Canon
These are the things I consider to be in my “personal canon,” meaning that they were foundational to how I think.
Books
Fiction
- This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneMy favorite book of all time. It’s a lyrical, poignant love story that contains one of the most beautiful descriptions of love I’ve ever read.
- Piranesi by Susanna ClarkeA quick, fun read about a ’lil guy wandering a mysterious house, and I’m afraid I can’t share more than that!
- Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned BeaumanAn engaging work of climate fiction with more than a little bit of that classic British self-deprecation.
Non-fiction
- Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu MillerA book about the incredible life and disturbing contradictions of David Starr Jordan. I started reading this on my break at work and was so enthralled that I stayed three hours late to finish it.
- We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families by Philip GourevitchA narrative of the Rwandan genocide. This book was assigned reading in my first year of undergrad and it formed the foundation of my life’s trajectory.
- Cross-X by Joe MillerFollows the Central High School speech and debate team in their journey to the 2002 National Speech and Debate Tournament. As someone whose life was changed by participation in speech and debate, I found this book deeply moving.
Purely academic
- Two Dozen (or so) Arguments for God by Jerry Walls and Trent DoughertyA long-form articulation of Alvin Plantinga’s arguments for God’s existence, with a team of contributors that includes Alexander Pruss, William Lane Craig, and Richard Swinburne.
- Washington’s End by Jonathan HornAn unusual biography that focuses almost entirely on George Washington’s post-presidency years, providing insight into his personal struggle with slavery.
- Normal Life by Dean SpadeAbout the myriad of ways bureaucratic violence impacts the life of trans people in America and around the world.