@BigFatBooksBlog 2018 Reading List
Hello Again! 2018 has been a good year for reading. I read 45 books — a drop from the 55–60 average of the last few years. My love has been split, I’ve spent a substantial number of evenings drawing instead of reading. But it’s been a good mix, my Instagram profile @BigFatBooksBlog features a bunch of doodles based on some of the books I’ve read — visual recommendations of sorts. I’ve shared some of those sketches here.
Quick Note: As always, this list isn’t of the books released in 2018, just the ones I got to this year — and especially the ones I really like and recommend.
Non-fiction has dominated my bookshelf. A lot of it has been around seeing things clearly and making better decisions. Lots of winners in this category.
Fiction has been the usual mix bag of thrillers and literary reads, with a good number of vintages — I suddenly developed a love of old school potboilers around the middle of the year.
The format as before is a small write up on what I like about the books. You can click on the titles to read more on Amazon.in.
Favorite Thrillers (4)
An American writer receives a mysterious letter from his brother — a British spy who defected to the Soviet Union. It’s a request to write his biography in Moscow. Excellent perspective on lives of traitors, a very good plot, and just the right amount of ambiguity around the antagonist.
Sleeping Beauties — Stephen King
A mysterious pandemic… women across the world go to sleep one night, and don’t wake up. They are enveloped in a cocoon. If forcefully shaken awake, they turn murderous. It’s not about what happened to these women, but where they are and what got them there. Mysterious? A really fun novel.
The Kremlin’s Candidate — Jason Matthew
The final installment of the Red Sparrow Trilogy is outstanding. If you haven’t read Red Sparrow yet, you are missing out on a wild ride. The CIA plants a mole in the KGB, and the series is about how that mole rises to the very top — up there where Putin gives her the eye. This book like the others moves at a breathtaking pace — the perfect way to end a great series. Left me a bit sad actually.
With Strange Weather, Joe Hill has more than made up for what I think was an absolute debacle — that silly novel about people bursting into flames. This one is a collection of curious tales around weather conditions — they are odd, funny, sad and sometimes quite freaky. I love the one about a weird rain of nails that’s threatening to the end the world as we know it. It’s classic Hill!
Favourite Non Fiction (5)
Nothing to Envy — Barbara Demick
A peek into the everyday lives of North Koreans — I love that premise. The author follows the stories of a few North Korean defectors, building a very precise picture of their universe. It’s crazy — that world could be in a parallel dimension. I’ve read a lot on North Korea and most of the books tend to focus on the writer’s experience. Here it’s different, we get a real feel of the country by getting to know its citizens. It’s the world’s largest prison, but why do so many defectors want to go back? It’s so interesting.
Anything You Want — Derek Sivers
Derek Sivers was a musician who when he couldn’t sell his work, set up a small website to market it. This was in 1997, and that little idea went on to become CDBaby.com — the largest collection of indie music with some real legends sharing their music. In this book, Derek talks about how CDBaby came about and uses it to expand on solid thoughts on running a business and not being an asshole. It’s honest to goodness advice that’ll make you a better person even if you choose not to go the startup way.
To be honest, I’ve not fully read this book. It would be impossible. Firstly, it’s a mammoth sized book. Secondly, it’s a collection of interviews with really inspiring people, bright, funny and pragmatic individuals — reading more than a few at a time would only muddle the brain. Thirdly, there is so much good advice on every aspect of life, it invites you to dip in and out. I’ve put together a morning routine based on some material in the book — it’s making me more productive than ever before, but that’s another story.
This year I got very serious about Nanowrimo, and outlined my novel. In the spirit of true immersion I re-read On Writing, and realized there’s so much to take away from it. King is one of the few writers who just goes with the flow, he doesn’t engineer his stories. His novels go through 3–4 drafts and he improves on the nuances. This is not a manual, it’s more of a conversation and that makes it an engaging read even for non-writers — it helps you appreciate the craft more, your reading gets richer. I think my pot-boiler fixation was partially fuelled by this book.
Ten Types of Human — Dexter Dias
This book is to 2018, what Sapiens was to 2017 — a work of absolute genius. It truly helps us understand what it means to be human. Dexter, a human rights lawyer, asks why humans who are capable of doing so much good can also be so evil. This line of inquiry takes us through 10 types of human characteristics — and he uses stories, sociology, behaviour economics, psychology and thought experiments to explore the answers. It’s a big book, but immensely readable. In fact, it might be my favorite read of the year.
The Order of Time — Carlo Rovelli
Carlo Rovelli has the knack of bringing poetry to science. All science writers love their subject, but Carlo brings science to you in a way you’ve never experienced before — with beautiful language and thoughtful analogies. In this book, he deconstructs our understanding of time. Everything we know about time is false — even the fact that it only travels forward. You’ll want to throw your watch away. But then he reconstructs time in the way humans experience it and suddenly it all makes sense. Very interesting read — but back it up with a light book — I recommend Past Tense by Lee Child.
I’m Not Myself These Days — Josh Kilmer-Purcell
This is a very, very interesting memoir of a guy who was an advertising art director by day and drag queen beauty contestant by night. A flamboyant look at sub cultures with great writing. In one way it’s a boy meets girl story, sharp witted, bitter sweet, drizzled with vodka and mixed with shades of Trainspotting. If you’re looking for something very different, I recommend this one.
On Thinking Better (4)
Decision Checklist — Sam Kyle
This book fueled my interest in better decision making earlier this year. The author presents a few models that you can immediately apply to real world problems. It happened to be the right time to stumble upon this book and PROACT came in very handy. But this also got me interested in productivity practices and that’s been one of my key interests in 2018. This simple, no frills compilation is a great introduction to effective decision making — it’ll be useful the next time you plan a vacation and don’t know where to go.
Seeking Wisdom — Peter Bevelin
This book was another excellent find this year. I was curious about mental models — these are representations of the surrounding world, an explanation of how things work, and they are brilliant because you can find one to understand almost any situation. This book is full of mental models. It also contains an exhaustive list of biases that seep in to our thinking. I’ve been geeking out on them, my favourite being Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. What I also like about this book is that it explains why we have our biases — an evolutionary cause and effect. Seeking Wisdom is very well written and it will open your mind.
Coaching for Performance — John Whitmore
I got interested in Leadership Coaching this year. This book is the absolute bible of coaching. It provides a super framework for helping yourself and others navigate through difficult decisions and situations. The self coaching questionnaire in the book is priceless. I’ve used it for everything from figuring out the meaning and purpose of my side hustle to working out how to spend quality time with the kids. At the very least it’ll motivate you to become a more pragmatic person. I’d say this is a good book for everybody, whether you want to be a coach or not.
Change Your Questions Change Your Life — Marilee G. Adams
I was a tad bit skeptical about this book, the title has all the makings of a read and forget self help book. But… wow! This was anything but that. The title spells out the premise — the questions we ask ourselves lead to answers that shape our reality. Basically, if you catch yourself thinking negatively, switch the perspective by asking a positive question, and the answers that follow have the potential of changing the outcome. This is super as a self management tool when you feel at conflict with people or situations, but it’s also a great way to motivate teams to think differently. It goes very well with Coaching for Performance and Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. Favorite quote: Every missed question is a crisis waiting to happen.
Vintage Thrillers (2)
The Shootist — Glendon Swarthout
The Shootist is a fantastic book, a classic — it begins as a typical country western and becomes deeply philosophical. At the start of the 20th century, just as automobiles have started sharing the road with horses, an ageing killer tries to accept death as a cancer grows inside him. It’s also about relationships formed at the end of one’s life and that eternal question of pride versus regret. Having seen the Ballad of Buster Scruggs recently, it seemed to be in a similar, but darker space. I was sad it ended, it was more bitter than sweet and full of irony. Excellent storytelling.
Best known for country westerns, this came across to me as Louis L’Amour’s breakaway novel. It’s a story of a Native American fighter pilot who is shot down in Siberia during the Cold War. It gets colder still as winter sets in and the hero has to rely on the survival skills of his ancestors. There is no easy way out, especially when he’s being stalked by an NKVD killer of similar origins — an Eskimo, who is always just one step behind him. It’s an all out adventure story and very entertaining.
Literary Fiction (5)
The Cellist of Sarajevo — Steven Galloway
This one had been on my reading list for a while, but I’m glad I got to it. A cellist from his window watches 21 people die in an artillery attack. They were in a food line. He decides to play the cello at 4pm every day for 21 days to commemorate the dead. And becomes the anchor for a number of narratives of people struggling to survive the war in different parts of Sarajevo. It’s beautifully written and deeply moving. I read up on the Battle of Sarajevo after finishing this book. Steven Galloway has tuned into the soul of the city in a time of crisis.
The Time Traveller’s Wife — Audrey Niffenegger
This book is like no other you’ll ever read. It’s a story of love spread across time, and time is scattered like marbles. The protagonist has a condition, time isn’t linear for him, it’s more like a life lived in vignettes as he keeps falling out of the moment and appearing in the past or the future. That’s a lot for someone in linear time to handle (his wife for instance) — and that’s where the heart of this story lies. It’s an exploration of time, and love which is timeless — damn that sounds cheesy, but do read the book before you watch the movie. It also contains the soundest explanation of time travel, given all the literary freedom.
Laughing all the way to the Mosque — Zarqa Nawaz
Zarqa Nawaz is one hilarious lady. I loved her book. She explains the way of life and the mindset of westernised Muslims in the nicest possible way. In a world where a community is ostracized for the ill doings of a minority, Zarqa tells her story — slices of everyday life. At the heart of it, we are all the same with some cultural wrapping. It’s like treating a person like a gift — unwrap the beliefs and there they are. This is an important read for everyone. Great fun, highly recommended.
Lincoln in the Bardo — George Saunders
The style is rather experimental, told through a series of citations and quotes from books. The story starts in a cemetery where young Willie Lincoln, his famous father’s favourite, wakes up to find himself in ‘bardo’- a kind of a limbo between heaven and hell. He’s 12 years old. And here begins a quirky and sad tale of love and loss and moving on. We get acquainted with the inhabitants of this space, a menagerie of characters, dead with unfulfilled ambitions, bitter sweet stories and tragic comic lives. There is so much sadness in this book and there’s humour that’s gentle and kind. It took me a while to really get into Lincoln in the Bardo, but then, what a journey.
Greatest Urdu Stories Ever Told
While Urdu poetry is very popular, writers got serious about stories only about 200 years ago, with the renaissance some time around the middle of the 20th century. This is an interesting anthology translated by Muhammad Umar Memon. Of particular note is Toba Tek Singh by Manto, a favourite author who was rather scandalous for that time and still path breaking in ours. The other superb stories are Aanandi, about a town created by prostitutes, The Shepherd, a coming of age story during the partition and Obscure Spaces of Fear and Desire, which is what it says it is — incredibly progressive for its time. Learning to read Urdu is on my wishlist, and I’d love to revisit these stories in their original language.
Now, while I have expanded on about 20 books, the remaining listed below have been excellent reads too. I am quite quick to give up on books — life is short! If I’ve finished one, it’s only because it was engaging. All these books have hit the sweet spot in one way or the other.
Thrillers
Jack Reacher discovers something about his ancestry, and kicks people in the head.
Scott Harvath fights his worst enemy yet while trying to settle into his new role of Spy Boss.
What’s in the mist? Yikes!
The guy who murdered a child has the perfect alibi — he was seen by thousands of people a few hundred miles away from the crime scene. Is there a doppelganger?
A British bureaucrat and his German counterpart risk their lives to thwart a massive Nazi plot. Nail biting political thriller.
Did his brother really kill their parents or was his mind playing tricks on him?
General Non-Fiction
Paradoxical Prime Minister — Shashi Tharoor
Tharoor writes about Modi. And nobody raises an objection. Why? It’s all facts. Most are rather worrying.
As a Man Thinketh — James Allen
Quick read on the importance of staying busy.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky — Mark Sullivan
True story of an Italian boy who risked his life to become Italy’s most useful spy during WWII.
Bound for Glory — Autobiography of Woodie Guthrie
Lots of music, lots of stories of a real folk legend. It’ll make you want to listen to Woodie Guthrie Essentials on Apple Music.
Art
Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers — Koren Leonard
The beauty of imperfection. Quite a lovely book to challenge the perfectionist attitude and loosen up your style.
Urban Sketching Handbook : Understanding Perspective — Stephanie Bower
Essential reading for sketchers. It’s pocket sized and fits well with your A5 sketchbook.
Draw Your Day — Samantha Dion Barker
This is what you should read before you pick up your first how-to book on drawing. It’ll ease you into the mindset.
Thinking Better
Think Twice — Michael Mouboussin
Heard Michael on Shane Parrish’s podcast. Interesting thoughts on thinking slowly.
Mental Models — Dave Thorniley
Quick introduction to some of the essential mental models.
Ex New York cop gives valuable advice from the street on how to communicate with people.
Lost Art of Listening — Michael P Nichols
This is considered to be one of the bibles of communication — focuses on active listening — without judgement. Takes patience. Must meditate.
Vintage Fiction
The Maltese Falcon — Dashiell Hammett
Sam Spade is one cool cucumber.
The Long Goodbye — Raymond Chandler
Nothing is real. Except deceit.
Literary Reads
Adjustment Day — Chuck Palahniuk
Palahniuk’s 1984. The book is even better than the cover.
Born on a Tuesday — Elnathon John
Very moving story of a Nigerian boy who experiences religion as both villain and saviour. One of the better reads this year.
A story of the partition. It follows the interlinked lives of different people all the way to the late 90s. Thats when you understand how “Two” refers to multiple dichotomies — the various divides we form on the basis of religion, economics and culture.
Angel of Darkness — Caleb Carr
Imagine Sherlock Holmes having to confront a guy who shares genes with both Hannibal Lector and Jack the Ripper. He won’t have the stomach for it. This is book two in the series. You don’t need to read them in order.
I think this quote by Daniel Pennac perfectly captures the spirit of a bibliophile. I leave you with it and wish you an excellent year of reading. Follow me on Instagram: @BigFatBooksBlog for doodles and further recommendations.
