I’ve never been very into looking back over the course of a year and reflecting on activities over a year, no matter how small or even if interesting, much less writing about them. But at the start of 2023 I wanted to try my best at creating a system where I go over some of the most impactful stuff I’ve gone through. Since this is the he first time writing this, I’ll focus my attention on reading and focus on some of the best books and articles I had the pleasure of reading in 2022.

Top Reads of 2022

I grew up reading a lot. And I mean a lot. I would get lost within the latest comic books or wander into fantastic worlds, getting lost in the pages of text, fascinated by descriptions of worlds I could only imagine. Sometimes it would all go a bit overboard and I wouldn’t understand some of the stories, the deep-locked mysteries some books contained and would need to revisit some of those in my adult life.

Over the last 15 years I’ve continued to read, but - and in a way I can’t really deny - screens have eaten away my capability to focus on those worlds, have taken away my capability to lose myself and wander into those worlds, into the minds of others. But it isn’t as dramatic as it might read, as it has enabled me to build strategies and for funny patterns emerge: nowadays I usually do most of reading during the summertime, when I’m off and relaxed and I’m able to read through a backlog of books I’ve collected over the year - this is actually a nice side-activity I’ve started in the meantime: hoarding books intent on reading them one after the other in August. More recently I’ve rekindled an old habit of reading at nighttime, this allows me to tick two boxes: I read more, but also have less screen time before bed - win-win.

Now, most of the books I read are fiction books, with the occasional history book or even a book on a very specific interest of mine (maps being one). Below did a top 5 of the best books I read during 2022. I’ve also added a different section with the 10 articles that grabbed my attention during 2022 - these touch on different topics, and it’s actually an easier reading, as I tend to find that the focus needed for those is much less than what a book requires.

Top 5 Books of 2022

Reading has always been a passion of mine, and I've read a lot of books over the years. However, as I've gotten older, I've found myself reading less and less. Between work, family, and other responsibilities, it's been difficult to find the time and energy to dive into a good book.

But in 2022, I decided to make a conscious effort to read more. I made a list of books that I wanted to read and set aside time each day to read. And I'm happy to say that it paid off - I read some truly amazing books this year.

Here are my top 5:

• The Supernova Era, by Liu Cixin
• The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
• The Shortest History of England, by James Hawes
• The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward
• The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All, by Laird Barron

Each of these books was unique and captivating in its own way. Some were science-fiction, some were horror, and some were historical fiction. But they all had one thing in common - they transported me to another world and left me thinking about them long after I finished.

Top 10 Articles of 2022

In addition to reading books, I also spent a lot of time reading articles this year. I read articles on a wide range of topics, from science and technology to politics and culture.

Here are my top 10 articles of 2022:

• https://commoncog.com/cash-flow-games/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20221027180943/https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/sam-bankman-fried-spotlight/
• https://www.quantamagazine.org/inside-the-proton-the-most-complicated-thing-imaginable-20221019/
• https://eand.co/our-civilization-is-hitting-a-dead-end-because-this-is-the-age-of-extinction-3b960760cf37
• https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/09/why-cats-purr-vocalization-science/671358/
• https://wearenotsaved.com/2022/03/22/nukes-and-stability/
• https://joycearthur.com/abortion/the-only-moral-abortion-is-my-abortion/
• https://nautil.us/issue/112/inspiration/my-out_of_body-experience
• https://www.reforge.com/blog/technical-decision-making
• https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/brazil-s-favela-tech-boom-young-people-from-poor-neighborhoods-set-out-to-conquer-digital-world-a-81a80497-0634-49e1-ad31-d1c8d5f83382

These articles were all thought-provoking and informative in their own way. They covered a wide range of topics, from personal finance to quantum physics to social issues. And they all challenged me to think about the world in new ways.

Conclusion

Reflecting on my top reads and articles of 2022 has been a valuable exercise for me. It has reminded me of the power of reading and the importance of making time for it in my life. I look forward to continuing this practice in 2023 and beyond