AMKent books

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy: This book follows a gang of scalp hunters in the wild west based on Chamberlain’s Confessions. What makes this book stand out is the dialogue from a near 7ft immoral genius known as ‘Judge Holden’. The violence in this book is highly graphic, and it is a tough read due to subject matter and McCarthy’s unique writing style. However, some scenes, dialogues and descriptions throughout this book are by far some of the best put to paper. The end of the book is entirely fictional, but this does not stop it from being one of the most chilling endings to a novel I personally have ever read.

Phantoms in the Brain by V.S. Ramachandran: This book centres around phantom limbs, a subject I had not deeply thought about until picking this read up. From a sea captain who claims that phantom limbs are evidence of the soul, to mapping the phantom appendages through touching the face. The subject is highly interesting and thought provoking, and potentially an interesting argument for duality (at least in my opinion).

1984 by George Orwell: There are not many books that live up to their hype, however, 1984 is one of the most polarizing, scarily relevant and thought provoking books ever written. I will not make this long, as this book has been discussed at length and is still relevant today, but if you are a fan of dystopia’s, sociology, the human condition or fiction in general I cannot recommend this one enough.

Time’s Arrow by Martin Amis: I found this book through another, a physics book known as ‘From Eternity To Here by Sean. M Carrol’. Time’s Arrow is written in a way I have never encountered before, the entire story is played in reverse. This means that food is slowly regurgitated back onto the plate, people walk backwards, and dialogue starts at the end. This can get confusing at times (at least for me), but the story is well worth the mental gymnastics. Not to mention a harrowing twist ending, and one of the most unique fictional works I have read.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari: One of my favourite books on anthropology and humanity, this book does not only provide a glimpse into what made us who we are today. It introduces ideas for the future, and what defined us differently from the rest of life on Earth (our ability to create fiction). I include this book not just for its educational content and smooth writing, but also because it helped inspire a book of my own ‘Sola Anima Solis by A.M Kent’. Harari’s book is lengthy and has a lot to chew on, so if you are looking for an informative distraction, this one could be it.