My Favorite Reads in 2015

This year I read about 70 books - not quite one a week. Since most were read on a Kindle, it’s easy to review the list and see what I enjoyed the most.

In no particular order…

Every Day is about a young person who spends each day living the life of another. The main protagonist identifies as neither male or female. From the first chapter I was hooked and fascinated by the idea. The author makes the complex idea easy to understand, and then confronts the implications of living this kind of life head on.

The Phoenix Project is the spiritual successor to Eliyahu Goldratt’s The Goal. Like The Goal, it’s a parable that teaches. It’s simplistic at times, and the characters are flat. But the content - Theory of Constraints applied to corporate IT - is superb.

Annihilation is the first novel in the Souther Reach trilogy. I’m still thinking about this critically acclaimed novel, and what it was trying to say. Deeply moving, but very cryptic.

The Rosie Effect is the sequel to The Rosie Project. It’s about a socially awkward scientist and his efforts to find love and build a family.

The Deep Blue Good-by is the first Travis McGee novel. It’s a classic mystery novel from a master of the genre. I first read it 20 years ago, and it was well worth the re-read.

The Lost Fleet is fun pop space opera: hard to put down, easy to buy the sequels.

Creativity Inc from the cofounder of Pixar, this is a fun read on how Pixar was created and how it runs today.

Certain to Win is my favorite book on business strategy ever. It applies John Boyd’s strategic theories to business in an accessible and practical manner.

In The Just City, time travelers create Plato’s republic. Enough said - this is Jo Walton at her finest.

Among Others is Jo Walton’s best book. Absolutely magical. I’m not telling you a thing - it’s a must read.

If you are going to read one Peter Drucker book, it should be The Effective Executive. This book is really for any modern knowledge worker. It’s about how to manage yourself by organizing and understanding your time and where you spend your energy.

Crooked is the secret history of Richard Nixon’s fight against dark Chthuluian horrors.

Make Me was this years Jack Reacher novel. Fun, dark, and entertaining.

The Doomsday Book is a classic Connie Willis novel about a young woman who travels back in time to the medieval England. I was tense with every page turn.

 
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