Just a non-exhaustive list of books I enjoyed reading - and you may, too? From science to science-fiction, some recommendations that had some sort of impact on me and I'd like to share, related to my research or not, and in no particular order.

In this valuable book, insights into the culture, history, and knowledge of Sakha people are brilliantly conveyed, drawing directly from many years of research. A fantastic opportunity for anyone wanting to learn more about life in "Earth's coldest permanently inhabited region".

A deeply personal tale of the struggles to preserve the indigenous Ainu culture in northern Japan. Although the English version is not so easy to come by, I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn about Ainu culture, the hardships the Ainu faced in recent history, and the value of indigenous knowledge.

If you're at least somewhat interested in the bigger picture of fire on Earth and the changing nature of our human relationship with it, then I'd consider this a must-read. As in all his works, Stephen J. Pyne lays out the history of fire in a brilliant and engaging way.

Living in Sapporo for a year, I was grateful to have this fantastic overview of what is today Japan's northern island with me. Understanding it's history for me was a part of fully arriving in Hokkaido, and the visits to some of the mentioned historical sites turned out to be wonderful experiences.

A masterfully written novel, which only indirectly and subtly, over time, reveals its full magnitude. In a way, it shares the dense, uncertain atmosphere of Ishiguro's more recent "Klara and the Sun".

Although I remain skeptical whether this well-known book tells you *everything* you need to know about global politics, it is a great read and nicely introduces ways in which geography influences politics. I also liked Marshall's following "Power of Geography". Recommended to anyone who enjoys spending time exploring maps!

This humorous fictional tale, broadly based on the lives of Carl Friedrich Gauß and Alexander von Humboldt, is a modern classic and will certainly appeal to anyone interested in geography and/or cartography. Not sure how well Kehlmann's unique style of writing translates into English, as I've only read the German version. It seems at least the double meaning of the German title, "Die Vermessung der Welt", is lost in translation.

Murakami's novels probably don't need introduction. I may not be alone with having gone through a phase of not being able to put his works aside, and choosing a favorite to include here was not so easy. I also enjoyed "Norwegian Wood", "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage", or the earlier "Pinball, 1973".

Speaking of impact, few books may come close to this introduction to the history and forms of racism, and the honest self-reflection it guides the reader to go through. I listened to the audiobook during walks at a river and remember the long breaks it made me take, sitting down, listening, processing. Must-read for anyone who, like me, is privileged to choose when to be confronted with this issue.

Beautifully written introduction to a scientific perspective on some of the "big questions". Enjoyed every page of this very entertaining and enlightening read that simultaneously stirs imagination and motivates scientific thinking!