My favourite books of 2024
2024 has been an odd year for me in terms of reading. I have ebbed and flowed between an obsession with reading & finishing books (which often would consume entire weekends) and several stints of neglecting reading altogether. It's no secret that I have long had a love-hate relationship with reading. From a young age, I found it difficult to immerse myself in books, not from a lack of reading ability, but a lack of interest in the type of books that were often prescribed to us in school. As a result, despite understanding the importance of reading, I dismissed the activity as 'not for me'.
It wasn't until much later on in my school years (after being prescribed reading activities that continued to bore or fail to inspire me) that I decided to give the - now obvious - idea of reading what interested me a go. Since then I have attempted to immerse myself in the habit of reading and have actually come to realise that my interests in topics has broadened immeasurably; yes, I've now actually enjoyed reading Animal Farm and Of Mice and Men - despite the opinions of my 15 year old, GCSE stressed former self.
It's no surprise, then, that during 2024, I read quite the range of books from history, science fiction, philosophy, biographies and self help. And I thought I'd share my favourites to help you start your 2025 'To-Read list'.
Productivity: Slow Productivity
Cal Newport will forever have a special place on my bookshelves for the easy to digest, actionable advice he provides in his books on living a more fulfilling and focused life in an increasingly distracted world. And his latest book, Slow Productivity, is definitely up there with some other familiar favourites such as Deep Work and Digital Minimalism. For me, Slow Productivity came at the perfect time. I had recently graduated from my Master's degree (which for anyone who has also done the same, knows of the frenzied and intense work requirements) and had just entered the workforce as a spacecraft engineer. Broadly speaking, Slow Productivity can be described as the philosophy for organising work efforts (particularly in knowledge based careers) in a sustainable and meaningful manner, based on the following three principles:
Do fewer things
Work at a natural pace
Obsess over quality
Reading Slow Productivity during this time has given me the tools to refocus my work habits to be more sustainable and less frenetic. I am still working through the principles of Slow Productivity (particularly the first!) and have definitely found them to have provided guidance towards living a more 'naturally paced' life.
Psychology: Man's Search for Meaning
This is the book that I've most recently read, and since reading it, I've not been able to stop thinking about it. For those unfamiliar, written by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning is split into two halves. The first depicts in horrifying detail of Frankl's life in the Nazi death camps of WWII and explores the psychology of those who were held there. As a Jew, Frankl was taken to Auschwitz during the war among other camps, and during this time he saw man at it's absolute worst. But despite the brutality of his existence during his time at the camps, he argues that meaning can be found in life despite the most arduous conditions - yes even in conditions such as concentration camps. He found that those who could find meaning in their suffering were the ones who were able to find strength to endure life in the death camp and those who were unable to find or lost their meaning would almost certainly perish within days or weeks.
In the second half, Frankl introduces his theory, known as logotherapy, which fundamentally argues that the primary drive in humans is not happiness or pleasure, but rather the pursuit of what one finds meaningful. As such, finding that meaning is imperative for a successful, fulfilling life. He suggests that meaning can be found in three primary places: in actions or deeds, in love or in suffering.
I truly believe that this is one of the few books that every human should read, not just for the valuable suggestions that it outlines for finding meaning in one's life, but also to learn of the accounts of those who lived through the worst that mankind has inflicted upon itself. It is no understatement to say that Man's Search for Meaning is one of the books that has truly changed my life.
Philosophy: Letters from a Stoic
I had mentioned in my recent article on "Stoicism for Students" that in recent years there has been a noticeable increase in the interest in Stoicism. I must admit, that I too have been swept up by this trend - although I must admit that the underlying philosophy of Stoicism is anything but 'trendy'. For those unfamiliar Stoicism is an ancient philosophy with the fundamental idea that one should worry only about the factors in a given situation in which he has control over - which incidentally is an underlying theme in Man's Search for Meaning too!
Many who are new to Stoicism will often gravitate to the most popular books of the genre: Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, Epictetus's Discourses or more modern books such as Ryan Holiday's The Obstacle is the Way. But another of the classics is Seneca's Letters from a Stoic. This book contains a collection of letters written by the Roman philosopher and statesman, Seneca, to his friend Lucilius on how to become a better Stoic. What has always amazed me about the works of the early stoics is that many of their personal struggles are universal experiences for many people, even to life in the 21st century. And the way in which this book is written (as personal letters to a friend) resonated much more with me than other works which are prescriptive or self-addressed (such as Meditations).
Fiction: The Man in the High Castle
An ongoing goal of mine has been to read more works of fiction. I used to have this flawed presumption that books had to teach something in order to be useful. While I do still believe that educational books remain a hugely valuable resource, I have come to find immense value in reading fiction - particularly in an age where an endless stream of curated content leaves little room for unique creative imagination.
One work of fiction that I particularly enjoyed reading is The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. It tells of an alternate history in which the Axis forces won WWII and the US is split between the Japanese Empire and the Germans. Although a work of fiction, I can't help but notice the subtle realism of this dystopian reality which was avoided. I'm hesitant to talk too much about this book to avoid any spoilers but I would end by saying that I read this in a few days after being completely immersed in the story and I have since recommended it highly to friends and family!
Conclusion
I hope this article has given you a few ideas on books to begin 2025 with regardless of your personal preferences. As for the books I will be starting 2025 reading? I'm currently reading another of Cal Newport's books: Digital Minimalism, and plan to read George Orwell's 1984 next. Beyond that, I have no idea what books are next, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know by sending a message on Instagram!