I was not able to get a ton of reading done this year, though I did spend a lot of time reading algebraic geometry texts, which is not reflected in the list below. Certainly the book I enjoyed the most this year was Edward Frenkel’s “Love and Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality”. The subject area itself is fascinating. Definitely read this if you want to know what the Langland’s program is and how it fits in with the bigger picture of modern mathematics. I also loved the way that Frenkel weaved his personal story into the math story in such a smooth manner. The most surprising book for me this year was “A Calculated Life” by Anne Charnock, which I really didn’t like for the first few pages, but which grew and grew into a beautiful story, touching, story.
Non-fiction, ordered by most to least recommended
- Love and Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality
by Edward Frenkel
- The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
- The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined
- Where Good Ideas Come From
- Team Geek: A Software Developer’s Guide to Working Well with Others
- Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life
- The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Fiction, ordered by most to least recommended
- Sand Omnibus
- A Calculated Life
- Fear the Sky (The Fear Saga Book 1)
- Fear the Survivors (The Fear Saga Book 2)
- Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
- The Old Equations
- The Robot Chronicles (The Future Chronicles Book 1)
- Cronix
by James Hider
- Cibola Burn (The Expanse Book 4)
- Glitch: A Short Story
- Diaspora
- The World of Kurt Vonnegut: Peace in Amber
- Legendary Detective at the World’s End (Volume 1)
- Pennsylvania Omnibus
- A Not So Singular World