Some of my favorite posts are sharing books & other content from my life. In a first for Mind The Beet, here are four books I want to read this Fall (instead of things I’ve already read and enjoyed). Most are new releases, or the back catalog of someone who has a new release this fall.
Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari [Non-fiction]
Releasing this week, this book by the author of Sapiens examines information networks throughout history - how they have shaped events, how they have been used as weapons, and the relationship between information networks and truth. As someone who works on productivity and content management - building information systems for organizations large and small - I’m especially interested in this one as it applies to the new Era of AI.
Hum by Helen Phillips [Creepy speculative fiction]
This book is set in a dystopian big city of the future where the air is eye-stingingly polluted by the smoke from distant fires and many people are unemployed by a new class of intelligent robots called “hums.” Tapping into the worst fears of our future, it uses this backdrop to explore what it means to be a human, a parent, and a spouse.
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki [Unique modern-day fiction]
Set in modern-day Los Angeles, this book mashes together demons, space aliens, the youth classical musical performance circuit, and Asian American culture to explore the lived experience - the covering, anxiety, seeking of safety - of transgender youths. It’s a book that reminds you we all have something to learn about fitting in, finding family, and experiencing life deeply.
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart [Fantasy]
Andrea Stewart has a new series coming out this month, but since I’ve never read her work and it was highly recommended to me, I plan to start with her previous breakout fantasy series. Epic worldbuilding, palace intrigue, high-tension drama between characters - it checks all the boxes to enable me to disappear into another world.
(Audiobook version)
Just started “Hum”!