Alizeh

This comic has a special place in my heart. Probably the first time I felt represented, seeing my own city and cultural/familial history represented in a piece of media.

I remember reading this in 2012. It was my first day on campus, and I was sitting in an empty computer lab (my dorm didn't have wifi yet). I started reading it around 6pm and read it non-stop till 2 AM.

Haven't had that experience with any other book.

He has a lot of problematic (to put it midlly) political takes, but I think Sam is very lucid on this topic. This book had a big impact on me in my early 20s, and got me to start a meditation practice, explore psychedelics, and develop a personal (and secular) relationship with spirituality.

It's been a long time since I last meditated or had a psychedelic trip, but 10 years later I think I'm still reaping the benefits of having had those experiences.