Blog on chrispederick.com

At the beginning of last year, I decided to listen to fewer podcasts and to use that time for audiobooks instead. I ended up “reading” 37 books in 2019:

• Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman ★★★★☆
• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear ★★★★☆
• The Martian by Andy Weir ★★★★★
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman ★★★★☆
• The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin ★★★★☆
• Red Dragon by Thomas Harris ★★★★★
• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris ★★★★★
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll ★★★★★
• Artemis by Andy Weir ★★☆☆☆
• Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll ★★★★★
• Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham ★★★★★
• Dune by Frank Herbert ★★★★☆
• A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle ★★★★☆
• The Simple Path to Wealth by J.L. Collins ★★★★★
• Hannibal by Thomas Harris ★★★☆☆
• The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday ★★★☆☆
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman ★★★★☆
• Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier ★★★★☆
• The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman ★★★★☆
• The Other End of the Leash by Patricia B. McConnell ★★★★☆
• The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu ★★★★☆
• The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman ★★★☆☆
• Work Optional by Tanja Hester ★★★★★
• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo ★★★☆☆
• The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited by Clint McElroy ★★★★★
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick ★★★★☆
• Beekeeping by Andrew Forrest ★★★☆☆
• The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing by Taylor Larimore ★★★★★
• The Four Pillars of Investing by William J. Bernstein ★★★☆☆
• The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy ★★★★☆
• Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen ★★★★☆
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown ★★★☆☆
• Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey ★★★★☆
• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin ★★★☆☆
• Different Seasons by Stephen King ★★★★☆
• Choose FI by Chris Mamula ★★★★☆
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens ★★★★☆

These were my highlights:

• Favorite fiction book: The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
• Favorite non-fiction book: The Simple Path to Wealth by J.L. Collins
• Most thought-provoking book: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
• Least favorite book: Artemis by Andy Weir

I wasn’t sure if I would stick to this plan so I posted what I had read each month to keep myself honest and maintain momentum. However, I liked the sense of accomplishment and did not miss the repetitive tech podcasts at all. In fact, I unsubscribed from a few more podcasts throughout the year.

Going forward I don’t plan on doing the monthly posts and instead will just write an end of the year wrap up. If you want to see what I’m reading throughout the year then you can follow me on Goodreads.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

I read two books in December:

• Choose FI by Chris Mamula ★★★★☆
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens ★★★★☆

You can also follow what I’m reading on Goodreads.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.