought about only by deliberation and time, a committed antithesis to the cheap thrills and small dopamine hits of social platforms. The act of reading is a pledge to uphold the principles of thoughtfulness.
This year for my review, I’m organizing the books into “Must Reads”, “Worth It” and “Skip it” categories. I’ll try to describe the book in a single sentence before adding a little review.
Must Reads
Fiction
1984 by George Orwell
A government employee attempts to find a life outside the gaze of Big Brother.
Not having read 1984 since high school, and remembering only minor details, mostly Winston and Julia’s doomed romance, I figured it was time to reread this one. 1984 had a large revival during the Trump years because, well, Trump said some very disturbing things ripped from the dystopian playbook.
These parallels continued to resonate in 2023, but more than anything, I was struck by the bleakness of the book—how the workers’ lives were so controlled, how there was little room for joy or trust. If you haven’t read this one since high school, I’d place it high on your list to revisit.
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
A group of young Americans battle societal expectations and the consequences of life decisions post-WWI.
If you’re into relationship-based books with little plot, this is the book for you. It felt written in the same vein as The Great Gatsby, where the characters, dialogue, and society all butt up against each other beautifully. One of those unexpectedly amazing books.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eudigenes
A group of young men fetishize the demise of a group of mysterious sisters in the decaying Detroit suburbs.
This is an uncomfortable read, not because the author is a creep, but because he wants you to feel a little bit like a creep as you voyeuristically watch alongside the boys in their infatuation. At the sentence level, it’s remarkable, with a dreamlike quality that drew me in.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The lives of several French and English families intertwine in the chaos of the French Revolution.
This was a much funnier book than I remembered from Junior High. The ending is as fantastic as any book, though getting there is a slow burn. There’s a reason it’s one of the best-selling books of all time.
Home by Marilynne Robinson
A wayward son returns to his childhood home uncertain and unwilling to adopt the religion of his father.
Marilynne Robinson is one of the great novelists of our time, and by completing Home, I’ve read all of her published fiction. Like all the novels in her Gilead world (of which there are four), Home is contemplative, full of amazing religious dialogue, and made me weep like a baby at the end.
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
A war veteran stumbles onto a drug deal gone wrong, takes the money, and is hunted by the cartel and a psychopathic killer with a cattle gun.
This was a reread for me, but no less fantastic than the first time. It may be the best entry point into Cormac McCarthy, for those interested (which I suggest should be everyone).
Non-Fiction
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
The story of Nike as told by its founder, starting with the early days until the IPO.
Not knowing what to expect in a book about Nike, but anticipating a lot more name-dropping anecdotes and glitzy advertising, I was surprised that the story focused mostly on two things: 1) running and 2) making a crazy idea work with your friends. You can sense a lot of nostalgia for the early days of Nike (before it was ever Nike, actually) where Phil Knight and his rag-tag team of misfits hustled to sell shoes. It’s a well-written memoir, full of great reflection.
Man is Not Alone by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Heschel, a Jewish Scholar and civil rights activist, describes the relationship between God and man at the heart of Judaism.
Heschel is profound but not the easiest read. I could handle 8-10 pages at a time but was rewarded with incredibly quotable ideas in each chapter. For example: “Man is not an innocent bystander in the cosmic drama. There is in us more kinship with the divine than we are able to believe. The souls of men are candles of the Lord.”
Restoration by Patrick Mason
A short and thought-provoking LDS read about the ongoing act of restoration.
This is a faith-promoting book that raises some tough questions about the modern iteration of the Church of Jesus Christ and our claims to being the true Church.
I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
A book of essays about being an older woman by the acclaimed screenwriter and director Nora Ephron.
Having enjoyed her movies, I thought I’d give her books a try. She lives a lavish and privileged life, but not without its minor inequalities, one being the appearance of her wrinkled neck. If you like humor and essays, this is a terrific book.
Worth It
Fiction
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
A man wanders through post-war Europe on a paranoid search for the V-2 rocket.
I’m about 200 pages away from completing this novel, but already, it’s worth it. In fact, there’s something worth reading the great works of fiction, no matter how bizarre they can be. Gravity’s Rainbow is by far the weirdest thing I’ve ever read, and its reputation as the quintessential dense, post-modern novel is well deserved. Why read it? The language is still beautiful, albeit confusing, and it captures a mood unlike anything else you’ll read. Warning of some very adult content and language.
Time’s Arrow by Martin Amis
The life of a German Holocaust doctor plays out in reverse.
When I say plays out in reverse, I really mean that: his vomit leaves the toilet and enters his mouth, he pulls the stitches out of his patients with a needle, and he walks backwards. The book is a total trip, and I found my head spinning for hours every time I put it down. The story isn’t all that remarkable, however.
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted by Alan Duff
Jake the Muss and the rest of the family deal with the fallout of their daughter’s suicide and the accusation of rape that concluded the more well-known New Zealand classic Once Were Warriors.
Once Were Warriors was one of the hardest books for me to read. Alan Duff is a very rough writer, giving you the stream-of-consciousness thoughts of all his characters, including the most despicable. Yet What Becomes of the Broken Hearted offers needed redemption in Jake’s story.
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
A group of eco-activists find themselves illegally assisting a tech billionaire with suspect motives to take over a plot of land in New Zealand’s South Island.
Catton totally skewers a range of modern personalities in this book. Everyone feels they have the right to act the way they do, but Catton shows the human folly beneath their egos. The book is long but fast-paced. Catton once again straddles the line between page-turner and literary novel with a focus on character and plot.
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
A collection of sci-fi short stories.
I’d recommend Bradbury to anyone who wants science fiction without too much science. Some of the evocative tales from this book will stick with me forever, particularly one in which a man drowns himself by opening his mouth in the rain.
Collected Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay
All the poems by the acclaimed Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Millay is a must-read, but you don’t need the whole collection. Her work is approachable, weaving together human emotion and nature with great brevity and wit. Start with some of her best works.
The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster
A divorced man helps his stuck nephew find his purpose in life.
My second fore into Paul Auster was a great one. Auster is sort of literary-fiction lite, with tons of style and thought-provoking dialogue, but with a fast-paced plot that I couldn’t put down.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The story of a woman inside a fascist, far-right society.
It was interesting to read this book and 1984 in the same year—there are a lot of similarities. I thought this was a worthwhile read and cleverly told. I ought to read it again now that I know how it all plays out.
Non-Fiction
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
A famous Japanese writer talks about his love for running and the connection between writing and running.
It seems Murakami just writes and runs, not much else, but it sounds like a pretty sweet life. The book doesn’t have much of a direction, but if you enjoy running or want a glimpse into Murakami’s life, it’s a fun read.
Wilderness Essays by John Muir
A collection of legendary ecologist John Muir’s essays.
This book opens with one of the coolest pieces of outdoor writing I’ve ever encountered, an essay titled “The Discovery of Glacier Bay”. Muir is sort of the O.G. of outdoor writing, and it was interesting to see how much his style has been mimicked.
God, Human, Animal, Machine by Meghan O’Gieblyn
What becomes of human questions of sentience, morality, and consciousness in the age of technology and artificial intelligence?
I read this book after hearing about it from one of my favorite writers/podcasters,
. It’s not a book that’s out to answer many questions, but rather to leave you questioning the limits of our reasoning and the ways in which a godless society still can’t answer the deepest of life’s questions.We Don’t Know Ourselves by Fintan O’Toole
A collection of essays about Ireland’s journey to its modern self.
It took me three scattered attempts throughout the year to finally make it through this book. Fintan O’Toole tackles Irish history and politics through the major events of his lifetime, sometimes adding personal anecdotes, other times attempting to capture the zeitgeist of the time. Frequent among the 40+ essays are the Catholic Church, Irish Independence, outward migration, and the corrupt politicians and clergy at the helm of the country. It’s a book for the Irish; so many issues and people were referred to in shorthand that it was difficult at times to follow. I’m glad to have read it, however, and feel I understand the country and the Irish state of mind better than before.
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
A behavioral/business classic about understanding organizational motivations.
Start With Why is the kind of book that would have blown your mind if you read it when it was first published. Now, the ideas are so parrotted and copied in the business world that you almost don’t need to read this book. Still, the idea is a great one, though Sinek falls prey to some common business book tropes (repetitive, exaggerated storytelling).
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
A history of humans and our beliefs, structure, and impact on the world.
For a book about humanity, the author sure seems to dislike humans. He strings together compelling evidence of how unspecial and even damaging we are in the world. The subject matter is interesting, though his biases show through everywhere.
Traffic by Ben Smith
The story of digital media companies Buzzfeed and Gawker.
Still finishing this one, but it’s a cool history of fairly recent media events. The lifecycle of digital media is short, and Buzzfeed is irrelevant now. In sum, it’s the story of how legacy media brands held on while the upstarts flamed out.
The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
A man lives alone in the forest in Maine for decades and his story is only told after he’s arrested.
Crazy story, though it starts with all the best action and then slowly adds little details for the remaining 90% of the book. Along the way, you get a nice history of humanity’s attempts to live alone and the psychological distress it can cause.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
A book about sound financial principles and decision-making.
I enjoy listening to Morgan Housel on podcasts more than I like reading him. If you’re interested in saving, investing, and thinking about money, it’s a good book. I find it a bit of a tedious topic after a while, but Housel is the best writer on the subject.
Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood by Michael Lewis
Vignettes of being a father and the challenges his different children presented.
Almost had this one in the skip pile, but it’s Michael Lewis and his writing is so fun, even when it’s somewhat disorganized in a short book like this. He highlights the ironies and absurdities of fatherhood, but in some ways, it feels incomplete. Probably better for someone who is already a father than a new father.
Skip It
Fiction
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
A gay man scared of turning 40 travels the world chasing success and falling in love in every town.
For a book that won the Pulitzer, I was expecting a little more substance. While there are some nice thoughts about the anxiety of growing old, the book is mostly a light-hearted travelogue about a still handsome man who manages to meet half a dozen lovers in the course of the book.
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Set in South Africa, a book about the abuse of power, first by a professor who pressures a student into a relationship, and then about the professor’s daughter who falls victim to a brutal rape.
This is not a comfortable book, dealing mostly with sex as a tool of coercion and power, and featuring a pretty loathsome main character. But it is an important book, especially in South Africa, ultimately winning the Booker Prize and helping Coetzee win a Nobel Prize a few years later. I’m glad I read it, but it’s not a book I would ever think to recommend to someone else.
Non-Fiction
The Story So Far by Bill Grueskin
A brief overview of the news industry and its struggle to survive and adapt in the digital age.
I’m always on the hunt to understand the media industry better. This academic paper/book did a good job explaining a major transition from subscription to advertising-based models in local news. Skip it unless you’re also into media history.
The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhou
A book guiding new managers through every part of leadership.
This book has good intentions, but geez is it dry. It’s one of those non-fiction books where all the chapter headings were written first, and then the author comes in and backfills each with fairly basic information that goes an inch deep and a mile wide.
It. Goes. So. Fast. by Mary Louise Kelly
NPR journalist Mary Louise Kelly vows to spend more time with her sons as they hit high school age.
I’m not sure this book ended up what Kelly wanted it to be. She says she’ll spend more time at home during her son’s senior year, but when her career inevitably makes that impossible, she sort of writes an apology book and explains the hardships of being a working parent. Sadly, she also divorces her husband at the end of the book. I think she inadvertently wrote a book about the impossibility of having it all, even as she tried to explain how she has it all.
Salvador by Joan Didion
On-the-ground journalism about the American involvement in El Salvador’s civil war in the 1980s.
This is a different Joan Didion than the one I’ve read before. Still insightful and beautifully crafted, but about a conflict and a time that was difficult to feel connected to.
The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
A self-published book about leaving the corporate world and striking out on your own path.
There’s a part of me that feels like I could quit the corporate world and make it on my own. Perhaps you feel the same way. This book attempts to explain how to get there. It’s self-published, so not totally polished. Still, I can’t help but feel that books like this are part of a huge Ponzi scheme. The author quits his job, writes a book about it, and the only real alternative career path he can offer is to write books about quitting your job. Suspect.
The Pine Barrens by John McPhee
A brief work about a huge stretch of wilderness in Southern New Jersey.
The Pine Barrens are one place in USA I’ve wanted to visit but haven’t. Essentially it’s a huge wilderness eco-system, the largest remaining coastal pine forest in America. I also wanted to find an entrance into reading John McPhee, but frankly found him uninspiring. He’s a good documentarian, but there was no magic to this account.
The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
An account of Poggio Bracciolini discovered and translated Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura.
I’ve read Lucretius’ magnum opus a few times now and was hoping for a general commentary on the book. There’s only one chapter about the actual text in Greenblatt’s book. The rest is a narrative history about this monk named Poggio who just so happens to find and translate the text. It doesn’t seem to be that much of a landmark moment for Poggio, so the book goes into all these tangents about transcribing, monasteries, humanism, etc. If that’s your jam, it’s a great book. Not what I was looking for.