📚 2020
December
The Happiness Hypothesis, by Jonathan Haidt
Reviewed here.
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
I have fond memories of this book: I won an abridged copy as an award in school, way back in IInd standard. So I was not ready for how BIG the original version is. So most of this month went in reading this enjoyable revenge tale.
November
Nabokov: The Mystery of Literary Structures, by Leona Toker
A detailed look at several of Nabokov's books. A few weren't fresh in my memory but this is always a fruitful area to get lost in.
Circe, by Madeline Miller
Lovely book from the author of The Song of Achilles. This one's about, as you'd expect, Circe, who features in the Odyssey.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob), by Dennis E. Taylor
Pretty decent. Reads a bit like Star Trek fanfic at times so I don't know if I'll continue the series.
October
I got a new kindle at the end of this month, so I read more than usual. It is quite nice!
The Dead, James Joyce
Short and bitter-sweet story.
Mythos, by Stephen Fry
Has his trademark light-hearted air which is really nice sometimes and a bit annoying some other times.
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanidhi
An exquisite book. Not an easy read (emotionally), but so lyrical.
Alexander the Great
Reviewed here.
September
Exhalation, by Ted Chiang
A short story collection from one of my favourite science fiction authors. The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling is my favourite, as it ties into discussions around memory and writing. Available here.
Accounting: A Very Short Introduction
Reviewed here.
Advertising: A Very Short Introduction
Reviewed here.
August
An Atlas of Impossible Longing, by Anuradha Roy
Probably not as enjoyable as the other book of hers that I've read (All the Lives We Never Lived), but decent nonetheless.
July
Luzhin's Defense, by Vladimir Nabokov
Hit a spot of reader's block so I decided to reread my favourite author. What can I say? It's Nabokov and Chess and obsession, in language and form that only he can create.
June
On Writing Well, by William Zinsser
I've had a bad couple of months and it was difficult to get back into books. I finally finished this one and liked it for its clarity. The author practices what he preaches.
May
nothing
Bad month. My long commute was the only time I used to read. I'm working from home these days due to COVID-19, so my reading habit has suffered.
April
The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien
Probably my third reading of one of my all time favourites.
The Sounds of Poetry: A Brief Guide, by Robert Pinsky
An enjoyable introduction for some one with very little exposure to the world of poetry. I think this has genuinely sharpened my ear a bit and helped me appreciate good poetry.
March
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by Lynne Truss
See my detailed review here.
February
Good Math, Mark C. Chu-Carroll
See my detailed review here.
Grokking Algorithms An Illustrated Guide For Programmers and Other Curious People, by Aditya Y. Bhargava
I quite liked this book. It was a good refreshes of things that my college ought to have taught me but didn't. Bonus points for the pretty pictures.
Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
See my detailed review here.
January
Bottle of Lies, by Katherine Eban
The story of Ranbaxy and the generic drug market. Wasn't what I expected, and was pleasantly surprised by how nicely the stories were woven together.
Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout
Not the sort of book I usually read, but Penn Jillete spoke highly of it in his podcast. Well-written, poignant stories of old age, depression, families and so on, centered around an outspoken, strict school teacher.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I found the initial half to be a bit slow-paced, and didn't think the characters were interesting either. But it picked up in the second half and became genuinely interesting. Recommended for fans of Greek mythology.