The best books I read in 2024
Plus, the essays that readers loved most this year.
I’ve just returned to my hometown of Thousand Oaks, California to spend the holidays with my family.
One of my favorite things about visiting is that the bedroom I grew up in is still my room. Rather than transform it into an office or guest dorm, my parents have left it effectively unchanged since I moved out several years ago.
My colorful, overflowing bookshelf is there to greet me each time I return home.
Though I haven’t added anything new in a long time, each time I walk by I find myself examining the shelves with great interest. It’s a great reminder of the books — and Rubik’s cubes, journals, and trophies — that shaped me.
As I wrote in November, my reading diet has slowed in 2024 as I’ve adjusted to the rhythm of building a business.
That said, I’m about to finish my 34th book of the last 12 months.
Below I’m sharing the ones I enjoyed most, along with my most popular posts of the year.
My favorite reads of 2024:
Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York Maitre D’ by Michael Cecchi
I wrote about the book in September and met the author at his new restaurant
Troubled: A memoir of foster care, family, and social class by Rob Henderson
I wrote about this poignant coming-of-age story in February after a lunch with the author
The Lords of Easy Money: How the Fed broke the American economy by Christopher Leonard
My co-founder Anthony Pompliano and I discussed the book on a podcast this month
How to Live an Extraordinary Life by Anthony Pompliano
A thoughtful, wise and concise collection of 65 letters to his children covering life, relationships, and business
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann
A swashbuckling, historical account of the high seas that reads like a novel and provides a snapshot into the brutality of 18th century imperialism
Private Equity: A Memoir by Carrie Sun
A fascinating close-up study on a billionaire running one of the world’s most successful hedge funds, written by his executive assistant
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
I’ve seen the movie so many times but the book provides an amazing amount of additional context and plain-language explanation on the 2008 financial crisis
Table for Two by Amor Towles
The only fiction book among my favorite reads this year, it’s a romantic, old-fashioned collection of short stories based in New York
It reminded me of my own book from 2022, Life Between Moments, also a collection of New York stories
Your favorite posts of 2024:
Lessons from my mother (May 12)
Why I bet my career on the collapse of legacy media (Nov. 24)
Unfair advantages (July 6)
What happens when life changes overnight? (March 31)
As ever, thank you for your support. I don’t take it lightly, given the sea of options you have at your fingertips.
If you have thoughts, feedback or want to say hi, you can reply directly to this email.
Enjoy the holidays!
Phil Rosen
Co-founder and editor-in-chief, Opening Bell Daily