Reading
Books & fandoms
A mix of history, identity, and the stories I keep coming back to.
Currently & recently
On the shelf
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
The one that got me hooked on treating 'nations' and 'money' as stories we've all agreed to believe.
Pakistan Lost: Ideas on the Idea of Pakistan
Shahzad Ghias
A closer, less comfortable look at the founding vision of the country I grew up in versus what it became.
Imagined Communities
Benedict Anderson
Pairs uncomfortably well with Sapiens and Pakistan Lost — nationhood as a printed, shared fiction.
Military Inc.
Ayesha Siddiqa
The economics behind a military that runs bakeries, banks, and real estate on the side.
Future Ready
Uzair Younus
A more forward-looking counterpart to the history-and-identity stack above — what comes next, not just how we got here.
Riverboy
Tim Bowler
Carried this one since school. Still returns to me at odd times.
In the Nick of Time
Ain Farooq
A quieter one, but it's stuck with me.
In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss
Amy Bloom
A deeply personal reflection on love, choice, and dignity, exploring the complexities of facing illness, assisted dying, and the bonds that define a life.
No signs of stopping
Forever in the fandom
The Lord of the Rings
Extended editions only. Will defend the Tom Bombadil cut in casual conversation.
Harry Potter
Grew up on it, still re-read it. No further explanation needed.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The gold standard for how to end a story you've been telling for years.