19 Mentally Stimulating Books to Read in 2019
I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read 52 books in 2018, and I'm happy to say that I actually did it! This is the most books I've ever read in a single calendar year, and (not surprisingly) many more than the average American reads yearly. According to research done by PEW:
"Overall, Americans read an average (mean) of 12 books per year, while the typical (median) American has read four books in the past 12 months."
That's an admirable amount of reading, but I know many people who read approximately zero books per year, which made me think, "Maybe they just don't know where to start." With that in mind, I decided to compose this list of my top 19 book recommendations for 2019 based on the books I read this year. As an avid reader, published writer, and lifelong student of the English language, I feel qualified to offer my opinion about some of the most mentally stimulating books out there.
Since the appreciation of art is entirely subjective, I can't say that any of these book recommendations will be right for you, but they sure tickled my metaphorical pickle. If you don't trust me, many of these books have also received awards and a plethora of positive reviews. Each recommendation comes with a pithy review of my own (hmm, pithy sounds like someone with a lisp saying "pissy"). This list is in no particular order, but I did separate it into fiction and nonfiction sections for your convenience.
"Wait," you say, "reading fiction can make me smarter?"
My slightly biased answer: "You bet your ass!"
Please note that this is not a list of new books, but the best thing about good books is that they are timeless. Many of these books have aged like fine wine...wait, that's a cliché...they have aged like Jennifer Aniston. Better! Anyway, if you end up buying one of these suckers based on my recommendation, do me a favor and purchase them through the provided links. The affiliate revenue is what keeps this website alive.
Fiction
#1 | Machine Learning: New and Collected Stories by Hugh Howey
As the title suggests, this is a collection of short stories, but they're not just any old short stories. These are some dope-ass science fiction short stories written by self-published author extraordinaire Hugh "the man" Howey. Fine, I made up his nickname, but Hugh is a legend in the self-publishing industry, due in part to the success of his best-selling Silo Saga. His most recent work, Machine Learning, comes from the mind of a man whose imagination is as big as his...okay, I actually don't have any data on that, but you should definitely check it out (Hugh's book, not his metaphorical pickle). This collection is conveniently divided into the following categories: Aliens and Alien Worlds, Artificial Intelligences, Silo Stories, Fantasy, Algorithms of Love and Hate, Virtual Worlds, Lost and Found. If any of those topics sound remotely interesting, then many of my following recommendations will too.
#2 | Resist: Tales From a Future Worth Fighting Against by Various Authors
Speaking of short story collections, I found this anthology equal parts mesmerizing and terrifying. Twenty-seven of today's best and brightest science fiction writers teamed up with the ACLU to create this diverse set of tales, all centered around the same concept: "possible tomorrows we hope to avoid, drawing on challenges taken from today's headlines." My favorite story in this collection is The Venus Effect by Violet Allen, an irreverant, metafictional masterpiece highlighting the injustice of systemic racism and random acts of violence against minorities. Each story in Resist: Tales From a Future Worth Fighting Against opened my eyes a little bit more to the realities of today and—unless we do something to course-correct—the possibility of a bleak tomorrow. I highly recommend snagging a copy for yourself. As a philanthropic, feel-good bonus, 50% of this book's proceeds go to the ACLU, whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States."
#3 | Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel by Mark T. Sullivan
Okay, so I guess I lied in the beginning. I didn't technically read all of the books on this list. Some of them were audiobooks, including this one. Side note: Audible has a great deal right now where you can get two free audiobooks. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Beneath a Scarlet Sky. This is the true story of Pino Lella, an Italian boy who (through a series of gut-wrenching events) ends up spying on the Nazi party during World War II. I don't usually stray too far from the science fiction genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed the grit and truth of this unsung hero's legendary tale. If you have a thing for historical fiction, you'll love this book!
#4 | Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Don't try to pronounce that guy's name for too long, or you might have an aneurysm. Despite the tongue-twisting complexity of the author's name, Children of Time may just be a contender for my favorite book of all time, children. I have to agree with Peter F. Hamilton, who describes this novel as "the smartest evolutionary world-building you'll ever read." You wanna know how addicting this book is? I read this thing over Spring break...in Cabo! Even the most tantalizing display of bikini-clad women, the discord of frat boy debauchery, and the open bar cervesas con limon couldn't distract me from finishing this book. Oh shit, maybe I am a nerd. To save my own image, I'll tell you that I did indulge in my fair share of drunken revelry. Either way, I think the description of this masterpiece speaks for itself:
"The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age—a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind's worst nightmare. Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?"
This book will open your eyes the same way getting kicked out of the hotel for peeing off the hotel balcony opened that one douchebag's eyes. Okay, maybe not in exactly the same way, but you get the picture.
#5 | The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Praised...fucking...be. Honestly, you've probably seen ads for Hulu's adaptation of this dystopian nightmare, so I'll spare you the details. While I personally preferred binging the Hulu version (Yikes, I'm not entirely loyal to the written word), I still think that the sentences in this 1985 classic are worthy of gracing your eyeballs, especially if you fancy yourself a fan of dark, dystopian dreamscapes. Damn, I nailed that alliteration. My literary theory professors would be proud...
#6 | The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
This book was just straight-up fun to read. It follows the life of Matteo Alacrán—from the moment his embryo is implanted in the womb of a cow to the day he replaces his DNA-donor as head hauncho in charge of everything. Yep, Matteo is a clone, and in the fictional country of Opium, clones are used for one thing, and one thing only: to prolong the lives of the rich and power-hungry drug overlords who run the country. The House of the Scorpion was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm happy to pass that recommendation onto you. It would make a great gift for young readers interested in coming-of-age science fiction.
#7 | Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
The full title of this book is Rainbow's End: A Novel with One Foot in the Future, which is entirely fitting considering the futuristic world that Vinge envisions. In this world, the real and the virtual blend seamlessly together, at least for those who wear the appropriate gear—smart clothes and contact lenses. It is into this world that Robert Gu, a recovering Alzheimer's patient and famous writer, wakes up to find himself as a key player in the fight to help prevent a worldwide conspiracy. Gifted with a working mind and a much younger body, Robert must get accustomed to the new technology as he tries to find a place in the world. The plot thickens, etc. This novel won a Hugo Award, so you know it's good—especially if you like mind-bending fiction and clever world-building.
#8 | Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
According to my Goodreads Reading Challenge, this is the shortest book that I read in 2018. Don't let the short length fool you, though. This novella is still a doozy. Narrated by a linguist tasked with communicating with aliens, it explores what it might be like to experience time in a nonlinear fashion. It's a quick, but mentally-stimulating read. Oh, and I did I mention that the movie Arrival was adapted from this book?
#9 | Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Speaking of movie adaptations, the 1982 film Blade Runner and its 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049 would never have ignited our ocular nerves were it not for this cyberpunk classic. Set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, it follows the story of Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter tasked with retiring some rogue androids (in this sense, "retiring" translates directly to "brutally murdering"). Like the mind-altering drugs prevalent in Dick's fiction, this novel will make you trip balls. Okay, I lied about that, but it will make you think about what it means to be human and whether empathy is something unique to the human race.
Non-fiction
#10 | Habit Stacking by S.J. Scott
With a full title like Habit Stacking: 127 Ways to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness, this book is clearly a good choice for those who want to get their shit together. Like the title suggests, Scott's method for creating new habits involves taking a habit you already have (like brushing your teeth, hopefully) and stacking other habits on top of it (let's say flossing, just in case you don't do that already). By attaching new habits to old habits, the idea is that they're more likely to stick. Whether that's true or not, this book still has plenty of ideas for small habits that make a big difference.
#11 | Make Your Bed by William H. McRaven
It only took me an hour to read this book, but that's okay. An hour is all you need to be inspired by the words of William H. McRaven, a former Navy Seal and current bad ass retired Navy Seal turned author and public speaker. The subtitle of this book is "Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World," which perfectly describes the subject matter. Filled with personal anecdotes and life advice, Make Your Bed argues that big changes start with tiny actions. Accomplishing one small victory (even just making your bed) at the beginning of the day can have a profound effect on everything else that you do. Maybe your one small victory should be reading this book.
#12 | The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson
Unlike most self-help books, this book doesn’t preach sunshine, positivity, and unicorn farts. Quite the contrary, actually. Mark Manson’s irreverent tone and witty commentary bring an unorthodox, yet extremely satisfying approach to the genre. His advice gets straight to the point, whether you’re willing to digest that point or not.
“You and everyone you know are going to be dead soon. And in the short amount of time between here and there, you have a limited amount of fucks to give. Very few, in fact. And if you go around giving a fuck about everything and everyone without conscious thought or choice—well, then you’re going to get fucked.”
See? He doesn’t sugar-coat or unicorn-fart anything.
#13 | A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
In the wake of Stephen Hawking’s death, I picked up a copy of his classic guide to the universe. From the Big Bang to black holes, this book covers a wide range of cosmological topics. If you’re concerned about the heft of the subject matter and whether your mind can grasp such complicated topics, worry not...this book was written with the nonspecialist in mind. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to increase their knowledge about the universe.
#14 | Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
I could listen to Neil deGrasse Tyson talk about space forever, which is probably why I found this book so enjoyable. Each chapter takes one complex idea and explains it in a way that won't make your head go supernova. Tyson's witty tone ranges from humorous to introspective, and excerpts like this one are bound to give you an existential crisis:
"We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out—and we have only just begun."
I don't want to say that Astrophysics for People in a Hurry would make a great toilet book, but you should definitely read a chapter or two the next time you're parked on the porcelain throne. That is, if you don't mind experiencing existential dread mid-shit.
#15 | Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Whether you have faith in his aspirations or not, Elon Musk is a fascinating character. This biography explores not only Musk's achievements (and shortcomings) but also the philosophy behind his big ideas. Among myriad other things, he's particularly worried about what humans are focusing their energy on:
“The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads,” Jeff Hammerbacher, an early Facebook engineer, told me. “That sucks.”
Yes, that does suck. Musk doesn't want the best minds of our generation to squander their intelligence on things that don't advance the betterment of humanity. Fighting for a fantastic future is something we should all get behind.
#16 | The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
Speaking of the future, this Pulitzer Prize-winning book explores five mass exctinction events throughout history and argues that we're in the midst of another one. However, it's not an asteroid or ice age causing this sixth extinction...dun dun dun...it's us! Throughout history, homo sapiens have been the bane of other species (we even wiped out our closest relative, the neanderthals), but never before has biodiversity been so directly affected by what we do. Kolbert doesn't preach the virtues of eating a meatless diet or driving an electric car. She simply offers understandable, peer-reviewed science about how humans are affecting the flora and fauna of the world we live in. Like Neil deGrasse Tyson's book about astrophysics, this book takes complex ideas and distills them into bite-sized morsels of knowledge. Yum!
#17 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
This is probably the most intellectually stimulating book that I read this year, not just because of the subject matter, but also because of its scope. Harari takes you on a journey from the beginning of time to the present day, exploring history through a variety of natural science lenses, including that of evolutionary biology. I found myself highlighting tons of interesting facts and reading those interesting facts to my fiancée over and over again. Here's something to chew on...
"More than 90 per cent of all money — more than $50 trillion appearing in our accounts — exists only on computer servers."
Yep...if an EMP hits and Earth's computers crash, the entire economy will crumble. I recommend this book to anyone wants to brush up on their world history, particulary as it relates to homo sapiens and our general fuckery.
#18 | Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
This follow-up to Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind takes a similar approach but focuses on where humanity might go in the years to come. Based on what humans have accomplished so far and how we stand in the 21st century, this book attempts to paint a picture of what the future might hold for our species and covers many philosophical issues, including human experience, individualism, human emotion, and consciousness. By reading this book, you can get smarter, think harder, AND freak out about humans turning into cyborgs all at once!
WARNING: Bias Alert!
#19 | The Last Safe Place by yours truly, Andy Gorman
I wrote this book, so I won't review it (that would just be weird). However, readers of my debut novel seem to be enjoying it so far, and the reason I write blog posts is to promote my fiction. If you've read this far, you might as well check out the book's description:
A visitor from a distant galaxy...
A warning that comes too late...
Now Earth is on the brink of destruction, and only one man can stop it!
Kapp Adams, an ex-astronaut jaded by life on Earth, is offered the chance to investigate a strange object discovered on the Martian moon Phobos. He and his crew embark on the mission of a lifetime, but when a series of disasters leaves them stranded, they must find a way back home, where they and a group of unbelievable allies are faced with the threat of a much different Earth than the one they left behind.
If that description tickles your pickle, imagine what reading the whole book could do...