Below are my favorite reads from 2017.

Fiction

  • Reamde by Neal Stephenson – I have enjoyed every Neal Stephenson book I’ve read, and this is no exception. I’ve played a lot of online games over the years, so this book hooked me by starting off with a computer virus spread in an online game. It develops nicely from there.
  • The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein – Truly ahead of its time. This book felt modern with its space travel and artificial intelligence, but it was written in the 1950s!
  • Ancillary Justice by Leckie – This book has won a ton of awards so it is not too surprising that it is good. It has some really interesting ideas with AI and consciousness.

Series

  • Super Powereds by Drew Hayes – College kids with super powers. That’s a hell of a mashup. I found the three published books very entertaining. The characters were interesting, the scenarios were realistic, and the magic system was well thought out and balanced (which is not easy to do with super powers).

Non-fiction

  • The Path To Power and Means of Ascent by Robert Caro – These are the first two books in a long biography series about LBJ, one of America’s most interesting presidents. Ryan Holiday recommended these and I see why. Amazing character and great writing make these books easy to read. It helped me feel better about today’s political climate.
  • Ideal Team Player by Lencioni – Lencioni has carved out a niche with his leadership fables—basically, business books wrapped in a narrative. I’ve read most of his books now and they fit together really nicely. I want to be an ideal team player and this book gave me food for thought.
  • Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute – Another business book wrapped in a narrative. Peace is a great goal, so I was glad to learn more about how we can all overcome conflict and find peace.