Reading is one of my favorite things, and I have more lists of books than I’ll probably ever finish. I love seeing what other people read (this page was inspired by my friend Satvik’s bookshelf!). It inspires me, and I sometimes pick up ideas from them. Here are some of the books I’ve read.
2026
Love of Beginnings
Love of Beginnings is a collection of small nostalgic memories. The author recalls the calm of his high school years, the holiday house he would return to every summer, his Parisian life in the 50s, and the way he came to understand how much he loved his mother when she became sick and started calling him every day. It’s a tender and touching read.
The Tartar Steppe
Map and Territory
The Magic Mountain
Une vie à coucher dehors
A collection of short stories by one of my favorite contemporary authors, inspired by his travels around the world. At times you almost feel like you’re right there with the characters, sailing under the Greek sun, or wandering in the biting cold of a Siberian forest.
Notes from Underground
Les ingénieurs du chaos
Les ingénieurs du chaos explains how reactionary movements like MAGA, the Five Star Movement, the AfD or Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz gained popularity in recent years. It focuses on the “engineers” behind them, and the techniques they developed
Rhinocéros
Rhinocéros is a short absurdist play, first performed in 1959, which is generally read as a metaphor for the rise of 20th-century totalitarian movements. It’s the story of a small town struck by an epidemic of “rhinoceritis” that inexplicably turns its inhabitants into rhinoceroses. The main character, a completely unremarkable man, is the only one who doesn’t. His best friend, who used to lecture him about morality and dignity, is among the first to turn, his coworkers debate the situation endlessly before transforming, and the woman he loves eventually finds the rhinoceroses beautiful and abandons him to become one herself. The only one left standing is the one no one would have really expected.
Apocalypse Nerds
I bought this one cause the title intrigued me (who are these “apocalypse nerds”??). It argues that a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires (Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, Curtis Yarvin, etc.) gravitating in Trump’s orbit are pushing a pretty concerning political agenda that looks a lot like fascism: replacing democracy with oligarchy, naturalizing social hierarchies, completely deregulating the economy, and so on. The authors call this “technofascism”: the idea that the tech world and far-right political agendas are colluding on a shared project that is authoritarian, anti-democratic, and excluding of most people. Very interesting read!
Eichmann in Jerusalem
Trahir par fidélité
Years ago, I was wasting time on YouTube when I stumbled upon an extraordinary lecture by the mathematician Alexander Grothendieck that has stayed with me ever since. It’s titled “Will we continue scientific research?” I’d really recommend it to anyone. Grothendieck was a truly singular figure: a mathematical genius, Fields medalist, at the peak of his career when he suddenly walked away from the research he had devoted his life to. He had become convinced that scientific research in its current form was mostly pointless, and perhaps even responsible for some of the great problems of our time. The book tells his story.