Makrand's Reading Bench - 2022

[Makrand]

I barely pick a Non-Fiction because I'm often slow at it.
It took me a long time to finish Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind as well. However it was totally worth it!

Great book in all. Explores on so many topics that we already know but it's a pleasant experience to read the Why's behind the info that we already know!

Here's my Review

[Makrand]

For a change, I picked up Amazing Spider-Man by Nick Spencer, Vol. 1: Back to Basics
and I was sort of overjoyed by the energy of spiderman, the wit and humor in the comic book.
More parts to come, hopefully, I'd be able to continue forward.
Picked this up since I want to read more on the Spider-Verse..

Read review here

[Makrand]

I got a chance to read the second book in the DUNE series Dune Messiah
This is for the first time ever that I'm reading an epic series with as little gap between the books as possible!

Dune Messiah wasn't disappointing, it's just that it wasn't as exciting as Dune. As is evident in a lot of other reviews, this is the most hated book from the Dune series.

There could have been so many things that the reader would have loved to see but the book lacked on uniqueness. however, this book was more or less a filler, a bridge between the 1st and the 3rd book.

Good part was Hyat - Duncan Idaho!
Pretty much excited to see what happens next.

Checkout the book review!

[Makrand]

Anxious People One of the most trending book in humor category last year and I wanted to pick it for one more reason - It's written by Fredrick Backman, A Man Called Ove

As hilarious and sarcastic Fredrick can be, he is at his best in this book. Amazing moments and an even better philosophy. A bit meandering however extremely lovable book !

Checkout the review of this book

[Makrand]

Our Man in Havana was a spy/espionage but it also wasn't.

Quite a unique storyline one wherein a Vacuum cleaner salesman is enrolled as a Secret agent however he starts sending out fake reports which everyone believes to be true and things take shape accordingly. Quite funny and engaging. Checkout my review of the book here!

[Makrand]

1232 km: The Long Journey Home is quite a harrowing and real story of around a million migrants stuck in various parts of India during the legendary and world's widest `lockdown` during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, this is quite an unpopular book. It's hard to imagine what others might have felt without food, shelter and constant fear of police/goons looming over their heads as a million migrants cycled all the way from Ghaziabad to Saharsa - 1232km

This is easily the best book of the year for me. Checkout the review here

[GEETASHREE]

Sapiens is in my to read list too. I agree it is information overload a little difficult to digest in one shot.

[Makrand]

GEETASHREE wrote: "Sapiens is in my to read list too. I agree it is information overload a little difficult to digest in one shot."

Yeah definitely. This is a book to be kept beside your bed and read in multiple settings. It was huge amount of info; and it's brilliant. Wondering how the next parts would be!

[GEETASHREE]

Makrand wrote: "GEETASHREE wrote: "Sapiens is in my to read list too. I agree it is information overload a little difficult to digest in one shot."

Yeah definitely. This is a book to be kept beside your bed and r..."
True

[Makrand]

Looks like this is the year of Science fiction. I happened to pick up Ted Chiang's Exhalation .
This is a book full of 9 short stories - All science fiction.
A majority of stories were very well made and a couple were okayish and tended to drag a little however not many sci-fi writers try to end a story with some or the other moral or message.
Loved reading this one. Here's my review

[Makrand]

Well, well, well... 2022 wasn't as rewarding as I had thought it to be.
Multiple factors but one of the leading factor is: Unplanned approach. Last year, I confidently proclaimed that I'll not a single book and thought I'd enjoy that. I didn't :|

Not making the same mistake in 2023.
2022 signing off!

Oh by the way, some of the best books I read in 2022 were:

Dune #2
1232kms
Born a Crime: Trevor Noah
Anxious People
Our Man in Havana!

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Contradictory message. Glad to see so many good ones. And yet you say it wasn't as rewarding? Great expectations :D

[Makrand]

Gorab wrote: "Contradictory message. Glad to see so many good ones. And yet you say it wasn't as rewarding? Great expectations :D"

Yeah, I wanted to read many more but couldn't. I had a lot to do this year apart from reading :P

[Gorab, TheGunman]

unerstandable :)