Favorite Books

This will likely change a lot over time, but at any given moment, this is my list of favorite books (that I'd also generally recommend).

Fiction

• Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes: I absolutely love this book. It's such a fascinating exploration of what it means to be human, of intellect, of compassion, of what's important. I've also rarely read anything that's written in this style. The book is written like journal entries from the point of view of a character who goes through major change. The changes are expressed not just in the content, but in the very manner of writing. It's truly extraordinary.

• The Daevabad Trilogy, by S.A. Chakraborty: I can't say enough positive things about this trilogy. It's well written, it's well paced. The character development is deep, I was actually made to care about and feel a personality for major characters quite quickly. The setting is (sadly) novel, in that it is based on mythology of the Arab and Islamic worlds. It both respects and honors the setting while tactfully challenging aspects of it. The imagery is amazing. The world building is so beautifully descriptive, I can actually picture the world in my head with ease. I want more content of this world. If you like fantasy, you should read this. If you like good writing, you should read this. If you like interesting characters, you should read this.

• The Silo Series, by Hugh Howey: What a creative dystopia! This is another more recent trilogy that I really enjoyed. I suppose it can be called sci-fi, though it sits in a much more terrestrial setting than many sci-fi books. The main characters are compelling and well fleshed out. The slow drip of information, of realizing what has happened, is incredible. The story is powerful commentary on humans. My sole complaint is the ending feels rushed, I feel the author could have taken several more chapters to wrap it up.

Nonfiction

• Frostbite, by Nicola Twilley: Yes, this is a book about refrigeration. And it's incredible. Something I like to say is "there are worlds around us", and this book captures that. There is entire "third pole" man made and distributed around us (especially in "developed" countries) that facilitates our modern food systems. It's so easy to take this for granted; we get such a wide variety of food year round. THIS ISN'T NORMAL, and there's so much that happens to make sure you and I can get our berries and bananas year round, that we can get meat grown a world away and safely eat it. It is truly fascinating, and the author (who is also one of my favorite podcast hosts) does a great job of making it an enjoyable read.

• The World in a Grain, by Vince Beiser: Yes, this is a book about sand. Don't write it off! Sand is what goes into glass, into concrete, into silicon. It is a core part of our technological advancements, and this book captures the details and history of it. I never knew I wanted to learn so much about such a simple thing as sand, and how it can be transformed into such magic.

• A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn: Ah, a classic. I read excerpts of this in my high school history class, and then in recent years finally got around to reading it in its entirety. I love "history from below". It captures more reality, in my view. It captures what life was like for most people, for you and me, as opposed to focusing on presidents and kings. It also really lays bare the (in my opinion) true, ever-present conflict of humanity: the clash between the haves and the have-nots, and why our divisions along other axes are a distraction from what is the real source of our discontent: those greedy asshats who think they're better than others. In any case, its a great read!