Currently reading: Taking a break from a seven-book streak of non-fiction to read The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey π
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Finished reading: The Future of Us by Jay Ingram is a broad overview of how science and technology is affecting all parts of our lives from food, to transportation, and to health. Iβve read deeper books on the individual topics. This one provides the overview π
Finished reading: Matthew Scace tells the harrowing tale of a major forest fire in Jasper on Fire π
π Finished reading: The Light Eaters by ZoΓ« Schlanger is a fascinating book about how sophisticated and under appreciated plants are: they can detect relatives, βseeβ their surroundings, manipulate their environment, and make complex decisions.
Near the end, Schlanger writes:
Now when I spot a tendril that is making its way through a crack in the sidewalk, I internally commend it for its resourcefulness. I feel I know about some of what it took for the plant to do that-the small miracle of its germination, the craning of its elongation, the articulation of the hundreds, maybe thousands of fine root hairs, right now probing its belowground world for sustenance. I think about the stem cells in each of its growing tips, poised and ready to become whatever sort of flesh the plant needs them to be. The whole being a sensitive, decisioning network spread throughout hundreds of limbs, thousands of roots. A body in motion, adapting in real time to every subtle shift, flowing like water through its surroundings and taking note of the shape and smell and texture of it all.
Finished reading: Waves in an Impossible Sea by Matt Strassler is a fascinating, comprehensive, and clear book about field theory in physics. Iβve read a few books on this topic and this is the best one. If youβre curious about particle physics and want to avoid math, youβll like this one π
Finished reading: Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern is a lot of fun π
Thursday, February 6, 2025 β
Finished reading: If you like creepy, weird books (and I do), youβll enjoy Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer. But, you have to read the great Area X trilogy first π
A fun episode of The Incomparable on my favourite fiction book of 2024
Finished reading: Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave by SeΓ‘n OβHagan is a remarkable conversation about creativity, grief, and religionπ
π Although I exceeded my goal of reading 45 books in 2024 by finishing 60 books. I’m going to keep my goal for 2025 at 45, anticipating that I’ll be reading more non-fiction this year which will slow me down – for the better.
Finished reading: The Infernal Machine is another great book by Steven Johnson. I enjoy how he integrates seemingly small technological changes with broad historical trends. Always interesting to read π
π Year in books for 2024
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
2024 was another great year for books.
My favourite fiction book was Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Non-fiction was As Gods by Matthew Cobb.Β
Finished reading: Translation State by Ann Leckie is another great book in the Imperial Radch series. Iβve enjoyed each oneπ
Finished reading: I enjoyed the satirical futility of The Posthumous Memoirs of BrΓ‘s Cubas by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis π
Saturday, December 14, 2024 β
Finished reading: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab is a fun second book of a great series. Iβm looking forward to the next oneπ
Finished reading: I really enjoyed The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin. The Earthsea series is very good π
Saturday, November 30, 2024 β
Finished reading: Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman is a great companion to Four Thousand Weeks (my favourite non-fiction book of 2022). I followed the authorβs suggestion and read a chapter a day to help the ideas percolate π
Saturday, November 23, 2024 β
Finished reading: Fire Exit: A Novel by Morgan Talty is a good book about the importance of knowing your familyβs stories π
Thursday, November 14, 2024 β
Finished reading: In The Antidote, Oliver Burkeman makes a lot of sense to me about how to live sensibly and genuinely π
Finished reading: For You by Patrick Rhone is full of wisdom in short chapters. I read one every couple of days to let the ideas percolate before rushing to the next chapterπ
Finished reading: Superintelligence: Is Canada Ready for AI? by The Logic is a nice overview of the state of AI in Canada π
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 β
Finished reading: Fleeced by Andrew Spence will make you mad at the Canadian banks, though he also offers suggestions for fixing the sectorπ
Finished reading: As a Gen X, I unironically enjoyed Chuck Klostermanβs entertaining and nostalgic analysis of The Nineties π
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 β
Finished reading: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh is really goodπ
Finished reading: The Armageddon Protocol by Dan Moren finishes a fun series π
Thursday, October 10, 2024 β
Finished reading: The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan. Iβm simultaneously delighted and intimidated by how long these books are and how many of them are left to go π
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 β
Finished reading: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik is a good end to a great series π
Finished reading: I enjoyed the rich detail of The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison. I think you need to have liked The Goblin Emperor (which I did) to appreciate this one thoughπ
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 β
Finished reading: The Long War by Stephen Baxter is okay. Not nearly as interesting as the first book in the series and has a rather meandering plot π
Finished reading: I mostly enjoyed The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz. Great world building across thousands of years and interesting ideas. The middle third dragged a bit though π