- The Guns of August — Barbara W. Tuchman
- Rare are such well-written and well edited books. It provides a detailed look at the events that lead to, and the unfolding of, World War I.
- Peopleware — Tom DeMarco & Timothy Lister
- Regularly mentioned as recommended reading on HN and proggit, it is an fast and very interesting read.
- Moonwalking with Einstein — Joshua Foer
- A book on Bill Gates' reading list, that was a fantastical read, filled with insights and curious annecdotes about our memory.
- Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! — Richard Phillips Feynman
- An Enjoyable read with some very quirky and funny anecdotes by one of the great scientific minds of our time.
- The Power of Habit — Charles Duhigg
- Well written and very immersive, a treasure trove of insights on taking control of our habits, it is probably the best 'how-to' guide to changing your life and yet never feels like one.
- Fermat's Last Theorem — Simon Singh
- An exploration of a fascinating topic. I felt it was a little too superficial (simplified might be the better word), I would have loved more historical details or more discussion of the consequences of some of the mentioned discoveries.
- In God's House — Ray Mouton
- A scary, vivid and shocking account of the trial that led to the uncovering of the systematic abuse within and cover-up by the American catholic church.
- Forgotten Fatherland — Ben Macintyre
- A portrayal of Nietzsche's sister, who was largely responsible for associating her brother's works with the ideologies of the third reich.
- Behind the Beautiful Forever — Katherine Boo
- A riveting account of life in one of Mumbai's slums. Its ending left me aching for real closure.
- Guns Up! A Firsthand Account of the Vietnam War — Johnnie Clark
- A vivid and captivating portrayal of the everyday life of a 'grunt' during the Vietnam War.
- George F. Kennen: An American life — John Lewis Gaddis
- A beautifully written biography that provides a look behind the scenes of America's Cold War foreign policy through the eyes of its foremost strategist.
- The Prime Ministers — Yehuda Avner
- A fascinating and intimate account of Israeli statesmanship. It provides insight into how each of the four prime ministers worked and what motivated their actions during the crises that their governments faced and overcame.
- Nothing to Envy — Barbara Demick
- A captivating glimpse at ordinary life in Nort Korea - I couldn't put it down.
- Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman
- Took me a while to get immersed, but turned into an amazing read on the science behind human behaviour.
- Alan Touring: Enigma — Andrew Hodges
- A very detailed exploration of Touring's life, that could have been at least 100 pages shorter.
- Stalin's General: The Life of Georgy Zhukov — Geoffrey Roberts
- A wonderfully detailed and balanced biography of one of the great military leaders of the second World War.
- Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal — Mary Roach
- A funny series of annecdotal stories that take you on a wild ride through the quirks of the human alimentary canal.
- Great North Road — Peter F. Hamilton
- Gripping science fiction, set in a grim and realistic future. I had high expectations and Hamilton delivered as usual.
- The Lost World — Arthur Conan Doyle
- A great fiction classic, fast paced and with plenty of action.
- The Glassblower of Murano — Marina Fiorato
- An intriguing mélange of past and present timelines. A little cheesy at times.
- Judas Unchained — Peter F. Hamilton
- Space Opera at its finest: a gripping, long and epic storyline with a multitude of interwoven sub-plots.
- If at First — Peter F. Hamilton
- A Hamilton short story, more needn't be said.
- The Forever War — Joe Haldeman
- Beautiful, intelligent science fiction.
- The Importance of Being Earnest — Oscar Wilde
- Humorous and witty, it is not without reason Wilde's most popular play.
- Still Missing — Chevy Stevens
- Shocking and emotional. A thriller, whose unusual approach to storytelling provides a very effective vehicle to convey the protagonists emotions and facilitate empathy by the reader.
- Die Sturmkönige Trilogie — Kai Meyer
- German fantasy. Set in an unorthodox universe with a lot of, albeit partially untapped, potential, that made for fast page-turning.
- Anathem — Neal Stephenson
- Extremely well-written, thought-provoking science fiction.
- Neuromancer — William Gibson
- Great science fiction in a bleak and grim future.
- The Left Hand Of Darkness — Ursula K. Le Guin
- An exploration of gender and gender-related issues, on a planet where gender is not predetermined or fixed.
- Dune — Frank Herbert
- If there ever is a work that embodies science fiction, this is probably it.
- Oryx and Crake — Margaret Atwood
- Amazingly written science fiction. Intruiging characters and the sometimes rather bizzare setting make for a great read.