Going to try one (and only one) 2023 resolution: finish reading 24 books... any reading recommendations?

Book 1/24: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. 

Interesting reflection on how families, doctors and medical/elder care institutions react to the processes of aging and dying. Insightful and story-filled take on what living and dying well means. 👩‍⚕️

Verdict: would recommend.

Book 2/24: The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake.

Magic, mystery, competition, secretive society… if you liked The Night Circus, The Rook, or Harry Potter, would recommend. 

Verdict: can’t stop, won’t stop, and the sequel might be my next read.

Book 4/24 Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (sequel to Ninth House). If you like magic and murder mystery (books like the Rook), this series is for you. 

Verdict: strongly recommend, wish I could keep reading this series 🐍

Book 5/24: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. If you want history, biography, science and surprising amounts of drama, this one is for you 🍿 

Verdict: long, but learning-filled.

Book 6/24: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Took a while to get into this; once in it I couldn’t stop. 

One afterword tidbit: original intent was to be a graphic novel; Neal mentioned he might’ve spent more time coding than writing. 

For a retro-futuristic and relevant take on the Metaverse, read this 🏍️

Book 7/24: The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb. Confession: this was a reread, and wow this book held up. About the quest to break the 4-minute mile barrier and the three men in pursuit of the “impossible.” 

Strongly recommend for running, history, and/or biography fans 🏃‍♂️

Book 8 of 24: House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Fascinating futuristic SciFi take on life, and the “Machine People” feel particularly relevant given recent AI advances 🤖 

Recommend for SciFi and Star Wars fans.

Book 9/24: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Like a modern Faulkner, the story is told in such a distinctive voice and character. It’s vivid, sometimes painfully so 🐍 

Could not put this one down until I finished reading it.

Book 10/24: Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson. This was a slower burn relative to other reads and I slightly regretted reading it on Kindle because black and white didn’t do the images justice, however it was a fascinating book 🌊

Book 11/24: The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz. A thoughtful reflection on modern society and loneliness, both the root causes and potential solutions. Full of interesting examples and stories, from SF’s sadly now closed Mission Pie to Amazon’s Alexa and AI/robots more broadly 🥧

Book 12/24: The Psychology of Money. Not the pragmatic guide I expected, instead this was an interesting dive into money, rationality, society and history 💸

Book 13/24: Regretting You by Colleen Hoover. Soapy plane read, not my favorite by her — It Ends With Us is a much more nuanced read compared to this. Not my favorite, but was able to go cover to cover over the course of a (long) flight ✈️

Book 14/24: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Really enjoyed this read because of the characters and how their stories intersected. Despite a lot of sadness in their situations, a delightful read 🧪

Book 15/24: The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race by @WalterIsaacson . The influence of The Double Helix on a young Doudna is an early reference. Similarly, this may inspire the next generation of scientists, biochemists, and doctors 🧬

Book 16/24: How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. Meta, with space, time, and family dynamics that span them both. A fascinating read ⏳

Book 17 & 18/24: Open by Andre Agassi and Spare by Prince Harry. Both worked with the same writer I believe, but the styles couldn’t be more different. 

Open is one of my favorite books, which goes beyond tennis and is an apt reflection on life. 

Spare circles themes of life, death, family, meaning, and media.

Book 19/24: The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks. Exceptional read blending technology, SciFi, and - of course - games 🧩

Book 20/24: Happy Place by Emily Henry. Perfect summer beach read, which I read in the mountains but nonetheless enjoyed immensely. Someone make this into a movie already please 🍿

Book 21/24: Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Dr. Peter Attia. Fascinating blend of pragmatic and research-driven insights and personal anecdotes around living better, longer ⚖️

Book 22/24: Immovable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter. Reread this while at my parents’ for Thanksgiving and it’s a delightful fusion of culture, food, and connection 🥘

Book 23/24: Lessons in French by Hilary Reyl. Another reread at my parents and a delightful exploration of a young American in Paris in contrast to Baxter’s Australian take. Dramatic, contentious and compelling - a fun, fast read 🥖

Book 3/24: the Atlas Paradox, also by Olivie Blake.

I preferred the first book, but could not resist speeding through the sequel! 

Verdict: intellectually interesting, however I’m ready for my next read.