book

Finished reading: Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave by Seรกn Oโ€™Hagan is a remarkable conversation about creativity, grief, and religion๐Ÿ“š

๐Ÿ“š 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 ๐Ÿ“š

๐Ÿ“š Year in books for 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.ย 

Translation StateThe Posthumous Memoirs of Brรกs CubasA Gathering of ShadowsThe Farthest ShoreMeditations for MortalsFire Exit: A NovelThe AntidoteFor YouSuperintelligence: Is Canada Ready for AI?FleecedThe Nineties: A BookSome Desperate GloryThe Armageddon ProtocolThe Fires of HeavenThe Golden EnclavesThe Witness for the DeadThe Long WarThe TerraformersA Prayer for the Crown-ShyThe Hidden PalaceThe Lost Art of RunningStarter VillainProvenanceA City on MarsThe Fated SkyService ModelThe Little Book of AliensSlow ProductivityBlack Hole Survival GuideA Darker Shade of MagicBlood Meridian, Or, The Evening Redness in the WestThe Rise and Reign of the MammalsThe Lost MetalThe Bands of MourningJustin Trudeau on the RopesAs GodsHexarchate StoriesWitch KingThe Dog Sitter DetectiveThe Narrow Road Between DesiresAncillary MercyAuroraThe Long EarthJinx The Shadow RisingCost-benefit analysis of investment decisionsNona the NinthShadows of SelfRed MoonThe FactoryThe Last GraduateEmpire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket CalculatorMy MurderThe Mimicking of Known SuccessesMy Effin' LifeMidlifeMaking It SoSystem CollapseThe Martian ChroniclesThe Gulag Archipelago [Volume 1]Blindsight

Finished reading: Translation State by Ann Leckie is another great book in the Imperial Radch series. Iโ€™ve enjoyed each one๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: I enjoyed the satirical futility of The Posthumous Memoirs of Brรกs Cubas by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab is a fun second book of a great series. Iโ€™m looking forward to the next one๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: I really enjoyed The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin. The Earthsea series is very good ๐Ÿ“š

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 authorโ€™s suggestion and read a chapter a day to help the ideas percolate ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: Fire Exit: A Novel by Morgan Talty is a good book about the importance of knowing your familyโ€™s stories ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: In The Antidote, Oliver Burkeman makes a lot of sense to me about how to live sensibly and genuinely ๐Ÿ“š

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 chapter๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: Superintelligence: Is Canada Ready for AI? by The Logic is a nice overview of the state of AI in Canada ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: Fleeced by Andrew Spence will make you mad at the Canadian banks, though he also offers suggestions for fixing the sector๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: As a Gen X, I unironically enjoyed Chuck Klostermanโ€™s entertaining and nostalgic analysis of The Nineties ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh is really good๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: The Armageddon Protocol by Dan Moren finishes a fun series ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan. Iโ€™m simultaneously delighted and intimidated by how long these books are and how many of them are left to go ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik is a good end to a great series ๐Ÿ“š

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 though๐Ÿ“š

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 ๐Ÿ“š

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 ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers is delightful. The Monk and Robot series is fun. Sort of like a mirror universe Murderbot๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker is richly detailed with interesting characters and intriguing plot. A nice sequel to The Golem and the Jinni ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: The Lost Art of Running by Shane Benzie has lots of great anecdotes and tips. I know my running form could be better and this book has both inspired and empowered me to improve ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: Starter Villain by John Scalzi is a fun, easy vacation read ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: Provenance by Ann Leckie is an entertaining political thriller in space. Nice to learn more about the universe beyond the Radchaai ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith is an entertaining and informative exploration of what is actually required to colonize space. A good counterbalance to all the sci-fi Iโ€™ve been reading ๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal is a good entry in the Lady Astronaut series. I enjoy these alternate histories of space exploration books๐Ÿ“š

Finished reading: Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a surprisingly amusing story about the robot apocalypse ๐Ÿ“š