2023 book list
#91 - Dec.2023
As in previous years, is time for the yearly review of the books I read during 2023. Doing this retrospective help me reflect on stories, anecdotes, and learnings I gather through reading. It is also interesting to see the variety of topics and authors, books recommended by close friends, and, in some cases, books that just crossed my way and caught my attention. Many of these books made it to my bookshelf. Hope this quick summary helps you dive deep in some of these stories!
- La Nueve (Evelyn Mesquida): An immersive story about an exceptional war division of Spaniards that is recognized as the first to enter Paris during France's liberation with General Leclerc.
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being (Rick Rubin): This book left me with a lot of food for thought. It brings a view of creativity from the perspective of the universe's signals and our openness & sensitivity to receive and act upon them.
- Métrica Española (Antonio Quilis): Before reading this book I was not aware of the complexity and art of well-written Spanish poetry. Is a technical book on rhythmic structures and rhymes of poetry verses. You can check some of my practical examples here.
- Rayuela (Julio Cortázar): I usually don't read novels. However, after reading Cortázar's lectures last year I was captivated by his masterpiece, Rayuela. This novel marks a milestone in how Spanish novels were written. It's like a game in which you have different journeys based on how you sequence the chapters. New territory for me.
- The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (Seth Godin): I consider Seth Godin as one of the virtual mentors that the internet gave me. This is a very short book but full of insightful ideas on our journey to find meaningful work.
- Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity (Peter Attia): This book made it to my recommended bookshelf and is becoming one of those life-changing reads. I have followed Peter Attia's work for a while now and this book aggregates all his knowledge on longevity and how we should build our strategy to reduce the risks of the most common diseases in today's society. Full of very practical actions that you can take - some of which I'm already putting into practice - this is a very recommended book for anyone interested in healthspan.
- Make something wonderful (Steve Jobs): This is a short book published online for free using Steve Jobs's interviews and archive notes. Although there have been a lot of things written about SJ, this book gives a different (and personal) perspective of his thinking.
- The Song of Significance (Seth Godin): Seth's books always bring fresh ideas. This book is different from others he has written, bringing deeper reflections on creativity and our sense of purpose in this world.
- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (Deepak Chopra): I found this book on a living room table in an Airbnb. Never read Chopra. My mother had some of his books in her shelf. While there's a lot of debate on these ideas, this particular book left me with practical learnings about life and the day-to-day actions towards happiness.
- Solito (Javier Zamora): One of my best books from this year. Javier captures in this memoir his journey as a little kid making his way from El Salvador to the USA to meet again with his parents. I don't remember a book that was so thrilling to read that I couldn't stop swiping the pages. This is the story of so many immigrants from Central America; it touched me in a very direct way and reminded me of my home country, Honduras.
- Cien años de soledad (Gabriel García Márquez): A classic from García Márquez. While this was a go-to book at school when I was a kid, I wanted to re-read it as an adult. And worth it. Was like reading it for the first time; a combination of fantasy and reality that only a few, like García Márquez, can pull off.
- Prisión Verde (Ramón Amaya Amador): This novel is from a Honduran author who brings a raw perspective of the hard life of workers at the Banana fields. The clash between the working class and the land owners and their journey towards social equality and more fair working conditions.
- El futuro recordado (Irene Vallejo): I loved the previous book from Irene Vallejo, El Infinito en un junco, so I was looking forward to this one. I wasn't disappointed. This book consolidates Irene's articles published in the past, bringing short yet engaging stories connecting our future and our history.
- Ligero de equipaje (Carlos G. Vallés): This is a book that I keep closer to me and like to re-read from time to time. Carlos, a close friend of Anthony de Mello, give us a glance at of one de Mello's last workshops. His ideas bring me spiritual aid in challenging moments.
- Neurociencia del cuerpo (Nazareth Castellanos): This one was recommended by my wife. During this year, body & mind became a theme in my family - this book shares an interesting perspective of how emotions and body interact. Emotions drive our thinking, and our thinking drives emotions.
- De mi tierra a la tierra: Memorias. (Sebastião Salgado): I consider Sebastião Salgado as my reference on B&W photography. His photos are powerful, soul-moving, and impressive. This book is an interview on his work, adventure, and activism. After this book I admire Sebastião Salgado even more.
- De qué hablo cuando hablo de correr (Haruki Murakami): I got this book as a present of a close friend. My first book of Murakami. Is almost a memoir of his journey as a runner. I was able to connect so many of his stories through my relationship with running.
- Think about these things (J. Krishnamurti): Deep and insightful. It connects with many of the ideas I read through de Mello (he read many of Krishnamurti's work). Krishnamurti shares his perspective on education, the value of observing reality, and our path towards searching for truth in life.
Happy reading!
