January 1, 2020

Garfunklr 2019

My year in reading.

Big reading year this year. Read a lot about AI, some hardcore-sci-fi and some more physics as half-research half-mood-influencer while writing my new album.

Fiction highlights came from Ben Smith’s Doggerland, Melisssa Harrison’s All Among The Barley, Max Porter’s Lanny, Richard Powers’ Overstory, and Benjamin Myers’ The Offing which is an instant-classic and all time fave that I hope will be studied in schools from now until forever. The two David Keenan books were also outstanding and I can see why everyone I know is talking about, recommending and buying This Is Memorial Device for each other (thanks Sophie from Haiku Salut for my copy!).

Robert Macfarlane’s Underland has stayed with me since reading it, and will probably remain that way for many years.

Also, (and I’m echoing Jon McGregor here) will someone please release all of Jesse Ball’s books in the UK?

Full list:

  1. The Long Take
    Robin Robertson
  2. This Is Memorial Device
    David Keenan
  3. Stories Of Your Life & Others
    Ted Chiang
  4. The Overstory
    Richard Powers
  5. Everything Under
    Daisy Johnson
  6. Conversations With Friends
    Sally Rooney
  7. The Creativity Code
    Marcus Du Sautoy
  8. Fire On All Sides
    James Rhodes
  9. For The Good Times
    David Keenan
  10. Doggerland
    Ben Smith
  11. Instrumental
    James Rhodes
  12. Normal People
    Sally Rooney
  13. The Beastie Boys Book
    Ad Rock + Mike D
  14. Underland
    Robert Macfarlane
  15. Spring
    Ali Smith
  16. Exhalation
    Ted Chiang
  17. My Thoughts Exactly
    Lily Allen
  18. Our Stop
    Laura Jane Williams
  19. The End We Start From
    Megan Hunter
  20. History Of Wolves
    Emily Fridland
  21. The Offing
    Benjamin Myers
  22. Novacene
    James Lovelock
  23. The Mating Habits of Stags
    Ray Robinson
  24. The Heavens
    Sandra Newman
  25. Where Reasons End
    Yiyun Li
  26. Aoyade On Aoyade
    Richard Aoyade
  27. Grief Is The Thing With Feathers
    Max Porter
  28. The AI Does Not Hate You
    Tom Chivers
  29. Starling Days
    Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
  30. Lanny
    Max Porter
  31. Ikigai
    Hector Garcia & Frances Miralles
  32. The Order Of Time
    Carlo Rovelli
  33. Light
    M. John Harrison
  34. Machines Like Me
    Ian McEwan
  35. How To Be Famous
    Caitlin Moran
  36. The Diver's Game
    Jesse Ball
  37. Pig Iron
    Benjamin Myers
  38. Here
    Richard McGuire
  39. Idaho
    Emily Ruskovich
  40. All Among The Barley
    Melissa Harrison
  41. Utopia For Realists
    Rutger Bregman

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