| Title | Author | Category | Status | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Designing Data-Intensive Applications Format: eBook Source: Bought from O'Reilly Priority: 1 of 7 Honestly the best explanation I have read of how databases, caches and message queues work under the hood. It is dense, so I am reading it slowly, but it already changed how I look at the systems at my internship. |
Martin Kleppmann | Software Engineering | In Progress | |
|
Head First Design Patterns Format: Print Source: University library Priority: 2 of 7 Teaches the classic design patterns with drawings and small exercises instead of dry theory. If the original Gang of Four book put you to sleep, start with this one. |
Eric Freeman and Elisabeth Robson | Software Design | To Read | |
|
Game Programming Patterns Format: eBook Source: Free on the author's website Priority: 3 of 7 Shows where the usual software patterns show up inside a game engine, from the game loop to component systems. It is free to read online, which is hard to argue with. |
Robert Nystrom | Game Development | To Read | |
|
The Pragmatic Programmer Format: eBook Source: Bought on Kindle Priority: 4 of 7 Lots of short, practical tips on how experienced programmers think about their code and their careers. I open a random chapter whenever I feel stuck on a project. |
David Thomas and Andrew Hunt | Programming | Read | |
|
Atomic Habits Format: Print Source: Gift from my sister Priority: 5 of 7 Instead of telling you to be more disciplined, this book shows how to set up your day so the good habit is the easy option. I still use the two minute rule when I don't feel like studying. |
James Clear | Self-Improvement | Read | |
|
The Alchemist Format: Print Source: Borrowed from a friend Priority: 6 of 7 A short story about a shepherd who follows a dream across the desert. You can finish it in a weekend but the message about the journey mattering more than the treasure sticks with you. |
Paulo Coelho | Fiction | Read | |
|
Deep Work Format: Audiobook Source: Spotify audiobooks Priority: 7 of 7 Argues that long stretches of real focus are a skill you can train, and gives ideas for protecting that time. Good to listen to on the commute if your phone keeps winning. |
Cal Newport | Productivity | Read |
Rating is out of three. I only rate books after I finish them.
Why These Books?
I picked these seven because they show where I am right now as a computer science student. The four I finished fall into two groups. The Pragmatic Programmer and Atomic Habits are the ones that actually changed how I work day to day, one for my code and one for my routine. Deep Work and The Alchemist were slower reads for me, but they ended up being about the same thing, which is picking one thing and sticking with it instead of jumping around. The book I am reading now, Designing Data-Intensive Applications, is the hardest one on the list. I started it because of my internship in a bank's IT department, where I realized I knew how to write an API but not much about what keeps the systems behind it fast and consistent.
My next two are both about design patterns and that is on purpose. At work I was asked to learn patterns like Singleton, Observer and State so I could refactor a scraper I wrote earlier, so Head First Design Patterns comes first because it is the easiest way in. Game Programming Patterns is second because I am also building a small story game in Godot on the side, and I want to see the same ideas used in a game loop instead of a web service. Reading them back to back should help the patterns stick since I will see each one in two different settings. Overall the list leans toward career and growth, with a bit of fiction and wellness mixed in so it is not all textbooks.