Three Books You Have To Read This Year

Daniela Matinho
3 min readMar 19, 2024

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Three Book Recommendations

As we wrap up the first quarter of the year — YES, already a quarter through! — I decided to share three books that I’ve read and absolutely recommend. I’ve made an effort to include a variety of genres as well as authors from diverse backgrounds.

Yellowface

Yellowface — Author: R. F. Kuang — Thriller

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book — one of those that you just can’t put it down. The story is about two friends: Athena, a very successful writer, and June, an aspiring author. Everything suddenly changes when Athena dies and June steals her friend’s masterpiece that was about to be published.

The book delves into the cascade of lies that June must tell to protect her sudden success. The story weaves in racism, history, technology, and lots of drama. I particularly liked the way the author introduces AI into an old industry such as publishing.

If you’re new here, I usually do a recap of my favorite books at the beginning of each year. Check out my recommendations for 2024.

How To Not Die Alone

How To Not Die Alone — Author: Logan Ury — Self-Help/ Relationship

Don’t judge a title by its cover! I literally mean it.

I listened to this book in less than two days and felt compelled to write down so many notes. Irrespective of your relationship status, it’s a must read!

Photo by Oziel Gómez on Unsplash

What I liked the most:

  • RESEARCH: The book backs up every statement with science and thorough research. It’s worth adding that Logan Ury, the author, is a Harvard alum who spent over a decade at Google and is currently working at Hinge, one of the most used dating apps in the US.
  • ACTIONABLE POINTS: The book presents practical steps for improving your relationship with someone or for finding a partner. For example, there are even detailed exercises to complete after a first date.

Don’t hesitate and go get it!

Eat That Frog

Eat That Frog! — Author: Brian Tracy — Business

This is a short and easy book to read. While I was familiar with the concept, it was only this year that I came across the book.

Who should read it? — Anyone who is trying to be more productive.

In a nutshell, the book walks us through how to make the most of your day by tackling the hardest and most annoying tasks first thing in the morning. It sounds so simple but making progress can be incredibly hard these days with all the distractions we have from social media and so on.

Photo by Microsoft Edge on Unsplash

HOW? Every night, sit down and evaluate what is the one thing you need to prioritize tomorrow that will give you the highest returns. Then when morning comes, attack it first thing (don’t do anything else before you GOBBLE UP that BIG frog).

I have put this to the test and it 100% works. The sense of achievement by 10 am is unbeatable.

Have you read any of these books? If not, let me know which one resonates with you the most.

For more content about Career & Books, follow me on Medium at @danielamatinho. Don’t forget to comment, like, and share.

Daniela

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Daniela Matinho

I write about books and my journey in Tech & Analytics in the US! ✨ Data Storyteller | Meta Alum | MS Analytics from UChicago