24 Books I read (or listened to) in 2017
I’ve never been much of a reader. Typically the books I read have been forced on me by course work, or a necessity to learn a new subject/skill. Many of my friends and coworkers are book devourers, and I often felt left out of their conversations and excitement around a recent read.
In the two years previous to 2017, I had never read more than 5 books in a year. Most of those books were non-fiction, and directly related to my work. At the start of 2017, I made a New Years resolution to read 24 books, two each month. My plan was to read one physical book and listen to another on Audible during my commutes or while running errands.
Today I finished my 24th book!
Cutting it close, maybe, but unfortunately that’s my style. I can actually say that I completed a quantifiable New Years Resolution, which might be a first for me. This year I have laughed hard numerous times reading a book awaking my wife from a slumber, teared up to a story written by a dog, and reinvigorated my dedication to challenging myself even if I never walk in space.
I want to give a special shout out to Bill Gates, who’s 2017 Summer Reading List propelled my reading during a lengthy travel around Europe. I will look forward to his reading lists which he posts throughout the year.
What else I have learned this year?
- I love biographies. A bulk of my reading list turned out to be stories about amazing humans and their adventures, struggles, and triumphs. I read biographies about a US President, a white rapper, a poor hillbilly turned successful lawyer, an astronaut from Brooklyn, an animator, two comedians, a lost boy, and an entrepreneur who created a shoe empire.
- There are many ways to consume a book. I won’t get into the argument about listening versus physically reading, but I believe they are all acceptable ways to experience a story. Listening to a book on a long road trip or during a lengthly commute has made spending time in a car exciting. I looked forward to driving to and from work to inch a bit further into an adventure and build a relationship with the narrator’s voice. Another thing I learned this year, it’s okay to Kindle. I purchased a Kindle Paperwhite before a 3 month trip through Europe, and was able to read 6 books without lugging around each one. I still love to read physical copies of books, but it’s really nice to read in bed with the lights off.
- When you read more, you watch TV less. Don’t get me wrong, I had plenty of time to binge watch Mind Hunters and my second pass of all 9 seasons of the Office with my wife, but reading helps reduce the amount of mindless TV watching when you have free time.
- Books give you more to talk about with others. It’s been incredible how many times the books that I have read this year have helped me forge new relationships, strengthen friendships, or interact with new people. Often my close group of friends would read the same book and have countless discussions about the plot or lack there of. One example, a few friends and I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and then spent a day watching the original Blade Runner followed by a trip to Alamo Draft House to watch Blade Runner 2049. This fun experience with my friends was all because of a book that took me just a few hours to read. My life is 110% better because my friends introduced me to Red Rising and the King Killer Chronicle series.
- I can read faster and longer in one sitting. At the start of the year, it would take me quite awhile to get through a book, a hour to read a chapter or two. I’d put the book down and get distracted doing something else. I can now focus on finishing a third of a book in one sitting, and really enjoy that time.
What’s in store for 2018?
I’m not sure yet if I’ll increase the amount of books from 24, but if I do it will be a small and modest increase. I don’t want reading to ever be a burden, but it is something I want to keep up as a habit and continue to improve.
And now, a few words on the books I read in 2017.
Biographies & Memoirs
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin — Knowing Steve Martin from Saturday Night Live appearances and a slew of movies in the 90’s, this book focuses more on his life as a stand up comedian. Steve is one of the hardest working individuals I’ve ever read about. His determination at his craft left me inspired to push my own preconception on what hard work really means.
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley — Incredible story of a poor lost boy alone and at the mercy to the world. My wife and I listened to this book on a road trip, and spent most of the time with our jaws in our laps. So many things had to go right through so much wrong for this story to be written and become a major motion picture.
Kanye West Owes Me $300: And Other True Stories from a White Rapper Who Almost Made It Big by Jensen Karp — A book that made me laugh out loud constantly. A fun read about someone you probably never heard of, but someone who you will strangely and nostalgically relate with by the end.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight — I read this book previous to a 3 month journey around Europe, and related to Phil’s own world adventure he took in his youth to find himself. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I loved to hear the hardships Nike faced in becoming what it is today, and how Phil overcame them with a determination and a bit of good luck.
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance — Funny and heartbreaking is the only way to describe this book. This memoir was recommended to me, and soon after I finished, it was the first book I recommended to others. It tells the story of a boy growing up in a home where broken is an understatement, and against the odds, graduates from Yale Law School.
A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety by Jimmy Carter — This was the first biography I’ve read of any US president. Although Jimmy Carter spent a short amount of time in office, it was really interesting to read the inner-workings and thoughts of an individual at the reigns of a super power. What was more fascinating, is how a peanut farmer from the south became nuclear submarine captain and the 39th president, and what he’s done since he left office.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah — I had never watched Trevor Noah on TV or any of his specials before I picked up this book. I was so engulfed in his story, which all takes place before his stardom begins. I have huge respect for his struggle and how he was able to talk his way out of tough situations by using his intellect instead of violence. Trevor has a new fan (his Netflix specials are highly recommended)!
Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe by Mike Massimino — A brooklyn son of a fire fighter, Columbia and MIT graduate. Inside on the interview and exam process for a potential “asscan” or astronaut. Shuttle program, hubble space telescope, quarantine, astronauts in and office and at a pine wood derby. This book humanizes yet shows atronauts are larger than life. I want to read another astronauts book. I spent many hours watching ISS videos. It’s renewed my childhood interest in space and astronauts.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull — The story of Pixar from before Toy Story to Steve Jobs death. I learned a great deal from this book on how to instill culture and lead effectively that I will put into practice in my own team at work. My favorite tip from this read: “A manager needs to create a safe environment so team members can safely take risks. It is not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It is the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take risks. By doing this, managers build in the ability for the individual or team to recover.”
Fiction
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse — The first book I read this year, on a solo work flight from London back to home in Texas. This book kicked off another New Year’s resolution this year, to become more mindful. A story about self-discovery and battling expectations, this short book is one that I want to re-read to remind myself to listen to the river.
The Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2) by Patrick Rothfuss — This is the second book in a trilogy that has become my hands down favorite series. Although one of the longer reads this year, I could not put this book down. It has bits of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and it’s on unique touches that keeps you yearning for when the 3rd book is released.
Red Rising (Red Rising, #1), Golden Son (Red Rising, #2), Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown — If you are looking to get into science fiction, or a new trilogy that might become a movie/TV series some day, then do yourself a favor and read Red Rising. The first book is more or less a better and more adult Hunger Games. You’ll fall in love with the characters to the point that you will want to name your next dog in their honor, but won’t be able to decide which one character to chose. The ending to the trilogy is fitting and fulfilling, but it will be interesting to see where Pierce Brown takes it in the continued series.
The Nix by Nathan Hill — A story about a boy abandoned by his mother, who the re-enters his life after video surfaces of her attacking a presidential candidate with rocks. As the main character digs into his past, it takes him from the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention riots to rural Norway. Although slow at times, this was a unique story and a change of pace from many of my other selections.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman — A lovelable curmudgeon’s life gets turned upside down when a new family and a young boy move in next door. Through both humor and sadness, this book deals a lot with death and feelings of being alone. At first I wasn’t a fan, but in the end it invoked more self-reflection than most of the other books on my list.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins — The only book this year I would not recommend. After reading Girl on a Train, I had hopes that the author would deviate from the recipe used in her previous book, but that was not the case. I’m sure the movie will be ok.
The Heart by Maylis de Kerangal — A unique novel set in France that dives into the lives of multiple characters in the 24 hours after a tragic car accident. I learned about the emotional intricacies of the process and decisions around a heart transplant, and how it affects everyone involved.
Matterhorn: A novel of Vietnam by Karl Marlantes — An incredible war story written over the course of thirty years by a highly decorated Vietnam veteran. If you’ve read Band of Brothers (one of my favorites), then you will love this intense account of a group of men thrust into the horrors of the Vietnam war.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick — I picked up a copy of this book at an interesting bookshop in Lisbon, Portugal on the final stint of my European trip this summer. Blade Runner 2049 was on it’s way out and I had never seen the original, which I was ashamed of. It’s surprising (and scary) how the forward thinking ideas Phillip K. Dick set forth in this 1968 publication still ring true in the age of deep learning and artificial intelligence. It was really fun to read this book, rent the original, and watch the remake in the theatre with my friends.
The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein — The last book I read this year, was one of the most emotional. A book written by the family dog? I’ve seen Marley and Me, I knew what would probably happen, but I was very wrong. This book is tragic and inspiring. It was the perfect ending to the year and despite recency bias, will probably still be one of the best books I read in 2017. “That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves.”
Non-Fiction
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell— My first Gladwell read, this book examines the contributing factors of success in the stories of Bill Gates and Canadian Hockey Amateurs. Yes Bill Gates is a genius and worked his tail off to become who he is today, but there are more factors that lead to the success of the one of the world’s richest men. Note to self, the month your child is born can be extremely important in deciding their career aspirations.
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americas Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley — Buying cars like a real millionaire, interviews with millionaires who don’t act like millionaires. Stories of entrepreneurship and living within your means. This book has some dated material, but overall is a nice read to re-affirm the differences between rich and wealthy.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari — The story of all humans, not just the ones we interact with today. The author attempts to explain why we are ravenous eating ice cream, how wheat tricked us and made us it’s slave, and how we are the kryptonite to all large furry mammals past and present.
Happy New Year and seen you at the end of 2018!
