Today I just wanted to talk about some of my favourite books that I’ve read over the past year. In 2021 I read 39 books but I’ve narrowed them down to 10 of the best.
1. The Ride of a Lifetime- Robert Iger
This was an excellent business book by ex-CEO of Disney Robert Iger. It is a compelling read filled with valuable insights on business, success, leadership, management and working with others. Iger also talks about the development of Disney as a company under his watch. It is a highly readable book that personally gave me a lot of value in my life.
Key idea: Innovate or die. You must strive to improve constantly or risk being left behind.
2. The Overstory- Richard Powers
This was one of the best novels I have ever read. It tells the stories of several different people in the U.S. who all have a connection to trees and how they come together, develop and grow. The storyline is powerful, the characters are well-developed and the writing is beautiful.
Quote: “It’s amazing how crazy things become, once you start looking at them.” p222, the Overstory
3. The Spy and the Traitor- Ben MacIntyre
This was a gripping and thrilling real life espionage story about Oleg Gordievsky, who was a double agent that provided information to the British in the 1970s and 1980s about the USSR during the Cold War era. It is a fascinating and compelling account which I’d recommend to anyone with an interest in spy stories, international relations, history or politics.
4. I Can’t Stay Long- Laurie Lee
‘I Can’t Stay Long’ was my Mum’s favourite book when she was younger and she gifted it to me for my 16th birthday. It is a collection of short stories which are beautifully written and are great for a bit of light reading.
Quote: “The sum of love is that is should be a meeting place, an interlocking of nerves and senses, a series of constant surprises and renewals of each other’s moods, a sharing of the Gods of bliss and silence- best of all, a steady building, from the inside out, from the cosy centre of love’s indulgences, to extend its regions to admit a larger world where children can live and breath.” p46, I Can’t Stay Long
5. Rebecca- Daphne du Maurier
‘Rebecca’ is a fantastic novel. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve actually written my English literature A-level coursework on it. The story focuses on a naïve young woman (the unnamed narrator) who marries an older rich man and their life together at Manderley, an English mansion. It explores themes of gender, class, status, love, mystery and deceit. It is a hugely enjoyable novel and I’d recommend it to anyone.
Quote: “Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind.”
6. The Karamazov Brothers- Fyodor Dostoevsky
This was my first Dostoevsky and I thought it was incredible. At first, it appears like a crime story but it goes on to explore themes of philosophy, religion, morals and the human condition. It is a dense philosophical work that explores fundamental questions such as ‘what does it mean to live a good life?’ It was an outstanding novel that has very much cemented my interest in Dostoevsky.
Quote: “The more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity.”
7. Just Mercy- Bryan Stevenson
This is a book about the U.S. criminal justice system and how it treats people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It centres on the case of Walter McMillian, a black man falsely convicted of the murder of a white woman in the Southern U.S. in the 1980s. It also explores other ways the system has failed so many people over the years as well as possible ways it could change.
Quote: “it is a system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.”
8. Man’s Search for Meaning- Victor Frankl
Victor Frankl was a concentration camp survivor and this book explored both his theories of ‘logotherapy’ as well as how people coped and managed to find some meaning in life in the worst conditions imaginable. There are lots of great ideas in here and Frankl’s horrific experiences give his words so much power and weight.
Quote: “Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfil the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.”
9. A Room of One’s Own- Virginia Woolf
This was a stunning book that I read and discussed with my friend Katrin. We both loved it- Woolf’s ideas and writing are amazing. There is also a lot of depth to it which led to hours of discussion. Overall this is an incredible book and I will definitely be reading more of Virginia Woolf’s works.
Quote: “Ought not education to bring out and fortify the differences rather than the similarities? For we have too much likeness as it is.” p87
10. The Daily Stoic- Ryan Holiday
I read this consistently throughout the year and I’d go as far as to say that stoicism changed my life. As a result of reading the ideas in this book, I am more stable, calmer, happier, more effective and more resilient. I don’t agree with everything in the philosophy but a lot of it is extremely useful for the 21st century.
Quote: ‘The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”- Marcus Aurelius
