Books List 2023

Every year, I try to compile a list of games, books, and movies I experienced. For the complete list, check the Ratings. Here we go (sorted by rating then alphabetically)!

I’ve maintained the habit of reading, mostly through audiobooks during my daily dog walks, for several years. It adds a layer of engagement to my routine, turning a no-brainer task into an opportunity for thought. Without it, I’d feel like I’m merely walking without purpose.

Here’s a list of books from this year, a selection not exhaustive but those that linger in my memory. As I often forget to update my GoodReads records or write about them on this blog, these are the ones that come to mind. I’ll edit this post if I recall additional entries.

Fiction

1. All Systems Red (10★★★★★★★★★★): Accidentally stumbled upon it, now one of my favorite storylines. The protagonist is amazingly funny and clever.
2. An Election (9★★★★★★★★★): A politics short story as if Star Trek and Monty Python had a literary baby.
3. Artificial Condition (9★★★★★★★★★): Like all books in the series, short and funny. A continuation of the amazing stories.
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane (9★★★★★★★★★): A mesmerizing blend of magic and memory. Childhood nostalgia takes a whimsical, wickedly clever left turn.
5. How I Proposed to My Wife (8★★★★★★★★): Scandalously hilarious, like finding your grandmother’s secret collection of racy novels - a delightful misfire in the Valentine’s Day weapon of love. Super short.
6. Influx (8★★★★★★★★): Suarez paints technology with an edge so sharp, you’ll want to handle the book wearing Kevlar gloves - thrillingly mind-boggling!
7. Rogue Protocol (8★★★★★★★★): A great book. More of the same for those, like me, who want more of the same.
8. Exit Strategy (8★★★★★★★★): Just like book #3.
9. The Presidents Brain is Missing (8★★★★★★★★): A twisted, hilarious romp through a decapitated democracy - it’s like if West Wing tripped over Pinky and the Brain.
10. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (7★★★★★★★): A tale that’s equal parts human soul and mechanical heart. Imagine Dalai Lama took a walk in the woods and ran into Wall-E.
11. Daemon (7★★★★★★★): Suarez strikes again, shoving us down the rabbit hole of a digital dystopia - it’s like Alice in Wonderland for technocrats.
12. The Tale of The Wicked (7★★★★★★★): A short story about ChatGPT going rogue.

Non Fiction

1. Mind Wide Open (9★★★★★★★★★): Another enlightening journey into the cranial cosmos.
2. Prisioners of Geography (9★★★★★★★★★): We are what we can possibly be. How countries and entire continents act considering their own geographic limitations.
3. The Law (9★★★★★★★★★): A masterpiece about the origin of power and those who wield it.
4. Thinking, Fast and Slow (9★★★★★★★★★): A mental marathon that’ll take your mind places it didn’t even know it had running shoes for.
5. How Democracies Die (8★★★★★★★★): Amazing and still very true.
6. The Five Love Languages (8★★★★★★★★): Personality modeling. Your heart’s very own Rosetta Stone, translated into the dialect of devotion - essential for lovers fluent in compassion.
7. Essays on Political Economy (7★★★★★★★): A collection of texts about politics and economy. Good, but none were revolutionary.
8. Power of Now (5★★★★★): Like an existential espresso shot that forgot the sugar. It leaves you tasting the bitter afterthoughts of over-caffeinated philosophy.

For more books, you can check my online read list on GoodReads.