A new annual post
Someone suggested I do a book roundup, and I thought that was a great idea. I had a quick look through my bookshelf and Kindle reading library, and chose the books that I remember most from this year.
Two of them are rereads, four are novels (I initially wrote three here, but Ministry is actually fiction even if it doesn’t feel that way when you are reading it), and only two are directly related to personal finance. Four could be considered memoirs.
I would be happy to reread any of them, so I feel confident recommending them to you.
And so, with mere hours to go in 2021, in no particular order, here are the 10* books I enjoyed most this year:
*I put two of Bill Buford’s books in as one entry.
Quick Reviews
- The Big Picture, by Ben Fritz. This is a fascinating look at the movie business and how we ended up with franchises and superheroes and the transition to streaming platforms and China as the movie studios of the future. Explains so much -a must-read if you are into films.
- The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks. My favourite book by one of my favourite authors. I reread almost all the Iain M. Banks books when I was in hospital earlier in the year. This one is my favourite (I have read it at least 4-5 times). I think it works best as a one-off and serves as a great entry into the Culture universe that Banks created.
- Dune, by Frank Herbert. Another re-read (again, in the 4-5 times range). Another of my favourite books. By far the best in the series -you can read the other five Dune books, but none of them come close to this one. The film this year was a good adaptation, but the book has so much more in it.
- Heat/Dirt, by Bill Buford. These are both autobiographical, talking about the author’s experiences learning to cook. Shades of Kitchen Confidential in there, and both a great read. I also enjoyed the author’s Among the Thugs, about football hooligans.
- Greenlights, by Matthew McConaughey. This is a memoir, a self-help book, and a tremendously joyous and charismatic book. I enjoyed it very much and ended up with a lot of respect for Mr. McConaughey.
- Breath, by James Nestor. This book is about learning to breathe properly, and why you might want to do that. Readable and practical, I got really into it for a while but didn’t keep the exercises up. Might be time for a reread for me.
- Die with Zero, by Bill Perkins. When this came out it seemed everyone with a personal finance or FIRE blog was talking about it. It’s a book with a very simple concept, but I changed the way I thought about time and money. Wrote a blog post about it here.
- Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. I really enjoyed The Martian (first the book, then the film when it came out) and I think this one is even better. Very much in the same style, an introspective science-heavy novel that takes you into the situation with a first person perspective. Hugely enjoyable read.
- The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson. This is hard science fiction, so it reads like fact. Incorporates all kinds of things I knew about the climate crisis, and plenty that I did not. It’s the first thing I have read that combines realism and hope of finding an actual solution. Can drag a bit at times, but an essential read if you are aware of climate issues.
- The Education of a Value Investor, by Guy Spier. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It is hugely inspiring and very readable. A memoir, not a how to guide, but lots of insights about investing and living a good life.
Has anyone read any of these? Would appreciate your thoughts in the comments 🙂