As the year winds down and the festive season envelopes us, there’s a tacit invitation to slow down and reflect on the year gone by.
Amid the festive frenzy, I take this time to pause. I don’t pick up a new book. Instead, I reflect and reconnect with what I’ve read in the last 12 months.
Over the years, my reading habits have also changed. Until 4-5 years ago, I would, on average, read 20-25 nonfiction (mostly business) books a year. But in the last few years, I have consciously slowed down.
I now focus more on relishing and imbibing the content, understand the wider implications of the material than blitzing through books to meet a particular yearly target.
What has also changed is my taste in books. My preferences have shifted from pure-play business books to books that have been around for a long time (thank you, lindy effect). In 2025, I will indulge in fiction, too, but more on that in my later posts.
This is a free-flowing post, so please cut me slack in case it comes across as logically incoherent. I will talk about the books I read this year without droning too long – keeping it short and crisp, you know.
I will also talk about how this ritual of reflecting and reconnecting with books can bring meaning, comfort and a touch of magic to your holiday season.
Reflecting on the Year in Books
Before starting with what I read, I want to take a moment to celebrate the books that have been your companions in 2024.
It doesn’t matter what book it was – a thought-provoking memoir, a gripping thriller or a business tycoon’s biography – appreciate the fact that each book has contributed to your life’s journey in a unique way.
I keep a journal specifically meant for the books I read. I document my favorite quotes, takeaways, and sometimes my disagreements in it.
If you don’t, I suggest you start keeping a journal for this purpose. It’s a great introspective exercise.
Coming back to my reading list for 2024, let’s first look at what I read. Here are the books in the order I read them:
- Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
- Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
- My 25 Years in Provence by Peter Mayle
- Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink
- Five Moral Pieces by Umberto Eco
- The Leap to Leader by Adam Bryant
- The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg
- What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama
- Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday
- The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
- The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
- The Wolf by Nate Blakeslee
Lessons that I am not going to forget soon
Though my reading list wasn’t vast, each book I chose served a conscious purpose.
Elon Musk offered a glimpse into a relentless mind striving for excellence. Jocko Willink’s book felt like a military sergeant barking orders – tough, but life-changing. Joan Didion’s excruciating memoir on grief reminded me of its all-encompassing impact, leaving little to do but cope.
For my readers’ benefit, I will share the key takeaways or lessons I drew from these books.
This may seem like a reductionist approach as you can’t capture a book’s impact in just a few points. However, it simply reflects what has resonated most with me.
So if someone were to ask me about the 1-2 lessons I gleaned from these books, these would be my answers.
1. Embrace Pain and Suffering as Your Second Nature
Growth often comes from discomfort. Morgan Housel, in Same as Ever, discusses the importance of enduring hardships while going all in with your efforts.
This lesson also resonates in Walter Isaacson’s biography Elon Musk. Musk doesn’t believe in half measures – it’s always all or nothing for him. His recent exploits in U.S. politics, alongside his extraordinary efforts to make humans an interplanetary species, are a case in point.
Jocko Willink takes this idea even further. To become the best version of ourselves, he argues, we must push relentlessly and embrace pain and suffering.
As he puts it: “The instinct that says, ‘You’ve had enough. You’ve given it your best shot. You can rest now. DO NOT LISTEN TO THAT INSTINCT! That instinct is a liar and wants to bring you down.”
2. The Era of Toxic Bosses is Coming to an End
Leadership is evolving, and toxic bosses are no longer tolerated. The old command-and-control system at the workplace is out the window and all the show ponies need to understand this. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying you shouldn’t give your best at work.
Look at Elon Musk, for example. He leads by slipping under the hoods of Teslas on the factory floor or climbing up on a roof to fix solar panels after a full day at SpaceX and Tesla.
By all means, set the bar high. But spewing unnecessary venom at employees who align with company goals won’t be tolerated anymore. Like the cliche goes: if you aspire to be a great leader, start by being a good manager.
Adam Bryant, the author of Leap to Leader—one of the best leadership books in recent times—states: “I think it’s becoming harder to get away with being a bad manager. For starters, the generations entering the workforce have a low tolerance for bad managers and are much more willing to call out a toxic boss to their superiors.”
Ben Horowitz echoes a similar sentiment in The Hard Thing About Hard Things, emphasizing the importance of observing whether a manager views the world through the “me” prism or the “team” prism. The former always leave their team in tatters.
3. Life’s Little Joys are in the Ordinary
If I had to distill one takeaway from Peter Mayle’s My Twenty-Five Years in Provence, it would be this: Life’s greatest pleasures are often found in the simplest moments—good food, beautiful surroundings and meaningful relationships.
Life may thwart us from time to time and our well-laid plans might go down the drain. But food, nature, and relationships are the antidotes to life’s troubles. It’s simple, yet so hard to truly grasp.
Peter Mayle’s reflections find an echo in Morgan Housel’s insight about small changes compounding over time. Housel notes, “Little changes compounded for a long time create extraordinary changes.”
Both Mayle and Housel remind us of the power of what feels ordinary – the quiet, enduring impact of small, consistent efforts and choices in shaping our lives.
Making Time for Unread Books
We all have that pile of unread books sitting patiently, waiting for their turn. The end of the year is an ideal time to give them some love.
Sort through them for the next year. Create a priority list and start organizing the books you want to read in 2025.
January is my month for comfort reads. I ease into the new year with something light—business, marketing, or a thoughtful anthology of essays.
While I’m always tempted to explore new territories, there’s something deeply satisfying about revisiting a book that feels like home. So if are oscillating between a literary classic and a lighthearted romance, I suggest you make January your time to read for sheer pleasure.
Finally, the end of the year is also a beginning. Why not set some reading goals for the coming year?
It doesn’t matter if you commit to reading 12 books in 12 months, want to explore a genre you’ve never tried or wish to dive into works by underrepresented authors – the possibilities are endless.
Afterall, books have a way of grounding us while also lifting us to places we’ve never been. Happy reading and a joyful 2025.
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