28 books read in 2025, a good haul for me considering there are also some quite lengthy ones in there. This is in the order of what I finished first throughout the calendar year. Some goodies, some not so goodies, some left an impression and quite a lot didn’t.
Book 1: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
5 stars
Hell of a book! I was skeptical about it being a bit self-helpy, but the premise throughout is consistent and relevant to everyone. Very good and accessible insight into our cognitive biases and strange decisions. Many lightbulb moments throughout. This book has genuinely changed the way I think about how I think!
Book 2: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
3 stars
Yikes, this was a slog. Had to change translation midway through to make it more manageable. The story of the innocent, naive guy dropped into the cynical and corrupt society just seemed like abuse the whole way through. The book is overly self referential, antisemitic and misogynistic. Characters are all fairly unlikable and so hard to care. Tough read.
Book 3: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
1 star
Laughably bad, unorganised stream of consciousness assembled by an editor after too many bong rips.
Do not read, it’s a genuine waste of time.
Book 4: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
3 stars
Laughably bad, unorganised stream of consciousness assembled by an editor after too many bong rips. Do not read, it’s a genuine waste of time.
Book 5: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Book 6: Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative? by Mark Fisher
5 stars
Re-read from a decade ago. This is a very good book. Very short and advisable for anyone and everyone to read.
Book 7: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
5 stars
How on earth did Blade Runner not just use the original story! This is a brilliant book. Much more gritty, character driven experience which is very compelling. Whilst I deeply love the movie as well, this is a different story all together which is amazing.
Book 8: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
4 stars
Book 9: The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan
4 stars
Love the podcasts, reads perfectly as Mike Duncan. By no means an entry level read into the Roman Republic, took lots of notes and had to google lots of things. Very interesting nonetheless!
Book 10: The Dry by Jane Harper
3 stars
Yes, I do care about the lack of water in Victoria, but I didn’t expect a drought of content! The protagonist was a completely one dimensional lens into the story which kept the narrative very muted.
Book 11: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
2 stars
Ugh, bad use of the second person. Instead of using it for exposition and reading into the thoughts and feelings of the person, this comes off as gimmicky.
Book 12: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
4 stars
Damn this is a hard read. Colonialism is not light hearted content, unsurprising.
Book 13: The Vegetarian by Han Kang
5 stars
Wow, this book rocked me. Gripping. This book also won my book club’s Club Booker Prize unanimously and for good reason.
Book 14: Dominicana by Angie Cruz
4 stars
Book 15: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
2 stars
Contrary to popular belief, this is actually a really bad book. The morose and rudderlessness of youth here is incredibly outdated and unfortunately still adored. It’s basically an incel who bothers women and don’t stop winging the whole way through.
Book 16: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
3 stars
Book 17: The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World by Vincent Bevins
5 stars
Tremendous book! Reads a little conspiratorial, but that’s just the subject matter. Well researched, well written and deepy disturbing. The story of the Gerwani still sticks with me and is very troubling. Recommended for all, but maybe needs some prior reading would make it easier.
Book 18: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Vincent Bevins
4 stars
Again, another ripper book which is vastly different from the movie. A much more compelling story than the Jack Nicholson movie.
Book 19: Axiomatic by Maria Tumarkin
2 stars
Ugh, my embarrassing pick for book club this year. Terrible. Thought it was going to be a great local author with terrific reviews that should have changed the world. But that fell very flat! One whole axiom (chapter) was all about how someone else published a story before her and “oh well, just end it here”.
The last axiom should just be skipped, senseless.
Book 20: Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka
4 stars
Book 21: Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
5 stars
Compulsory reading for all Australians! This is an amazing book, written so well and perfectly fills gaps in my knowledge for how the first nations groups actually lived in this hard and unforgiving country. And it turns out, they crafted their world and environment to work for them. Almost all the artifacts were destroyed and very little is left to archeology. The author brings to the surface some of the diaries of settlers who did actually engage with the indigenous towns and villages, learning how to work with the land. Most of these accounts are lost or destroyed (by conspiracy), making this a really important book to read.
Book 22: Childish Literature by Alejandro Zambra
3 stars
Book 23: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
3 stars
I’ve been to Utah, and heck, them Mormons are nuts. This book is a wild and fun ride!
Book 24: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
5 stars
Book 25: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
5 stars
After reading Killing Thatcher (by Rory Carroll) the content gripped me, then this book started my love for Patrick Radden Keefe. This is a blast to get through 🙂
Book 26: My Shit Life So Far by Boyle Frankie
3 stars
Book 27: Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder by Evelyn Waugh
4 stars
Heh, that cover is Leamington Spa, where I used to live. How sentimental! The book however, is a lovely light hearted romp.
Book 28: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
4 stars
Wow, this was a surprisingly dark book. Philip K Dick and the dystopian novels don’t miss! Timeless!
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