Books: Fall 2025

The books I read in the “fall” (i.e. second half) of 2025. See this post for an explanation of why I do this! A bit of that explanation is copied below.

The format:
Book Title and Author: [ ]
Short Summary: [ ]
My thoughts: [ ]
Rating: [ ]

I will list the books in the order I read them, from earliest to latest. A few books will be grouped to save space.

Notes on ratings: 5/5 means it was wonderful and I will keep thinking about or reflecting on it for a while. 4.5/5 will be more common for fiction that I loved but which didn’t leave much for me to keep thinking on / learning from. 4/5 means I enjoyed it but had some bones to pick. 3.5/5 or 3/5 means I finished it but probably won’t read it again. I hope I don’t finish books that I would rate 2/5 or 1/5, because that would mean it isn’t really worth my time to be reading.

---

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter – Brandon Sanderson

Summary

This simultaneously tells the story of two young adults in two separate worlds: Yumi, a yoki-hijo, and Nikaro, a nightmare painter. Yoki-hijos live a highly structured ritualistic life that essentially consists of stacking stones to attract spirits which grant boons; nightmare painters live a laissez-faire life of searching for nightmares (dangerous shadowy creatures) to paint, which disarms and disperses them. Yumi’s world is intensely hot and full of geysers; Nikaro’s is shrouded by darkness. These two characters, though clearly living very different lives, are somehow mysteriously and spiritually connected, such that they start experiencing life in the other’s body. They have to learn the other’s job and figure out why this is happening — while learning to understand (and appreciate?) the other.

Thoughts

Enjoyable, but not exactly my style. A bit more romance-focused and less idea-focused than I tend to prefer (from Sanderson or anyone else); but nonetheless fascinating in some ways. Influenced by East Asian culture but still very Sanderson. Honestly I don’t remember a ton about it, and maybe that speaks to my thoughts about it as well. I would probably read it again at some point in the future, though.

Rating: 4.25/5

---

Robot Series (I, Robot; the Complete Robot; The Caves of Steel; The Naked Sun; The Robots of Dawn; Robots and Empire) – Isaac Asimov

Summary

Asimov wrote a bunch of short stories about robots, then wrote a series of mystery novels featuring robots (and in particular a robot detective). I’ve lumped these together here.

These stories were revolutionary at their time; Asimov literally coined the term ‘robotics.’ The stories often center around his now-famous “three laws of robotics,” which state:

(1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
(2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
(3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Asimov came up with these laws and then pondered all the ways that you might be able to poke holes in or ask questions about them — and wrote stories to explore those questions. Who gets to define “human being”? What constitutes “harm”? Wouldn’t we want robots to be able to cause a smaller harm to prevent a greater harm (e.g. pushing someone out of the way of a car)? How does one make such calculations? How do you program a robot to make such calculations? Who gets to do the programming?

Thoughts

For being revolutionary and mind-boggling, not to mention written 50+ years ago, it is absolutely striking how relevant many of the themes of these books are today. What are the defining characteristics of humanity? What does it look like to create a new technology that gets out of hand? Would we be okay with society being controlled by machines (for example, humanoid robots impersonating politicians) if as a result it became safer, more just, and more prosperous?

Furthermore, it’s fascinating to look at how Asimov, who lived and wrote in the mid 1900s, imagined the future (or one version of the future). For example, in the Robot novels, humanity gets more and more insular as we have machines doing rural farm work for us, so we cluster into domed megacities and we physiologically can’t bare to be outdoors. That’s an interesting proposition. Yet, the “megacities” in his books are made up of something like 7 million people — yet today, in 2026, we have cities of 30 or 40 million. Is he implying that such cities are unsustainable in the long term? Did he have any experience with megacities in our world?

Interesting observations about Asimov’s assumptions abound, from how he envisioned future books to (flying) automobiles to screens to wireless technology.

This is another set of books I just kept thinking and talking about. If you like Science Fiction or are interested in robots or like to think about the nature of humanity, you should 100% read these books.

Rating: 5/5

---

Foundation – Isaac Asimov

Summary

Another Asimov book. It began (as did much early Sci-Fi) as serial short stories that were eventually worked into a series of novels. (Eventually he even wrote more robot stories to span the gap between I, Robot and Foundation so that they all take place in the same future version of our world). The premise is that a specific branch of mathematics, dubbed “psychohistory,” has developed to the point that it can accurately predict choices and outcomes on the scale of a Galactic Empire. The mathematician responsible for the discipline’s peak uses his methodology to determine that the Empire is about to collapse and that civilization will thereafter revert to barbarism for 10,000 years. However, his calculations indicate that the intervening period can be shortened to 1000 years if a “Foundation,” a repository of scientific knowledge and training, is established. Thus it comes to pass that such a community is founded; but over the years they experience a number of political, social, and religious crises (all of which happen to also have been predicted by the genius mathematician). The characters of the novel have to navigate these crises, but without much help in the way of psychohistory. The book’s primary question could perhaps be: how should leaders operate and control society? Through religious doctrine? Through economic forces? Through technological dominance? Through force and military action?

Thoughts

In 1966, a one-time Hugo award was created and given for “Best All-Time Series.” Lord of the Rings was (obviously) in the running, and Asimov said he thought the award had been created simply to honor Tolkien’s legendary work. But the Foundation series took the award – a testament to its greatness. In a similar testament of greatness, it won a valuable spot in my high school yearbook senior write-up under “favorite quotes”: “violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”

A wonderful, short, thoughtful book.

Rating: 4.75/5

---

Everything is Tuberculosis – John Green

Summary

John Green, internet icon and author, started learning about Tuberculosis a few years ago. He quickly realized that TB is simultaneously (a) deeply embedded in Western history and culture (as well as elsewhere, obviously, but he explores the West) and (b) indicative of some fundamental challenges of both modern society and, perhaps, the human race. 

To expand on each of those just a bit: 

(a) “Everything” is Tuberculosis. TB plays a huge role in the history of Western expansion in the U.S. (it’s basically responsible for the state of New Mexico, for instance); it has shaped gender expressions and views on art (for example, TB is often accompanied by pale skin and rosy cheeks, which became markers of femininity and beauty; today, women still sometimes accentuate these intentionally); it’s even partly to blame for WWII. The layers of influence this disease has had on modern society are seemingly never-ending, almost entirely unknown, and fascinating to uncover. 

(b) TB reveals the best and worst of modernity. We found and quickly implemented cost-effective treatments — and later cures — for this disease. In the U.S., very few people have really had to think about TB for decades, and it could easily be thought of by many as largely a relic of the past. And yet, it is the most deadly infectious disease in the world today. It kills more people each year than Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and war — combined. Despite cost-effective treatments and cures, the status quo apparently means we are okay living in a world where millions of people die a preventable death as their lungs and body waste away.

Thoughts

Such an important book. Moreso for (b) than for (a), in my opinion; (a) is very interesting, but it’s really (b) that the world needs to hear. No one needs to die from TB. No one should die from TB. What does the fact that people continue to do so, and at incredible rates, say about society? About humanity? 

If you want a short, listenable version of this book (though the audiobook is also short and read by the author), he made a “Crash Course lecture” on the same topic. 

Rating: 4.75/5

---

Introduction to the Bible – Christine Hayes

Summary

A series of lectures-turned-book from a Yale Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) course. (Part of the “Open Yale Courses” series). Hayes surveys ancient Israelite culture, history, and contextual referents (Mesopotamia, Babylon, Egypt, etc). Read as part of an “Old Testament and Its Contexts” course for my seminary degree.

Thoughts

This is a secular but (obviously) scholarly and informative perspective on the Hebrew Bible. Hayes has a clear appreciation for Israelite tradition, history, and ritual, she has an engaging lecture style (accompanying lectures are found online), and she discusses lots of interesting features of Biblical texts. In general, I found this a good introduction to a scholarly approach to the Hebrew Bible, but at the same time I would personally appreciate something that better balances (or adds) devotional or faithful approaches to the text(s); to some degree I was still left with the question, “what does it look like to read this text as a person of faith?” This was not a question the book was intending to answer, so it’s not necessarily a ding against Hayes, but it did impact how I engaged with the material. 

Rating: 4.5/5

---

The Hunger Games Series (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay) – Suzanne Collins

Summary

Obviously this series is particularly well-known and probably doesn’t need to be summarized. (But I’ll do it anyway).

In a future-U.S. dystopian setting, an authoritarian regime exerts control through an annual bloodbath, forcing a male and female participant from each of 12 geographic districts to fight to the death. The series follows one participant through her harrowing time as part of these so-called “Hunger Games.” 

(I look forward to the day when “may the odds be ever in your favor” is still part of our vocabulary even though we’ve forgotten this series.)

Thoughts

I read these books because my housemates/participants wanted to watch the movies together, it had been many years since I had read them, and I was curious how young adult dystopian fiction would feel now that I’m not a middle schooler. I was surprised to find them insightful into many layers of society — Katniss (protagonist) analyzes and critiques the systems around her regularly (arguably much more than is realistic for a teenager in the midst of traumatic violence). The series also draws on Roman history — gladiatorial arenas, citizenship systems, and so on — in ways that I don’t have the knowledge to fully understand but can see more clearly than when I read them years ago. Collins also worked professionally as a writer for TV, and that shows in her writing — at times I found it overly simple, but more often I was impressed by how she communicates scenes, feelings, and contexts in a visceral, easy-to-visualize way. It is no surprise that she was involved in the movies, that they stay relatively close to the books, and that many scenes from the books translate well onto the screen — they are written in a TV-leaning style. I don’t know if she intended this from the beginning or if it is just part of her ‘natural’ (or trained) style, but it’s certainly effective. In general, I was surprised by how much I appreciated these books and how much food for thought they provided — while still having a “brain-candy” young-adult approach to action and romance. Like Harry Potter, they are popular (and cultural icons) for a reason. 

Rating: 4.75/5