2023 mid-year books

#67 - Jun.2023

It is time for the mid-year checkpoint of the books I have read so far in 2023. As in previous years, I like to share a quick review of these books in case you are interested in diving deep. This year has been a mix of learning more Spanish literature, exploring new styles (novels), and reading a long-awaited book on longevity!

You can always reference my most recommended books on my bookshelf.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. Totally new territory for me.
5. 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.
6. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity (Petter Attia): This book made it to my recommended bookshelf and is becoming one of those life-changing reads. I follow Petter 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.

Happy reading!