Books I read in December 2023

My bankruptsy on 2023 continues and my reading streak for December was STRONG - thanks to discovering Ali Hazelwood last month.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Let’s get the audio books out of the way first. Since Spotify Premium launched audiobooks I have been curious about listening to audiobooks again so I thought I would try Shoe Dog since it was a book I had been meaning to read for a while. I was surprised by the honesty of the book, in today’s age of romanticizing failure, I was surprised by the honesty shown by Phil Knight in how much the failures sucked and the sheer financial and emotional impacts of those failures. It also did make me want to buy Onitsuka Tigers (when my current shoes die out).

When McKinsey Comes to Town by Michael Forsyth and Walt Bogdanich

I am not the biggest fan on consultants period. I own that bias upfront. Reading this book has definitely made me despise them. The sheer lack of knowledge and concern that consultants have for the industries that they are stepping into is mind boggling. I understand that they are brought in to save money but the ways in which they blindly approach saving costs is concerning, there are priorities that shouldn’t be compromised on without getting the approval from boots on the ground. For e.g. safety and the fact that such a simple idea isn’t part of their proposal development process concerns me. Definitely makes me think twice about working with consultants.

The Long Game by Elena Armas

This is by far my favourite Elena Armas book. I see myself in Adalyn so completely, a woman trying to please her parents and be the best in every way possible just needs someone to look past the stubborness and take care of her. I love Cameron for playing the long game here, for being the cooking god he is! I love the patience of the book even though others might not and I am sure that I can tolerate the long game because of the “dears“ and “darlings“.

Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

I realize that I have read the Love Series by Ali Hazelwood in COMPLETELY the wrong order - but forgive me as I am a slave to the Libby gods. The story of Jack and Elsie has to be my favourite of Ali Hazelwood’s a) because of the organic build up of their relationship b) because I empathize with Elsie’s need to shape shift personalities as she encounters people’s expectations of her and c) it has the least side drama (no spoilers). The appearance of Adam and Olive from Love Hypothesis is also appreciated even if I do have to reread that scene once I read the Love Hypothesis. It’s a sweet physicists version of enemies to lovers.

Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

I am a big fan of a fake dating trope. Might like it better than enemies to lovers so of course I loved this book too. The fact that it is set in California makes me even happier - no cold Boston or dry Houston - just home! Since it was the third book I read, I definitely did realize that I am grateful that in Love on the Brain (the most recent Love novel) Ali Hazelwood does make the characters on a more equal pedestal (peers and not one where the male is in a drastically better financial situation than the female - even though I know that it’s true for academia). While this might be my least favourite Love book, I wonder if I had read it first my rankings would change?

A note on Ali Hazelwood: I am indeed reading fan fiction on her characters now. And no I will not be taking questions.