2020 was decent year for consuming books, having literally unlimited time to explore new books and good literature. I had set realistic goal to read at least two books a month, which I completed but still I hoped for more. I know people who read twice, thrice and more amount than what I have read. But could I not complain because I loved the whole process and looking forward to reading more good books next year.
I had also suffered underperforming last year by setting a reachable but unrealistic goal of hundred books(and only completing quarter of that goal). So setting a goal within a reach was important this year. I also got little more familiar with the books and literature world, exploring new authors and books. I read quite a deal more about the authors and their ideas, themes of their books than the actual books themselves, and it gave me fair idea about whom to read and whom to skip and whom to avoid at all cost! Reading bad books in between does not necessarily hurt but there is definitely not enough time to read really bad books.
So these are the books I read this year. I have excluded the ones which I haven't read completely, page by page, otherwise that would be cheating, right?
-----------Fiction-----------
1. The Stranger - Albert Camus
The Nobel Winning book by Albert Camus deals with existential and nihilist themes of life. The story about young man who incidentally commits a murder and observes his own trial and punishment of death.
2. The White Tiger - Arvind Adiga
While I can't deny whatever the author tries to convince but it doesn't really make an emotional impact on me. Adiga writes this book with much details and great observation of lower class, underprivileged indian society, and shows their troubles in satirical way through the story of Balram Halwai.
3. Deception Point - Dan Brown
It is indeed a formulaic book. The characters act the way as the story or authors demands from them. There is obvious lack of psychological depth and cohesion to characters and they act as set pieces than real characters or real people. But this is one of the most fun book I read this year. It delivers what it claimed, a good thriller. And its a good page turner.
4. The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
An abstract book, prone to different interpretations among people. And nobody can interpret and explain it than Kafka himself. But as far as general interpretation is valid, this book is a great work on themes of alienation, its aftereffects, limits of sympathy, family dynamics and absurdity of life. It is filled with symbolism which is makes it more obscure than it already is.
5. The Forged Coupon - Leo Tolstoy
A relatively short book, a good alternate for Tolstoy's gigantic books. It was one of the very last books Tolstoy wrote in his life. And offers an insight on what the man thought in his dying years. It presents many of his own preoccupations on Christianity, the morals of good and evil and their inevitable outcomes.
6. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Considered as Dickens finest work, it is like many other books of his, with human and gentle approach towards life, great insight of the human heart, and its deep pains and joys. Beneath the dense words, there is great secret hidden path to get access to your heart, which is mostly inaccessible otherwise.
7. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
It is the book whose characters I really cared about. I deeply and earnestly wanted to go things well for poor Oliver. There were some intense moments of pure joys, where I couldn't resist smiling, to very bleak and agonising ones which made my eyes numb, and I dont think it have really happened often!
8. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Cool is overly used word, which have lost its sense because of the same reason. It is infact should only be used for "cool" things like this one. On every other page you are on different part of the universe with some of the most quirkiest characters possible.
9. The Fault In Our Stars- John Green
Teens stressed up because their ex haven't replied on heart emoji. Sad. But I did not feel sad about it. Even though I really wanted to. I admire John Green and his intellect but I find this really underwhelming and cheesy. But sooo many people who have great taste in literature(even Bill Gates loved all his books) loved and adore this. So, I am open to the fact that, I might have missed something or misinterpreted it completely.
10. Gitanjali - Rabindranath Tagore
One of the best books I read this year! You forget all your cynicism and daily woes and trifles by reading this.
----------Non-Fiction-----------
11. The Asocial Networking - Dhiraj Kumar
Well randomly picked this one without any prior information, intentionally because of trying something new and fresh. But it was far from fresh and interesting. I cant be cynical about the author, he wrote well, but it is the subject of the book which is clichéd and so superficial that it cant be helped.
12. The Great Movies - Roger Ebert
Some of the reviews of movies which Ebert tagged Great. Well it was a fresh read!
13. 21 Lesson For 21st Century - Yuval Noah Harari
Great insightful book about current world problems. Although it does not excel in proposing exact solutions but it indeed raise solid questions about contemporary problems.
14. The Power Of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale
Picked up thinking as a self development but rather turned out pretty religious. I am rather confued about that topic and haven't quite made up my mind. I would rather just ignore this.
15. Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
The basic primer for financial literacy. Not the best one out there to understand the world of finance. If you don't have problems grasping vigorous and complex concepts then rather go for well researched books on the subject. And if you like author to spoon feed you the concepts like a kid, this might be perfect choice.
16. The Magic Of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
The regular self development book. From the experiences from this year, I dont see myself reading lot of such stuff in future. Although there is nothing I can complain about this book, or other books in this genre, but it doesn't help me in long run. It really dont. I would rather read a good fiction or books about particular things I am interested in with great depth than books like these, where the author tries to manipulate me, or even beg me to think his way.
17. The Bed Of Procrustes - Nassim Taleb
Intended to read more dense and fat books by Taleb but this book got me hooked. It is relatively short book, which offers bit size observations on luck, opacity, civilization, public reasoning and uncertainty.
18. The Argumentative Indian - Amartya Sen
The current environment in India is intolerable. This book is important read in such uneven time. Although there are lots of differences within but India always has been a one country. And this book provides lot of such examples of collective peace and harmony despite being vast and of different cultures.
19. Thinking Fast And Slow - Daniel Kahneman
One the most informative and useful book in this list. This summarises the whole grand career of Kahneman. Although this might be easiest one compared to his other academic books. But it kind of summarises his whole other works for maybe general public to read.
-------Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs--------
20. Me, The Jokerman - Khushwant Singh
Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore this man. He is quirky old man, and by his own account, a pervert. This unapologetic book covers his literary career as well as political. And his colorfully dense life. He is quite frank with how he led his life. There is nothing private about his life and he is content with it.
21. The Good, The Bad and The Ridiculous - Khushwant Singh
Singh's account on various interactions he had with one of the most known men and women he had met. Who were at the same time quite controversial as well. But dont judge these people based on his account because it is just his opinion, which have formed on, in some cases, only couple of meets or very short influences. But it is definitely an entertaining book though.
22. The Center Cannot Hold - Elyn Saks
Elyn Saks' journey with her struggles of her illness. Truly moving and devastating.
23. Hyperbole and Half - Allie Brosh
Extremely clever and hilarious! Its quite a feat to know how your mind works and putting it honestly, unbiasedly and at the same time with such great humour.
24. Man's Search For Meaning - Viktor Frankl
I feel quite fortunate when I read this book. People have suffered so much and endured with such grace, like Frankl, who converted his pains into gold. A truly inspiring story.
---------Unfinished books--------
Educated- Compelling but left it after a quarter way through, because of my lack of patience to stick on a single book. Will definitely read this later.
Incarnations- Interesting book, but it is kind of book which you can read by any page, still get the idea.
Stiff- Intriguing book about human cadavers(dead bodies), it is insanely interesting to to know what happens to your body after death. But much of its part is irrelevant to common reader. So I skipped many things here.
Crush it- Abandoned!! Not liked it!! Social Media, Followers, Facebook, Instagram. Shit!
Atlas Shrugged- This book is huge!! More than 1200 pages!! A book about virtue of selfishness, objectivism and capitalism. I could have read 5 books more, if I had not invested the time which I did on this. Not that, its bad, but it needs very huge amount of patience, which I didn't have. I left it 3 times and picked this up again, and every time reading from start. Did it worth it??
Anna Karenina- Same as Atlas Shrugged. Huge book, but definitely a great piece of literature. I will definitely read this, well.. with more pool of concentration and patience. It is something that one shouldn't, or mustn't miss. Its like swimming in the warm ocean of Empathy.
Built To Last- Informative but I am not seeing myself reading this book in near future. Although a good book on business and entrepreneurship.
Tools of Titans- Again a book you can read from any page and still get the idea. It was meant to be such. It is a collection of interviews by Podcaster, Tim Ferris, of successful people from varied fields. Quite fun actually.
The Great Movies 2- Reviews by Roger Ebert.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat- A great book by Oliver Sacks, on different cases he had gone through his life. He is a neurologist. Its a fascinating, moving read, and very humane as well.
Sidhartha- A spiritual journey of Sidhartha. A fictional character with real settings. Half fiction, half reality.
The Story Of My Experiments With Truth- A pretty dense read. Quite revelatory on how one should carry himself and be truly honest with oneself. Great book.
A Suitable Boy- Largest novel by any Indian, over 1400 pages! But wait, is he Indian? He lives out of India and quite resisted by many of us. He did what many other writers do who write on or about India. Why? Maybe we dont deserve them!
Anyways this is great book for me and really relevant theme. But although being gigantic in size, its really simple to read, dont let the size fool you. It also tells that, even simple words can make a good story. Completed around 30% of the book. I did not calculated the percentage, its a guess! dont overthink!
The Gene-
"They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you."
This sums up the whole book. Well, its about genes.
------Other readings-----
Short stories by Charles Dickens- Read maybe half dozen short stories which came at the end of the book of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. Didnt intended to read them, but they go well when you don't have enough mental capacity and patience to go through anything else.
Short stories by Leo Tolstoy- Same goes with Tolstoy, his short stories are rather easier to read than Dickens, since translated from Russian to English.
Short stories by Ruskin Bond- Everyone is jealous of Bond and his quite house in the hill station. Although wrote for children, all adults enjoy his world of nature and local people and animals.
Poems- Few poems here and there by Emily Dickinson, Emerson, Shakespearian Sonnets and plays, and of course Gitanjali, a series of poems by Tagore. I cant understand them a lot to be honest. Maybe in future.
What about next year?-
I dont know. Reading books is kind of self indulgent process. You just neglect whatever is happening around you. You are really immersed in them and you become so involved in them that you dont have enough energy to react to other important and urgent needs. You are really excited about it but nobody around you is! And you start to develop a cynical indifference towards, society, family, friends and even yourself. This is dangerous. Books gives great knowledge and insights about the uncertainty of world but that does not give you a right to feel conceited about it. Maybe a gentler approach will do. Thats basically the idea of reading books.
Enough of whining! Well actually got pretty heck of a 'to be read' for next year. Cant wait to finish them Need to fill the bridge of Dreaming vs Doing!
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