Reading highlights from 2022

I read. A lot. This is by no means everything I read last year, but these are the highlights, either through the joy their writing bought or how they changed my worldview. Most of these are nonfiction, I find the real world infinitely more fascinating and complex than anything manufactured.

If you can only manage a few books this year, I've marked my biggest recommendations with ??. But I really do recommend these all.

Memoir and Biography

Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi. Modern history we don't often hear about. This prompted me to spend my Christmas in Albania and visit many of its museums.

I'm Glad my Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy. Shocking as the title is, I think it's warranted. An ugly look into the business of child acting and Hollywood.

Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones. Whilst we're on the theme of shocking titles, this one reminded me heavily of Educated by Tara Westover. Stories of those who overcome serious adversity will always inspire me.

Crime & Legal

?? The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken by The Secret Barrister. An absolute must read for anyone living in the UK. Very different from what is shown in fictional television shows or even in the news.

Fake Law: The Truth about Justice in an Age of Lies by The Secret Barrister. More of the above with a perspective on the courts' relationship with the tabloids.

The Panama Papers by Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer. Written by two Germans, and lacked the drama that Bad Blood or Billion Dollar Loser had. Its methodical recounting of the facts adds weight and seriousness to what was uncovered.

?? Wicked Beyond Belief: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper by Micheal Bilton. Detailed gut wrenching in the mistakes that were made by the police. If it were a fiction book I would have condemned it for being too unrealistic.

Business

Billion Dollar Whale by Bradley Hope and Tom Wright. Initially suppressed in the UK, a modern day Gatsby who swindled an entire country out of $10B.

Damaged Goods: The inside story of Sir Philip Green, the Collapse of BHS and the Death of the Highstreet by Oliver Shah.

?? Too Big to Jail by Chris Blackhurst. The HSBC Mexican Drug Cartel scandal didn't get the attention it deserved in the UK press. Shocking facts about the hold the Cartels had on the bank, and how little HSBC did to upset their profits.

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac. Good ol' fashioned Silicon Valley drama. And I'm here for it.

House of Gucci by Sarah Gay Forden. Apparently, this was made into a TV series, but make no mistake this is a business history book, not a family drama story.

The Devil's Candy: An anatomy of a Hollywood fiasco by Julie Salamon. Beautiful irony that Bonfire of the Vanities was allowed to be documented as it became one of the biggest flops of it's time. A great look into how the business of a film is run and a must for every film buff.

Societal

White Fragility by Robin Diangelo. Despite it being very US focused, the themes still mostly rang true.

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber. Don't take this as fact, hear the theory out. I don't agree with all of it, but ultimately books are a person's opinion just like all other media.

Get Rich or Lie Trying: Ambition and Deceit in the New Influencer economy by Symeon Brown. Fraudulent schemes lying behind a glossy veneer, you'll never look at promoted content the same way ever again.

Habits

Normally I steer clear of everything that lives in the 'self-improvement' section, especially if they come highly recommended. But this year I was proven wrong - just because it's popular doesn't mean it's bland enough to appeal to the masses.

?? Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. No one is going to lie on their death bed thinking "If only I'd spent more time on TikTok". Going in I'd considered myself pretty savvy at reducing screen time, but this is even more techniques to try.

Atomic Habits by James Clear. I had to psyche myself up to read this, it's not every day you have the headspace to overhaul how you evaluate your life.

Fiction

The complete collection of Sherlock Holmes collection by Arthur Conan Doyle. You know, just casual reading.

Other?

?? The Theory of Everything Else by Dan Schreiber. This opened my eyes to how much of a filtered view of successful people we see. Most people are, lovingly, "a little bit batshit". From Nobelitus, to a Detective that polygraphed plants, a woman who taught a dolphin to speak (only for it to fall in love with her), and psychics hired by sports teams to bless matches. For this, it gets book of the year ??