The best books I read in 2024

[@brittca]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing your best books of 2024 with us, I added several of them to my ‘to read’ list!

[@Mnnwer]

Great video. I love when you just sit and talk informally, but intelligently, about books. I read the first 2 Wolf Hall novels for the first time this year, and I agree wholeheartedly about Mantel being a master at what she does - and along with the great character work, I also thought she did tradegy incredibly well.

[@jaredplus]

I probably need to make time to read all of Mantel one day. I’ve heard her memoir is excellent.

[@TheBigB4000]

I'm glad you enjoyed John Le Carre. Spy fiction doesn't get the respect compared to other genres, much of it deserved, but John Le Carre is at another level. HIs novels are cynical yet elegant. He has a way with words that creates an atmosphere thick with intrigue. I suggest you read his other novels too. If you had to read one of Le Carre's novels, it would Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy.

[@ericgeneric135]

Great video! Here are some of the best books I've read this year: -The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro -The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates -A Naked Singularity by Sergio de la Pava -Abortion by Jessica Valenti -A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller -Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar -Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hannah -Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada -Consent by Jill Ciment -Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe By the way, Max Boot's new biography of Reagan is a great example of a very critical but fair life of Reagan.

[@FightingIrishFan91]

I actually read all of Fallada this year (in english). What a fascinating person in a terrible time.

[@zoobee]

Le Carre is astonishing. I came to him late. His novels will never leave me. He takes genre spy fiction and transforms it into great literature, many say Le Carre really is one of the great British novelists of the post war years. Not just writing about individuals inside 'the game', but a great writer about post war Britain and the decline of its institutions too

[@bomaracev]

Like Jared, I’ve accumulated a small library of unread books over the years-purchased on whims or sent by publishers (I coordinate author events). I’ve realized that my book-buying habits often outpace my reading habits. With about forty books waiting for my attention, 2025 is going to be the year of catching up. I hope that by the end of next year, I'll make a significant dent in my reading backlog, rediscovering the joy and insights these books promised when I first brought them into my life!

[@thatbrianl]

Just wanted to say that I really enjoy this style of video from you. Relaxed, insightful, informative. Freed from the algorithm, so to speak. I hope you'll make more of these on this second channel in the coming year. Also, I really want to read the Sperber biography of Marx, but have held off waiting for a more reasonable price on a paperback or hardcover edition. I prefer physical copies of non-fiction books in which I'm likely to take notes or jump to the index to look something up.

[@jaredplus]

The plan is to make videos like this here, since I don’t care at all about video performance on this channel (and have to care about performance, by economic necessity, on the other).

[@King191912]

Some of my favorite reads from this year: - Anathem by Neal Stephenson (personal favorite of the year) - Minima Moralia by Theodor Adorno - An Introduction to Dialectics by Theodor Adorno (the best explanation of Dialectical thinking I've ever read) - Ulysses by James Joyce (the one book I mandated that I had to read this year) - Jerusalem by Alan Moore (the most flawed, but still enjoyable, work I read this year) - Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (felt like Butler/Le Guinn) My goal(s) for next year: - Read War and Peace - Read through Cormac McCarthy's catalog (I had this as a goal before reading about his grooming). - Read more of Adorno's lectures (I have his Aesthetics, Philosophy and Sociology, and Ontology and Dialectics)

[@MrJosh066717]

Wow so anathem fans do actually exist 😂

[@braydenpresley1437]

Just came from your "Why we can't focus" video. It's funny (and eerie) that I was immediately recommended this video after watching that one. Either way, glad I found your channels. I've been reading books like mad lately, building my reading stamina and consciously working to improve my mental fortitude and focus. Thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts and encouraging reading and discussion around reading.

[@The5n0w]

Some of my favourite reads from this year, in no particular order: - The confusions of young Torless by Robert Musil - The class by Hermann Ungar - The divine child by Pascal Bruckner - Human acts by Han Kang - Ice by Anna Kavan

[@philtheo]

Several fascinating picks, Jared! 😊 Also I didn't know you are an Eastern Orthodox Christian! That's interesting to me. Perhaps it is also interesting to other subscribers. I'd be super interested in hearing more about your journey about how you got there if you ever feel like telling it? I seem to remember you growing up in either a fundamentalist or evangelical Christian background then exploring Anglicanism? I forget. I'm not any of these religions but I'm always interested in someone's spiritual journey if they're happy to share. 😊

[@J_Z913]

I finally finished The Recognitions by William Gaddis. It's easily become one of my favorite novels ever, despite its difficulty. Next year I have some Evelyn Waugh and Thomas Pynchon lined up for fiction. I read a ton of M. David Litwa's books this year on early Christianities and have more histories of the ancient world on deck. I hope to read some primary sources as well. Thanks for all your videos Jared. I really liked your collaboration with Esoterica earlier this year. I hope you two have a chance to connect again soon.

[@mrwi]

Mantel's "A Place of Greater Safety" is fantastic too; one of my favorite reads this year. It follows Robespierre, Danton, and Desmoulins as POV characters headed to Paris as young lawyers at the onset of the French Revolution. She was an exceptional writer, as someone who loves historical fiction.

[@keithmcgrath687]

Your channel popped up on my agorrythm, and I'm curious to see what others enjoy to read. I've had The Winter King on my shelf for over a decade, and I'm finally currently reading it after seeing praises online. Anywho, I got excited when you mentioned the series because I am really enjoying the book so far. I more than likely will purchase the other two books. ✌😎

[@TeemuSintonen]

Love this format! Earned a sub! 🙏🏼📚

[@LiterateTexan]

Great video! I'm a big TH White fan, too, and I've been meaning to reread The Once and Future King for a while now. I added the Cornwell trilogy to my TBR.

[@simonlakin5067]

Hi Jared, Great video, thanks. Some of the books I have read this year: The complete Sherlock Holmes stories. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy The Flag Captain- Alexander Kent Non Fiction Chip War - Chris Miller Doom - Sir Niall Ferguson Colonialism - sir Nigel Biggar Stalingrad- Anthony Beevor Six Days of War - Michael B Owen The Second World Wars - Victor Davis Hanson

[@dossiercammie]

I see you’ve got the Midori A5 goat leather cover-such a great choice! I absolutely love Midori; their paper is hands down the best. I have the goat leather cover in B6 myself, and it’s been developing a nice patina. By the way, I’ve been really enjoying your content lately! I’ve listened to that episode of The Classical Mind on The Intellectual Life three times already. I am also focusing on reading what I own in 2025. Mostly fiction I've acquired over the last couple years but maybe some Plato or Aristotle aswell.

[@desteen6203]

I want to read more philsoophy next year, so this list is mostly fiction, but I did end up reading some of my new all time favorites: 1. Moby Dick by Herman Melville 2. Der Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse 3. Snow by Orhan Pamuk 4. Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr. 5. Beloved by Toni Morrison In the nonfiction category my favorite was problem Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, I also read Beyond Good and Evil, but despite being fluent in German, most of it went over my head and almost all the Nietzsche I've learned this year was by reading about his philosophies or watching videos explaining it. Also read some Anarchist theory by Kropotkin, Malatesta, and Graeber.

[@GengarChomper]

What is anarchist theory

[@desteen6203]

@GengarChomper If you're interested in learning more about anarchist theory, I'd suggest reading Anarchy and the Anarchist program by Malatesta. For other thinkers I'd recommend Kropotkin and Emaa Goldmann

[@afk2514]

Top four of the year: 1. Apology of Socrates by Plato. 2. Enemy of the People by Ibsen. 3. The Dune trilogy by Frank Herbert. 4. Toll the Hounds and the Crippled God by Steven Erikson.

[@tylerb.-hq7fq]

I've read some Buddhist philosophy, and it has opened my thinking up in a way I never knew possible.

[@___dh__dh__]

What would you recommend?

[@FlLixZ]

Which one

[@tylerb.-hq7fq]

@@___dh__dh__ Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'ang and Sung Dynasty Verse, translated by Red Pine, Alan Watts, Georg Feuerstein, Huston Smith, Joseph Campbell, Thich Nhat Hanh. There is a lot out there. Confucius and other Chinese classics. Check out Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu,The Tibetan Book of the Dead,

[@PhilosophicalThire]

I will definitely check out Hijacked. Thanks for the recommendation! Great video as always.

[@rq2757]

Nice to hear David Mitchell's name pop up for your fiction reads. I read The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@nonbeliever3745]

Great to see Mantel recognised here. The entire Cromwell trilogy is just fantastic. Beautiful writing.

[@paulwilliams6913]

Fun fact: Brian Attebery, editor of the Library of America Le Guin series, chaired my MA thesis and was on my dissertation committee. I freaking love Le Guin (probably said that during our chat with Philip last year…). I’ll look forward to any videos on her, and hopefully I’ll join you in reading at least a few of those. Since you’re gonna be reading Le Carre, you might take a look at Declare by Tim Powers. It won him his second World Fantasy Award and was specifically written in the vein of Tinker, Tailor and even deals with Kim Philby (whose betrayal of MI6 was the inspiration for Tinker, Tailor). It also does some fascinating Lovecraftian stuffs, and also has some thoughtful ruminations on faith. It’s one of my top reads so far this year :)

[@la8282]

I've read a spy who came in from the cold three times and I just started the Karla trilogy for the first time since I read it back in highschool. I absolutely love the way he tells a story. I hope you enjoy

[@jamesbittle469]

LeCarre and The Expanse series are also on my TBR list for next year.

[@acrab1521]

Chretien de Troyes rules, I recently read the Yvain story and loved it. Some of the oldest existing Arthurian stuff and it's great

[@dalefavier2949]

I would not skip Le Guin's Western Shore novels. They're some of her best stuff. Much quieter than Earthsea, but very thoughtful. She'd been thinking about authority and resistance for a long time, and it all comes into play there. I'd also put in a word for Searoad, and especially the novella Hernes. Lovely stuff.

[@perchenonsali]

I've been meaning to read Plotinus for years, but never found the time to really get into him. It's connected to another excellent piece of scholarship, Rowan Williams's book on Arianism. Thanks for the recs.

[@jaredplus]

That Williams book is excellent.

[@perchenonsali]

@@jaredplus Are you planning some kind of group read of Plotinus?

[@jaredplus]

@@perchenonsali No. I'm documenting it on Substack, but the only group reads I'm doing there in 2025 have already been announced. Those books are Arendt's The Human Condition, The Dispossessed, The Republic, The Remains of the Day, Chuang Tzu, and Aristotle's Politics. (I should've mentioned these in the video, but I simply forgot.)

[@BlindCentipede]

Favourite of the year: Ulysses Broch's The Sleepwalkers-Death of Virgil Horcynus Orca Browne Urn Burial- religio medici Pynchon Mason & Dixon The story of the Stone The Romance of the three kingdom Davenport-Geography of Imagination Ernst robert Curtius-European literature and the latin middle age Auerbach Mimesis Spenser- Faerie Queene Moby Dick

[@haa8408]

Bro this is main channel material 😂

[@iSamwise]

I would love to hear your thoughts on more Gene Wolfe, Jared. I recently read his time travel historical fiction novel Pirate Freedom and it’s…..very much in conversation with Book of the New Sun. Also Free Live Free is fascinating since it’s Wolfe writing noir in the style of Raymond Chandler. Hope you check out more of his stuff!

[@zoobee]

Bring up the Bodies is truly magnificent too.

[@skeller61]

18:20 Science fiction being philosophical is definitely a mixed bag. By bringing up Gene Wolfe as your example of worthwhile reading, however, doesn’t match my experience. I’ve never read The Book of the New Sun, simply because listening to reviewers, I get the sense that most people who read it have no idea what’s going on. In my view, just because a book is obscure doesn’t mean that it’s worthwhile. More “fun” reads, like Project Hail Mary, which I just finished, offer interesting perspectives on philosophical ideas without couching them in dense prose. That holds not just for science fiction, but for any book that I read. For instance, in science, the profoundest thinkers often write the most accessible books. From Darwin and Dawkins to Einstein and Hawking, their writing clarifies their thought rather than making it a word puzzle that you have to solve, as often happens when another tries to “interpret” them. Thanks for your perspective. As an atheist, I find it liberating to not have to reconcile what I’m reading against a set of beliefs I hold (you mention you’re Eastern Orthodox). By not holding preconceived ideas of how reality works, it frees you to look at each book with a perspective of your lived experience and education, without the blinders that any dogma instills in you. Cheers!

[@mariediamond9741]

I bought the Aristotle book. So far it’s proving a super difficult read. I’ve learned the limits of my mind. Mantel is fabulous!

[@johanherrmann8701]

When do you plan to read Proust? Happy to join the substack and read along! Great video as always btw!

[@marywhite2407]

Finally finished Oblomov by Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov, glad I did .

[@JoelNeild]

Hey Jared, I found le Carre several years ago and he is a gem in the spy genre. If you continue reading the Smiley series, le Carre's son recently released another novel with George Smiley. Have you read any of Whyte's Camulod Chronicals? I enjoyed his retelling of the Athurian legend from a historical perspective.

[@CharlieMarno100]

Thanks!

[@terrylago5178]

When you jump into Arthuriana I'd definitely recommend checking out the obscure _Life of Aglovale de Galis_ by Clemence Housman. For my money it may be the best re-telling of Arthuriana in the 20th century and I think it deserves to be better known.

[@MissingPagesPod]

I have had similar experiences regarding hagiography with historical books. Trying to find information regarding the American revolution, for instance, brings about eother legendary tales or subversions. It often takes reading lots of academic works to break through these opposing visions

[@skeller61]

20:07 Ironically, after my last comment about not liking authors that obscure their thoughts to seem “intellectual”, I do like Nietzsche. In line with what you’re saying, he does not write systematically at all. In fact, one of the aphorisms (I believe it’s in Beyond Good and Evil) is, “I distrust all systematizers and avoid them, a will to a system is a lack of integrity.” To more fully understand what he’s saying requires multiple readings of many of his works. But rather than doing this for understanding of a nebulous canon, I find most books about Nietzsche and his philosophy try to distill it in a way that, by this aphorism, he would avoid. When they explain the will to power or what he meant by superman, I find them to be both superficial and artificial. While I don’t agree with many of his ideas, I do find the way he presents them to stimulate me to re-examine my own philosophy, which is the ultimate compliment.

[@jaema8281]

If this is too personal, then don't worry about it! Was just curious what denomination you were, if any. I actually found out about your channel through looking for resources on learning St. Augustine and your first book that has a focus primarily on the German academy made me wonder if you were Lutheran. Cheers!

[@jaredplus]

No, it’s fine. I am Eastern Orthodox. I was an Episcopalian for a long time as a an adult, but then I converted to Eastern Orthodoxy.

[@jaema8281]

@jaredplus Man, that's pretty cool! I would never have expected that, since most of your videos discuss the standard popular Western Church Fathers and the Roman Scholastics. That's so awesome! Eastern Orthodoxy interested me in St. John Damascene, St. Maximus and Palamas, as well as gave me an excuse to really dive into figures like Clement of Alexandria and Psuedo-Dionysus. I'd love to see you cover any Eastern works that you find compelling! Thanks so much for answering Jared, your videos are some of my favorite things to watch to pull me out of hyper-cringe try hard studying and chill, and your recommendations to really dive through Nicomachean Ethics has had massive influence on my life. Wishing (praying 😏) the best for you, and appreciate you taking the time to answer. Speaking publicly about the faith can be pretty daunting.

[@Sandwichism]

I would be interested to hear what you think about Gareth Stedman Jones’ biography of Marx, I felt like your description of the Sperber biography sounded similar to my thoughts of the Jones biography, which is to say it felt honest and even handed in conveying his accomplishments without partaking in hagiography.

[@zafi3054]

Is there a translation of Aristotle's ethics that you recommend?

[@ironballistics]

Hello, sorry if this has already been answered in another video or someplace else but I was thinking of getting some used, "Great Books of the Western World" by Encyclopedia Britannica. Are they a good place for a one stop shop or are dedicated printings for the ancient greeks a better idea? Thanks!

[@jaredplus]

I think it isn't bad, but I've never own a copy. As an alternative, Hackett sells very affordable books, including many Greek works.

[@anneworks]

The Slightly foxed podcast has a recent episode interviewing Le Carré's biographer, which points to his better works and sheds light on his life, which was quite colourful

[@PersonalChan_26-f9g]

I really wanted to buy the Plato complete works, but I've been spending too much. I'll stick with my Penguin copy of the Republic for now.

[@florianalla2353]

Top Books this year: The War at the end of the World… M.V Llosa Brothers Karamazov - Dostoevsky Convenience Store Girl - Sayaka Murata The Idiot - Dostoyevski 2666 - Bolaño Savage Detectives - Bolaño -- Favorite short story The Shape of the Sword - Borges

[@GeekGawk]

Good stuff. Keep posting about books jared. Btw have you completed Malazan series? If yes, i would love hear you talk about maybe in one of such videos, maybe somewhere in a video where you update your top 10 fantasy series/book, just like you did with " my top 10 science fiction books..."

[@jaredplus]

No, and I don't know if I will finish it. If I do, it won't be for quite some time. There are many other things I'd like to read first.

[@luhdemtaters]

Hey Jared what kind edition of Moby Dick do you own and is it the edition you recommend (and if not, what edition do you recommend)?

[@joniheisenberg]

I was blown away by “All The King’s Men.” Nothing has come close to it.

[@oopyman]

as you were talking about fantasy i was wondering if you'd read the book of the new sun and what you'd have thought of it. moments later you dropped "it's not all gene wolfe." guessing you're a fan then lol

[@jaredplus]

Oh yes, I’m a huge fan!

[@thebasis1704]

Jared do you have any thoughts on audiobooks? Do you listen to any at all?

[@jaredplus]

I used to listen to them a lot. This year I listen to maybe three.

[@kirankumar4417]

curious asking are you theist or agnostic by reading hardcore philosophy ?

[@davidloveday8473]

How do you get/make the time to read 100+ books a year, and to read them in a way that involves thought and reflection?

[@jaredplus]

I carve out quite a lot of time for reading. I don’t watch TV or movies, except on rare occasions when I want to go to a movie theater. I take notes only on the books that need them, so I’m not slowed down by constant annotation. On top of all that, I carry a book with me everywhere I go.

[@EricMcLuen]

For fiction, probably Song for Arbonne. Unfortunately atelier GGK always throws in a cringe scene or two for some reason Non fiction - Guns of August, easily. I did read a biography of T Cromwell up to his early relationship with Henry. There are a lot of missing pieces and a variety of opinions about him. Historical figures like that or Henry II/Beckett you just can't make up with everything they did which might be why historical fiction is so appealing Warlord has been on my radar for some time. Maybe 2025. Did read Wizard Knight by Wolfe and was disappointed.

[@tylerb.-hq7fq]

I would definitely encourage you to read more John Le Carre. I have read a lot of his books and have a couple setting on my coffee table right now: The Night Manager and The Secret Pilgrim. Like Stephen King, a lot of Le Carre books have been made into movies so you may be more familiar with his work then you realize. I would not watch the Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Spy miniseries done in England back in the 1970s. Read the book before you watch any of the movies and miniseries. The two genres do not work well as cross over, you can never captor a book in movie form. But Hollywood thinks they can. Idiots.

[@la8076]

The culmination surely made waves as pippin used to be a hegelian

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

Wow your 2025 reading list is quite heavy! How do you manage to read 100 difficult works of philosophy or literature in one year??

[@jaredplus]

Here's what I wrote earlier when someone else asked me: I carve out quite a lot of time for reading. I don’t watch TV or movies, except on rare occasions when I want to go to a movie theater. I take notes only on the books that need them, so I’m not slowed down by constant annotation. On top of all that, I carry a book with me everywhere I go.

[@akirtirem]

Wish this had time stamps

[@marcelhidalgo1076]

Wish you had included the picture of the Marx biography cover

[@Contraband_Pigments]

That Marx biography sounds super interesting.

[@damienphoenix1843]

Crime and Punishment Brothers Karamazov Wind and Truth Outlive

[@tylerb.-hq7fq]

Don't you ever read Easter philosophy or literature? Just western stuff? I am more interested in the East, I think it is the future.

[@MarkKoerner-c8c]

I won't comment on the content of the John Le Carre. But I feel sorry for this guy, having to read a book with such a boring, washed-out cover. Those old Penguins were so highly forgettable that I can't forget them, unfortunately. A friend once said that they were designed to convey a sense of British stodginess, and with that we need not quarrel. For a more interesting cover of the same book, buy the Bantam edition.

[@FL-by9xz]

This is such a ridiculous comment. Personally, I never see the cover when I’m reading the book so… So highly forgettable that you can’t forget them… ‘A friend’ told you they were designed to convey ‘stodginess’… your friend is full of ‘stodge’. They were intended to be inexpensive books affordable to all, rather than lavishly bound hardback books, in the aftermath of the Great Depression, the inter war years and then through the Second World War when there were paper shortages in Europe. You should quarrel with your friend because they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about, and you clearly don’t think for yourself. Maybe stick to your picture books and leave the rest for the grown ups.

[@milfredcummings717]

Hate that book! 😂

[@mikeyytu9283]

Can you cite these allegedly dishonest portrayals in favor of Marx

[@99xd70]

Are you a devout Christian?

[@naturalfluency2315]

He’s Eastern Orthodox

[@zesky6654]

No offense, but how did you end up being Eastern Orthodox? That's a weird sect to be into unless you are a spy or something.

[@thebasis1704]

Not weird at all

[@capturedbyannamarie]

There is a giant amount of people joining the Eastern Orthodox Church in America. The numbers who have joined in the last 4 years, is in the millions. It’s not weird at all.

[@jaredplus]

The short version was that I got curious, and then I visited an Orthodox parish and loved it.

[@thebasis1704]

If anything we should be grateful Jared is not one of the more recent right wing lunatics joining Eastern Orthodoxy

[@EricMcLuen]

​@jaredplus Any suggestions on The Great Schism? Have read quite a bit on the Reformation but Orthodoxy in general is a gap I need to fill.

[@FL-by9xz]

@jaredplus Re Le Carre and your comment about being a great storyteller and the ‘personal lense’, are you aware that he was in the Security Services in the late 50s/early 60s. In TTSS terms, I think he was in a Peter Guillam/Lamplighters type capacity. If you’re enjoying the book, I highly recommend watching the BBC 7 part series (1979?). It’s available on Amazon Prime. People often quibble about book adaptations… this one is not so much an adaptation as more like someone read the book then said film it… start one page 1, in order. It’s fantastic, with a heavyweight cast from that era. Many may not be familiar to people today, but two will be. Smiley is played by Sir Alec Guinness or Obi Wan Kenobi if you prefer, and Patrick Stewart has an awesome cameo as Karla. It’s not so much an adaptation as just a filming of the book - what everyone wants for their favourite franchise, but rarely gets. The 2011 fIlm is OK, but it’s a reboot. The series really gets the mood of the Cold War era. It was a lot less James Bond. As someone who grew up on British military bases in UK and Europe in the 70s/80s, the feel is spot on. I think I got the re-mastered Amazon Prime streaming version (for my phone - I already had the DVDs) for less than 10 bucks. Treat yourself this Christmas and watch it after you’ve finished the book.