Travis Reads Sometimes. (Pt. 2)
Awards for the best books I read in 2024
This is the sequel to last week’s “(Dis)Honors Awards” (click here to check it out).
Anyone who knows me knows that I love reading. The slow, low-stimulation consumption of stories and knowledge just works for me in ways that other media styles don’t.
I ended up reading and audiobooking 63 books so far in 2024. (I added three more since publishing my previous newsletter.) I know this isn’t as impressive as many of my fellow Substackers, but I don’t do it for the quantity. I do it because I love learning and experiencing stories.
With that in mind, I have decided that it is appropriate for me to jump on the “Best Books I Read This Year” bandwagon and post a list of my own to Substack. You can click here to check out last week’s “(Dis)Honors Awards.” This week, we’ve got the totally-more-serious “Best Books of 2024.”
Without further ado, here are the best books I read this year!
All of This Year’s 5-Star Books
Before I get into my longer reviews of the best books of the year, I want to give due acknowledgement to all of the decent books I read this year.
I try to keep my 5-star ratings rare. I know it’s common practice to “support” authors by giving them as many 5-star ratings as possible, but to me, 5 stars means perfection, and there are are very few perfect books out there.
This year, I was a little more liberal. I don’t know if it’s just the higher quantity of books from this year (I think 63 is now my record) or that I’ve just chosen to read better books this year (unlikely, I don’t have that much faith in my tastes), but we’ve got 11 5-star books this year!
Some of these get full review treatments (scroll down for those), but some I just want to acknowledge here with some feelings I had reading them. Check them all out below.
Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit by Josh Noel
A disgusting drink gets some love in Chicago. Makes me root for the underdog! (Click here to check out my longer review.)
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
I am horribly jealous of this guy who had the bravery and discipline to leave society in the mid-80s and survive in the bitter cold of central Maine.
The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel
Everyone has the potential to be idiots about money. Slow down and buy index funds, dangit! (Check out my longer review below.)
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
A murderer keeps her mouth shut. WHY?!? (Check out my longer review below.)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A touching tale about the potential benefits of humanizing our enemies. Don’t bother with the Netflix show, the book was way better. (Click here to check out my longer review.)
Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Father Gregory Boyle
As of 2024, Greg Boyle is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest federal honor possible for civilians. This book shows the sort of heart that is most deserving of this medal. What an admirable man driven primarily by a close relationship with a loving Christ.
The Dinner by Herman Koch
A lot of people hated this book because every character was entirely unlikeable. I loved this book for the same reason.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
You say you succeeded because of “hard work” and “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps”? You say it had nothing to do with how, why, and when you were born or the circumstances of your upbringing? Idk bro… Gladwell says otherwise.
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
Some of the info is dated (cable TV anyone?) but the principles are the same. We’re becoming stupider because spectacle is outweighing content in our media consumption. STOP IT!
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
The introduction to The Witcher series. A low-commitment fantasy that’s better than the TV adaptation? Sign me up! I’m ready to be hurt again after Game of Thrones. (Click here to check out my longer review.)
The Way of the Heart: Connecting with God Through Prayer, Wisdom, and Silence by Henri J.M. Nouwen
I’ve noticed a commonality in a lot my highest-rated books this year: the benefits of just shutting up. Nouwen shows us that shutting up is not only healthy, but gets us closer to God!
And here are the awards for the best books I read this year:
Most Life-Changing
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke, MD
The information in this book is vital. That’s pretty much the crux of my sales pitch for it.
In her book, Dr. Anna Lembke tells stories of some of her patients who struggled with illnesses and addictions related to high dopamine intake, and gives scientific background about the psychology of dopamine. Given the state of America’s media consumption, I found this book to be a great “Why are we like this?” explanation and a great “What do I do about it?” how-to.
I gave it four stars, which to me means “It was great but could have been slightly better.” A lot of folks gave it poor reviews, but I have a theory why: Dr. Lembke spends a fair amount of time criticizing the high-dopamine practice of reading spicy romance novels, which she actually goes as far as calling an addiction. I have a feeling the sorts of people who leave Goodreads reviews might be defensive about reading spicy books. I’m an avid reader, but I agree with Dr. Lembke about the addiction-like consumption of garbage literature, and I admire her bravery for bringing it up.
Four stars: Take note, America.
Best Nonfiction
This category has a tie! I’ll give them both their due though…
The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel
Long story short: index funds.
In his book, Morgan Housel explains how it’s easy for human thoughts about money to devolve into greed and stupidity and that the best things to do with our money are always slow. I’ve seen several influencers, commentators, and money people talk about “The Psychology of Money” and none of them have bad things to day about it.
The advice in this book is not sexy; there is no quick and easy way to make a lot of money. With that in mind, the Joe Rogan Crypto-bros probably won’t like it. But that’s okay! You’re not supposed to like the taste of nutritious vegetables. If you’re a Joe Rogan Crypto-bro, I recommend trying this book. If you’re a true “alpha,” you know uphill battle is worth it!
Five stars: Eat your dang veggies.
Tied with…
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
I’m an introvert, so I’m biased.
With “Quiet,” Susan Cain gives a great overview about what makes the silent people unique including social and neurological explanations.
By audiobooking this one, I received some vindication as to why I act the way I do and what I can offer the world. Yeah, reading this was kind of an act of selfishness, but if you don’t find yourself to be an introvert, I still recommend trying this book out just to see where some of your loved ones (not to mention 50% of the world) are coming from.
Four stars: Be Quiet and Read (Right Here)
And speaking of silence…
Best Fiction
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Gosh what a rollercoaster.
With this novel, Alex Michaelides tells the story of a psychologist trying to find out the motive behind a murder committed by a patient who has refused to talk for years. I won’t spoil anything, but there’s like a good three or four twists. It’s crazy.
It’s crazy to me that this is Michaelides’ debut novel. Everything in it seems like a gift bestowed upon the reader by an experienced veteran of storytelling. As someone with dreams of finishing his own novel or two, this almost makes me feel inadequate, but really I’m just delighted that I was able to consume this delicious and nutritious meal of a book.
Five stars: … (I’m remaining silent because of all the twists.)
I apologize for the long wait for this follow-up to last Tuesday’s post. Christmas does often make people miss deadlines though…
We’ll start getting back into the swing of things next week!
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