Reading List

“Sonny Boy” by Al Pacino

This is the book I had been waiting years for. If you happen to be unfamiliar with Al Pacino, he’s widely considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time, and his starring role in The Godfather alone would be enough to convince you of that. 

Besides how refreshing it is to hear his own words on the thought processes behind his acting, I really love just how well-written this book is. It gives me a similar vibe as Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, in that it feels like one long poem — in line after line, he completely immerses you into his world. 

 

 

“Dune” by Frank Herbert

So, I’m currently in a phase where I’m geeking out on everything about Dune, and this includes reading the original novel by Frank Herbert. As with many sci-fi stories, this can be a very dense read. You might find it difficult to get into, having to keep up with all the terms and names. But having watched the two Dune films beforehand, this was a relatively breezy read for me.

Reading Dune is a highly rewarding experience. There are many thematical layers to it that you will slowly uncover, as you find yourself thinking back about the tiniest details in the story. If you’ve already watched the Dune films and you’re on the fence about reading the novel, don’t be — there are plenty of new things you’ll learn, especially about the characters’ motivations. It’s truly amazing how a book written in the 60s can have not only so much depth, but also relevance today.

 

 

“Enchanted Creatures” by Natalie Lawrence

Got this one as a birthday present. This book has an interesting concept, in that it pores over centuries worth of human depictions of monsters in folklore and mythology, to show that this is how we’ve always made sense of our fears of the unknown, and of being human. 

But of course, this book isn’t perfect by any means. No book is. At least for me, I feel that, despite the deeply engaging content, it lacks a strong thesis statement as to why the author wrote this book, and what practical value she wanted us to gain from reading it. This aspect of the book (which ties in with the title itself) seems rather half-baked, as I found myself thinking hard to connect the dots. 

 

 

“27 Articles” by T.E. Lawrence

T.E. Lawrence, or more famously known as “Lawrence of Arabia”, was a British military officer, renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt. He wrote this book as a manual for British officers working with Arab forces, to better understand their cultural nuances and navigate tribal politics. 

Obviously, this book is very specifically about the Bedouin Arabs, so it probably isn’t too useful as a universal guide on building trust. But at least, it gives an interesting glimpse into Lawrence’s leadership style and his ability to adapt to and respect the culture he worked alongside.

 

 

“Hellboy: The Wild Hunt & Hellboy in Hell” by Mike Mignola

This marks the end of the main Hellboy arc for me. All in all, I guess one way to describe the Hellboy comics is, strange, in that they don’t neatly fit in any category. There’s not enough action to describe them as an action story, and not enough horror to describe them as a horror story either. Hellboy carved its own path in telling its story about a demon who struggles to make peace with his identity. 

I couldn’t say I really loved it, though. It was a slog at times, because I felt that there were a lot of plot devices and characters that brought the story nowhere. But generally, it was an enjoyable read.