My (Favorite) Reads of 2021
“A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.”
- Charles Baudelaire
Favorite in parenthesis because I didn’t read a lot of books this year sadly.
Following my yearly tradition of discussing books I enjoyed within the year, I will be discussing the few I managed to get through.
I had a really interesting year, by interesting I mean chaotic and wonderful at the same time. I was able to do things that Gigi from 2020 would be shocked to hear and I’m grateful for my growth. Not everything went as planned, my reading plan is one of those things but I believe 2022 brings with it a fresh opportunity to try again.
So, here are the books I was able to cover this year!
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
I think this was my third attempt at finishing this book and this time, I did!
Walter Isaacson did an excellent job of telling the stories of remarkable innovators like Ada Lovelace, Bill Gates, Linus Torvalds, Alan Turing, Steve Jobs, and others.
I think his book could serve as a crash course on the evolution of computer science taking you from the beginning discussing Lovelace and Babbage’s contributions, transistors, the internet boom, and how all these contributions over the years came together to the time we are now, discussing artificial intelligence…I guess if a recent edition is made it would cover the metaverse and blockchain, lol.
Saying this book wasn’t boring at times would be a lie but I have to admit that the more pages I read, the more everything added up and made sense.
I guess I’d say the little war between open source and closed source discussed in the book a bit is my favorite part. If you read it, you’d probably understand why.
Anyway, this gave me a deep appreciation for how technology has evolved so much over decades and reminds me that our future with its unique problems will definitely be a very exciting one.
The Love Hypothesis (The Love Hypothesis #1)
Ah yes, I was going through a period where I didn’t want to read anything so in my attempt to cure my reader’s block, I decided to try a romance novel. After doing a quick search on Goodreads for something suitable, I came across this book. It looked great and since my best friend had also read and loved it, I decided to give it a shot.
What’s better than a romance novel written about a Ph.D. student’s accident turned crush turned if this happened the other way round, it would count as harassment if the party wasn’t cute? But what do I know? 😁
Reading for leisure hasn’t been something that I do a lot now but this was worth it and it was nice reading about how these Ph.D. things go. Speaking of Ph.D. romances I think I’ve read something similar before, Real Life by Brandon Taylor.
I guess it gave me some brief insights as to how it’s like working as a researcher, the struggles women may go through in the space, and how romance can somehow find a way into this weird mix of science and the complexities that come with navigating society.
I did find it amusing that this was based off on Adam Driver fanfiction. Look at the cover.
We’re Going to Need More Wine
Gabrielle Union’s book takes you through experiences and mistakes as a young black girl trying to get through school to the amazing woman she is today with her own share of challenges she’s experienced along the way. This book is one of those unputdownable types that leave you wanting more and more.
Her sense of humor is amazing and the book gives this down-to-earth, big sister vibe with just the right amount of cussing.
I really enjoyed it and it was worth reading.
You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories
by Gabrielle Union, Kevin Carr O’Leary
I enjoyed the first book so I was super excited that she wrote another. This was another set of detailed essays giving insights into her life, career, relationships, family, and others.
At the end of the day, we’re all humans navigating different problems and seeking the best ways to enjoy life while making necessary sacrifices.
Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad
I didn’t read a lot of Nigerian novels growing up and when I did read them I had to read them for school. This led to my distaste for Nigerian novels which followed me into adulthood but I’m trying to change.
As another attempt at curing my reader’s block, I decided to give this book a go. It’s a collection of somewhat relatable relationship stories that you’ve probably experienced yourself or heard from someone else with twists here and there. It’s also short making for a quick read.
Relationships in Lagos must be really something. 😂
Explaining Humans: What Science Can Teach Us about Life, Love, and Relationships
by Camilla Pang
I’m going to unashamedly post books that I started but didn’t finish 😂:
- Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam M. Grant
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel, Blake Masters
- The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson
Podcasts
Better listened to than described. 😉
- The Diary of a CEO
- The Anthropocene Reviewed
- Founders: I think this is probably my favorite podcast at this point considering I’ve mentioned it more than once and it’s my go-to when I want to read but too lazy to do that. David Senra does an awesome job at summarizing biographies and making references to other relevant people/texts.
I think people read books for different reasons, sometimes for leisure or a chance to learn from the lives and experiences of great people before us. I read mostly non-fiction now and biographies are my favorite. I think it’s because I see them as novels with real characters.😂
I’m currently going through reading lists and compiling names of books I’d like to read next year. I’m open to suggestions really and I hope I’ll have more to talk about with an improved writing style. 😊
That said, if you’re a Goodreads kind of person, you can follow me if you like :)
See you next year!
