“Think before you speak. Read before you think."- Fran Lebowitz
You love to do certain activities and want them as a part of your life. Reading is one such thing and I longed to do the same. For one or the other reason, I was not able to read regularly. My reading was mostly confined to the daily newspaper (The Hindu, which I sadly missed many times in 2023!). It was not a grand New Year resolution but something that happened naturally. I started with two small books in the first month of 2023. Inspired by my sibling's 'aesthetic' arrangement of her reads in Instagram stories and with a modest goal of finishing at least one book per month, I ended 2023 with 19 reads. It may not seem like a lot, but it was a good start for someone who starts from scratch (a self-pat). This post is all about a quick look into the 19 books of 2023.
And Slowly Forgetting That Tree
K.R. Meera's poignant fiction delves into the life of a woman haunted by loneliness, exploring themes of love, betrayal, and emotional instability.
Zen, The Art of Simple Living
Ended the year 2022 with two other productivity books - Make Time and Eat That Frog. However, this book guides in small changes and attitudinal shifts for a more fulfilling life. The Zen-inspired one is a simple read.
Four Strokes of Luck
Perumal Murugan's collection of ten short stories touched on a spectrum of human emotions, making it a birthday present to remember.
Anticlock
V.J. James' Malayalam novel provided a breath of fresh air, narrating the life of a small coffin maker and the unpredictable turns it takes. Emotionally captivating and read with watery eyes at times.
A Man Called Ove
Fredrick Backman's portrayal of the grumpy and rule-following Ove who 'lives' with his wife offered a unique picture of human nature. How good a work is when it unknowingly leaves you in tears?
The Real Madrid Way
Steven G. Mandis' exploration of the workings of the most successful football club in the world. The desire to know more about a club that you adore ended up in this work. A nice, informative read.
Economic Gangsters
A casual talk on econometric applications in research with the supervisor ended up in the name of this book by Raymond Fisman and Edward Miguel. They debunked the gangster mode of Economics.
Song of Solomon
Tony Morrison's novel on people of colour. The book gave me a tough time.
Humble Pi
Matt Parker's work on mathematical errors and their serious implications. A very funny and brilliant read. Find the detailed review here: http://bit.ly/47rAV72
Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Stephen Hawking's final work simplified complex scientific concepts, and his thoughts for the future, addressing profound questions in layman's terms.
Factfulness
Hans Rosling explains why the world is a better place than we think. Click for a detailed review here: https://bit.ly/3H0hoQj
A Thousand Cuts
Prof T.J Joseph whose right palm was chopped off by religious fanatics over a question narrates the entire episode and his life. Grab it and read. Find the detailed review here: https://bit.ly/3vfOmt3
The Nine Waves
Mihir Bose's exploration of Indian cricket through nine eras. The book filled with stats and narrative skills offers a good idea of Indian cricket.
The Lazarus Heist
Geoff White explains the working of the Lazarus Group of North Korea and their cybercrime activities. Read the full review here: https://bit.ly/47losSf
City of Djinns
William Dalrymple's vivid portrayal of Delhi captured the essence of the city, providing a great starting point for understanding the city that you live in.
Moonwalking with Einstein
An exploration of memorization techniques, this book didn't go well with me as detailed in my review: https://bit.ly/3usxZcl
House of Jaipur
John Zubrzycki's work on India's glamorous royal family offered a nice reading experience blending history and politics. Find the detailed review here: https://bit.ly/48z9lWe
Fermat's Last Theorem
Simon Singh's masterful explanation of a scientific concept made me fall in love with math all over again. Find the detailed review here: https://bit.ly/47RyKtR
The Tale of Horses
Yashaswini Chandra's historical exploration through the lens of horses provided a new look at Indian history. The author explains how the Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Rajputs and kingdoms in the South especially Vijayanagara and Mysore were active in getting efficient breeds of horses and their foreign relations on this aspect. Too factual the work, but it offers a good glimpse of Indian history through this point of view.
If you are someone who wants to start reading, one thing that worked well for me was dedicating a fixed time each day to reading. Maybe you could try it too and see how it goes. Turning the pages to 2024 with the hopes of new reading experiences.
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