Top 5 Reads of 2019

The fact that only now I'm writing this annual post (today is January 22th 2020), must've said something about my year. I want to say I was being super productive and busy with work that I didn't have much time to write, but that's not the case. In fact, 2019 might be the laziest I've ever been–work wise. I didn't earn much, I didn't even have any goal accomplished. But I started 2019 in a thick of healing, and ending the year being the happiest I've ever been in a long time. So yeah, that was an amazing year.

Without further ado, here's my top 5 reads of 2019 (yea, I know I usually do 10, but I want to be more like Bill Gates. Don't @ me.)

#5 - A Higher Loyalty by James Comey

People said that the (then) FBI director, James Comey, was team Trump when he unexpectedly reopen Hillary's email case a week before the election, which was assumed to have helped Trump winning the race. And then, Trump shook everyone by firing Comey just days after he was assigned to lead the Trump-Russia investigation. Shortly after, Comey published this book.
I knew this book is very political, and at first I just wanted to find out what was really going on behind Hillary-Trump drama. Turns out, I got more than what I expected. I learned a lot about integrity and leadership from Comey. He offers parts of his life story to let us know what kind of person he is, what molded his character, the reasoning behind every ethical decisions he made. All in all, Comey is a very fine writer and a superb story teller.

#4 - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

To be honest, I was skeptical about this book at first. My brother had it for awhile before I decided to read it. I thought it'll be more like a formula book that tells you; 'do this, and you'll be this'. I hate that. Apparently, this book is much deeper than a quick self-help book. It examines our core defining traits; personality, principles, and ethics. There are a lot of notions I learned from this book that will forever resonate with me. To always be proactive and only focusing on my 'circle of influence'. To listen, not to respond, but to understand. And the most influential one for me is the idea that there is a gap between stimulus and response, and the key to both our growth and happiness is how we use that space.
This book might feel textbookish and dense, but trust me, it's worth your while.

#3 - The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History is a murder story, where the mystery isn't rely on who, how, or what happened. They tell you right away; who died, who did it, how, and why. Instead, the story digs deep into each character's personality and interactions between them. The complexity of every characters is what compelled me the most. Click here if you want to read my full review of this book. Spoiler free!

#2 - Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm is a story about a farm taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. There is this Old Major, a boar who spread the idea of a revolution, and there are these two young boars, Snowball and Napoleon, who started it. It's a fable, an allegory, and a satire all in one story. Read my complete review here if you want to see why this book got me into an existential crisis. Again, spoiler free.

Before we get to the number #1, here are some honorary mentions. Those that are great, but didn't make the cut.

1. Mata Yang Enak Dipandang oleh Ahmad Tohari
2. Educated by Tara West
3. Orang-Orang Biasa oleh Andrea Hirata

Alrighty, now it's time...

The winner of Book-Bosomed top 5 Reads of 2019 goes to...

*cue drumroll*

#1 - Factfulness by Hans Rosling

Yep, the last book that I read in 2019 is the winner of my top 5 reads, and deservedly so. This is a very important read, especially in today's climate when everything feels like it keeps getting worse and worse, and hoaxes spread like wildfire. It teaches us how to recognise overdramatic stories and give us some thinking tools to control our dramatic instincts. I'm amazed by how Rosling(s) managed to present relatively complex topics in a way that makes it easy to grasp and entertaining. Regardless of your reading preferences, if you are ready for critical thinking to replace instinctive reaction, this is a must read.

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That's it! I hope my list of 5 top reads helps. I'm sorry for being so inactive, but writing more is one of my resolutions for 2020. Let see if I can keep that resolution throughout the year (which is very unlikely, seeing from my past experiences. But I'll try my best).

One last thing,
THANK YOU for your support (and for purchasing my booksleeves, love you!). 2020 will be the best year yet for us all.

Good luck!