Read more books: at least one chapter a day, one book per month.
I skipped January, but have been doing a pretty good job since then. I'd like to give a brief review of each book I've read to date.
Feb 2019:
Give & Take by Adam Grant
A fascinating book that Troy loaned to me, it challenges the notion that being nice can be detrimental to your professional success by reviewing different case studies that the author researched. Having recently become a manager, I found the thoughts to be very interesting and quite aligned to how I'd like to do things. I highly recommend reading this book! Furthermore, I listened to an interview with Adam Grant on the Dave Chang podcast and will definitely be looking into more of his work in the future.
March 2019:
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
What an entertaining memoir by one of the most iconic food (and travel) presenters of the last couple decades. I thoroughly enjoyed the peek into the life of chefs as seen by Tony in his formative years. I had started this book years back and got distracted. This resolution, coupled with having Tony pass away sadly last year, drove me back to the book and I'm glad I've finally finished it. I'm thankful for all the stories Tony has left us with, but deeply saddened there must've been so many more that he will never get the chance to share. May those who's lives he's touched carry on his legacy. RIP Tony.
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
It troubles me that a book written so long ago, and filled with such scary possibilities can still echo prominently in today's world. I picked up the book with the intention of just getting some background info before starting the critically acclaimed TV series and ended up being drawn into the dark world that Atwood created. May Gilead never become a reality and may there always be good people to protect the liberties of all.
April 2019:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
An American classic which I first read, and thoroughly enjoyed, in high school. I decided this would be a nice book to go back to and see if it still resonated with me after all these years. I'm glad to report that I found Fitzgerald's story of the Roaring Twenties just as captivating now as I remember it being in the past. Such vivid imagery (Dr Eckleberg's eyes and that green light come to mind) coupled with interesting and tragic characters (poor Gatsby). I've still never seen any of the films and I think I'll keep it that way to avoid Hollywood sullying my own imagination. :-)
May 2019:
Thirteen Orphans: Breaking the Wall by Jane Lindskold
Oh boy. I was given this book by Cindy (inside joke) and I must say it's pretty remarkable that this lady crafted a fantasy novel based around Mahjong. This isn't really my kind of novel, but I did really enjoy the world building that went into it and how an ancient Chinese game using tiles was the source of even more ancient magic. I was most disappointed that there was all this build up and a less than satisfactory conclusion that ended in a cliffhanger. Guess I better go find the next book...or not.
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
An interesting book that looks into some really successful individuals (and even some groups) to delve into the circumstances of their success. It showed that while determination and hard work played a significant role, sometimes fortunate opportunities can come about due to situations in the surrounding world. For example, many of Silicon Valley's titans came of age right at the time where computers became easier to use and more commonly accessible (at least in the academic world). The biggest thing I learned from the book? You need about 10,000 hours of doing something to become an expert. Well, I better get on it!
June 2019:
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Another classic and truly one of my favorite books. I love the satire, dystopian scenario, fake religion, and crazy characters that weave together to form an engaging story. Vonnegut organized the book into short but impactful chapters that keep you moving briskly through to the climactic and apocalyptic ending. A book I will surely return to time and again, it serves as a poignant (and entertaining) reminder of the awesome and horrible capacity of mankind.
Mālama Honua: Hōkūle'a - A Voyage of Hope by Jennifer Allen
Back into the non-fiction realm, I read this book about the journey of Hōkūle'a, a Hawaiian voyaging canoe, which undertook an around the world sail from 2013 to 2017. The purpose of the voyage was to instill responsibility in "Mālama Honua" (caring for the Earth) and to share the inspiration which Hōkūle'a represents: a reconnection with traditional culture that started in the 1970's through the rekindling of non-instrumental navigation practiced by ancient Polynesians. Growing up in Hawaii, you can't help but be exposed to the Hawaiian culture and though I never actively pursued it, I cherished and admired the chances I had to learn and participate. Reading this book reawakened that connection to Hawaii, to home, despite my now living thousands of miles away. I felt very emotional at times as I read about this amazing journey and the phenomenal people involved. Making this book even more special was that I was gifted the book by family friend Jason Patterson, an apprentice navigator who sailed parts of the trip on Hōkūle'a. I had the privilege of seeing Jason and his family when the canoe was in Auckland in 2015 (right when I first moved here). Anyways, a really inspirational book that captures an amazing journey around the world, reinforces our responsibility to the planet, shares touching stories, and even touches on the history of what lead up to where we are today with respect to the Polynesian renaissance. Plus, the book features phenomenal photos!
July 2019:
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
I had been wanting to read this since re-watching Bladerunner (The Final Cut) and seeing Bladerunner 2049 in theaters a couple years ago. I found that I appreciated the familiarity of setting the book mostly in SF (compared to the film choosing LA). I loved the film's stylistic choice to adopt film noir aesthetics and themes and see it as inspired filmmaking. My favorite moment in the book had to be the scene where Deckard administers the Voigt-Kampff test to Rachael (which the movie stayed very true to) and I felt that magical giddiness when you read something fantastic. The only thing I didn't like was the techno-religion of Mercerism which added an interesting element, but was something that I found distracting. Overall, a seminal work of sci-fi literature that heightened my appreciation of the film!
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Another novel turned into a film, and another which I saw the film before I read the book. My imagination, again, was heavily influenced by what I saw on screen. The movie will always be special for being the phenomenon it was and the brilliance of that cast. The book did provide more depth for a variety of characters, in particular Colin, Eleanor, and most of all, Astrid (and Charlie). But the book did go over the top with respect to the ridiculousness of the wealth on display compared to the film and I think in the interest of a tight and fluid story, the film struck the right balance. With that said, I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book before the next film comes out and we'll see how I feel after that!
August 2019:
The Martian by Andy Weir
The book came recommended by friends and did not disappoint. Furthermore, I actually read the book without previously having seen the film! Highly entertaining (I laughed audibly at times), exciting and played out in my mind quite cinematically. I'm eagerly awaiting finally watching the movie in order to compare my imagination to Hollywood's depiction (admittedly I did imagine Matt Damon as Watney having known that he plays our hero). Maybe I'll drop an update on here when I do?!
September 2019:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Issue 1: "Welcome Back to the Hellmouth" by Jordie Bellaire & Joss Whedon
A well received graphic novel that reimagines Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the modern era. As a fan who grew up with the original show, it was so much fun seeing familiar characters with subtle updates. This is just the beginning so there's a lot of potential for the writers to take it in a fresh and interesting direction. Surely more fun to come!
October 2019:
China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
Hey, I read another book before seeing the (to be filmed) movie! This sequel to CRA features the same charming and extravagant style of storytelling as the previous book. This time, the story picks up Nick & Rachel's storyline and moves it from Nick's Family to Rachel's. We also bounce around between stories centered around Astrid and Kitty Pong. Overall, I really enjoyed this sequel and continuing to learn more about these very interesting characters. I'm very curious where the film will take these stories and looking forward to how they will focus and refine the narrative as they did with CRA!
November 2019:
Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
The last book in the CRA trilogy. The plot is centered around the dying matriarch of the family and all the actions of the various family members who have something to gain. It even dips into the past a bit to give more background of the grandma. I really enjoyed the early part of novel dealing with the relationship between Nick and his grandma (which was strained from the events of the previous novels). The rest of it was an exercise in reading to see how everything plays out at the end (i.e. a noticeable drop in enjoyment). Really, really interested to see if the movies will adhere closely to the events of the novel or take some artistic license. We will see!
December 2019
Endure by Alex Hutchinson
This book is very similar to Outliers (the foreward is even written by Malcolm Gladwell), but with a laser focus on running (or generally endurance sports). There's a central narrative running through the book dealing with Kipchoge's (first) attempt at breaking the 2 hour barrier for the marathon (which I'm glad to have seen he did on the second attempt). And the surrounding chapters deal with different aspects that have been studied to see how they influence human endurance. As I've gotten more into running this year, it was a fascinating read. Maybe if I get even more serious, I can apply some of the ideas I learned from reading the book. :-P
It has been a great year of reading and I'm glad I focused on it as my resolution. Hopefully it's something I can continue into next year. Take care everyone!
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