For last months update, please go here.
I read a total of 6 books in December to close the year out. That takes my total for the year to 70 books!
They were:
- Why we sleep, Unlocking the power of our dreams - Matthew Walker
A little ironical that I read this book, or atleast that’s what a few people I told this book about told me haha.
Incredibly informative book that defines the nature of sleep, possible benefits of sleep, possible repercussions of a lack of sleep and prescribes different ways to tackle the problem of a lack of sleep for the modern man.
For a nightowl like me who tries to get by on 4-5 hours of sleep this was, wait for it, a wake up call.
[Source : Ebook - Kindle]
- Of Human Freedom - Epictetus
Another piece of stoic literature that I’ve been meaning to get to.
Written a probable former slave way back in the 1st century.
One of the central tenets in this is the notion that all events in our lives are controlled by fate, the only thing that we control are our own thoughts.
Something I thought I fully subscribed to but, seeing it written in such a practical way has made me question it, something to think about.
[ Source : Various online pdfs ]
- Choke - Chuck Palahniuk
I love novels by Palahniuk for the true sense of human deprivation that they are grounded in.
Choke is not his best work but the sheer cynicism evident in the book is what I came to the book for.
I’m not sure I’d recommend the book to people, but, if that’s what you’re looking for, do read it.
[ Source :Ebook - Kindle ]
- I’ve never been (un)happier - Shaheen Bhatt
This was gifted to me by a friend who thought I’d enjoy it and they were right.
Written by a woman who belongs to one of the elite families of Indian cinema, it’s a book that chronicles her chronic depression and the effect it has on her, her family, her relationships and how she deals with it. I found it relatable in parts, it’s not a heavy read but, it does going into some detail about the effects of depression through anecdotes.
[ Source : Paperback ]
- The Ultimate Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy - Douglas Adams
It’s been three years since I last read this book and it has only gotten better with time.
Treasure trove of pure hilarity wrapped in absurdity. Please read if you haven’t.
[ Source : Paperback ]
- The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
A book that has been in a bookshelf at home for as long as I can remember.
A book that deals with being in the present written by a spiritual teacher who like other people who have tried in the past tries to combine different aspects of mysticism, buddhism, hinduism, early christianity into the perennial philosophy.
It also aims to ‘teach’ how to be in the present, which are parts that took me back to some of the practices I was taught during my Vipassana practice.
[ Source : Paperback ]
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I’m also trying something a little different for next year, I’ve setup a pool of books to pick from for next year which I plan to keep updating, you can find the list here. If you have any book that you recommend I add to my list, do let me know.
Thank you for reading what I’m reading
Sainath