139 🦊 The best books I read this year
Personal annual review, journaling with watercolor, and the best books I read this year.
Hey friends,
A warm welcome to almost two hundred new subscribers that joined since my last edition! Huge thanks to Creative Mornings for featuring my work. Thanks to all of you for joining me on my creative journey—I hope you like it here. (If you’d like a look at my past writing, hop over to my blog.)
Onward!
Annual Review
For many years now, I've been doing a personal annual review at the end of the year. But last year, I skipped it—I was just too overwhelmed emotionally. One of the biggest challenges was the loss of my cat Scooby. This month marks the one-year anniversary of his passing. I still miss him every day. He was such a special cat, I had published a tribute post about him: So long, sweet Scooby.
This week, I resumed the practice and spent a full day doing a personal annual review. I used Ness Labs’ annual review template, but I’ve also used YearCompass in the past. If you’re looking to do your own review, I’d check them out.
It was a heavy process, and by the end of the day, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Still, I’m glad I did it.
It’s always tough to look back at things when life is heavy. But after doing it, I feel a little lighter. I feel proud for taking the time to honor what I’ve been through. If nothing else, I was able to give myself a little kudos just for getting through it.
A Year in Sketches
Recently I switched from digital journaling over to using paper and pen. I really love the process of doing it by hand.
Additionally, paper journaling has made the process of looking back more enjoyable. I often find myself flipping through my journal and smiling at what I have written or sketched. Drawing a moment really helps imprint it into my memory, and looking at past entries helps reinforce that. I feel like I’m being much more present, compared to when I just stroll through life taking the occasional photo on my phone.
I also use my journal as a space to practice animal drawing and watercolor painting, which has been really fun.
Here are a few sketches from this year:
Favorite Books of 2024
Every year, I publish a list of the best books I read that year. You can read my past lists from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.
Onto this year’s favorites:
Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton — A book I won’t soon forget. Each story offers an intimate portrait of the author’s close encounters with wild animals. The animals are the main characters in these tales, and you quickly find yourself empathizing with their struggles. The stories are heartbreaking, as the outcomes are often their demise, thanks to the cruelty of humans. Ironically, the author is a tracker people hire to hunt the animals, but he finds himself sympathizing and even helping them. Published in 1898, I think this is one of the first books that really told stories of animals as beings like us, rather than background of nature.
Wilderness by Rockwell Kent — A story of a man who moves to Alaska to build a new life at the turn of the century. He takes his young son with him, and they learn to connect with nature, build for themselves, and appreciate a life of beautiful simplicity despite isolation. It inspired me to plan more solitary trips among nature in the future. For more on the book, read Maria Popova’s lovely post on it.
The Mysterion by Kabir Helminski — A beautiful introduction to the Sufi lens on spirituality, exploring how to find connection with our inner selves and those around us in an increasingly disconnected world. What stands out most about Kabir’s writing is his practical approach to understanding the nature of Self and managing our inner world. His perspective resonates with the philosophical clarity of Alan Watts, making complex spiritual concepts accessible. For those curious about the wisdom behind Rumi’s poetry or seeking to learn more about Sufism, this book serves as an excellent entry point. I wrote about my experience reading the physical edition of this book in my post, Pencil’s Purpose.
Cathedral by Raymond Carver — There are short stories, and then there are Carver short stories. He’s just a level above the rest, and this collection is no exception. Every story is a treat.
Short Shorts: An Anthology of the Shortest Stories by Irving Howe and Ilana Wiener Howe — What sets this anthology apart is its consistently exceptional quality. Unlike many short story collections that mix brilliant pieces with mediocre ones, this collection captivated me from the very first story. The anthology features literary giants like Tolstoy, Chekhov, Guy de Maupassant, and Augusto Monterroso, maintaining a high standard throughout that keeps readers engaged.
Make Something Wonderful by Steve Jobs Archive — A refreshingly direct window into Steve Jobs’s mind through his own words, curated by the Steve Jobs Archive. Rather than another biographical interpretation, this collection presents Jobs’s actual speeches and talks, allowing his authentic voice to shine through. The book pairs beautifully with The Lost Interview, filmed after his departure from Apple, where Jobs shows a particularly reflective and candid side. Both resources provide invaluable insights into his thinking and perspective, unfiltered by intermediaries.
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck — A fascinating and provocative short novel that explores the question of what happens after we die, the existence of God and how different religions, the nature of the infinite, and more. It gripped me from start to finish.
Foster by Claire Keegan — I read this through a recommendation from Eliot Peper’s 2024 books list. I finished it in a few hours in a single sitting. It’s a beautiful portrait of a child with many siblings, in a house where she does not get the love she deserves. She is dropped off at her aunt’s house and the story explores her journey of discovering what it means to be loved and appreciated.
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