With summer just around the corner, here are some recommendations for books I’ve read over the past twelve months (for several years now, I’ve given every book I read a rating out of five stars). I don’t know why, but the 2023-2024 vintage was particularly rich! To limit the list, I therefore stick to those that I rated five stars. I also tried to classify them into fairly broad categories.
History
The Israeli-Palestinian war that has been going on for several months has encouraged me to find books that deal with Israel and the Middle East. Here are three:
Le défi de Jérusalem, Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt. Very well written by this author whom I have loved for ages, this book is a source of reflection on religion and spirituality.
Israel, a Concise History of a Nation Reborn, Daniel Gordis. The author does an excellent job of explaining the history of the creation and evolution of the state of Israel. It presents the country’s extraordinary progress, and the major challenges that still await it.
The Little Liar, Mitch Albom. This is a very beautiful novel about the Holocaust. So many lies have been told about this great tragedy and yet the truth is obvious.
Le naufrage des civilisations, Amin Maalouf. For a lucid look at the recent history of humanity and the pitfalls that threaten it, I recommend reading this book by Mr. Maalouf, a French author of Lebanese origin. What precision and fluidity in this author’s prose.
Philosophy or “Personal Development”
Here are three books that I freely classify in the “philosophical” category:
Breakfast With Seneca, David Fideler. This excellent book explores the teachings and wisdom of Seneca, a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome. I find it particularly interesting to see how Seneca (and other ancient philosophers) put their finger on many teachings that we are “rediscovering” today.
I like to occasionally “enjoy” books on “spirituality”, those that some would classify in the “personal growth” section. In my opinion, you have to take some and leave some in this type of book, but it is enough to find one or two good threads in them so that we can improve certain facets of our lives.
Atomic Habits, James Clear. Small changes can lead to substantial improvements if given time. We can adjust our environment and incentives/punishments to acquire good habits or to eliminate bad ones. Of all the books recommended here, this book probably offers the most direct applications to managing an investment portfolio.
Areté, Activate your Heroic Potential, by Brian Johnson. A brick full of valuable concepts and tips for improving. This book taught me several things and I put some of them into practice.
Many thanks to my good friend, Roberto, who gave me the previous two books.
Quebec novels
Here are also two Quebec novels that I loved:
Quimmik, Michel Jean. What superb descriptions of nature in the Far North and the traditions of indigenous life.
Que notre joie demeure, Kevin Lambert. A fascinating foray into modern Quebec culture.
Finally, here are three random novels:
Radetzky’s March, Joseph Roth. This story relates the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It draws a parallel with the end of the line of the Trotta family, whose ancestor, Baron Trotta, became famous after saving the life of Emperor Franz Joseph at the Battle of Solferino.
Neverland, Timothée de Fombelle. Return to the country of childhood. We all have a child inside us, some more than others. Isn’t this part of what makes some of us creators, inventors? You have to be a child to imagine, then create.
Le Dernier Jour d’un Condamné, Victor Hugo. Tragic plea for the abolition of the death penalty in France in the 19th century. Perhaps this book should be sent to a few key legislators in some US states.
I hope you will experience as many hours of happiness as I experienced while reading these books.
Good reading!
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