Books I Loved Reading in 2024

The page lists several books the author loved reading in 2024 and explains, for each one, what made it stand out. The reasons range from Cicero’s elegant prose and Hadot’s use of philosophy for living better, to technical books on logic, biographies, essays, fiction, and Nietzsche’s aphorisms.

Reading notes

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• Cicero’s letters are valued for their insight into Roman life and for prose that stays vivid even in translation.
• Mathematical Logic for Computer Science is described as difficult but rewarding, especially for its first-principles approach.
• Philosophy as a Way of Life is presented as a book about using philosophy to refine oneself and live better.
• Oresteia is praised for its treatment of justice, vengeance, and social order.
• Principles of the SPIN Model Checker is described as demanding but useful, with tools that help explain verification.
• Born Standing Up is treated as a candid memoir about struggle, practice, persistence, and later recognition.
• Less Than One is noted for essays that offer deep literary insight and fresh angles on familiar writers.
• A Wizard of Earthsea is appreciated for its plot structure and for lines that linger on evil, shadow, and light.
• The Best of Tagore is valued for essays and plays on education, nationalism, and action in the world.
• The Strangest Man is presented as a biography of Dirac that captures both his character and his scientific contributions.
• The argumentative Indian argues that Indian history contains a strong argumentative tradition and discusses colonial bias and figures such as Tagore and Satyajit Ray.
• Human, All Too Human is read as a sharp, aphoristic book that pushes scrutiny, free spirit, and careful thought.