My favourite books of 2021
If you are looking to pick up books this year, check out the books that I loved in 2021.
Hello readers,
This is a list of books that I loved reading in 2021 in no particular order. (I find it hard to compare books of different genres, let alone rate them in order)
1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Reading this book was such a bizarre experience. The story is told from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome, high functioning autism and Savant syndrome. It plunges you into the world of children suffering from learning disorders. I saw the world from Christopher’s eyes and it blew my mind. Things that come naturally to us may not make sense to everyone.
I loved it when Christopher sidetracked into seemingly random topics like the Orion constellation or the Monty Hall problem. I love that the chapter numbers are all prime numbers. There are references to Dune and The Hound of Baskerville of Sherlock Holmes.
Christopher saw people, relationships and conflict in a very different way because of his condition and it made me think about them as well.
Favourite Quote from the Book:
Sometimes we get sad about things and we don’t like to tell other people that we are sad about them. We like to keep it a secret. Or sometimes, we are sad but we really don’t know why we are sad, so we say we aren’t sad but we really are.
Buy it on Amazon.
2. The Brain: The Story of You by David Eagleman
I love reading Popular Science books. The Brain is a book that anyone can pick up. It is a great place to start if you are looking to read into Neurology. It reminded me that my brain is a complex ecosystem that is keeping me alive and well.
The Brain talks about who we are at a fundamental level. It explores the nature of reality. It talks about the human senses which are one of my favourite topics of discussion.
David Eagleman explores the future of the human race. It fascinates me how technology is going to enable a direct physical connection with the brain. I’m optimistic about where Elon Musk’s Neuralink is going.
Favourite Quote from the Book:
We think of color as a fundamental quality of the world around us. But in the outside world, color doesn’t actually exist. When electromagnetic radiation hits an object, some of it bounces off and is captured by our eyes. We can distinguish between millions of combinations of wavelengths — but it is only inside our heads that any of this becomes color. Color is an interpretation of wavelengths, one that only exists internally
Buy it on Amazon.
3. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Oh, the magic of Murakami! After reading Norwegian Wood, I finally understood the Murakami hype. It is a love story if you break it down. But it is way more than just a love story.
Norwegian Wood is a dreamy, ethereal story. Based in 60s Japan, it is a story revolving around Toru and Naoko, both in their late teens. Norwegian Wood has romance, passion, friendship, denial, grief, death and a wide gamut of emotions of someone going through college.
It is dark and depressing like dark clouds over a mountain. But there is plenty of sunlight too. There is a road with past and death, and another with future and life. It all depends on what road you take. The book will make you think. It is a book that must be read slowly.
Favourite Quote from the Book:
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
Buy it on Amazon.
4. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
After reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I have started looking at money differently. It has changed how I plan my personal finances.
I had a lot of takeaways from this book. It was an eye-opener when I understood that the Rich do not work for money. Before any expense, I ask myself if it is an asset or liability.
Robert Kiyosaki explains how the Rich invent money. There are detailed explanations about Cash Flow Management, People Management and Taxes which will definitely help anyone.
Favourite Quote from the Book:
Learn to use your emotions to think, not think with your emotions.
Buy it on Amazon.
5. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens is one of the most highly rated Non-Fiction Books currently in circulation.
Sapiens reminded me of my ignorance about my own species. It amazed me how homo sapiens are so similar to other species on this planet and yet so different.
Sapiens tells a story of how we as humans have reached where we are today. Yuval Noah Harari is a fantastic storyteller. Humans have the ability to believe in abstract concepts like Religion, Capitalism, Status and Wealth which do not exist physically. The author has explained how self-preservation has enabled humans to reach where we are today and how it is the bane of our happiness.
Favourite Quote from the Book:
There are no gods, no nations, no money and no human rights, except in our collective imagination.
Buy it on Amazon.
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