I’ve done this every year since the start of the blog back in 2013. Here’s my list of favorite books I read in 2024:
Non-Fiction
Boom: Bubbles and the End of Stagnation by Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber
I’ve never thought of the Manhattan Project as a technological bubble but this book makes a good case for it. The book is worth it for that chapter alone.
I wrote about the book here.
Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino’s first non-fiction book was an ode to the movies he grew up watching in the 1970s. His love of film is evident with every review.
Tarantino’s parents took him to movies starting at age six or so. I loved this line:
At some point, when I realized I was seeing movies other parents weren’t letting their children see, I asked my mom about it. She said, “Quentin, I worry more about you watching the news. A movie’s not going to hurt you.”
Reading about the movies he loves was interesting, but the criticisms of other directors and writers were refreshingly honest and candid.
I hadn’t even seen many of these movies he writes about but it was still worth reading to better understand the way Tarantino thinks about movies and story-telling.
How to Retire by Christine Benz
This is a book of interviews with some of the foremost experts on retirement planning. It runs the gamut of what I think will be one of the most important financial planning topics of the coming 2-3 decades.
I spoke about the book with Christine here.
Tightwads and Spendthrifts by Scott Rick
The most important yet least talked about topic in personal finance is spending.
Sure, plenty of personal finance experts write about savings and being frugal but knowing how to spend is different than knowing how to save. Most people put very little thought into spending the right way.
Rick goes deep on the psychology behind spending choices and the different types of spenders depending on your emotional make-up.
More here.
The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen
I’m a big fruit guy so we eat a lot of bananas in my house. It always blows my mind how cheap they are.
This book tells the story of how bananas came to be one of the cheapest fruits on the planet. It’s hard to believe but bananas didn’t become a fixture at the grocery store until the early 20th century.
Sam Zemurray is one of the most incredible entrepreneurs I have ever read about, and Cohen’s recounting of his story is excellent.
Losing the Signal by Jacquie McNish, Sean Silcoff
Blackberry is one of the better business movies I’ve seen in a while. The movie led me to the book it was based on.
It seems obvious now that the iPhone changed the world forever but the Blackberry was massive before Steve Jobs ate their lunch.
There are a lot of good lessons about start-ups, innovation, creating a kickass product, and the paradox of success in business.
Hits, Flops and Other Illusions by Ed Zwick
I’m a sucker for Hollywood stories.
Zwick is a movie director with stories about Denzel, Tom Cruise, Leo, Julia Roberts, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and more.
Plus, he offers the best advice he’s gotten in the entertainment business.
You Weren’t Supposed to See That by Josh Brown
The Reformed Broker is the first finance blog I ever read on a regular basis. Reading Josh every day and eventually working with him completely changed my career.
This book is a walk down memory lane with some of Josh’s most important blog posts, along with updated commentary and context.
The last chapter is full of personal stories I’ve never heard before too.
No one in finance writes like Josh.
Fiction
Sideways by Rex Pickett
Sideways is one of my favorite movies of all-time. It ages like a fine wine (pun intended).
I never realized it was based on a novel so I finally read it this year. The book was excellent too.
There were some similarities and some differences from the movie but I thoroughly enjoyed this as a companion piece. Books always provide more depth to the characters, so it was nice to read about their motivations and backstories.
I never realized the term Sideways refers to being drunk off wine.
I also enjoyed the follow-up Sideways Oregon and am currently reading the third installment, Sideways Chile.
Heat 2 by Michael Mann
Here’s another movie-related book which seems to be a running theme this year.
Heat is hands down the best heist movie ever made. I’m not a fan of the sequel treatment for the classics so I was a little nervous about Heat 2.
But I really liked this book. It was both a prequel and a sequel to the movie. I had a hard time putting this one down.
Now I can’t wait for the movie version.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
I’m a sucker for time travel.
This book starts in the past, fast forwards to the future, and weaves in stories that are seemingly unrelated, but then it all comes together.
This is the kind of book that takes some time to pull you in but once it does it’s hard to put it down.
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
I’m a sucker for mysteries too.
This is the kind of book that immediately sucks you in and then you can’t wait to get to the end to figure out the twist.
The twist usually isn’t as good as the build-up but this one was satisfying.
Three Inch Teeth by CJ Box
I’m guessing the Joe Pickett books by CJ Box hold the record for most appearances on my annual reading list.
This was book #25 in the series.
It’s typically a bad sign when an author brings back a bad guy they’ve already used in the past but Dallas Cates getting out of jail worked in this one.
This is still my favorite regular series.
Further Reading:
The Best Books I Read in 2023