I only read 15 books last year; some of them were quite good though.
Arabia: Through The Looking Glass; Jonathan Raban
Eland’s a very underrated publisher, resurfacing books you’d never otherwise find but are still well worth reading. This is one example: a lovely time capsule of the Middle East of 50 years ago, with plenty of lessons for today too.
The Remains of the Day; Kazuo Ishiguro
Probably my favourite of Ishiguro’s now — a slow burner but, if you bear with it, a brutally bleak critique of mid-century Britain.
Parfit: A Philosopher and His Mission to Save Morality; David Edmonds
The only book from this year to make my favourites. A pacy book about a very important thinker, with a wealth of personal anecdotes that help you really understand Parfit’s character — and how that influenced his (and by proxy your) ideas.
Small Things Like These; Claire Keegan
It’s incredible how much power Keegan manages to cram into such a short book. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so moved, so quickly.
Honourable mentions: Devil In The White City, The Maniac, The English Understand Wool, Our Wives Under The Sea, This Is Not America, Chip War, Biography of X, Trust, The Alignment Problem, Babel, The Glass Hotel
Essayant 