Books and articles
Herbert's masterpiece about politics, religion, and ecology on Arrakis. The level of detail in the worldbuilding is incredible. Skip the movies and read this instead.
McConaughey's unconventional memoir about finding and creating greenlights in life. Surprisingly good read with genuine insights.
Absurdist comedy that somehow makes perfect sense. One of my favorites alongside Dune. Adams' humor is timeless.
Melville's prose is beautiful, but the book suffers from excessive tangents about whaling. A good editor could have made this a masterpiece by cutting it down.
Deep psychological exploration of guilt and morality. Well written, but the subject matter didn't resonate with me as much as I'd hoped.
Tolstoy's meditation on mortality and what makes life meaningful. I was 23 when I read this, so maybe too young to fully appreciate it. Worth revisiting later.
Camus' existential novel about absurdity and alienation. Short, engaging, and gets straight to the point.
The first book where I truly fell in love with the story itself. Tolstoy's portrayal of Russian society and human relationships is unmatched.
Wilde's gothic tale of vanity and moral decay. Sharp wit combined with dark themes makes for a compelling read.
Brontë's dark romance set on the Yorkshire moors. The archaic language and heavy dialect made it too difficult to get through.
Walker's exploration of sleep science and its impact on health. Informative but somewhat repetitive.
Orwell's dystopian vision of totalitarianism and surveillance. Still relevant today, which is both impressive and unsettling.
Shelley's gothic novel about creation and responsibility. Interesting premise but the execution felt dated.
Marcus Aurelius' stoic reflections. Too self-helpy for my taste. Not a fan of this genre in general.
Nietzsche's philosophical critique of traditional morality. Dense but thought-provoking. Makes you question assumptions you didn't know you had.