My Favorite Books

Dune by Frank Herbert

Let me just start by saying that I made sure to not watch the movie before I read Dune and I'm glad I did. That being said I'd like to say that I'd like to not discuss the movie. Dune is an incredible book, chalk full of details, there's literally a dictionary (Not sure if I should keep it like this of change it to say "Terminology of the Imperium) for you in it. What I like most about Frank Herbert's masterpiece is the struggle between Mentat and Bene Gesserit. There is this beautiful merger of conventional masculinity and femininity in Paul (our main character). The a nice touch is Herbert never defines it that way, instead we learn that only women can be Reverend Mothers (the top class of Bene Gesserit) while Mentat tend to be men. Now these aren't your standard expressions of norms but instead a deep analysis about the intelligence that our society amplifies into different genders. Mentat are logical individualist attempting to predict the future for political gain. Reverand Mothers on the other hand are aware dividualist always present, observing situations for political gain(Side note Reverend Mothers are also Mentat). The whole book follows Paul's journey as the first man to become a Reverend Mother (A prophesied being). Everyone so far has failed but Paul's experience is different. This is only the cusp of Dune but it is for this reason it finds itself on my list.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead is a book that illustrates a potentially dark, painstakingly detailed interpretation of our society. It all just depends on what you decide to take away from it. Following Howard Roark, an idealized genius American go getter struggling to find acceptance for his individualism, we get to see a genius getting rejected by the society over and over. Now there's a lot more I could say about this book but I think the reason its on here comes down to Ayn Rand. I admire the realness she portrayed throughout this book. It's feels extremely personal and vulnerable, almost like an admission to an inner anxiety that has been feeding on her soul. I'm not sure if I've come across many books that have made me feel this way and that's why I've included it.

Side note I will be reading Anthem soon, it is near the top of my list.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Here I want to write out why I've included these books on my list of favorites. I am still working on making these descriptions because I want them to be both insightful and enlightening.

Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Why did I include this book? Maybe I'm selfish since we are both Feodor and Fyodor (for those of you who don't speak Russian they are the same). Maybe in a desperate attempt to feel connections to a dying ancestry as I'm suffocated by the American reality of sameness. Sure one could think that but there is also the incredible awareness of consciousness. This description of a human being that does not have a consistent philosophy is so real. Dostoyevsky is truly a master and I think that is why it is here.

Currently Reading: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

For those of you who don't know Infinite Jest is arguably one of the best books of all time I learned after a quick google search, so obviously I added it to my list. Recently I decided I would take it on. Now before I go on I'd just like to say Infinite Jest is a hard book and honestly I'm not sure if I'm ready for it. Yet my will prevails and so I'm currently on page 62. Now let me just say, this one feels like a book I will be rereading multiple times throughout my life. The raunchy representation of our reality is to die for. Just from the first section I knew I'd be in it for good. Opening on a character getting interviewed for a full ride playing tennis at probably the best tennis university. The character is full of anxiety because there's a problem with his application. His grades had fallen his senior year and his test scores are awful. The university doesn't want a failing student getting paid for tennis so they set up a meeting. We learn all this through an argument but our character has been silent the whole time. He knows they won't understand him (that's why he hasn't talk). We are conflicted and we don't know what to believe, but eventually after a flashback we hear him begin to talk. What he says comes straight from the soul and is intelligently put together. As a human you understand what he is saying and it's honestly got some impressing conclusions. Then he's on the ground, they have tackled him and declare he was speaking in tongues. It's invigorating but such a scary take on the world he was living in. A critic relevant of Wallace's throughout the book is on televisions(it's 1996) but we have smartphones!!!!!! The reality he shows us has only been perpetuated and to a new degree. This book is not for the light of heart.

I will be updating this every 50 or so pages so stay tuned.

Books I have Read in the Past 2 Years

Fahrenheit 451
Breakfast of Champions
Cat's Cradle
Dune Messiah
A Song of Ice and Fire (Full Series)
Looking for Alaska
Fear and Trembling
The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test
Lord of the Flies
The Catcher in the Rye
The Great Gatsby
The Stranger
Alice's Adventure in Wonderland
Harry Potter (Full Series)
Narnia (Full Series)
King of the Wyld
Ender's Game
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Lord of the Rings (Full Series)
Hunger Games (Full Series)
Animal Farm
Howl's Moving Castle
Notes from the Underground
Station Eleven
Murder on the Oriental Express
The Martian Chronicles
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Rosie Project