Book List

2025

1. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (4.5/5)
2. How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World: A Handbook for Personal Liberty by Harry Browne (4/5)
3. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt (3.5/4)
   First half is explaining, why the gen Z are the way they are (culprit is screen time and social media). Second part is on preventive measures. Target audience is mainly the parents of young children. It would've being nicer if it's written to more general audience.
4. A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine (3.5/5)
5. Mort by Terry Prachet (4/5)
6. Joe Country by Mick Herron (3.5/5)
7. London Rules by Mick Herron (4/5)
8. Real Tigers by Mick Herron (4/5) The book makes more sense than the TV series.
9. Dead Lions by Mick Herron (4/5)
   Great sequel for the first book of the series.
10. Slow Horses by Mick Herron (4/5)
    Read after watching the TV series. Slight differences in comparison. I'd prefer the book version than the TV version.
11. Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot by Matt Abrahams (3/5)
    Two parts of the book. First explains the theory and second gives practical advice on specific scenarios. Read the first part and skimmed the second.
12. The Road to Character by David Brooks (3.5/5)
    Enjoyed the first part of the book. Carries a strong punch and engaging. But the last few chapters are weak. Feels like the author ran out of good stuff and is fishing. The conclusion is also not very convincing.

2024

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (#1-15) by Jeff Kinney (4/5)
   First few books are great. Rest are OK. Wish I found these when I am a kid.
2. The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary by Catherine Gray (3/5)
   I saw a person reading this book on train. And found good reviews online. The book was available in the library@harbourfront. So I went there just to collect this book. Though it's an easy read it's not as enlightening as I expected.
3. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth (4/5)
   Great flow of and twists enough to keep the reader guessing, though it's said the assassination attempt fails at the beginning of the story. Much better than the first few episodes of the TV series. Haven't watched the movie yet EDIT: Book is much better than movie
4. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (4/5)
5. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2/5)
   Science stuff and talking to self gets boring after a while. Skimmed through after the first half of the book. Tries a bit too hard to be funny. All the characters are altruistic (even the alien). Only bad guys in the book are single cell creatures.
6. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams(3/5)
7. Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams(4/5)
8. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams(5/5)
9. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (5/5)
10. The 39 Steps by John Buchan (4/5)
11. Needful Things by Stephen King (2/5)
12. Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho, Margaret Jull Costa (Translator) (3/5)
13. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (4/5)
14. Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez, Edith Grossman (Translator) (4/5)
15. Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise by Thich Nhat Hanh (2/5)
16. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (3/5)
17. How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life by Marcus Tullius Cicero, Philip Freeman (Introduction) (4/5)
18. Die Trying by Lee Child (2/5)
19. It by Stephen King (3/5)
20. Killing Floor by Lee Child (3/5)
21. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (4/5)
22. The Outsider by Stephen King (3/5)
23. How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key (3/5)
24. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (4/5)
25. The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho, Amanda Hopkinson (Translator), Nick Caistor (Translator) (5/5)
26. Blue Moon by Lee Child (2/5)
27. At Night We Are Dancers by RM Topacio-Aplaon
28. J. R. Jayewardene Of Sri Lanka by T. D. S. A. Dissanayaka
29. The Spy by Paulo Coelho, Zoë Perry (Translator)
30. Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis
31. Wanting: Women Writing About Desire by Margot Kahn (Editor), Kelly McMasters (Editor)
32. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
33. Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlei
34. Pyramids by Terry Prachet
35. Small Gods by Terry Prachet

2023

1. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
2. The Days are Just Packed (A Calvin and Hobbes Collection) by Bill Watterson
3. Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda
4. The Shinining by Stephen King
5. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
6. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
7. What if? by Randall Munroe
8. Mr. Mercedez by Stephen King
9. 5/3/1 by Jim Wendle
10. The Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele
11. Rivers of London by Ben Aronvitch
12. The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials 1) by Philip Pullman
13. Factotum by Charles Bukowski
14. Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
15. Post Office by Charles Bukowski
16. Women by Charles Bukowski
17. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
18. Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky
19. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
20. Indiscretions of Archie by P. G. Wodehouse

2022

1. Arms and the Man by George Bernad Shaw
2. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
3. A Gentleman of Leisure by P. G. Wodehouse
4. The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett
5. Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett
6. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
7. Eric by Terry Pratchet
8. Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
9. Sourcery by Terry Prachett
10. The Light Fantastic by Terry Prachett
11. The Colour of Magic by Terry Prachett
12. Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
13. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
14. House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
15. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
16. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
17. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
18. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
19. The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard
20. The Last Hero by Terry Pratchet
21. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Franki
22. 100 Great Fantasy Short Short Stories by Isaac Asimov
23. The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde
24. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

2021

1. From Russia, with Love by Ian Flemming
2. Diamonds are Forever by Ian Flemming
3. Moonraker by Ian Flemming
4. Live and Let Die by Ian Flemming
5. Casino Royale by Ian Flemming
6. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
7. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
8. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
9. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
10. Assassin's Apprentice(The Farseer Trilogy #1) by Robin Hobb
11. Deadhouse Gates(Malazan Empire #2) by Steven Erikson
12. Gardens of the Moon(Malazan Empire #1) by Steven Erikson
13. The Machinery of Life by David S. Goodsell
14. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
15. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
16. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
17. Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
18. Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths
19. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
20. The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino
21. The Cloven Viscount by Italo Calvino

2020

1. A Quiet Place by Seichō Matsumoto
2. Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seichō Matsumoto
3. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
4. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
5. Candide by Voltaire
6. Why the west rules - for now by Ian Morris
7. Lord Hornblower by C. S. Forester
8. Mr Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester
9. Dune messiah by Frank Herbert
10. Dune by Frank Herbert
11. Lieutenant Hornblower by C. S. Forester
12. Flying Colours by C. S. Forester
13. Ship of the Line by C. S. Forester
14. Commodore Hornblower by C. S. Forester
15. Happy Return by C. S. Forester
16. Unseen Academicals by Terry Prachett
17. The Last Hero by Terry Prachett