2024: My Year in Reading

Ryan Mead

December 26, 2024

I started the year with the goal of reading and/or listening to 60 books and I ended the year reading 70. Moreover, I sought to read a wide variety of books that touched on numerous topics, genres, and perspectives. Below is a more detailed overview of what I read and what I thought.

The Year’s Best

James (2024) by Percival Everett: Listened to this on audio. This was definitely one of my favorite books this year. A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, it grants Jim true agency and explores the ways enslaved people resisted full subjugation, particularly through language. Everett holds true to some elements of the original story but diverges wildly, making it a fresh and insightful take. Highly recommended.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962) by Ken Kesey: Listened to this on audio. I loved it, and I loved it more than the movie, which I didn’t think was possible. Kesey’s story is an unforgettable look at power, individuality, and rebellion.
War and Peace (1869) by Leo Tolstoy: Listened to this on audio. I wanted to challenge myself, and it paid off. The first 20 hours were tough to get through, but by the end, I was fully immersed in Tolstoy’s epic narrative. This is not just an amazing story but also a profound piece of historical theory.
East of Eden (1952) by John Steinbeck: Listened to this on audio. While Steinbeck got mixed reviews when this book was released, I thought it was fantastic. He creates deeply memorable characters and fleshes them out with universal themes as he chronicles different families across generations.
Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century (1974) by Harry Braverman: Read this in print. I really liked this book and kick myself for not having read it earlier. Braverman challenges the idea that modern work requires more skill, showing instead how monopolistic capitalism and Frederick Taylor’s scientific management have “dumbed down” work. Despite being 50 years old, this book feels more relevant than ever in the age of automation and AI.
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (2023) by Tim Alberta: Listened to this on audio. This was one of my favorite books this year. Alberta, a child of an evangelical preacher, approaches the subject with both sympathy and critique. His exploration of the extremist turn within evangelicalism is deeply personal and insightful.
A Storm of Swords (2000) by George R.R. Martin: Listened to this on audio. This was my first time reading this book in the series, and I thought it was the best one. Packed with engaging twists and significant developments, it kept me hooked throughout.

Good, But Not Perfect

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (1959) by Alfred Lansing: Listened to this on audio. Wow. An amazing story of Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated 1914 attempt to cross the Antarctic and the incredible resilience of his crew.
Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury: Listened to this on audio. I read this book a while ago but didn’t remember many details beyond the burning of books. Revisiting it was worthwhile—it’s a haunting vision of authoritarianism that sits somewhere between Brave New World and 1984.
Light in August (1932) by William Faulkner: Listened to this on audio. I remember reading this in high school and liking it, but I couldn’t recall why. This time, I was captivated by its morally ambiguous characters, complex prose, and exploration of race, identity, and redemption.
The Reactionary Mind 2nd Edition: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Donald Trump (2017) by Corey Robin: Read this in print. One of my favorite books this year. Robin provides a deep, philosophical analysis of the historical evolution of conservatism. His argument that conservatism has always been fundamentally the same—and that Trump is no anomaly—is particularly pertinent today.
Modern Romance: An Investigation (2015) by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klineberg: Listened to this on audio. What happens when a curious comedian collaborates with a sociologist? You get a fantastic exploration of how romantic relationships have transformed over the last half-century, with insights into where they’re headed.
Elon Musk (2023) by Walter Isaacson: Listened to this on audio. A well-written, messy, and complex biography that neither Musk stans nor haters will entirely like. It tracks his life from childhood to his acquisition of Twitter in 2022.
The Man in the High Castle (1962) by Philip K. Dick: Listened to this on audio. I’ve read this book before but appreciated it more this time. Set in an alternate universe where the Nazis and Japanese won World War II, it explores fate, free will, and the subjectivity of reality, particularly through the I Ching.
A Game of Thrones (1996) by George R.R. Martin: Listened to this on audio. I’ve made several false starts trying to read this series, but I finally succeeded this year. Even on a third read, I remained engaged throughout the entire book.
A Clash of Kings (1998) by George R.R. Martin: Listened to this on audio. I started this immediately after finishing A Game of Thrones and found it equally engaging.
Night (1956) by Elie Wiesel: Listened to this on audio. I’d never read this book before, and I’m upset that it wasn’t assigned in a Holocaust literature class I took because it’s such a crucial read. Wiesel’s memoir is deeply moving and essential for everyone.

Decent, Not Memorable

Gilead (2004) by Marilynne Robinson: Listened to this on audio. A beautifully written letter from an elderly preacher to his young son, seamlessly transitioning between different time periods in his life. It touches on deep themes like theology and forgiveness, but I wasn’t fully invested in it.
Children of Ruin (2019) by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Listened to this on audio. The sequel to Children of Time, this series is one of the better science fiction series being written today. While I appreciated its focus on alien communication and interspecies cooperation, I didn’t find it particularly engaging.
A Feast for Crows (2005) by George R.R. Martin: Listened to this on audio. A definite step down from A Storm of Swords, but it’s still a solid entry in the series.
A Dance with Dragons (2011) by George R.R. Martin: Listened to this on audio. The last book in the series (for now). While it wasn’t as strong as the first three books, it’s better than the fourth.
The Courage to Be Disliked (2013) by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga: Listened to this on audio. I waited four months for this book to become available at the library. I enjoyed the dialogue format and its focus on Alfred Adler’s psychology, a field I wasn’t familiar with before reading.
Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America (2022) by Maggie Haberman: Listened to this on audio. What sets this book apart is Haberman’s long history of covering Trump—over 15 years—showcasing how his rise was shaped by New York City politics and media long before his presidency.
A Grief Observed (1961) by C.S. Lewis: Listened to this on audio. This book, written after Lewis lost his wife, explores grief in profound and deeply personal ways. Though I’m not a Christian like Lewis, I found much of it resonated with me.
Lovely One: A Memoir (2024) by Ketanji Brown Jackson: This was the last book I read this year and one that is hard to place because I haven’t had time to ruminate. I didn’t know much about Jackson except for slanted media coverage during her Supreme Court hearings. However, I was delighted to listen to this book to see how seemingly normal her life has been. Jackson is simply a nerd who is extremely curious and loves to learn. More than that, she is undoubtedly extremely qualified for the Supreme Court position she was nominated for. I think that upon further reflection, this book will rise in my rankings.
All Systems Red (2017) by Martha Wells: Listened to this on audio. The first book in the Murderbot series. It’s fun, whimsical, and action-packed, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression beyond being entertaining.
Artificial Condition (2018) by Martha Wells: Listened to this on audio. The second book in the Murderbot series. Similar to the first book—fun and engaging, but it doesn’t add much to the series as a whole.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021) by Malinda Lo: Listened to this on audio. I read this book because a student recommended it. Initially, I wasn’t too excited, but by the end, I was really engaged. It skillfully balances an examination of larger historical forces with an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story.

Challenging, But Insightful

The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution (1938) by C.L.R. James: Began the year with this audiobook, having read sections of it before but never the entire work. James provides a Marxist historical account of one of the modern era’s most pivotal yet overlooked revolutions: the Haitian Revolution.
The Sociological Imagination (1959) by C. Wright Mills: Reread this in print and consider it one of the most important sociological works of the 20th century. Mills critiques abstract grand theory and statistical analysis, refocusing on the intersection of biography and history.
Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water (1986) by Marc Reisner: Listened to this on audio. Having read it previously, I appreciated its expanded history of water development in the western United States and the contradictions it reveals.
God, Grades, and Graduation: Religion’s Surprising Impact on Academic Success (2022) by Ilana Horwitz: Listened to this on audio. While this is a typical sociological study focusing on individual case studies, I found the findings extremely interesting and thought-provoking.
Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective (1963) by Peter Berger: Listened to this on audio. This book has an emotional connection for me and works as a great companion to Mills’s The Sociological Imagination, highlighting the ways sociology was reconceptualized in the mid-20th century.
Never Enough: When Achievement Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It (2023) by Jennifer Breheny Wallace: Listened to this on audio. While aimed at parents of schoolchildren, this book is extremely important and applicable to college students and professionals as well.
How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life (45 AD) by Marcus Tullius Cicero: Listened to this on audio. A short but important piece of ancient wisdom on how to approach aging and make the most of it.
Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning (2019) by Pooja Agarwal and Patrice Bain: Read this in print. One of the best books on teaching I’ve read in a long time, with practical and impactful insights on how students learn.
The Radicalism of the American Revolution (1992) by Gordon S. Wood: Listened to this on audio. Wood’s historical focus on the early American Republic argues against those who downplay the transformative nature of the American Revolution.
Regulating the Poor: The Functions of Public Welfare (1971) by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward: Read this in print. A classic in sociology. Piven and Cloward’s argument that welfare serves as a tool of political control is highly pertinent, though I found parts of the book difficult to follow.
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951) by Eric Hoffer: Read this in print. While somewhat simplistic, Hoffer offers valuable insights into what drives individuals to join mass movements, regardless of their moral or ideological foundations.
Dare to Lead (2018) by Brené Brown: Listened to this on audio. I’m looking forward to reading this in print. While I loved the focus on vulnerability and leadership, I think it’s a book that could be misapplied if taken out of context.
How to Build a Non-Anxious Life (2023) by John Delony: Listened to this on audio. While Delony’s approach isn’t for everyone, I find his insights practical and applicable to my life.

Something Off

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain: Listened to this on audio. I remember reading a children’s novelization as a kid and seeing the Elijah Wood movie, but this was my first time revisiting the full text. While whimsical, it’s a difficult book to get through. Twain critiques slavery and America’s racist institutions, but the casual use of racial slurs and Jim’s treatment, particularly at the end, left me with mixed feelings. It’s one of the most racist anti-racist books I’ve ever read.
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (2001) by Barbara Ehrenreich: Listened to this on audio. While somewhat dated, Ehrenreich’s observations on poverty and work still hold up today.
Moving Up Without Losing Your Way: The Ethical Costs of Upward Mobility (2019) by Jennifer Morton: Listened to this on audio. I liked how this book challenges the traditional narrative of college access for impoverished students, exploring the complexities of upward mobility and its impacts on individuals and their communities.
Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn (2021) by Barbara Oakley, Beth Rogoswsky, and Terrence J. Sejnowski: Read this in print. I admire Oakley’s work, but if you’ve read one of her books, you’ve read them all. This one felt repetitive.
“Doing School”: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students (2001) by Denise Clark Pope: Read this in print. A series of case studies showing how schools have shifted from focusing on learning to prioritizing accreditation. This institutional turn has led to increased stress and system manipulation. The book still holds up.
The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All—But There is a Solution (2023) by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott: Listened to this on audio. I initially found this book valuable despite its right-leaning slant, but after seeing the authors present their arguments, I became more critical of their oversimplified viewpoint.
The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World From Scratch (2014) by Lewis Dartnell: Listened to this on audio. A fun book, but I wasn’t impressed overall. I finished it feeling that it would have been better to read in print.
Outliers: The Story of Success (2008) by Malcolm Gladwell: Listened to this on audio. I apparently read this before but didn’t remember it. While it has some good ideas, they aren’t explored in depth, and Gladwell’s interpretation of the 10,000-hour rule is particularly problematic.
How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them (2018) by Jason Stanley: Read this in print. While I sympathize with Stanley’s arguments, the book often reads more like a partisan attack than an in-depth or nuanced critique.
Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future (2024) by Jason Stanley: Listened to this on audio. A fascinating historical look at the intersections of fascism and education, but it leans heavily into political arguments against the right wing, making it feel more polemical than historical.
Tyranny of the Minority (2023) by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt: Listened to this on audio. While the argument against minority rule, particularly through the Electoral College and Senate, is solid, it doesn’t bring much new to the debate.
Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (2022) by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò: Listened to this on audio. I was initially disappointed but appreciated Táíwò’s analysis of elite capture and his critique of standpoint epistemology, though I still have reservations.
Why Liberalism Failed (2018) by Patrick Deneen: Read this in print. Deneen’s argument that liberalism has always been a failed project, not because it went awry but because it succeeded, is intriguing. However, his critique falls flat when addressing the protection of minority rights and other social advancements.
Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (2024) by Salman Khan: Listened to this on audio but plan to reread in print. While the book is essentially a glorified advertisement for Khan Academy’s Khanmigo AI tool, it offers important insights into how education is being transformed by AI. I appreciated the direction Khan provides, though I would have liked a more critical examination of the potential downsides.
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness (2024) by Jonathan Haidt: Listened to this on audio. While I don’t agree with Haidt’s technological determinism, and he isn’t the first to write on this topic, the book effectively highlights the scope of the problem. It’s a good starting point for understanding the mental health challenges facing today’s youth.

Didn’t Meet Expectations

The Stranger (1942) by Albert Camus: Listened to this on audio. I was excited to read this for the first time, but I found it underwhelming. While the existential themes were clear, the story didn’t engage me as much as I’d hoped.
God Emperor of Dune (1981) by Frank Herbert: Listened to this on audio. On one hand, this was the most interesting book in the Dune series, with Leto II’s philosophizing offering plenty to think about. On the other hand, I didn’t feel there was much story or emotional connection to the characters.
Ceremony (1977) by Leslie Marmon Silko: Listened to this on audio. I first read this in grad school over 15 years ago and found it difficult to follow then, and that impression hasn’t changed. I wasn’t impressed.
Solaris (1961) by Stanislaw Lem: Listened to this on audio. Although this book is considered a classic and has compelling ideas and themes, I struggled to connect with it.
The Old Man and the Sea (1952) by Ernest Hemingway: Listened to this on audio. A well-written story of perseverance and dignity in the face of insurmountable odds, but it didn’t captivate me.
Rendezvous with Rama (1973) by Arthur C. Clarke: Listened to this on audio. I’ve read this book before and liked it then, but revisiting it now, I don’t hold it in as high regard as others do.
Annihilation (2014) by Jeff VanderMeer: Listened to this on audio. I’d heard great things about this series, especially its existential horror elements, but I wasn’t impressed. I kept searching for reasons to like it instead of enjoying it naturally.
The Message (2024) by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Listened to this on audio. Coates organizes the essays in this book as a letter to his writing students. While much of the discussion has centered on his analysis of the Israel-Palestine conflict, I was more impressed with his chapter on school curriculum and his experience attending a South Carolina school board meeting on critical race theory.
Kamala’s Way: An American Life (2021) by Dan Morain: Listened to this on audio. I didn’t know much about Kamala Harris beyond her high-profile moments in the 2020 presidential primaries and Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. Unfortunately, this book didn’t provide much insight into her motivations, leaving me wishing I had read her autobiography instead.
Fight Club (1996) by Chuck Palahniuk: Listened to this on audio. I never read the book before but have a very personal connection to the movie. While I liked the book, this is a rare case where the movie is definitely better.

Struggled to Finish

Acceptance (2014) by Jeff VanderMeer: Listened to this on audio. See my comment on Annihilation. I found it hard to stay engaged and struggled to finish.
Authority (2014) by Jeff VanderMeer: Listened to this on audio. See my comment on Annihilation. It didn’t improve on the elements I found lacking in the first book.
Heretics of Dune (1984) by Frank Herbert: Listened to this on audio. I found this to be the weakest book in Herbert’s original six-book Dune series. It felt unnecessary and overly pulpy compared to the earlier installments.
Chapterhouse Dune (1985) by Frank Herbert: Listened to this on audio. While it’s an improvement over Heretics of Dune, it still didn’t reach the quality of the earlier books in the series.