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Books of 2024

By beepso
  • Period: to

    January

  • Darkness at Noon, by Arthur Koestler

    Darkness at Noon, by Arthur Koestler
    Winner of the 'Kafka? Kafka who? I've never heard of Kafka' award Jihn V. Fleming on Darkness at Noon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40C0SVCP4kw&t=1289s
  • Period: to

    February

  • Love Jihad and Other Fictions: Simple Facts to Counter Viral Falsehoods, by Sreenivasan Jain, Mariyam Alavi, and Supriya Sharma

    Love Jihad and Other Fictions: Simple Facts to Counter Viral Falsehoods, by Sreenivasan Jain,  Mariyam Alavi, and Supriya Sharma
    Winner of the 'Journalism done right (over and over again)' award.
  • India's Undeclared Emergency: Constitutionalism and the Politics of Resistance, by Arvind Narrain

    India's Undeclared Emergency: Constitutionalism and the Politics of Resistance, by Arvind Narrain
    Winner of the "Groundhog Day" award
  • Period: to

    March

  • Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization, by Namit Arora

    Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization, by Namit Arora
    Winner of the 'NCERT' award
  • Aryans: The Search for a People, a Place and a Myth, by Charles Allen

    Aryans: The Search for a People, a Place and a Myth, by Charles Allen
    Winner of the 'This land is our land' award
  • On Violence, by Hannah Arendt

    On Violence, by Hannah Arendt
    Winner of the 'Punch to the gut' award
  • Bantering with Bandits and Other True Tales of India, by Annie Zaidi

    Bantering with Bandits and Other True Tales of India, by Annie Zaidi
    Winner of the 'Did someone mention journalism?' award
  • The Ark Sakura, by Kōbō Abe, Juliet Winters Carpenter (Translation)

    The Ark Sakura, by Kōbō Abe,  Juliet Winters Carpenter (Translation)
    Winner of the 'WTF just happened here?' award
  • Period: to

    April

  • Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education, by Jason Brennan, Phillip Magness

    Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education, by Jason Brennan, Phillip Magness
    Winner of the 'Nods head vigorously in agreement' award
  • Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)

    Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom, by Tsugumi Ohba,  Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)
    Winner of the 'Mainstream Manga obligatory read' award
  • The Redemption of Time, by Baoshu, Ken Liu (Translation)

    The Redemption of Time, by Baoshu, Ken Liu (Translation)
    Winner of the 'Fanfic done right' award
  • How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking, by Sönke Ahrens

    How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking, by Sönke Ahrens
    Winner of the 'Obsess-idian' award
  • Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
    Winner of the 'Science fiction is alive and well, and will knock your socks off' award
  • Period: to

    May

  • Children of Ruin, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    Children of Ruin, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Children of Memory, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    Children of Memory, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Death Note, Vol. 2: Confluence, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator), Pookie Rolf (Translator)

    Death Note, Vol. 2: Confluence, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator), Pookie Rolf (Translator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Dune, Frank Herbert

    Dune, Frank Herbert
    Winner of the 'No way they can make a movie out of this book' award (Also, a 'Regularly Repeat-Read Hall of Fame' awardee)
  • Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert

    Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Children of Dune, by Frank Herbert

    Children of Dune, by Frank Herbert
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Death Note, Vol. 3: Hard Run, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)

    Death Note, Vol. 3: Hard Run, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • What Is Populism?, by Jan-Werner Müller

    What Is Populism?, by Jan-Werner Müller
    Winner of the 'Now I know why a certain PM and POTUS are friends' award
  • Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, by Alison Bechdel

    Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, by Alison Bechdel
    Winner of the 'I now worship at the Church of Bechdel' award
  • Period: to

    June

  • Light, M. John Harrison

    Light, M. John Harrison
    Winner of the 'Space noir is a thing and it will take your mind apart in delightful ways' award
  • Nova Swing, by M. John Harrison

    Nova Swing, by M. John Harrison
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun, by Chris Broad

    Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun, by Chris Broad
    Winner of the 'Travelling to Japan? Start here' award
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations, by Pico Iyer

    A Beginner’s Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations, by Pico Iyer
    Winner of the 'Poignantly presented reality' award
  • Pure Invention: How Japan Conquered the World in Eight Fantasies, by Matt Alt

    Pure Invention: How Japan Conquered the World in Eight Fantasies, by Matt Alt
    Winner of the 'Pop culture academia done right' award
  • Death Note, Vol. 4: Love, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)

    Death Note, Vol. 4: Love, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival, by David Pilling

    Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival, by David Pilling
    Winner of the 'Now I can appear wise at parties about all things Japan' award
  • Period: to

    July

  • Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1: Ryomen Sukuna, by Gege Akutami

    Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1: Ryomen Sukuna, by Gege Akutami
    Winner of the 'Start manga here instead' award
  • Empty Space: A Haunting, by M. John Harrison

    Empty Space: A Haunting, by M. John Harrison
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • An Artist of The Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro

    An Artist of The Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro
    Winner of the 'Move over and let me show you how to write Japan' award
  • A Pale View of Hills, by Kazuo Ishiguro

    A Pale View of Hills, by Kazuo Ishiguro
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game, by

    Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game, by
    Winner of the 'Changed my relationship to sport' award
  • The Secret to Superhuman Strength, by Alison Bechdel

    The Secret to Superhuman Strength, by Alison Bechdel
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)

    My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)
    Winner of the 'I will play your heartstrings like a harp' award
  • The Story of a New Name, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)

    The Story of a New Name, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)

    Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • Period: to

    August

  • The Story of the Lost Child, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)

    The Story of the Lost Child, by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World, by Peter Wohlleben

    The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World, by Peter Wohlleben
    Winner of the 'Oh my god, Ents are real!!!' award
  • Death Note, Vol. 5: Whiteout, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)

    Death Note, Vol. 5: Whiteout, by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin

    The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin
    Winner of the 'Sometimes a book finds you at the perfect time' award
  • Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed, by James C. Scott

    Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed, by James C. Scott
    Winner of the 'I was not expecting that' award
  • Period: to

    September

  • Law and the Economy in India: Before Independence and After, by Tirthankar Roy, Anand V. Swamy

    Law and the Economy in India: Before Independence and After, by Tirthankar Roy,  Anand V. Swamy
    Winner of the 'Bicep builder/ cure for insomnia' award
  • Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, by Anna Lembke

    Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, by Anna Lembke
    Winner of the 'Shall I preach to thee about addiction?' award
  • The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity―and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, by Daniel Z. Lieberman, Michael E. Long

    The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity―and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, by Daniel Z. Lieberman, Michael E. Long
    Winner of the 'No preachin', here's the straight dope on all things dope' / 'Now I understand Republicans' / 'You are a chemical-driven monkey' award
  • Period: to

    October

  • Born to Run: The hidden tribe, the ultra-runners, and the greatest race the world has never seen, by Christopher McDougall

    Born to Run: The hidden tribe, the ultra-runners, and the greatest race the world has never seen, by Christopher McDougall
    Winner of the 'Hold my beer while I impulsively go for a run' award
  • Flow: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness, by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

    Flow: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness, by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
    Winner of the 'Great, but somewhat out-of-date' award
  • Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, by Cal Newport

    Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, by Cal Newport
    Winner of the 'Do less'/ 'If you read but one productivity book this year, let it be this one' award
  • Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You, by Ali Abdaal

    Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You, by Ali Abdaal
    Winner of the 'I wanted to dislike this book, but couldn't' award
  • Nightfall and Other Stories, by Isaac Asimov

    Nightfall and Other Stories, by Isaac Asimov
    Winner of the 'Foundation-al, so you have to pay homage, but honestly, meh' award
  • Period: to

    November

  • Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century, by J. Bradford DeLong

    Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century, by J. Bradford DeLong
    Winner of the 'Grand sweeping arc gorgeously drawn' award
  • Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl, Ilse Lasch (Translator)

    Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl, Ilse Lasch (Translator)
    Winner of the 'Beautiful, but definitely dated' award
  • The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert A. Heinlein

    The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert A. Heinlein
    Winner of the 'Start SF here instead' award
  • A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles

    A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
    Winner of the 'Return of the Archer/ Forsyth/ Ludlum-esque mainstream fun bestseller' award
  • Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will, by Robert M. Sapolsky

    Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will, by Robert M. Sapolsky
    Winner of the 'Every human should be required by law to read this book' award
  • The Honjin Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo, Louise Heal Kawai (Translator)

    The Honjin Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo, Louise Heal Kawai (Translator)
    Winner of the 'Why in the name of Gutenberg didn't someone translate this author earlier?!!' award
  • Period: to

    December

  • The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary, by Eric S. Raymond

    The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary, by Eric S. Raymond
    Winner of the 'This book could have been an email' award
  • The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi

    The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi
    Winner of the 'Some Japan books one could do without' award
  • Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, Richard Pevear (Translator), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translator), John Bayley (Preface)

    Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, Richard Pevear (Translator), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translator), John Bayley (Preface)
    Winner of the 'There's a part of my heart that will never heal fully' award
  • The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, by Gretchen Bakke

    The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, by Gretchen Bakke
    Winner of the 'It's not as simple as it seems' award
  • The Inugami Curse, by Seishi Yokomizo, Yumiko Yamakazi (Translator)

    The Inugami Curse, by Seishi Yokomizo, Yumiko Yamakazi (Translator)
    (Joint winner, team award)
  • AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference, by Arvind Narayanan, Sayash Kapoor

    AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference, by Arvind Narayanan, Sayash Kapoor
    Winner of the 'There's basically one idea here' award
  • Invitation to a Beheading, by Vladimir Nabokov, Dmitri Nabokov (Translator)

    Invitation to a Beheading, by Vladimir Nabokov, Dmitri Nabokov (Translator)
    Winner of the 'This is how one writes a totalitarian dystopia, Mr Koestler' award
  • In the Beginning was the Command Line, by Neal Stephenson

    In the Beginning was the Command Line, by Neal Stephenson
    Winner of the 'Ok, I'll shut up and love Unix' award
  • Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu, by Osamu Tezuka

    Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu, by Osamu Tezuka
    Winner of the 'Manga's got 99 problems, but I didn't know pseudo-Orientalism was one until I read this' award
  • The Labyrinth House Murders, by Yukito Ayatsuji, Ho-Ling Wong (Translator)

    The Labyrinth House Murders, by Yukito Ayatsuji, Ho-Ling Wong (Translator)
    Winner of the 'Hooked to Honkaku' award
  • Lance, by Vladimir Nabokov

    Lance, by Vladimir Nabokov
    Winner of the 'Madness and delirium' / 'Start SF here, if you dare' award
  • The Bend Sinister, by Vladimir Nabokov

    The Bend Sinister, by Vladimir Nabokov
    Winner of the '1984 is a bedtime story in comparison' / 'Notice how I'm the only author to win multiple awards' award
  • Judas, by Amos Oz

    Judas, by Amos Oz
    Winner of the 'I can't believe I read this book over Christmas' / 'Breathtakingly, achingly beautiful' award
  • The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo, Bryan Karetnyk (Translator)

    The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo, Bryan Karetnyk (Translator)
    (Joint winner, team award)