Orbital - Samantha Harvey
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station observe Earth through sixteen orbits in a single day, witnessing spectacular beauty while grappling with personal loss and the pull of home.
Current Reading List
A concise, visual log of books I’m into this year.
Wackelkontakt - Wolf Haas
A clever meta-narrative where Franz Escher waits for an electrician while reading about Elio Russo, who in turn reads about Franz — creating an endless literary loop of parallel lives.
Before the coffee gets cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi
A philosophical novel about a Tokyo café that offers time travel with one rule: return before your coffee gets cold. Four stories explore regret, love, and the desire to revisit pivotal moments.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World - Elif Shafak
Set in Istanbul, the story follows the final moments of consciousness of Tequila Leila, exploring her memories and the loyalty of five friends who seek justice for her in a harsh world.
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
Charlie Gordon undergoes experimental surgery to increase his intelligence, transforming from a floor sweeper to a genius. But when the effects begin to fade, profound questions about humanity emerge.
The Cat Who Saved Books - Sosuke Natsukawa
Natsuki Books, a cozy second-hand bookshop, was Rintaro's refuge as a recluse. After his grandfather's death, Rintaro is devastated and faces closing the shop—until a talking tabby cat named Tiger appears, asking for his help.
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Dorian is a good-natured young man until he discovers the power of his own exceptional beauty. As he gradually sinks deep into a frivolous, glamorous world of selfish luxury, he apparently remains physically unchanged by the stresses of his corrupt lifestyle and untouched by age. But up in his attic, hidden behind a curtain, his portrait tells a different story...
Risikogesellschaft - Auf dem Weg in eine andere Moderne - Ulrich Beck
Ulrich Beck's *Risk Society* explores how modernity generates global risks like climate change and technological hazards. Beck argues that societies are now defined by managing risks rather than wealth distribution, revealing how industrial progress increasingly threatens our existence.
The Vegetarian - Han Kang
In Han Kang's award-winning novel, *The Vegetarian*, Yeong-hye, an ordinary woman in South Korea, decides to stop eating meat after grotesque nightmares. This choice disrupts her marriage, family, and identity as she rebels against societal expectations. Her transformation becomes a haunting exploration of desire, violence, autonomy, and the cost of defying convention.