Since the year 2021, I try to read at least 26 books per year. So far, I’ve succeeded in this goal. Prior to the 2020s, I had never found the inner peace or concentration to finish a book. But when in 2020 Covid-19 hit, I had to spend a lot of time alone. During this period, I discovered I love being alone. I decided not to drink any alcohol, and in doing so, revealed to myself that it was this that destroyed my attention and focus. Now, I’m a dedicated bibliophile.
For this article, I will award the best and worst books I’ve read this year. Some of them were page-turners, others duds. According to the app Goodreads, I’ve read 7683 pages in total over the last 12 months. The average book length was 274 pages, and I gave an average rating of 3.4 on a scale of 5.
1. The Shortest Book
The shortest book I read was an autobiographical entry in the oeuvre of Belgian poet Jotie T’Hooft, “De Heer van de Poorten”. At 75 pages short, it doesn’t take hours to finish. However, I was amazed by the content. This young Poet commited suicide before turning 21 years old, and declares an obsession with death from early age. He saw dying as a positive thing. He spend most of his life going in and out of institutions, and suffered from a heroin addiction.
2. The Longest Book
The longest book is the third book I read in the same year from Dr. Gabor Maté, “The Myth of Normal”. I have a kinship with the author. Just like him, my grandmother, godfather and aunt fled Hungary in 1956 due to the Russian revolt. Due to the stressful times of war, both me and my godfather inherited ADD from a stressed-out mother figure. The same goes for Dr. Maté himself.
3. The Most Popular Book
“Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari is shelved most on the app Goodreads, with 2,445,085 people who want to read it. It’s a brilliant masterpiece that takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the history of humankind. Yuval Noah Harari’s captivating storytelling and insightful analysis shed light on the complexities of our species, challenging our perspectives and deepening our understanding of what it means to be human. This book is an eye-opening exploration that deserves the highest praise.
4. The Least Popular Book
“De Heer van de Poorten” by Jotie T’Hooft is the least popular, being shelved by only 15 users of the Goodreads app. Jotie T’Hooft’s poetry is a haunting and raw reflection of the human experience. His words penetrate the depths of emotions, unraveling the complexities of life, love, and pain. T’Hooft’s unique style and powerful imagery create a mesmerizing and unforgettable reading experience. This pamflet isn’t poetry but sheds a light on his life.
5. The Best Book
A tendency I recognize in this article is that the same books seem to return over and over. In 2023, I was pleased most by the works of Yuval Noah Harari. Both “Sapiens” as “Homo Deus” left a huge impression on me. If I have to name a Winner, I’d go with “Sapiens”, simply because it didn’t leave such a bitter taste in my mouth as the other book did. I’m still dealing with how to live after reading the follow-up book.
6. The Worst Book
What was I thinking when I rented “Hegel in 90 Minutes”? It’s an awful interpretation of the great philosopher’s work, written as if by an uninterested student who was forced to make an essay about his subject. Short-sighted, smug, and uninspired are a few words I can throw at this abomination. In short: a real embarrasment for the author.
7. The Most Inspiring Book
“Man’s Search For Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl is a masterclass in inspirational lecture. Whatever problems you’re dealing with in your life, they dissapear into thin air after reading about the inhuman horrors the people in concentration camps had to endure. And if Dr. Frankl can stay upbeat in the face of such injustice, so can you!
8. The Mixed-Feelings Book
“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom left me scratching my head. I was intensely inspired by our protagonist and real-life hero Morrie. I truly love this book, but with some reservations. I have doubts about the author’s intentions. Did he use Morrie for fame and fortune, or did he really care about his former teacher, and visited him for the right reasons? These conflicting feelings stayed with my throughout 2023.
9. The Derailing Book
“You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise L. Hay starts well enough. As a self-help book, I got something out of the first chapters. But then, out of nowhere, the book took a 180° turn. Hay destroyed in a matter of pages all her credibility with some very controversial, unsubstantiated claims. It turns into a complete head-scratcher.
10. The Best Self-Help Book
“Man’s Search For Meaning” will teach you the most important life lessons, like gratitude and the power of positive thinking. Once you’ve read the book, it stays etched into your soul. Only near the end of the book, when he writes about paradoxical intention, does he suggest something that might not be for me. I tried this technique but it didn’t work. But hey, maybe I didn’t do it right.
11. The Worst Self-Help Book
“The 4-Hour Body” by Timothy Ferriss is problematic in some cases and dangerous in other. Avoid this book entirely if you want to improve your physical and mental health. He advices to implement a cheatday once a week in which he claims one might even down an entire keg with no problem, as long as you stay on diet for the other 6 days. He drinks wine during his cheatday, but chooses the least calorically dense red wines like Pinot Noir for the other days. So, you can still drink alcohol on normal days, no worries.
Conclusion
2023 had many interesting books to offer, but I consider stepping up my game and tackle more difficult lecture for the coming year. I already started in:
• Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts
• Hidden Potential, Adam Grant
• Exercised, Daniel Lieberman
• Ho’oponopono, dr. Luc Bodin
And hope to add books by Carl G. Jung, Robert Greene, Richard Dawkins, William Burroughs, William Faulkner and Marcus Aurelius to next year’s list. I can’t wait to dig in again!
