is Aldous Huxley’s philosophical account of his supervised mescaline (a psychedelic substance) trip in the 1950s.
Book Review: Night Terrors by Alice Vernon
As told by its full title, “Night Terrors” is a non-fiction book about Troubled Sleep and the Stories We Tell About It. Alice Vernon, the author, recounts some of her own traumatic experiences with sleepwalking. However, she mainly surveys ‘parasomnias’ (undesirable sleep behaviors) both through time and imagination.
Book Review: Knife by Salman Rushdie
“Knife” is Salman Rushdie’s memoir following the traumatic onstage knife attack on his life on August 12, 2022, while he was giving a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution.
Book Review: Room to Dream by David Lynch & Kristine McKenna
“Room to Dream” acts as a part-memoir and part-biography of David Lynch’s life from the personal (his creative process and personal life lessons) to the artistic (his art and his films).
Book Review: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
“The War of Art” is a short but punchy non-fiction book that aims to help you break through your creative blocks and win your inner creative battles.
Books That Made Me Want to Keep Writing (Top 10 Books of 2024)
Every year, my criteria for my favourite books of the year changes. In 2024, after coming out of a long writing drought, I’ve realized that the books that left a long-lasting impression on me were the ones that made say, “Wow! I want to write like that!” or “Wow! I want to live that way!”
Book Review: Devotion (Why I Write) by Patti Smith
“Devotion” is a short memoir in the Why I Write series. In this collection of short essays, Patti Smith recounts how she centers devotion in her creative life.
Book Review: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
“The Creative Act: A Way of Being” is a book about embodying creativity, and is written by world-renowned music producer Rick Rubin.
Book Review: Bluets by Maggie Nelson
“Bluets” is a book of lyrical, meditative fragments or vignettes on the colour blue intermingled with Maggie Nelson’s feelings of love, sadness, and despair.
Book Review: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis
“Freedom Is a Constant Struggle” is a book of collected interviews and speeches by Angela Davis, published a decade ago but still insanely prevalent in today’s society. Davis collects her talks about the importance of intersectionality, freedom for Palestine, the voices of black feminists, and the prison abolitionist movement.
7 Non-Fiction Books For Troubling Times
This year, I’ve read many fantastic, thought-provoking non-fiction books. Here are 7 of my new favorite non-fiction books. I’ve excluded the subgenres of business, productivity, and self-help for this list. Don’t worry, they will feature on an upcoming list. These books have inspired change in myself and hope for our world.
Book Review: The Joy of Pain by Richard H. Smith
“The Joy of Pain” is a non-fiction book that explores both the psychological and sociological nature of schadenfreude — that shameful joy we experience when we watch the misfortunes of others (those we are jealous of, enemies, and even sometimes towards our friends, family, and acquaintances.)
