In 2023, I realized that having a newborn baby in the house means that reading is a much more feasible way to pass the time versus video games or watching tv/movies. This led me to do a lot more reading over the course of the year.

Principles: Life and Work (re-read, Ray Dalio): I read this a handful of years back and decided to re-read it as the timing coincided well with the minor banking collapse that was happening in early 2023 when SVB, Signature, etc were failing and I always find Ray’s books to be a good read when things are fucked up or on the verge of fucking up with the economy. He tells some great stories about his life and experiences that molded him over the years.

First Time: An Anthology About Lost Virginity (Bud Smith): A bunch of different writers telling stories about that first time, when they lost it. Another one that I read on my quest to read all things Bud Smith-related.

In Case We Die (Aaron Dietz, Bud Smith): Anthology of stories about lots of topics that you would have seen in old X-Files episodes. And also some other strange short stories.

Consequences of Capitalism – Manufacturing Discontent and Resentment (Noam Chomsky): A deep look at how ruling classes manufacture social conflicts to control the masses with some good thoughts on how we as a society can combat this effort.

If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Walla Walla (Dave Scott Schwartzman): The story of 80’s New Jersey punk rock bank Adrenalin OD. Great old stories about the early days of the east coast punk scene that would make for an awesome movie.

Meditation: An In Depth Guide (Ian Gawler, Paul Bedson): Quick read that gives a lot of context on meditation and how to build a consistent practice for yourself – something I am still failing at miserably.

Crucial Conversations (re-read, Kerry Patterson): I love this book. I took the course years ago and took the web based course in the past year. I wish everyone I interact with would take this course and read the book too. If you are dealing with high stakes conversations and conflict in your professional or personal life, this book is the manual for how to effectively work through those challenging interactions.

The Pioneers (James Fenimore Cooper): This book from the author best known for Last of the Mohicans tells the story of old New York. Really, really old New York. This book was released first but is the fourth book chronologically in a series called The Leatherstocking Tales that I’ll get around to reading the rest of one of these days.

The Social Impact Advantage – Win Customers and Talent By Harnessing Your Business for Good(Tynesia Boyea-Robinson): Although this book reads a bit like a manual at times, it provides a good authentic look at keeping it real in a values-based for-profit business. Most of the companies that claim to be doing this today are faking it but if you do it authentically, the long term results will pay off – both financially and from a social impact perspective.

Amped: Notes from a Go Nowhere Punk Band (Jon Resh): If you grew up in a local music scene, played in a punk / indie band, or ever toured around in a station wagon on your path to “making it” then you’ve basically already lived this book. But it’s still a lot of fun to read.

Catalyst – Star Wars (James Lucerno): If you are a casual Star Wars fan, you probably won’t enjoy this book. If you are a lifelong Star Wars nerd like me, you’ll probably think this book was “just ok”. I didn’t hate it, didn’t love it…but I still read the whole thing because I felt like I owed it to myself to see it through to the end.

We Are Legion, We Are Bob (Dennis E. Taylor): This was a really fun sci-fi book about a regular guy whose consciousness is downloaded to a sentient space craft. The book had some slight Douglas Adams vibes and had me laughing a lot while it told a good, creative story. I look forward to reading more books from the Bobiverse series in the future.

Star Wars: Bloodline (Claudia Gray): This was like “watching” a Disney-era Star Wars mini series in book form. If you are a fan of Leia, you’ll want to give this one a shot. It’s considered canon to Disney’s Star Wars Universe too so it ties in to the modern Star Wars lore.

Start Up Nation – The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle (Dan Senor): I had heard of this book but never read it. A colleague at work referenced it in conversation earlier this year so I added it to my list. Amazing to learn about all the innovative and successful companies that have originated in Israel.

1Q84 (Haruki Murakami): Technically a trilogy and nearly 1,000 pages. Murakami is an incredible writer who loves to spend pages delving into music and food…two of my favorite things. This book takes place in Tokyo 1984 and in an alternate reality/timeline dubbed 1Q84. It has the weirdest sex scene of any Murkami book and that is saying a lot. My only disappointment with this book was the ending. I guess I expected a pretty big payoff after 1,000 pages and I did not get it from this book…but it still had plenty of enjoyable moments.

The 5am Club (Robin Sharma): Good tactics for a more productive lifestyle. TLDR: If you wake up earlier you can get more done!

Kafka On The Shore (Haruki Murakami): A classic and one of Murakami’s most highly praised works. Also the most creative and disturbing use of fictional character Johnny Walker (of blended scotch fame) in the history of literature.

Squeeze Me (Carl Hiaasen): I had never read a Carl Hiassen book before this one. I probably won’t read another one but it was ok. There are lots of South Florida references which was fun since I am familiar with the area, and the story itself was mildly amusing. It was like reading an entire season of a quirky sitcom.

The Twyford Code (Janice Hallett): Awesome story! I flew through this book in just a few days because I could not put it down. Recommended for fans of internet hoaxes, urban legends, and puzzles.

Ed (qntm, Sam Hughes): This book was pretty goofy. I probably would have liked it when I was 12 though.

Quantum Criminals – Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan (Alex Pappademas, Joan LeMay): Lots of fun, very well written book about the music of Steely Dan. If you know the lyrics but sometimes wonder what exactly they are talking about, then you’ll blow through this book quickly.

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Haruki Murakami): I absolutely loved this crazy, surrealist sci-fi book from Murakami. It has the classic Murakami themes – food, sex, and music…but it drops them in a different setting than all the others. Funny and entertaining!

Sputnik Sweetheart (Haruki Murakami): A guy is in love with a woman who is in love with a woman and they all end up in a weird mystery on a Greek Island in this Murakami novel. Not my favorite of his books, but not my least favorite either. It’s a fast read and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (Gabrielle Zevin): I loved this book. It’s a love story about lifelong friends who bond over their passion for creating art and playing video games. Highly recommended for anyone who grew up as a gamer in the 80s.

Amygdalatropolis (B.R. Yeager): I read this in a 24 hour period because once I started it, I had to finish it or else I would have been subjected to really weird dreams until I was done. It was one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read but it makes me want to read more from B.R. Yeager. It is basically a look at the life of a 4chan user if that tells you anything.

Life After Life (Kate Atkinson): This book magically appeared on my Kindle and I still have no idea where it came from. I had never read anything from Kate Atkinson before this and I can say with absolute certainty that she is a beautiful writer. The story however, was so frustrating. It’s basically the story of a woman who keeps dying and coming back to life so you have hundreds of pages worth of the same story being retold with her living just a little longer then dying then coming back again and starting over. It was like if the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day was a dramatic novel that took place in the early 20th century in England. There are loads of historical event references throughout though, and as a lover of history, I found parts to enjoy.

F250 (Bud Smith): A Jersey kid in a noise rock band coming of age story. I loved this book! It may have taken the favorite Bud Smith award from Tollbooth for me…but I need to re-read Tollbooth again before I can say that for sure. In any case, it was lots of fun and well written with relatable characters – relatable for me at least.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde): Oscar Wilde’s only novel tells the tale of a couple of bad natured English dandy dudes and sprinkles in a little bit of supernatural horror for good measure. Aside from a bit of unnecessary droning on here and there, this was an enjoyable book. Dorian Gray and his pal Lord Henry are really debaucherous creeps. And Lord Henry’s witticisms are still hilarious today, over 130 years later.

I’m already halfway through my first book of 2024 and always looking for more suggestions if you have any to share. Have fun!