Last year at this time on my Substack I declared 2023 to be "the year reality died." This year proved my pessimism, as Donald Trump was elected president due to millions perceiving an economic downturn that wasn't there, rising immigration as it was falling, and spikes in crime as it was decreasing. Narratives and memes are the coin of the realm now. With the rise of generative AI we are facing a future where all discourse is going to be reduced to computer-generated slop being slung about ad infinitum. Elon Musk buying the presidency is a sign that the tech overlords are running the show now, both economically and politically. Even more than when Thatcher said it, There Is No Alternative.
In the midst of this collective insanity I have been trying to stick to the core, as Lao Tzu says. I resolved last year to keep a log of the books I read and films I watched, and actually kept it up. These logs have allowed me to retain more insights, and be a little more intentional in my habits. I read fifty-six books of varying lengths and quality. I decided not to count the films, but I engaged in little projects, like sequentially viewing all of the films of Wes Anderson and David Lynch. This gave me far greater insights into both of them.
In terms of my book reading, here's a mini-awards show:
Best Old Novel I Read For The First Time in 2024
John Williams: Stoner
Best New Novel in 2024 that I Read in 2024
Taffy Brodesser-Akner, The Long Island Compromise
Most Engaging Re-Read of a Book I Had Read Before That I Re-read in 2024
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Best New History Books I Read in 2024
Beverly Gage, G-Man and John Ganz, When the Clock Broke
Best Old History Book I First Read in 2024
Walter Johnson, Soul By Soul
Best Genre Fiction I Read For the First Time in 2024
Joe Hill, Heart-Shaped Box
Best Genre Fiction I Re-Read in 2024
Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander
Book I Read For the First Time in 2024 that Made the Biggest Impact
Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
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As a child I first really started digging into history by reading the medieval Europe book in a world history for kids series. This book gave me an interest in the fall of the Roman Empire and the early medieval period that I carry to this day. I was fascinated by the monks who managed to keep learning going amidst the complete collapse of society. Being a nerdy, pious child misfit, these monks were the kinds of heroes I aspired to be. I've been thinking a lot about that recently, since it feels like we are enduring a massive barbarian invasion of our collective culture. In 2025 I have resolved to keep reading, to take the time to read complex and difficult texts, and to spend more of my time in the world of books than in the online world on a daily basis.
For that reason I almost feel stupid to be writing this all down online. After all, I intentionally wrote my own film log for myself instead of putting it all on Letterboxd and kept my book log private instead of joining Goodreads. I guess I am doing so to encourage all of us to lean into our own inner lives in the coming year, rather than trapping our psyches in the constant game of comparison and clout-chasing demanded by social media. The internet has its good uses, ones that were more apparent to me in the time of the blogosphere when I first started doing all of this. Back then it felt like I was getting to share ideas and form community when I logged on, instead of being consumed by rage and resentment. If we could somehow return to that version of the internet I feel our lives would be much better.
Since the election I have been asking myself if I am giving in to the temptations of quietism, effectively giving up on engaging with the world rather than fighting for a better one. I am realizing that I can actually undergo a kind of "inner migration" that will make my capacity to resist what's coming stronger. In the coming year I have resolved to keep my mind sharp, to think rather than react, and to trust my mental instincts honed through decades of contemplation over whatever narratives are being spewed by the online hive mind. We are headed into the fire, it is time to steel ourselves if we want to survive.
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