© 2026 Clay Reads

Split-screen illustration showing a hunched young man in a cool blue room with shadowy figures pointing behind him, a broken chain across the center, and—on the warm golden side—an elderly philosopher’s profile above a sunlit path where a lone figure walks forward beneath birds and an origami crane, symbolizing freedom from approval-seeking (featured image for The Courage to Be Disliked).

The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga

Clay | January 30

Stop Chasing Approval, Start Living: The Courage to Be Disliked Review I am honestly at a loss for how The Courage to Be[…]

Armored SecUnit “Murderbot” with a glowing red visor stands guard on a rugged alien world during a dangerous planetary survey.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells

Clay | January 2

All Systems Red Review: I Finally Caved and Read Murderbot My mother has been begging me to read The Murderbot Diaries for years.[…]

Silhouetted woman approaches a fog-shrouded Gothic mansion under a full moon, evoking the eerie atmosphere of The Haunting of Hill House.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Review

Clay | August 1

A Masterclass in Psychological Terror I might be the only person to have not watched Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House (maybe I[…]

A large, intelligent spider confronts a lone astronaut on an alien terrain with webbing in the air and a lush Earth-like planet and spacecraft looming above — capturing the central tension of Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky review

Clayton | July 4

A Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Masterpiece Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky was recommended by a coworker and sounded interesting, so I picked it up[…]

A lone astronaut in a white spacesuit floats tethered near a large cylindrical spacecraft, facing a glowing yellow star in deep space. The scene captures the isolation and intensity of interstellar travel, evoking the themes of survival and discovery from Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Review

Clay | June 6

Why Andy Weir’s Sci-Fi Thriller is Worth the Hype I have to admit, before diving into Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, I[…]

Post cover of Trust by Hernan Diaz

Trust by Hernan Diaz

Clay | January 14

Why Hernan Diaz’s ‘Trust’ Is a Masterclass in Manipulation (And Worth the Slow Start) Let’s cut to the chase: I loved this book.[…]

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