How are we already four months into 2025?

Every year I publish a list of the books that I’ve read throughout the last twelve months. In 2023, I read a total of 29 books, which isn’t bad… but not quite as many as I would like. The total for 2024 was a shameful 22. However, I was pretty close to the number of pages read, with a total of 7,066 in 2024, versus 7,210 in 2023.

The full list is as follows:

1. Abandon – Blake Crouch (2023)
2. The Cliff House – Chris Brookmyre (2022)
3. A Mango Shaped Space – Wendy Mass (2005)
4. Why Scots Should Rule Scotland – Alasdair Gray (1997)
5. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius – Donald J. Robertson (2019)
6. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions – Randall Monroe (2014)
7. Fluent in 3 Months – Benny Lewis (2014)
8. Three Body Problem – Liu Cixin (2006)
9. The Dark Forest – Liu Cixin (2008)
10. Death’s End – Liu Cixin (2010)
11. The Stranding – Kate Sawyer (2021)
12. The Measure – Nikki Erlick (2022)
13. The Secret DJ – The Secret DJ (2017)
14. Early Riser – Jasper Fforde (2018)
15. The Trial – Franz Kafka (1925)
16. Shades of Grey – Jasper Fforde (2009)
17. How to Find the Right Words: A guide to delivering life’s most awkward messages – The School of Life (2021)
18. Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia – Richard E. Cytowic, David Eagleman (2009)
19. The Concise Mastery – Robert Greene (2014)
20. Strong Female Character – Fern Brady (2023)
21. Smith Happens – Sammy Horner (2017)
22. Oxygen – Seth Rain (2022)

Overall, a pretty solid offering. I especially enjoyed the Three Body Problem series – something I was turned on to after watching the Netflix show, though the last book was pretty bonkers. Jasper Fforde was another great discovery, with uniquely surreal dystopian novels. I re-read The Trial by Kafka after being inspired by a trip to Prague, and devoured Scottish comedian Fern Brady’s auto-biography. This year there was a clear shift away from non-fiction or work related books, which wasn’t strictly intentional, but something I had loosely wanted to see happen.

For more thoughts on the specific books, click through to read more.

1. Abandon – Blake Crouch (2023) – Blake Crouch has become one of my favourite authors of the past few years – and not just for the clever storylines. There’s something about the way he writes that sucks me in. The premise of this one didn’t immediately appeal to me – jumping between the present and the distant past (in a gold mining town in the mountains). It did take me a bit longer to get into than usual, and I found some of the melee of characters a bit tricky to follow (though that is probably my own name blindness). However, the twists and turns made it a really interesting read, and I flew through it. Finished January 2024.
2. The Cliff House – Chris Brookmyre (2022) – I have read pretty much every book by this Scottish author that I can find, and always really enjoy his particular style of writing. However, whilst this contained some of the usual twisty plot points, it felt a bit lacklustre in comparison to his other books. There wasn’t the same depth or clever humour that I’d expect, and the characters in particular felt a bit empty and stereotypical, making them hard to empathise with or even take seriously. The sociopath abusive husband, the pop singer with the leaked sex tape, the ‘hacker’… these felt shallow and cringey in many ways. While I didn’t hate it, I expected much more given who wrote it. I actually also had to triple check that I hadn’t read this already, as the plot seemed very similar to ‘The Hunting Party’ by Lucy Foley, which as it turns out – was a much better read. Finished January 2024.
3. A Mango Shaped Space – Wendy Mass (2005) – I discovered I had synaesthesia in my early teens when I came across a character in a book that talked about associating colours and personalities with numbers and letters. Before then, I had just assumed that this was something that everybody did. There was very little discussion or information available about it back then, and the novel in question didn’t really go into any more detail. A friend recommended this, and it was pretty cool to see how the main character went through a similar-ish experience, discovering and exploring her reality. It is worth saying that the strength and range of what she had is extremely rare, and won’t match the majority of folks, but it addressed scenarios I haven’t found elsewhere, and I am glad I took the time to read it. Finished March 2024.
4. Why Scots Should Rule Scotland – Alasdair Gray (1997) – I don’t need any convincing about the proposition put forward in the title of this one, but I was interested to read it, given that Alasdair Gray was the author. This was originally put together as a pamphlet in 1992, and then expanded into a book, prior to the 1997 General Election (I think). Rather than a focus on the ‘contemporary’ issues facing Scotland, it talks about the history, and how the country and more importantly – its people – have been subjected to the whims and demands of the elite. This actually meant that it’s retained more relevance as time has gone on, because the bits that do talk about ‘current day’ are obviously now out of date. The commentary on the not-yet formed Scottish Parliament was pretty interesting though. This will probably appeal to a slim set of people nowadays, and I just happen to be one of them. Finished March 2024.
5. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius – Donald J. Robertson (2019) – I felt like this book didn’t really have a clear picture of what it wanted to be. My understanding of the blurb and intro was that it would be focussed primarily on the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, with examples from history, tied to modern ideas of psychology/self-help. In some ways it was kind of like that, but it often delved much further into the history and biography of the Emperor than I expected, and was much lighter on exploring the Stoicism side. Depending on what you are looking for, this may well be excellent – but for me it didn’t quite hit the mark. Finished March 2024.
6. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions – Randall Monroe (2014) – A fun read, where xkcd’s author provides convincing ‘scientific’ answers to bizarre scenarios. Made even better by the illustrations. Finished March 2024.
7. Fluent in 3 Months – Benny Lewis (2014) – They say the Irish have the gift of the gab, and that certainly seems to be the case for the author of this book – a polyglot that is fluent in multiple languages. Despite the unrealistic promise of the title, Benny puts forward an argument for how to approach learning languages, with some practical suggestions that are both thought provoking and useful. You probably won’t be fluent after three months, but you might be inspired. Finished April 2024.
8. Three Body Problem – Cixin Liu (2015) – I decided to read this book after watching the Netflix series and enjoying it. The differences between the two were interesting, and I actually preferred bits of the show to the book. Perhaps I’m just a simpleton, but the focus on the science in the novel kind of went over my head at times, and felt unnecessarily in depth for the story. However, there was also some really interesting bits about the alien world that I wish I had been included in the show. Overall, it was good, and I’m probably going to read the next one… largely because the concept of the wallfacers intrigues me so much. Finished May 2024.
9. The Dark Forest – Cixin Liu (2006) – Book two in the ‘Three Body Problem’ series. I read this immediately after the first of the trilogy, inspired by season one of the TV show. While I liked the first book, I really liked this one. It felt as if it contained the substance of the story, as opposed to just setting the stage. There was far more actual narrative and less technality, which meant it was much more interesting. Plus, it focussed on the life and impact of the wallfacers specifically, which was a fascinating idea. Glad I stuck with the series for this. Finished May 2024.
10. Death’s End – Liu Cixin (2010). The third and presumably final book in the ‘Three Body Problem’ series – which I have read one after the other. I have mixed feelings about this one. It is very different to the two that precede it, in the sense that it really took a swing for the stars (yah yah I know), packing in a huge amount of ideas. I can see why now they’ve chosen to make this tale into a TV show, because there is just so much material condensed into this novel alone. It constantly jumps from one great science fiction idea and concept to the next… and in some ways it was my favourite of the three because of that. It was far more compelling than the first book, and I felt drawn to keep reading to discover what the next mad development would be. However, it was also too much in lots of ways. There were so many interesting facets that could have been explored, but never were, and it seemed like the author just threw everything they had in their mind at this one. A mad rush to humanity’s doom. Or was it? I’ve no idea. After being subjected to a dizzying array of surface-level fantasy… the final portion felt incredibly abrupt, and bizarrely lacking in any kind of poignancy. Bizarre. But not awful.
11. The Stranding – Kate Sawyer (2021) – This sat on my Kindle for ages before I ended up reading it. I’m all for dystopian, end-of-the-world tales, and this seemed up my alley. It takes the form of alternating chapters which focus on different timelines. One before the ‘event’ (which is never fully described, but which is probably some kind of earth-ending nuclear war) and one after. It is different from other novels of this kind in that it is focussed more on the life and relationships of the main character, as opposed to the details of the world… which isn’t my usual style, but also was kind of poignant in its own way. The description of the means of survival after the apocalypse reminded me kind of like an adult Enid Blyton book for some reason, and were perhaps a tad too visceral in places for my tastes… but overall, I enjoyed the read.
12. The Measure – Nikki Erlick (2022) – The premise of this book is to imagine a world in which everybody (over the age of 22) unexpectedly knows – or is able to know – how long they are going to live. On the face of it, the concept is an interesting one, and the author introduces a number of different likely scenarios and dilemmas which would come about as the result of such a thing. However, as much as the idea appealled to me, I felt like the execution was a bit flat. The narrative follows a number of different characters and how the revelations impact each, but I often found myself lost, and confused about who was who. This may well partly be down to my own attention span or something, but their stories just didn’t suck me in. And ultimately, I think that was what it boiled down to… that there wasn’t really an over-arching story here. At least, not a compelling one. It read more like a thought experiment. An intriguing one, but not a gripping read. – Finished July 2024.
13. The Secret DJ – The Secret DJ (2017) – I’ve had this on my list to read for some time, but put it off as I was sure I knew what it was going to be like. Some smarmy industry geezer who thinks they’re the proverbial talking about their jet-setting life. And errr, I guess it kind of is that. However, far from glamorising the rampant drug use, constant trips abroad, and people throwing themselves at you, it presents something of the ‘reality’ of being a DJ, through a very particular, very personal lens. This is a fantastical re-imagination of a time in the author’s life, written in a creative, witty manner. I liked it a lot. – Finished August 2024.
14. Early Riser – Jasper Fforde (2018) – This is a kind of quirky crime thriller set in a dystopian future where the majority of humanity has to hibernate in order to survive the winter. The characters were memorable and interesting, and the plot filled with various twists and turns. What I really loved was the density and richness of the world that the author created. It was well thought-out, and felt comprehensive – with all sorts of little details to be discovered. The book didn’t club you over the head with explanations either, leaving just the right amount of space for your imagination to fill in the gaps. That is a skill that many writers in this space do not have – and it is appreciated. I really enjoyed this one, and now have to seek out others by Fforde to sink my teeth into. Finished August 2024.
15. The Trial – Franz Kafka (2025) – Inspired by a trip to Prague, I thought that almost 100 years after its initial publication was about the right time for me to finally read this classic. At first, I was left confused and disappointed. The narrative was jumbled and chaotic… the characters shallow and non-sensical. I didn’t get it. At all. And no wonder, since the book was put together from a series of half-finished stories post-humously by a third-party (ostensibly against the author’s wishes). However, about halfway through it started to click – and by the end my brain had lit up like a Christmas tree. Whilst there are many different lenses through which to interpret the Trial as an allegorical tale, the clearest ‘meaning’ for me is as a critique of ‘the law’ – something that makes a lot of sense given that Kafka had achieved a degree in the discipline about a decade prior. A simplistic reading will focus on the injustice of being accused of a crime that you have no knowledge of, though that doesn’t appear to be the primary focus. A deeper look will find questions about the very essence and nature of the law – as well as ourselves. Fascinating, and one that I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Don’t read this if you are after a traditional novel, because it’s not. Finished August 2024.
16. Shades of Grey – Jasper Fforde (2009) – I am so glad I discovered Jasper Fforde’s books, because he writes some of the most interesting, creative dystopian tales I have ever come across. This one in particular was especially inventive – with a world where humanity (?) has lost its ability to see the full spectrum of colour by default. Dark, twisty, and original, I really enjoyed this. Finished October 2024.
17. How to Find the Right Words: A guide to delivering life’s most awkward messages – The School of Life (2021) – The best thing about this book was that it was short. I thought this was going to be a thoughtful guide on how to approach difficult interactions. Instead, it was a collection of disconnected, disorganised scenarios which provided dialogue that no real human being would ever say – and which often felt emotionally incongruous. There were a couple of moments that gave some worthy insight or a pause for consideration, but these were fleeting. This seems like a good idea, badly executed. Finished October 2024.
18. Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia – Richard E. Cytowic, David Eagleman (2009) – This book is about synaesthesia – the phenomenon where individuals experience multiple sensations in response to a single stimulus. For example… associating a colour or personality with a number, letter, or word. This is something that I have, and only realised it wasn’t ‘neuro-typical’ after reading about a character in a novel who had the same thing. This particular book delves into the topic from a scientific position, outlining various studies that have been done, the state of research, and the outcomes/observations. It took me a while to get through as a result, as despite being very interesting and readable, it was also fairly dense. I am glad this exists though, as there aren’t too many explanations or accessible texts which dive as deeply as this one. Finished October 2024.
19. The Concise Mastery – Robert Greene (2014) – I previously read another book in this collection on ‘power’, and whilst it was interesting, it felt very long and repetitive – so this time around I oped for the ‘concise’ version, which seemed more like a normal book length. That was a good choice, as it turned out, as it meant I enjoyed it more than I would have. The narrative structure of the book felt a bit disjointed, but the contents was interesting – examining the traits, practices, and examples of known masters. I did come away with a feeling that the book made it out to be impossible to be a master unless you dedicate your entire life to something, which… may well be true, though I am not sure how I feel about that in the context of lifelong learning. Either way, a decent read. Finished November 2024.
20. Strong Female Character – Fern Brady (2023) – I really enjoyed this. I have been aware of Fern for a while, since as a Scottish person we are inevitably drawn to gravelly voiced comedians that share our sense of humour. However, I have learned so much more about her recently after listening to her in interviews, watching Taskmaster, and reading this book. It is an engaging story about her experiences growing up in Bathgate, going to Edinburgh University, and becoming a comedian – framed through her grapples with challenges that turned out to be related to her undiagnosed autism. One of the more eye-opening things I’ve read in a while. I don’t like audio books, but might make an exception for this one, as it seems like Fern reads it. Great. Write more please. Finished November 2024.
21. Smith Happens – Sammy Horner (2017) – An alternative history of the radical biker preacher with panecdotes and adventures from Sammy Horner. Both of these people I met numerous times when I was young and had a big impact on me growing up, so this was personally pretty interesting. Finished November 2024.
22. Oxygen – Seth Rain (2022) – The premise is simple: Something has happened, and to avoid problems caused by over-population, each individual is assigned a fix amount of oxygen at birth. Of course, the rich are able to find ways around this. Cue, the tension. I actually really enjoyed this. While some of the characters perhaps lacked a bit of development, I flew through the 300ish pages in just a couple of days. It was a solid, accessible dystopian tale, and I’d be interested in reading more by Seth. Finished December 2024.