Ben's Book Awards 2024

And the winner is...

This year, I set out with the goal of reading 50 books across a wide breadth of genres, styles, and ideas. With the year coming to a close, I am happy to say I surpassed my goal, reading 52 books, visualized below:

Let’s dive into some fun stats. The total amount of pages I read amounted to 20,747. If you stack those pages, it would reach a height of 6.75ft, well surpassing my own height.

Assuming each page takes me a minute to read, I spent approximately 345 hours reading. That’s nearly an hour a day, or about 40% of the time I spent employed at Capital One.

In this article, I want to share with you some of my favorite reads from the year through what I hope will become an annual tradition: Ben’s Book Awards. I give awards ranging from tearjerkers to classics, philosophy to page-turners, so that everyone can find a category they resonate with. Without further ado, let’s begin.

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Biggest Tearjerker

Guaranteed to make you cry

Winner: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Few books capture the essence of what it means to be human as powerfully as Paul Kalanithi’s memoir. When Breath Becomes Air takes readers on an emotional journey, intertwining his experiences as both a neurosurgeon and a patient facing terminal cancer. It’s a deeply moving story that brings tears as you witness his personal tragedy, while also offering a profoundly beautiful meditation on life, mortality, and the human spirit.

2nd: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

3rd: Educated by Tara Winslow

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Philosopher's Favorites

For those who ponder the nature of reality

Winner: The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch

This philosophical tour de force will captivate anyone with a penchant for deep thinking. Covering a wide range of topics, from quantum mechanics and politics to beauty and parenting, Deutsch offers a bold, novel perspective on scientific progress, framing explanations as the key to understanding the universe. His argument for rational optimism challenges conventional wisdom and invites readers to reconsider long-held beliefs. Entire philosophical ideas are dismantled in mere sentences, making it almost impossible not to have multiple epiphanies as you read. This book is sure to leave you questioning, reflecting, and rethinking what you thought you knew.

2nd: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

3rd: Projections by Karl Deisseroth

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Most Eye-Opening

Prepare to have your perspective radically transformed

Winner: Wild Swans by Jung Chang

Before reading Wild Swans, I had little understanding of the devastation of the Cultural Revolution in recent history. Jung Chang’s powerful account, told through the experiences of her family, brings the brutal reality of this period to light with striking honesty. The intense portrayal of suffering, repression, and survival under an oppressive totalitarian regime left me questioning if this real-life dystopian was worse than the fictional one of my recent read 1984. This book is not only an eye-opening exploration of a tragic chapter in history, but also a testament to the resilience of those who endured it. It is, without a doubt, one of the most shocking, profound, and important books I’ve ever read.

2nd: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings

3rd: We Are Electric by Sally Adee

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Timeless Classics

Hopefully I can age as well as these timeless masterpieces

Winner: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Narrated by Death Himself, this story of a little girl’s life during WWII might seem destined to be purely bleak. And while it is undeniably tragic (it brought me to tears more than once), Markus Zusak fills these pages with vivid, unforgettable characters that you’ll quickly fall in love with. Through their resilience and humanity, the story becomes a powerful testament to love, hope, and beauty in even the darkest times. A masterpiece that rightfully earns its place among the greatest works of literature.

2nd: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

3rd: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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Epic Chronicles

Sweeping tales through history, power, progress, and personalities

Winner: Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

If you’re a fan of investigative literature, this book will quickly become a favorite. The tale of the Sackler Dynasty and the birth of the opioid epidemic is as gripping as it is infuriating. A shocking account of greed, deception, and legacy on a massive scale. With meticulous research and masterful storytelling, Empire of Pain dives deep into the dark history of OxyContin and its devastating role in the opioid crisis. Prepare to be captivated by a story so outrageous, you’ll find it hard to believe it’s non-fiction.

2nd: Chip War by Chris Miller

3rd: Wild Swans by Jung Chang

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Best World-Building

Where the only limit is your imagination

Winner: Death’s End by Cixin Liu

The concluding book in the Three-Body Problem trilogy left me utterly speechless with Liu Cixin's unparalleled grand speculations and world-building. From a future Earth hosting meticulously detailed, scientifically grounded, multi-planetary human civilizations to alien life that spans dimensions and time, Liu’s imaginative brilliance knows no bounds. But this book is more than just epic sci-fi; it delves deeply into profound themes of loneliness, love, hope, progress, and the meaning of existence, making it a breathtaking conclusion to my favorite sci-fi trilogy of all time.

2nd: Babel by R. F. Kuang

3rd: Stories of Your Life And Others by Ted Chiang

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Most Unique

Books that defy genre-constraining boundaries

Winner: When We Cease To Understand The World by Benjamín Labatut

What begins as an accurate recounting of science history seamlessly transforms into a captivating blend of fact and fiction. By weaving real scientists and monumental achievements with imaginative, fictionalized stories, this book brings historical figures to life in completely novel ways. It’s the most creative and entertaining retelling of the birth of quantum mechanics, doing justice to both the characters and the groundbreaking science they pioneered.

2nd: Exhalation by Ted Chiang

3rd: The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch

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Page-Turners

Start these early so you get some sleep

Winner: Babel by R. F. Kuang

Filled with unexpected twists and turns, this epic historical fantasy will keep you on the edge of your seat. Following the journey of four students at the prestigious Babel translation institute, the story masterfully intertwines themes of language, power, responsibility, and friendship. As the students uncover the dark truths lurking beneath Babel's glittering facade, the stakes continuously soar. Kuang’s sharp prose, gripping narrative, and vivid characters make it nearly impossible to put this book down.

2nd: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings

3rd: The Measure by Nikki Erlick

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Blueprints for Tomorrow

Looking to the past to guide our future

Winner: A Brief History Of Intelligence by Max Bennett

This book delves into the evolution of intelligence, the scientific foundations behind its progression, and its potential future through AI. Max Bennett masterfully bridges biology, AI, and philosophy to present a compelling and nuanced vision of intelligence’s evolution across history. With its blend of scientific rigor and forward-thinking insights, this work is an essential read for anyone curious about the forces shaping our future in an age of rapid AI advancement.

2nd: Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari

3rd: Chip War by Chris Miller

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Personal Favorites

And probably will be yours too

Winner: Three Body Problem Trilogy by Cixin Liu

By far the most ambitious, unique, and creative sci-fi trilogy I have ever read, Liu Cixin’s Three-Body Problem series is a masterpiece of speculative fiction. Emotionally gripping and intellectually stimulating, it explores the cultural and psychological ramifications of its sci-fi elements with remarkable depth. The series also offers one of the most compelling scientific explanations of the Fermi Paradox I’ve encountered, all within a literary work of extraordinary scope. It has set a new standard for science fiction and firmly stands as my favorite sci-fi series—possibly even my favorite books of all time.

2nd: Babel by R. F. Kuang

3rd: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

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Reading Future

With that we conclude the first year of Ben’s Book Awards. For more in-depth on my reading, I rate and review every book I read on my Goodreads, so you can follow me there.

I got many exciting books on my radar for the coming year, but my favorite way to find new books is from recommendation. So don’t be shy, comment with your recommendations and maybe they’ll be featured in next year’s awards!

To conclude this article, I will leave you with the words of Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief: “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”

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