Halfway Through the Year: My Favourite Books of 2023 So?Far

This post originally appeared?in my newsletter?on July 8th, 2023.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen?King

We are already halfway through the year. Despite, all the chaos and noise, I have read 25 books so far. While I am still marvelling at this wonder, mid-year is actually a great time to reflect on the books that will stay with us beyond time.

As an avid reader, I’ve had the pleasure of delving into various genres, exploring new authors, and discovering hidden literary gems. In this blog post, I want to share my favourite books read in the first half of 2023, each leaving an indelible mark on my reading journey.

1. Book Title: Foster

- Author: Claire Keegan

- Genre: Literary Fiction

- Synopsis: Foster is a story of a girl who comes to live with her distant relatives while her mother is pregnant with another child. It is a short story that tugs your heart with how it explains how the child feels about being in her foster parent’s home and the bond she forms with them.

- Why I Loved It: Claire Keegan for me was the find of 2023. I am reading her third book this year; every book she has written is incredible. She is miserly with her words and writes so beautifully, using so much creativity that you can visualise the story being played out in front of your eyes while reading it.

2. Book Title: Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps: How to Thrive in Complexity

- Author: Jennifer Garvey Berger

- Genre: Management, Business

- Synopsis: The book is a part case study, part leadership advice around 5 mind traps which the author explains succinctly.

- Why I Loved It: When I started reading it, I quickly become conflicted with this book because the language was quite conflicting with my daily mental models. It also told me though, that I am reading something fresh, something that challenges my biases. It also helped that I took this language and then applied them in practical instances at work. That helped me realise the validity of the ideas proposed in the book. Crisp and brilliant writing!

3. Book Title: The Complete Maus

- Author: Art Spiegelman

- Genre: Graphic Novel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Classics

- Synopsis: It is a graphic novel, where the author tells his story while sketching his father’s story of how he escaped from the Holocaust. Here, the Nazis are cats and Jews are mice.

- Why I Loved It: It is truly a masterpiece. It is a tale within a tale. It is haunting. It tells not just the story of the Holocaust but also what it left behind for generations to survive. It is also a story of a relationship between a father and a son who were never able to understand each other completely until they collaborated on this book together.

4. Book Title: Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making

- Author: Tony Fadell

- Genre: Business, Management

- Synopsis: Tony Fadell, the hardware guru behind iPod, iPhone and Next has written a comprehensive book about building things you are good at and companies around it.

- Why I Loved It: It is a no-bullshit book. It gets dry at times but largely because there are no spicy anecdotes here. Yet, it is very well written and deals exactly with what it is written for — to build. It is a detailed playbook of how to build something you love, whether it is a product or a company or a team. Every leader should read this!

5. Book Title: 84, Charing Cross Road

- Author: Helene Hanff

- Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction, Classics

- Synopsis: It is a classic that was released in 1970. This book has a compilation of 20 years worth of letters exchanged between Helene Hanff (Author of the book), and a second-hand book merchant in London, from whom she orders books. They never end up meeting in person.

- Why I Loved It: This book tugged my heart and showed me a part of London I was aware of but hadn’t ventured until then (used books stores). The book is a masterpiece and one of the finest books I have read in years.

6. Book Title: These Truths: A History of the United States

- Author: Jill Lepore

- Genre: Nonfiction, History

- Synopsis: As the name suggests, it is a history of the United States, starting from 1492, so essentially, 5 centuries. It is around 900 pages. It tries to cover a lot of ground for a long period of time and more often than not is successfully able to do that.

- Why I Loved It: In 2022, I read Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. So, “these truths” gave me a very interesting and dare I say, a different perspective on the rivalry of Hamilton and Jefferson. It also reaffirmed my belief that there are no absolute truths in history. This book is a well-written biography of a flawed and disillusioned country and Jill Lapore has done full justice to it, albeit in the 21st century.

There were other books too that I read and loved but who couldn’t make the cut — from gripping thrillers to thought-provoking non-fiction and heartwarming tales! Each book I read helped me grow in a different way and provided hours of immersive entertainment. As I eagerly await the next six months of reading, I encourage you to explore these captivating titles and embark on your own literary adventures.

Happy reading!