Double Tome: The Reads of '24 and '25 - Part One
I had a look at when I last posted on this website and gasped – it’s been a long time between drinks.
This website has been up and running since 2017, and I’ve always grappled with its relevancy to the general reader. Some blogs have been “hits” and others are just whistling in the wind.
But I remind myself that this website is really for self-expression. It’s not a marketing piece, nor am I trying to churn out content creation for the sake of gaining and retaining an audience.
The artist within me should never confuse the difference between:
a) Creating art that is an authentic and true self-expression
b) Creating art that is designed for an audience
c) Conflating commercial success and engagement metrics on how a particular piece of art is received and judging whether it’s a successful art piece by those metrics alone
If I was trying to earn a living from artistry, you really would want to see your work be as commercially successful as possible.
However, I resolved long ago that the music I produce and any content that I write is to
a) Be a faithful expression of myself
b) Enrich the listener or reader in some way, no matter how many partake in the content
Ultimately, I want to leave it all on the table and say that I did my best, doing part of what I was called to do. And the funny thing about producing art, is that it has the potential to have a longer shelf-life than my actual life here on Earth.
You may be thinking… how does this all intersect with my book lists? Because in the age of AI, the bastardization of writing and masquerading of quick access to knowledge as a camouflage to intelligence is rife. I could have asked ChatGPT to write this article for me.
But no. I choose to faithfully write at the year’s end of 2025, and choose to continue to invest in tactile learning – diving into the author’s expertise in the non-fiction, and their world creation in the fiction. It’s a metaphorical “up yours” to the current zeitgeist and a choice to value true art and intelligence, in my own small way.
(And yes, I acknowledge I’ll have to learn AI. As I heard recently at a convention, I can see room in my life for AI as an “intelligent assistant” rather than a device that takes away my ability to critically think)
So here we are… the double list. I will mark anything that I thought particularly as a standout with an asterisk. I’ve also attached some commentary for each book, which may help you work out whether you want to add it to your reading list in ’26 or not.
2024
Greenlights – Matthew McConaughey (Autobiography/Life Philosophy/Self-Help)
I LOVED this book. This was a great way to bring in 2024. It won’t be for everyone, but McConaughey brings some of his life lessons and outlook which is this zesty mash between conservative principles with hippie/cowboy flair. This is not the most profound quote in the book, but it has stuck with me:
Cool
Cool is a natural law.
If it was cool for THAT time, then it is cool for ALL time.
A fad is just a branch on cool’s trunk, a fashionable fling whose 15 minutes can never abide,
No matter how long she trends to try.
Cool stands the test of time.
Because cool never tries.
Cool just is.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High – Grenny et.al (Business/Self-Help/Psychology)
This read more like a textbook to me. The boss asked me to read it, which is fair enough in real estate, because crucial conversations take place all the time. It’s a book where I feel I absorbed the messages, but couldn’t recall anything meaningful you right at this moment other than: have the crucial conversations that you’ve been putting off.
The Greatest Salesman in The World – Og Mandino (Fiction/Sales/Business)
This is a GREAT little book, and perfect for any salesperson. It’s a business classic, set in the time of Christ in the Middle East, and somehow weaves the gospel into a fable of how to sell, and the code of ethics required for selling. Easy reading: perfect for the stereotypical salesperson who has a short attention span. Heard about this one on the “The Smartre Podcast”.
The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason (Money/Fiction/Proverbs) *
Also another short classic – this is a great starter book on financial principles. Set once again as a fable in the ancient Middle East, it’s an engaging read. Spoiler alert: if you’re in debt, the book prescribes saving 10% of your income, paying down debt with 20% of your income and use the remaining 70% at your leisure. He also highlights investing money in the right places.
As a Christian, I’ve combined this with my personal financial ethic: give 10%, save 10%, pay down debts at 10% and invest at least 10% - then live on the rest.
Be Useful – Arnold Schwarzenegger (Self-Help/Business/Motivation/Autobiography) *
This is another banger of a book! Arnold’s life is fascinating, and learning about his three major career pivots and how he succeeded in each one is truly something to be gleaned from. I won’t spoil this one: go give this a read if you’re needing some good motivation for 2026!
A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
I read this one because Emmerson bought it for me for Christmas. It took me a little while to get into, but it’s cleverly written and there is a moral to the story at the end. You even warm up to the grumpy sod of a main character: a Man Called Ove.
The Pursuit of God – A.W. Tozer (Christian Theology/Spirituality)
A true Christian classic. I probably read this book a little too quickly as I can’t remember most of it, but Tozer’s tome certainly inspires you in your faith.
Live No Lies: Recognize and Resist the Three Enemies that Sabotage Your Peace – John Mark Comer (Christian Theology/Spirituality)
I always do enjoy reading JMC’s work, and this one expounds on “The world, the flesh and the devil” and how we combat that.
Designer Family – Chas Gullo (Family/Autobiography)
I read this book when I knew that starting a family wasn’t too far away. Chas is a spiritual father to me, and has clearly done a sterling job in raising 5x kids: certainly something worthy of emulation. I found this book to be extremely practical, easy to read and a good picture of what a healthy family can and should look like.
Love Does – Bob Goff (Inspirational/Christian Spirituality)
This is my first ever Bob Goff book. Bob has lived an “out there” life, and I feel that many of his stories are not particularly relatable to the average reader. However, I certainly did come away with a great appreciation and ambition to love people more generously.
Achieve Sales Excellence: The 7 Customer Rules for Becoming The New Sales Professional – Howard Steens & Theodore Kinni (Business/Sales)
This is a book where the cover had more punch than the content. It was a book I had purchased in 2010/2011 when I was dabbling in real estate sales the first time, and never read properly until 2024. It was written in 2000s business speak, and the general gist was more to do with running your CRMs better… at least, I’m pretty sure that’s what it said.
Winners and How They Succeed – Alastair Campbell (Business/Biography/Inspiration) *
Better known as “Winners”, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to excel in their field. Recommended by Adam Horth from the Smartre Network, this book essentially has two sections: section one is a general dissertation on how winners think, act and win and section two are many interviews with “winners” in business, politics and sport including Anna Wintour, Jose Mourinho and Floyd Mayweather amongst many others. Alastair was Tony Blair’s chief spokesman and strategist who helped Tony win three elections in the UK, and he shares a lot of insight. There’s two main takeaways I remember from this book:
- Take a lot of care in choosing who’s in your inner circle
- When it comes to culture, hiring and knowing who is going to be a team player, he quotes a sports coach with the acronym FIFO: “Fit in, or Flit off”. Except he doesn’t use the word “flit”.
The Psychology of Money – Morgan Houssel (Finance/Money/Psychology)
Another short read: this one’s an insight into how human beings perceive, spend, save and invest money. Worth a read.
Making Money Made Simple – Noel Whittaker (Finance/Money) *
This is another MUST READ for anyone who’s never had a good financial education… or just for anyone really. Noel really lays out in simple terms how to create a solid financial foundation, and then how to build wealth from that place. This is one of those books that I think should almost be compulsory reading for anyone in High School: it would save people a lot of hurt.
I thought I was going to do a double tome… but I think this is a fair bit of content for you to wade through.
I’ll be back soon with Part 2!