Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023 • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#11

Post by eatonphil » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:22 PM UTC

This year I got into a history binge after I finally got around to reading Caro's Master of the Senate this January. It was so good I'm already ready to read it again.

I used to be scared of tackling big books because I don't feel strongly committed. But with these I did audiobooks for the first time, while cleaning and driving and cooking and it has made reading big books merely a matter of time.

Other than Caro's books this year, I really liked the three-volume Churchill biography by William Manchester. And the first two volumes of the Teddy Roosevelt biography by Edmund Morris.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#12

Post by jebarker » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:22 PM UTC

Early last year I read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I found it deeply affecting. The quality of the writing is incredible and I enjoyed the structure which alternates progressing the main story and vignettes of life around the main characters. But mostly I was shocked to realize how little has changed in ~90 years in terms of worker exploitation and the ability to fall through the cracks in the USA.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#13

Post by Brajeshwar » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:22 PM UTC

Pietertje wrote: post #2

This year I've put myself to the challenge to read at least one book per week which I primarily could complete by reading in the middle of the night while holding our sleeping baby in my arms. It has been an interesting challenge which gave me a lot of fulfilment and has certainly changed my mind on how I view the world. This comment became quite a long read, apologies for that. Books I highly recommend: Churchill by…

This is brilliant. Earmarked about five from your list for my 2023.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#14

Post by hampelm » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:23 PM UTC

itsmemattchung wrote: post #9

Comment and then question. - Scattered (How Attention Deficit Disorder originates and what you can do about it) by Gabor Mate Question: how do folks discover new books to read — Goodeads? Friend recommendations? Book Clubs? Any other sort of niche, online recommendation engine? Podcasts?

Our local library has a "new" section on their website that sorts everything by date acquired. A couple times a year we page through it and request the interesting-looking books!

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#15

Post by eatonphil » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:24 PM UTC

itsmemattchung wrote: post #9

Comment and then question. - Scattered (How Attention Deficit Disorder originates and what you can do about it) by Gabor Mate Question: how do folks discover new books to read — Goodeads? Friend recommendations? Book Clubs? Any other sort of niche, online recommendation engine? Podcasts?

> how do folks discover new books to read

I do track all books I want to read and have read in Goodreads. And I sometimes learn about cool new books from others on there.

But mostly I have topics in mind I want to read about so I search lists online and reddit to find a good book on the topic.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#16

Post by lapcat » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:26 PM UTC

Lean Your Loneliness Slowly Against Mine by Klara Hveberg

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#17

Post by hikingsimulator » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:27 PM UTC

One book stuck out to me this year: Blindsight by Peter Watts.

What happens when humankind on the verge of post-scarcity suffers its first alien contact -- truly alien contact. A team of engineered humans is sent to meet them.

What really stuck out to me is how the content of the book could be applied to a potential AGI -- an alien, intelligent entity that we can't really understand and still have to interact with. I can't go further without delving into spoilers. It's really good. But, also, very bleak.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#18

Post by Brajeshwar » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:28 PM UTC

Here is another good thread from a few days ago https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33849267

Here is the list of some of the good books I read this year https://brajeshwar.com/2022/books/

Starting this year, instead of writing the list at the year-end, I have decided that I will just write as I read along. Besides the 5 odd I listed from a comment on this thread, here are others I have listed from other threads on Hackernews and Twitter. The URL is a pattern anyway, so it will be https://brajeshwar.com/2023/books/

- How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur, https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-to-Be-Perfect/Mic...

- [How to Stop Worrying and Start Living](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Stop_Worrying_and_Start...) is from the popular author [Dale Carnegie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Carnegie) of the [How to Win Friends and Influence People](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influen...) fame.

- A young girl's diary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diary_of_a_Young_Girl)

- Greenlights by [Matthew McConaughey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McConaughey)

- How Asia Works: Success and Failure In the World's Most Dynamic Region

- How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future by Vaclav Smil

- How To Talk: Siblings Without Rivalry by [Adele Faber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_Faber)

- Impact Mapping: Making a big impact with software products and projects

- Monetizing Innovation: How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price

- Product-Led Growth: How to Build a Product That Sells Itself

- Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry

- The Courage To Be Disliked: How to free yourself, change your life and achieve real happiness

- [The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_th...) by [Douglas Adams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams)

- [Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming](https://www.amazon.com/Windfall-Booming-Business-Global-Warm...) by [McKenzie Funk](https://www.mckenziefunk.com)

- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read: (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#19

Post by wahnfrieden » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:30 PM UTC

dawn of everything by graeber & wengrow

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023

#20

Post by paparush » Wed, Dec 28, 2022, 2:31 PM UTC

itsmemattchung wrote: post #9

Comment and then question. - Scattered (How Attention Deficit Disorder originates and what you can do about it) by Gabor Mate Question: how do folks discover new books to read — Goodeads? Friend recommendations? Book Clubs? Any other sort of niche, online recommendation engine? Podcasts?

https://hackernewsbooks.com/