2025 Reading List
One big change this year from last two (2024 and 2023): in addition to ebooks and the occasional physical copy, I got into audio books on Spotify and Hoopla. Audio adds a another dimension, makes it more immediate (no highlighting) and dramatic (the narration). Doesn't work when I want to skim back and forth, like biographies - feels too linear and restrictive then. But when out and about in the car or on a hike, it just works.
Also, I now track my DNFs - the ones I did not finish. Like a movie, you have to be in the right mood and it takes a few tries to get into it sometimes. And for some non-fictions, I just have the AI summarize it - it's a new world now.
An Unfinished Love Story: personal history of the 1969s by Doris Kearns Goodwin: All about JFK and LBJ through the eyes of their speechwriter and his wife. Fascinating stuff.
Art of Power by Nancy Pelosi: Frank account of how she came to be at the top of the Democratic party leadership, but a bit too detailed medicine stuff for me with the cowardly knife attack on her husband, and Jan 6 is still too fresh.
Midnight Library by Matt Haig: Lacking a big climax at the end, but well-written and executed. Quick read.
Knife by Salman Rushdie: Absolutely brilliant, skipped some of the gory stuff.
We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay by Gary Janetti: funny in parts but lacking overall, good tips on favorite travel places
Why We Read by Shannon Reed: Brilliant chapter design, each an answer to the question, but some are just rambling and fillers. Overall, pretty good. Would love to meet her.
100 Symbols that Changed the World by Colin Salter: Coffee-table worthy
🧡 Die with Zero by Bill Perkins: Must-read for everyone. 3 things: money, health and time - those are your variables. As you age, health becomes the limiting factor usually. Focus on creating memorable experiences, as early as you can. Don't wait.
Old Girls Behaving Badly by Kate Galley: Two old ladies (71 and 85) have an adventure.
🧡 Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Loti Gottleib: This one touched me deeply, loved it absolutely, she’s just so good, so human, so heartfelt, so real
Does He Know A Mother’s Heart by Arun Shourie: Too intellectual for me, skimmed most of it, parts about his son's disabilities are touching
🧡 The Worlds I See by Dr Fei-Fei Li: I heard her talk at the Stanford 50 year anniversary event a few years ago. So good, what a life story of a fellow immigrant. Love it.
Explorer Club by Jeff Wilser: Inspiring stories to feed your wanderlust
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: I've been wanting to read something by Ann Pachett for a long long time ... the middle is awesome. The end is disappointing and lacks credibility.
🧡 Hidden Potential by Adam Grant: So good that I purchase it after reading first chapter on physical book. Author argues that success is less about innate talent and more about how people grow. Grant shows that character skills—like discipline, curiosity, and resilience—combined with the right systems, mentors, and opportunities, allow ordinary people to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Progress comes from deliberate practice, scaffolding support, and environments that reward learning rather than raw ability.
Seeking Fortune Elsewhere by Sindhya Bhanoo: Collection of short stories. First is good, end is vague - Model House Road. Skippable.
How to Survive History by Cody Cassidy: Informative if mildly terrorizing, writing style is rather dry, but so well-researched.
Cheaper, Faster, Better by Tom Steyer: Way too verbose, quick skim
The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese: Ever since I read his intro to When Breath Becomes Air, I've been wanting to read him and he does not dissapoint. Master writer, so sublime. His vivid descriptions of tennis games are mind-blowing. Just wow.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese: Epic novel, 780 pages, so good. Skip medical parts.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears: Hard to listen to, the conservatorship part, it’s good, 2x speed in most parts
Ageless Body, Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra: Quick skim, too vague language, quantum, timeless, entropy, some good takeways, perfect for AI summary.
🧡 The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi: scifi, I'm hooked, read whole series.
The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
The Next Day by Melinda Gates: Could have been a short blog entry. Too simplistic. It's unfair, but I find it hard not to compare the writing to Michelle Obama or Bill Gates.
Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green: By author of Fault in our Stars. Wealth of information and fascinating story of the oldest most contagious disease ever, biggest killer, even today, and entirely preventable.
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig: Random collection of mostly cliche sounding soundbites. Like a few parts of it.
The Art of Small Talk by Casey Wilson and Jessica St. Clair: Silly but funny as hell, like a podcast
🧡 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab: Wow, such an amazing story across centuries and globe-trotting, the writing is poetic and haunting and emotionally resonant.
A Hacker’s Mind by Bruce Schneier: Decent examples, but somewhat repetitive.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: The last part is mesmerizing and worth it but got lost in the middle. Too much surgical stuff, skipped it.
🧡 I Hate the Ivy League by Malcolm Gladwell: More of a podcast and so good. Don’t ask, don’t tell for college name for jobs. Admission by lottery for most things is fairest. A master storyteller, Gladwell draws you in and makes you really think.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: found this too cliched and uninteresting
Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam: Fascinating to hear about how some of the songs came about, candid and fun.
The Singularity Is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil: Skimmed, interesting, optimistic, nanobots
Great Smoky Mountains Trivia by Doris Gove: fun read
🧡 Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai: So good. She pours her heart out, authentic. Learn about the Pashtos from Pakistan.
Ageless Brain by Dale Bredesen: the actual book is unreadable, disorganize regurgitation of facts. AI to rescue. Interesting but basically says keto is best for long healthy life. Unproven and too risky.