Andrew Mina

2023 turned out to be a year of super interesting reading. A fabulous mix of fiction and non-fiction.

Standout non-fiction: Humanocracy
Standout fiction: The Last Devil to Die

December

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore (Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger) (1823)

A timeless story to read with the kids.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Hardback / Personal copy

It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime; Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (2019)

What a childhood! This book is a great reminder that the person you meet has a childhood that you should ask questions about it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / From book exchange

November

Babette’s Feast and Other Stories by Isak Dinesen (Karin Blixen) (1958)

Beautiful writing and excellent storytelling.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Paperback / Gift from friend

The Business of Belonging: How to Build Communities That Grow the Bottom Line by David Spinks (2021)

Highly recommended to anyone looking to build communities within a work context. Heaps of tools, tips and helpful guidance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Hardback / Personal copy

I’d Rather Not by Robert Skinner (2023)

The title of this book as become a saying I use in my daily life now. Contains some good personal essays and reflections.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Personal copy

October

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James and David Thomas (2009)

This book is okay. It is full of bias and low level of research but has a few good tips and ideas from the American perspective.
⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Borrowed from a friend.

The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia by Michael Booth (2014)

Not recommended. There are many great books on Scandinavian outlook and this is not one of them.
⭐️
Non-fiction / Hardback / Borrowed from the library

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker (2020)

My my goodness! What a story full of darkness and light, incredible sadness and hope. This book leads you from a place of shock to compassionate awareness.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Borrowed from a friend

The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club #4) by Richard Osman (2023)

Some excellent writing!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Paperback / Personal copy

Action Dude (Book #1) by Andy Riley (2022)

This book was so fun to read with my son. Looking forward to reading the others.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Graphic novel / Paperback / Personal copy

September

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch (1978)

A very interesting story. Full of the unexpected.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Hardback / Borrowed from the library

August

The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club #3) by Richard Osman (2022)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Paperback / Personal copy

The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club #2) by Richard Osman (2021)

Beautiful continuation of the first story with excellent character development. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Paperback / Personal copy

July

Did I Ever Tell You This? by Sam Neill (2023)

This was a good read and I enjoyed Neill’s approach to telling his story and was clearly selective to what he choose to include.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Hardback / Borrowed from the library

June

Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter by Angela Hui (2022)

Powerful story and I was able to connect with it as I had also spent my childhood behind the counter albeit in a retail store.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Hardback / Personal copy

The Road To Little Dribbling (Notes from a Small Island #2) by Bill Byrson (2015)

I really appreciated this book as it gave me more context to understand the United Kingdom but also so nice to read about how it is to travel later in life and to visit the places Byrson didn’t get to the first time around.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / From book exchange

May

The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1) by Richard Osman (2020)

So readable. Love the characters. You can imagine coming late to a series mean I got to read the next ones in relative short time and thus was able to recall the character well. I am looking forward to the TV series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Paperback / Borrowed from a friend

April

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (Translated by Heathger Cleary) (2016)

Sure it all makes sense, but it is missing a deeper connection of why we are here.
⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Hardback / Borrowed from a friend

The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by Julie Zhuo (2019)

Highly recommended book for any one leading or will in the future team teams in a technology company.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Gift from work

March

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J. M. Nouwen (1991)

This is a significant book that is well worth spending time with.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Audiobook

Employee Experience: Develop a Happy, Productive and Supported Workforce for Exceptional Individual and Business Performance by Ben Whitter (2019)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Borrowed from the library

The HR Business Partner Handbook: A Practical Guide to Being Your Organization’s Strategic People Expert by Glenn Templeman (2021)

Whether you’re new to HR or looking to transition from a HR generalist or specialist role, this incredibly practical guide is a much read for your journey.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Gift from author

The LEGO Story: How a Little Toy Sparked the World’s Imagination by Jes Anderson (Narrated by Peter Cross) (2021)

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Non-fiction / Audiobook

How to Work in Denmark: Tips for finding a job in Denmark, succeeding at work, and understanding your Danish boss (updated edition by Kay Xander Mellish (2022)

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Borrowed from work

February

Dying of Politeness: A Memoir by Geena Davis (2022)

One thing I have been learning, yet again, it never to underestimate people’s stories, especially famous people.Davis’s has captured terrific stories in this memoir.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Hardback / Borrowed from library

Childhood / Youth / Dependency (The Copenhagen Trilogy #1-3) by Tove Ditlevsen (2021).

I am being more intentional in reading books written by Scandinavia authors. There is something special reading a book set in places that you are familiar with and also help you track the changes they been through. Many moments of me exclaiming ‘oh’.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Personal copy

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (2006)

I am not sure what really could have prepared me to hear the story of the Walls family from the Jeanette’s perspective and experience! Wow. There were chapters I could not put it down and leave the chapter unfinished even though it was late. Chapters that I needed to debrief with my wife, Celina. Somehow in all eye-boggling stories it was also good for my soul to read it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Borrowed from a friend

Last Light (Nick Stone #4) by Andy McNab, Colin Buchanan (Reader) (2002).

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Audiobook

Crisis Four (Nick Stone #2) by Andy McNab (1999).

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Fiction / Audiobook

Remote Control (Nick Stone #1) by Andy McNab, Joe Barrett (Narrator) (1999).

Pacy, action-packed, and definitely thrilling to listen to. Only once I was part the way through did I realise this was an abridged version of the book. This let me down, but also helped me understand why not everything made sense to me. This would also be the case the next two books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Audiobook

January

Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them by Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini (2020).

If you’re in any level of leadership or innovation this is a must read. First-class guidance in identifying and making the best decisions for the people you lead.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Hardback / Personal copy

Bad Actors (Slough House, #8) by Mick Herron, Gerald Doyle (Narrator) (2022).

I make quick of Herron’s work completing the last three books in the series over January. True to form they were so very engaging and a pleasure to listen to and now watch on Apple TV.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Audiobook

Slough House (Slough House, #7) by Mick Herron, Gerald Doyle (Narrator) (2021).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Audiobook

Joe Country (Slough House #6) by Mick Herron, Gerald Doyle (Narrator) (2019).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Audiobook

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (2012).

This hardback edition of Carroll’s work is beautifully illustrated with Yayoi Kusama’s work and outcome is a beautiful synergy of words and images.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction / Hardback / Personal copy

Kroyer and Paris: French Connections and Nordic Colours by Aarhus University Press (2022).

This well presented book was a great reminder not to just look at piece of art but take time to zoom out the bigger context.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Non-fiction / Paperback / Borrowed from the library