What Should We All Read? Part II: The List
The 2024 Bokeh Book List is officially here!
Despite my best intentions (and despite doing the exact same thing last year), this list is coming out later than I hoped. It turns out that compiling metadata for 150+ books, analyzing the results, and turning everything into something readable takes time! Mostly, though, I took the summer off from writing this newsletter—or anything else that felt productive. More on my summer adventures in another newsletter. I digress.
The days are growing shorter, we’re being forced back inside, and suddenly those chunky knits and heavy socks look less oppressive. So, instead of a summer reading list, let’s consider this second edition of our massive, crowdsourced book recommendations as perfectly timed for the chilly fall days ahead.
Here are a few features of the list
I analyzed the submissions and here’s what I found.
This year, there were over 70 contributors. Thanks to everyone who submitted–especially those of you I pestered. I know you’re busy but this list really shines when people from many different walks of life contribute.
We have over 150 books spanning genres that range from romance and fantasy to history, self-help, and practical guides on parenting and sex. Everything was fair game and I didn’t edit anything out. Last year, there were 100 books.
The fiction/nonfiction breakdown shifted. This year, 60% of the recommended titles are nonfiction, with 40% fiction. This was a significant shift, given that last year fiction led the way with 53%. It’s interesting to see the pendulum swing toward nonfiction so definitively.
It’s a wider page count range than last year. While 26% of the books are under 250 pages, a surprising 18% are over 500 pages. It seems like those blockbuster romantasies and sweeping histories captured people’s attention for long enough to finish marathon reads. The average length for this list was 355 pages.
The longest book someone recalled as their favorite was The Power Broker by Robert Caro, the canonical book about Robert Moses and power in New York politics. (So few people finish this book; kudos to whoever got through all 1,344 pages!)
The shortest book on the list was Ilya Kaminsky’s narrative poem Deaf Republic, at 80 pages and set in an occupied country.
Once I had the raw list of 150+ books, including their titles and authors, I added short descriptions, formal genre categories, page counts, and even a column for general “vibes” (aka how the book feels) to the spreadsheet.
I filled in what I could from memory, asked ChatGPT4o for help with page counts and industry categories, and then reviewed the rows one by one to make sure nothing was totally off. If you notice anything amiss, please reply to this newsletter email so that I can fix it!
Category Analysis
The word clouds from last year were too fun not to replicate. Across the 150+ books, here were some dominant themes for the 2024 list.
Nonfiction books this year tended to focus on business and economics, history and culture, science, or self-help and personal development. This is pretty consistent with US national data about the most popular categories, especially the rise of memoirs and business/finance books in the already popular self-help category. Respondents seem interested in understanding the past and present, especially when it helps them prepare for the future.
For fiction, it was interesting to see an uptick in sci-fi, romances, and mysteries (three of my favorite fiction genres for fun page-turners that are still thought-provoking!), as well as historical fiction.
Vibes Analysis
The vibes analysis was especially interesting this year. There were some real downers on the list and very few light, fluffy reads—this wasn’t a year of levity! The most memorable books had some weight to them.
I mentioned this last year, but it still surprises me how people tend to remember and pass along books that are thought-provoking, insightful, heartwarming, analytical, empowering, and reflective.
Some titles overlap with bestseller lists. Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing and Iron Flame are hard to avoid (and for good reason—they're delicious!).
But many of the books that resonated with us were poignant and thoughtful. They allowed us to explore our inner worlds or offered guidance when we felt out of our depth. Parenting books made their first appearance this year, alongside titles on womanhood, preventative medicine, team dynamics, and ADHD diagnoses.
This signals to me that if you’re unsure what to read next, choose the one that speaks to you personally. If it’s been sitting on your shelf, now might be the time to dust it off. Or if several friends have recommended it, and you’ve made a mental note, give it a try. Following your instincts, rather than bestseller lists, has a higher chance of leading you to your next favorite book—and maybe even a future recommendation for this list.
Of course, sometimes we just craved a story with a predictable ending (like romances!) or one that reassured us everything would turn out okay. These books meet us exactly where we need them most.
The 9 Books Recommended Multiple Times
Outlive by Peter Attia. Now longevity canon, this is the ultimate guide to maximizing healthspan to make sure you not only live longer but live better, told through a mix of hard science research and anecdotes.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. Dragons, dark academia, and military conflict make for a powerful backdrop for romance. Like so many others, I laughed at the idea of the series until I read it, then I couldn’t put it down.
Table for Two by Amor Towles. Towles does what he does best—melancholy wit in bite-sized pieces, this time told through six short stories set in early 2000s New York and a novella from 1930s LA. It’s wistful without leaning saccharine.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. A gritty and emotionally charged reworking of David Copperfield set in Appalachia.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. The first in Ferrante's brilliant Neapolitan series. It’s an intense and astute portrayal of friendship and rivalry between two childhood friends growing up in Naples. I can’t wait to re-read it.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. A murder mystery that’s really about community and history because and in spite of difference among its Black, Jewish, and other immigrant residents in a small Pennsylvania town in the 1930s and 1970s.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. By telling a leadership fable, Lencioni breaks down why most teams are dysfunctional—and how to fix it.
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. Guidara’s behind-the-scenes account of how he helped turn Eleven Madison Park into one of the world’s best restaurants by obsessing over service. It makes you consider how great hospitality and service actually work—and helps you understand why it matters.
Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg. Two young housemates road-trip across America in search of themselves. The novel is as much about friendship as it is about art and self-discovery.
What I’m Reading Right Now
Here’s what’s currently on my nightstand.
Either / Or by Elif Batuman. Fictional coming-of-age story about a quirky and pretentious Turkish-American sophomore at Harvard. Written with dead-pan humor. It’s the sequel to The Idiot, which followed the same character, Selin, during her freshman year summer while teaching English in a Hungarian village to follow a boy who didn’t like her back.
Just Kids by Patti Smith. Patti Smith's memoir of life in artistic 1960s and 1970s New York, and her loving ode to Robert Mapplethorpe.
A Short History of Financial Euphoria by John Kenneth Galbraith. A brief history of the major speculation events in the economy over the last three centuries.
Drops of God by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto. Japanese manga (and current Apple TV+ show) about two men pitted against each other to inherit a legendary wine collection after a famous wine critic unexpectedly dies.
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell. A look at how cults (like Jonestown) and cultish groups (like SoulCycle) use language to shape identity and community.
Miami by Joan Didion. Figured I'd get familiar since my family is there now!
A Modern History of France by Jonathan Fenby. I realized during last year’s retirement strikes that I knew embarrassingly little about modern French history post-WWII. Time to change that.
The List!
Without further ado, here’s the 2024 Bokeh Book List. If you pick up any of these titles, let me know how you liked them!
****Click here for the list****
aw thanks for the Housemates shout out!