This year I could only read 8 books which is embarrassingly low compared to some of the more serious readers I know. Nevertheless, it is what I could manage in what was a very busy year for me.
- Jungle of Stone: This was one of the best books I read this year. It is about the discovery of the lost cities of the Mayans by two explorers in the 19th century. I picked up this book to improve my knowledge of the Mesoamerican civilizations and also to prepare for my trip to Peru.
- Conquistadores: This was the third book I read to prepare for my trip to Peru. It is about the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Peru and other regions.
- The Great Railroad Revolution: I picked up this book to prepare for my 4 day train trip in the United States. I have read other railway books by the same author before. This one was about the history of railways in the United States.
- Building Canada: This book is an introduction to the various architectural styles of buildings in Canada and the influences that created them. I picked up this book to increase my knowledge about buildings and architecture as I am working in the field of energy management of buildings.
- Space Race: This book details the story of the space race between different nations beginning with the defeat of Nazis during the second world war to the moon landing by the United States. I read this book to spruce up my knowledge about space exploration before my visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Centre this year.
- White Mughals: A visit to the magnificent British Residency building in Hyderabad, India triggered in me a desire to know more about its history and the story behind one of the most famous romances of South India so I bought this book. This was my third book of William Dalrymple.
- Lords of the Deccan: This book is about the history of the super powers of South India in the medieval period. I spotted this book by chance at a book store.
- Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India: My dad had bought this author signed book from an event recently and it perfectly aligned with my on going series of books on South India. This talks about the powerful and influential Muslim kingdoms which flourished in south India during the 1300s to the 1700s