Reading List 2018

A look back at what I read in 2018, split into fiction and non-fiction books. You can see my previous years 2015, 2016, and 2017.

You can see my Goodreads Year in Books 2018 for the full list. I set out with the goal to read 25 books in the year and ended up reading 27, for a total of 8,667 pages.

Fiction

I've enjoyed other Doctorow books like Little Brother and Homeland, but Walkaway was disappointing. The book is filled with long explanatory dialogues that derail the story - simple questions turn into 10-page lectures on social theory. The awkward character names (like 'Hubert, Etc') and confusing pronoun usage make it hard to follow conversations. While the premise seemed interesting, I abandoned it 30% in due to the difficult writing and lack of plot.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Neil Gaiman

★★★★

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The Waste Lands

Stephen King

★★★

Season of the Witch

David Talbot

★★★

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Cannery Row

John Steinbeck

★★★

Non-Fiction

Gamestorming

Dave Gray

★★★★

A practical guide for running effective business meetings and workshops by framing them as games with clear rules and objectives. The structured approach helps get everyone aligned while keeping things engaging. Get the physical copy rather than Kindle - it works better as a reference book to flip through when planning meetings.

Design Is Storytelling

Ellen Lupton

★★★

The book is visually appealing with its vibrant graphics and high-quality printing. However, the design concepts presented are mostly familiar and based on common knowledge, offering little new insight. The book is well-organized and flows so may be beneficial for those less with less experience. Personally, I was expecting a deeper exploration of the topics.

Clapton: The Autobiography

Eric Clapton

★★★

I enjoy Eric Clapton's music but wouldn't consider myself a fan. I found his life surprisingly fascinating. Known for his mellow Unplugged era, his earlier years were wild with drugs, alcohol, and recovery. The book details his rock star life and numerous connections. While it sometimes delves too deeply into recording and production details, it serves as a historical record.

Technically Wrong

Sara Wachter-Boettcher

★★★★

A really good book covering the biases in technology, algorithms, and problems with Silicon Valley. The first half seemed more practical and applicable around forms biases and design you might not think about. The second half of the book was good, but around news stories of tech firms behaving badly; most of which were already familiar and a bit less actionable.

Linocut for Artists & Designers

Nick Morley

★★★★

A great intro book to Linocut. It covers all the materials, tools, and techniques for creating linocut prints. A nice touch is including a few spotlights on other linocut artists who talk about their background, technique, and process. A good amount of photos and step-by-step examples.

The Ohlone Way

Malcolm Margolin

★★★★

A good look at the lives of the Ohlone people who lived in the Bay Area before the Spaniards arrived. The book looks at all the aspects of life from gathering food, to marriage, and medicine.

Marcus Kazmierczak

Reading List 2018

Fiction

Dragon and Soldier

Dragon and Thief

Heir to the Empire

Wizard and Glass

Childhood's End

HIDDENSEE

The Light of the Fireflies

The Great Passage

Still Waters

Walkaway

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Waste Lands

Season of the Witch

Cannery Row

Non-Fiction

Gamestorming

Thinking With Type

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

Design Is Storytelling

Clapton: The Autobiography

A Higher Standard

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Technically Wrong

Linocut for Artists & Designers

The Ohlone Way