A collection of all the books that I have been reading lately. Not an exhaustive list (I can't track all the books in the past 5 years or so), but hope to keep it updated from now.
— Suchitra Vijayan
Currently reading ....
Sep 2025 History Borders & Migration Human Rights
— Randall Munroe
Currently reading ....
Aug 2025 Funny Informative
— Siddhartha Mukherjee
Currently reading ....
Aug 2025 Medical History Genetics
— Dr. Fei-Fei Li
A personal memoir that mixes Fei-Fei’s life story with the rise of modern AI. I especially enjoyed the behind the scenes of ImageNet and the breakthrough of AlexNet. The book also shares interesting anecdotes about the challenges, failures, and moments of inspiration that fuel research. It shows how big of a leap this was both for the field and for Fei-Fei’s own journey, shaping one of the most important revolutions in computer vision and science in general.
July 2025 AI Research Computer Vision Memoir
— John Carreyrou
I really enjoyed Bad Blood. It reads almost like a thriller, but what makes it unsettling is that it’s all real — full of greed, lies, and the kind of ambition that makes people do unthinkable things. Chapter 19 was the turning point, from there, things escalated quickly and I ended up finishing the rest in one sitting.
July 2025 Silicon Valley Fraud Theranos Investigative Journalism
— Willard Carroll Smith II
Will was a really enjoyable read. The writing is simple, funny, and flows so naturally that it never feels heavy. What stood out to me was how each chapter carries a life lesson — not in a preachy way, but through honest, personal stories that really stick with you. Not to forget, Daddio, Mom-Mom and Gigi are the real stars of the book.
June 2025 Memoir Humor Family
— Dr Brian Weiss
What the hell was this book? Bought it from Blinkit at 50% discount and my next two days were pure horror. Never really believed in past lives, but just like the author, this book made me question everything. It's an interesting read that dives deep into the concept of reincarnation and how our past lives can influence our present, with everything based on real life experiences.
May 2025 Psychology Past Lives Reincarnation
— Alex Von Tunzelmann
An increadibly well-researched book with brilliant writing. It presents the events that occured during India's Independance through proper historical facts, avoiding any one-sided media narratives that we often see nowadays. Such books make us realise how complex Indian Independance was and how many of the complex decisions were taken by Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten.
April 2025 Indain History Partition British Raj
— Siddhartha Mukherjee
Siddhartha Mukherjee is a genius when it comes to storytelling. I’ve watched all his interviews and TED talks, still trying to figure out how he articulates things so effortlessly. Books like this open up an entirely new world. The very cells that make us are also what end up killing us. It’s a powerful account of centuries of research, struggle, politics, and failure — reminding us how small and weak we are in the face of something like cancer.
March 2025 Medical History Oncology Healthcare
— Venki Ramakrishnan
Most people know about DNA, but few truly understand the machine that makes DNA possible: the ribosome. Gene Machine is an exciting read that takes us through the race to discover the structure of ribosome. More than the science, it reveals the intense competition, politics, and rivalries that often shape major scientific discoveries, which the public rarely hears about. An inspiring inside look at how Nobel-level science actually happens.
March 2025 Biology Ribosome Scientific Discovery Memoir
— James D. Watson
One of the most important scientific discoveries of our time, told as a short but emotionally intense memoir. The Double Helix captures the race to uncover DNA’s structure, a story full of ambition, rivalry, betrayal, and brilliance. What stood out to me was how clearly it reveals the gender dynamics back in 1950s and 60s, especially how women were often not accepted at the level of groundbreaking science. Overall a great read for people entering into research, irrespective of the field.
March 2025 Biology DNA Scientific Discovery Memoir
— Khaled Hosseini
The very first line begins with one of the most haunting short stories I’ve ever read, and by the end of chapter one, I knew I was holding a masterpiece. Some parts of the book move slowly, others are absolutely breathtaking. In true Khaled Hosseini fashion, it’s emotionally intense and deeply human. He doesn’t disappoint.
Jan 2025 Family Afghanistan
— Eric Berger
Being a huge SpaceX fan, this book was everything I needed to dive deep into the engineering and early days of the company. It’s a simple and engaging read that captures the founding struggles, near-death moments, and the hard work of the engineers who made it happen. A personal dive into how SpaceX-level engineering is built.
May 2024 SpaceX Engineering Rocket Science
— Phil Knight
Such fluid writing is rare. I finished the book in a single day. It’s that engaging and easy to read. What struck me most was how relatable Phil Knight’s struggles felt: self-doubt, confusion, human relations, the kind of things most of us go through. And yet, at the heart of it all is one message: you just have to keep running.
Dec 2024 Memoir Nike Resilience
— Khaled Hosseini
This book has changed my life.
2016 An absolute fucking masterpiece