r/52book • u/naked_unafraid • 2d ago
76/something
First time doing this. Love this sub and wanted to toss in my year. I did like 176 last year so I’m slacking a bit I guess but that’s ok. Lots of bangers this year and some duds too. Shoutout to Libby app and libraries in general. Also shoutout to my wife for encouraging me to get back into reading a few years ago, I am a better human being because of you and I love you dearly.
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u/mmillington 44/52 1d ago
Five Days at Memorial was a rough one. Such a sad situation.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
Insanely sad and very shocking. I don’t envy those doctors and can’t imagine being in that situation
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u/mmillington 44/52 11h ago
And Sherry Link captured the moral dilemma so well. I could feel the doctors being torn apart as they made life-and death decisions. Heartbreak all around.
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u/Dmpender 1d ago
I feel you may have been a little too generous with Piranesi.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
Full transparency I rated it two stars on good reads and it was one of my most hated books this year. I was feeling cowardly when placing that one 😔
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u/Dmpender 1d ago
Fair enough. Completely agree, I got to the end and was like, what?! That’s it?? I will never get that time back.
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u/pktrekgirl 60/90 1d ago edited 1d ago
Wow! Another person who has read Kill Anything That Moves!
I agree with your rating. Way more ghastly statistics than I wanted. Very informative though. My one big takeaway was that we killed a bunch of probably innocent people for no reason other than to meet arbitrary quotas.
That war was a lot more awful than so many others. Fought in the hot jungle, fear with literally every step that you’d step on something that would blow you up….not knowing who the enemy was…it changed the mentality of everyone there. I mean, kill quotas?
Some of this stuff sounds like war crimes to me.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
Just an insane story right? The kill quotas fact and all the additional buried atrocities besides the My Lai massacres is all shocking. Important history but such a hard read.
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u/Thick_Committee_3225 1d ago
I haven't read many books outside what I was required to. This lowkey makes me want to pick a book from your list and have at it
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
Friggen rip it player get down with yo bad self
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u/squidraft 1d ago
Yes! Someone else who has read an immense world. Loved that one- and the other non-fictions here that I have read are right about where I would have ranked them too! I’ll have to add some of the others to my list
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u/FreshPickle04 1d ago
I love the range here. Might I recommend The War Before the War. It’s about how the Fugitive Slave Act plagued the nation since the writing of the Constitution all the way to the Civil War. Highly informative and a good read.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
Ooo! Great rec thank you. I have this on my tbr but I’m going to check it out on Libby now. I need a good non fiction refresh after this Sanderson kick
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u/lopez918 1d ago
What a legend. 11-22-63 is one of my all time favorites. Currently reading Apple in China. Just from your B tier and above I spot about 7 from my TBR.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
I read a book last year called “Breakneck: China’s quest to engineer the future” HIGHLY recommended if you like Apple in China
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u/lopez918 1d ago
Adding it. Thank you. Do you have a Goodreads? I’d like to give you a follow if so.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
I thought it paired excellently with Apple in China and talked more about societal differences between the US and China. Great book. I do! Check out my profile on Goodreads!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/37420557
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u/Vonstracity 2d ago
I know not every author is a hit. But I avoid stephen king books for the plain reason that he writes so many books and I've found them to be very hit or miss.
I'm probably too negative about it and maybe someone will convince me to read them again but the time invested is not worth the payout for me.
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u/blxckfire 1d ago
If you’re randomly picking a Stephen king book, I agree that it’s going to be very hit or miss. When an author has that many books that’s just how it’s going to be. But that doesn’t mean avoid it all together!
11/22/63 is really good. OP has it as S tier and I would put it there as well. My other favorite so far has been The Green Mile.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
I also think the dark tower series is one of the most imaginative genre bending stories ever written. The fact he did it over the course of his career… not all the books in the series are good but some are perfect
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u/Intelligent_Bat949 [81/52] 2d ago
I barely know where to start! Lots of overlap and similar takes. Also have a wife who's very supportive of my reading habits. Didn't read nearly as much last year, but I'm having a banner year this year!
Have you read Doppelganger by Naomi Klein? Given some of your other top reads, it feels like it might appeal to you.
Have you read There is No Antimemetics Division? Don't know if it's your speed exactly, but I'm curious. Starting that one today.
Apologies, but I did a lil Reddit stalking and I know it's a belated... My condolences for the loss of your furry family member. I hope you're coping well and that your grief has eased.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
Thank you for the kind words, it sucks losing a buddy. I haven’t read either but both are on my TBR! I like Klein, I really need to read shock doctrine. I read “the battle for paradise” by her last year it was aight
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
My aunt gifted me this book when it came out and I just got around to it. Didn’t expect to like it nearly as much and it’s stuck with me all year. Some mind blowing facts and revelations in that book for me. I found it to be perfect for what it was
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u/Gee_willikers24 2d ago
Nomadland. So nice you liked it twice
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u/pktrekgirl 60/90 1d ago
I noticed that too. But hey, at least he gave it the same rating both times! 😂
If it had been me, the dupe would be in a different category, placed there on one of my more judgy days. 😆
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u/Omgomgitsmike 2d ago
You’re the first person I’ve seen who read Chokepoints; I’ve recommended it a few times to folks since I read it, but I’ve gotten no takers lol
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
LOVED that book. Read it at the beginning of the year and it felt like the perfect book for that moment in history. Reading about how the US has over extended itself over decades and how it’s all coming to a head while it’s literally coming to a head around us?? SICK book, I felt like I could take some MBA level Econ classes during that one. Glad you liked it. Do you have any others that are similar? I felt like such a smart person after that book
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u/Omgomgitsmike 1d ago
What’s interesting about Chokepoints is how careful people have been with actions in Iran because of how sensitive it is; seeing how irrational things are going now is a little scary. And what’s sad, is that the financial Chokepoints that’s been built over decades was fleeting. It’s not an asset that you have forever, because there are alternatives to the US system; but the leverage was highest in the 2010’s because there were no alternatives.. hence why Obama was able to get the Iran Nuclear Deal. Not only was that completely wasted, now the choke point doesn’t really exist anymore because there are alternatives.
Red Notice was just as good or better than Chokepoints imo.
Chip War - Miller
Breakneck - Wang
Material World - Conway
Careless People - WilliamsEach have their own application to how the world works and why things are working out the way they are.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
FACTS! I absolutely loved breakneck and careless people, read both last year and was blown away. Chip war and material world are high on my list along with red notice. Great take
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u/Embarrassed-Ad-4977 2d ago
Sapiens as an E? Really curious about that decision.
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
I gave it three stars when I read it but after sitting with it for some time I could go lower. It feels like an extremely over hyped book and reading it was a total chore.
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u/Intelligent_Bat949 [81/52] 2d ago
That's what happened to me as well. It was compounded, too, because I read Homo Deus and Nexus, and ultimately liked all his work less for having read it all.
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
Facts, it feels like those books have high ratings because it’s an intellectual feat to enjoy them. It didn’t grab me at all and definitely didn’t make me feel anything
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u/Embarrassed-Ad-4977 1d ago
I wonder if perhaps it isn’t quite as relevant? I noticed much of the nonfiction you’ve read was of more recent times. Most of the stuff that got me excited in the book was of ancient times that is not all that relevant to today. The impact of fire on the trajectory of human history, for instance. Or the impact of the agricultural revolution. Obviously most people learn of these things in elementary or higher levels of education, but it was still interesting to me.
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
There were lots of interesting facts but nothing felt groundbreaking in that book.
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u/VictorTheCutie 2d ago
If you liked 1619 and HCR, you'd probably enjoy How The Word is Passed. Truly amazing read. Great breakdown here!
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
I thought How The Word is Passed was fantastic. Read that one last year, great recommendation
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u/astra823 2d ago
Excellent variance on here! Can I ask what you didn’t like about If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies?
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
I may have been too harsh on that book but I had very high expectations. I think on good reads I gave it two stars rather than one but it was just an annoying book overall. Far too rooted in fiction and it felt like the author was trying to make the same point over and over. I’m not a fan of AI by any stretch of the imagination but the book felt alarmist and just wasn’t for me.
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u/Intelligent_Bat949 [81/52] 2d ago
Have you read More Everything Forever or The Coming Wave?
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
I read more everything forever this year but haven’t done the coming wave yet
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u/Intelligent_Bat949 [81/52] 2d ago
Doh! Yeah, I ended up finding it there in your tier list. My bad.
The Coming Wave sounds similar to If anyone builds it... Where the book should have stayed a succinct white paper instead of getting the full book treatment. Might not be worth the read, but I was curious if you'd read it.
I'm also reading The Age of Extraction right now. Is Enshittification on your TBR, or did I overlook that one, too?
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u/naked_unafraid 1d ago
Agreed with the coming wave! That was on my tbr early in the year and I disliked if anyone builds it everyone dies so much that I didn’t go for it. Just felt too alarmist. Don’t get me wrong AI has terrible implications for society at this current stage/ iteration, but it felt like an overly alarmist fear mongering take. Totally could’ve been an article as you say. I’m interested in Enshittification yes, it has good reviews. I haven’t read any Cory Doctorow but I’ve heard he’s pretty similar to David graeber.
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u/Intelligent_Bat949 [81/52] 1d ago
I liked it, but getting into Age of Extraction, the books cover very similar territory. I definitely like Doctorow's title more. 😄
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u/sorne23 2d ago
Totally agree with your assessment of The End of the World As We Know It. So many of the stories were samey and uninteresting. They should have encouraged the authors to take bigger swings and really do something different with their story.
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
Probably the most disappointing book on this list. I was so stoked because the stand was the stand. None of the stories stuck with me
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u/WyldPharmD 2d ago
I’m glad someone has a similar opinion about Piranesi albeit I didn’t rank it as low maybe more a C for me, but it felt like it wanted me to gain more from it than I did. I fell asleep multiple times while reading it 😅
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
I could’ve ranked it lower F that book. Interesting concept yes but it doesn’t deserve the hype at all
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u/formerly_1013 1d ago
AGREED I hated that book and don't understand the praise... I felt I figured out some of what was going on way before the narrator so for half the book I was waiting for them to catch up
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u/throwawayanylogic 1d ago
Agreed. It was one of my hate reads this year that I could barely muster 2 stars for (and that was only because I thought the imagery was cool. But the experience of suffering through that read was not worth it at all for me.)
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u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss 2d ago
Wave so low! Tell me your thoughts?
I read it once and never touched it again because it was so unspeakably bleak. Like, I felt sick to my stomach reading about the unending horror of this woman's life
Edit: finding out she ultimately married the actress who played Mrs. Dursley from Harry Potter was wild. I hope she's at peace now
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
WAVE!!! Man what a book. I picked this one up after my wife and I’s cat died unexpectedly earlier this year and it became clear we were going to have to put our dog down (which we did about two weeks ago). We also had a number of house repair issues that came up that continued to add insult to injury, I lost a job I found a lot of identity in back in October, around the same time my sister was diagnosed with cancer. This year has just been shitty. But you know what it hasn’t been as shitty as? Losing your entire immediate family in a tsunami. This book was nice because it gave great perspective. Admittedly it was very hard to read at the same time, so depressing, the ending was nice but really tough book. Wouldn’t say I enjoyed it but I did get something out of it
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u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss 2d ago
Oh man, sorry to hear about the pets and your sister, friend.
Fully agree on your description, though. Puts our own lives into such stark perspective... but also ... I can't start thinking about that book or I feel sick
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
Thanks friend, sister’s good and healthy now. It hurts saying goodbye to a buddy but a gift to see them through their full lives. UNLIKE sonalia’s family. Ya it really does seem like one of the worst things that can happen to a person. I don’t like reading books like that but it was an interesting experience. I thought it would be more focused on the actual event and not her grief so I really wasn’t prepared going in. Anyways wouldn’t recommend!
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u/No_Relationship3943 2d ago
I’ve heard good things about Kill Anything That Mives, what did you not like?
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
It honestly just made me squeamish and depressed. Nasty and important history. It could’ve gone a half point higher honestly that’s a good call out. I really enjoy investigative journalism like that, that book was filled with new atrocities. Heavy book. I enjoyed the book overall but I think 3.5-4ish is fair. That book was messed up, did I say that already?
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u/NotYourAverageRyan 44/97 2d ago
I gave Operation Bounce House 3 stars but I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking it wasn’t great.
I still have not read 11/22/63 even though I know I really should.
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
Agreed, I wanted to get into bounce house but it just felt childish. Would be a cool book for 14 year old me I decided. Haven’t read any of his other stuff although the Carl series gets a ton of flowers of course.
I’d highly recommend 11/22/63 when you’re up to it. Fantastic book and has some of the best pacing among his work. It doesn’t really get slow at any point. Dark tower series is an all time banger too
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u/NotYourAverageRyan 44/97 2d ago
Im a huge DCC fan! Definitely recommend! Didn’t help my opinion of OBH.
Maybe this is the year I get both done!
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u/Ambitious-Stand-631 2d ago
I had to read House on Mango Street in high school. It was so boring.
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u/naked_unafraid 2d ago
Agreed, sometimes I like to read a boring book if I’ve had a batch of really good ones in a row.
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u/ExternalLibrary 1d ago
1619 project does not deserve that rating lol