Stats:

Books read: 18 (13 Fiction, 5 Non-Fiction)

Unique Authors: 16 (12 Men, 4 Women)

Most Read Authors: Haruki Murakami (2), Sally Rooney (2)

Average Rating: 4.14 (4.15 Fiction, 4.1 Non-Fiction)

warning: some spoilers may be contained in the following reviews

The Invisible Filter - Rohit Gupta

This is the first book I’ve read that’s written by a friend! (Rohit and I are friends from college)

This book revolves around mental models: what they are, how to recognize these ingrained patterns, and how to ultimately change them to better the way you navigate the world. It’s a straightforward and clearly written book, and I enjoyed the many examples Rohit uses to highlight his points. I do think the narrative would have felt more compelling if he went deeper into a handful of examples instead, similar to how books like Outliers or Freakonomics dedicate single chapters to a particular story, as I think the stories would have left a longer lasting impression in my head. I’m really proud of Rohit and am inspired by the gargantuan effort he put into writing this book! :) 5/5 (obviously biased)

The Art of Communicating - Thich Nhat Hanh This is a nifty manual on how to communicate better with others. It focuses around using mindfulness as a guide for being more compassionate and loving in all types of interactions, instead of letting angry emotions dictate your outward behavior. The book could have been half the length though, it was exceedingly repetitive. 3/5

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

I remember only getting through about half of The Martian, Weir’s flagship novel, **back in college, so I was reluctant to start this book even though I read some raving reviews of it online. It exceeded all of my expectations.

It’s about an amnesia-ridden scientist who wakes up in a spaceship far away from Earth and finds out he is on a mission to save humanity (I won’t say any more as to not ruin the story). The plot and pacing of the novel makes it incredibly engaging, and all of the science elements seem insanely well researched by Weir. For sure a top 5 sci-fi novel of all time for me. It’s one of those books that leave you with a hollow feeling in your chest when you finish it - you’re intensely moved and feel changed by the work, but you can’t quite place your finger on what exactly has changed. 5/5

Dance Dance Dance - Haruki Murakami

Reading Murakami is a ritual for me. Once you’ve read enough by him you’ll notice the obvious patterns. The moody and melancholy protagonists, the consistent descriptions of banal everyday tasks like brewing coffee, the terribly written sex scenes, and the dreamlike, surreal haze of it all. I like to read his novels accosted by a beer or two, to get into the headspace of his often tipsy protagonists, and embrace the magical realism leaping off the pages.

Dance Dance Dance is a loose sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase, and no less bizarre. The Goodreads description sums it up perfectly:

High-class call girls billed to Mastercard. A psychic 13-year-old dropout with a passion for Talking Heads. A hunky matinee idol doomed to play dentists and teachers. A one-armed beach-combing poet, an uptight hotel clerk and one very bemused narrator caught in the web of advanced capitalist mayhem. Combine this offbeat cast of characters with Murakami's idiosyncratic prose and out comes Dance Dance Dance.

You may read any one of his novels and reach the end perplexed, utterly confused about what the point of the novel was or what the ending means or how to reconcile all of the loose ends. Just forget about it. All you gotta do is Dance. 4.5/5

The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Leo Tolstoy

My first Tolstoy piece - this is a novella about the death of a judge. The first half sets up the circumstances of his life (which I found to be pretty dry), and the second half follows the steady demise of his health and documents the despair he feels and the realizations he makes as he descends closer and closer to Death (which was kind of insightful). I don’t fear death as much as I used to, so the narrative didn’t feel as powerful as it would have had I read this earlier in my life. Also why does it seem like all Russian authors write such depressing stories? 3/5