Finished reading: The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen 📚 What a delightful book. The first chapter reeled me in with the story of how the Moleskin notebook exploded in popularity in the 1990s. The author clearly has been bitten by the same notebook fetish bug. He cites brand …

New post with my favorite books from 2024 along with updates to my reading system. My year in books for 2024.

My Year of Reading in 2024

I read 53 books last year, split about evenly between physical and e-books, and listened to just one audiobook. I usually listen to 10 -15 audiobooks a year, but in 2024, I decided to leave the AirPods behind on long walks to be more present. This felt like a fair exchange. Favorites The best …

Finished reading: Rousseau and Revolution by Will Durant 📚 The tenth volume of the Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant. This one provides an immensely readable history of Europe leading up to the French Revolution. This series has been such an education. ★★★★★

Finished reading: The Work of Art by Adam Moss 📚

Finished reading: The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl 📚

Finished reading: The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke 📚

Finished reading: Thinking on Paper by V.A. Howard, J.H. Barton 📚

Finished reading: James by Percival Everett 📚

Finished reading: A Rage in Harlem (Special Edition) by Chester Himes 📚 What a crazy rollercoaster ride through Harlem in the 1950s. I’m just now catching my breath! ★★★★☆

Finished reading: Needful Things by Stephen King 📚 This one missed the mark for me. Too many characters — almost the entire town of Castle Rock. With so many, I had a hard time connecting with any of them. Any other author would get a two stars, but King gets a pass. ★★★☆☆

Finished reading: A System for Writing by Bob Noto 📚 A guide to the Zettelkasten method of note-taking. Writing and linking atomic notes feels so non-intuitive and…nutty? The examples late in the book of the poor quality of published books compiled from atomic notes did not help the cause. ★★★☆☆

Finished reading: The Age of Voltaire by Will Durant 📚 Continuing my quest to read all eleven volumes of Will Durant’s Opus, The Story of Civilization. Volume IX centers on science and philosophy overtaking religion through thinkers like Voltaire and Diderot. The church did its best to stop it, but …

Finished reading: This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett 📚 I came for the essays on the craft of writing, but stayed for her views on RV life, dogs, opera, marriage, friendship, etc. An eclectic collection, but all Ann Patchett. What a writer. ★★★★☆

Finished reading: The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner 📚 A poignant novel on retirement, the fleetingness of life, and all those many paths not taken. One to savor. ★★★★★

Finished reading: The Elephant Whisperer by Anthony Lawrence 📚 I enjoyed these episodic adventures in the wilds of South Africa amongst elephants and the incredible struggle to preserve and cohabitate with these massive and intelligent animals. An Immense World by Ed Yong introduced me to the ways …

Currently reading: This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett 📚

Finished reading: Spook Street by Mick Herron 📚 The fourth Slow Horses book was fun. These books follow a formula, yet are so well written. Now I can watch the Apple TV version … ★★★★☆

Finished reading: The Age of Louis XIV by Will Durant

Finished reading: The Age of Louis XIV by Will Durant 📚 My straight-through reading of this mammoth 11-volume history continues. Volume VIII shares a detailed view of Europe in the 17th Century. So much war and bloodshed and atrocity, and yet brilliance too. From Durant: Let us agree that in every …

Finished reading: Table for Two by Amor Towles 📚 I’ll read anything that Amor Towles writes. He’s one of my favorite living writers. This collection of six short stories and a novella hit the mark, though each left me wanting more, to know happens next. A master storyteller. ★★★★★

I was getting tension headaches from too many hours of looking down at a book at night, so I bought this Levo book stand. It holds the book securely and rotates into any position I need, even fully reclined. Expensive, but worth it. Headaches are gone!

For fun, I asked ChatGPT to create a cover image for an essay I wrote. The essay mentions old books and a Kindle: note the hybrid book/eReader lit by candlelight, and how the leather wing chair barricades the door. “Don’t bother me, I’m reading,” it seems to suggest. ❤️❤️❤️

Currently reading: Somehow by Anne Lamott 📚

Finished reading: The Public Library by Robert Dawson 📚

Currently reading: The Public Library by Robert Dawson 📚