Now

• The Last Kingdom – Bernard Cornwell – If you know me, you know I am a huge fan of the Netflix show of the same name. I found this paperback at my local Goodwill and I’m reading it before bed. It’s written in a way that keeps you interested, which is not easy when you are telling the story of vikings, ancient gods, and king Alfred.
• Getting into David Gaughran‘s books for authors
• Inside the Indie Horror World – By various authors telling their stories about becoming an author and making it in the field, as well as history of the horror genre. Pretty interesting for horror fans and authors.

• Working on 444’s prequel and sequel.
• Daily meditations (Headspace) and Yoga Nidra on youtube
• Finally learning music theory on guitar
• Daily Morning walks and exercise
• Finished a 52k word novel!
• Writing software (currently React JS)
• Using the Bedjet. It is life changing.
• Finally working on my Etsy store
• Finally working on my writing

• The Taking – Dean Koontz – I listened to this on my morning walks with my dog. It can get spooky and disgusting, but it is a thriller alien invasion story at heart. I enjoyed it.
• Intensity – Dean Koontz – Past midnight, Chyna Shepard, twenty-six, gazes out a moonlit window, unable to sleep on her first night in the Napa Valley home of her best friend’s family. Instinct proves reliable. A murderous sociopath, Edgler Foreman Vess, has entered the house, intent on killing everyone inside. A self-proclaimed “homicidal adventurer,” Vess lives only to satisfy all appetites as they arise, to immerse himself in sensation, to live without fear, remorse, or limits, to live with intensity. Chyna is trapped in his deadly orbit. 
• Brave New World – Aldous Huxley – Started it on the kindle and finished it on audiobook. And today I found a paperback copy on a random garage sale! Such a scary but very possible dystopian future. I recommend you read this and 1984.
• Where the Crawdads Sign – Delia Owens – Started on paperback, and finished it on audiobook.
• The Last House on Needless Street – Catriona Ward – Amazing audiobook. You have to listen to this audiobook. Now.
• The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman – Neil Gaiman’s children’s book about a boy who survives the murder of his family and grows up in a graveyard. It was a little too random at first, but I found it enjoyable.
• Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck – I can see why it’s a classic. A true masterpiece. There was no fat in this story After a while you start reading the dialogue as if you were inside the room with them, having a chat with the other workers. Everything was perfectly put together in such a way that you got lost in the characters and what they were going through.
• How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie – At first I thought this book was aimed at public speaking or salespeople, but really it is a classic on how to be a better human in society. I finished reading this book in Norway.
• Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell – Great book about how successful people get successful. It’s probably not what you think. A quick and easy read!
• Stillness is the Key – Ryan Holliday – A book about stoicism, philosophy, historical people during historical events and how they dealt with certain situations to the best outcome.
• The Novel Killer – Jonathan K. Webb – A short fiction book from a local fellow Austin, TX author.
• On The Road – Jack Kerouac – A classic novel about friends, life, cross country trips, and the intrinsic and painful line between chasing and letting go.
• Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut – A classic absurdist novel about the effects of war.
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams – A classic science fiction comedy novel about the future.
• One Simple Mistake – Dandy Smith – This is a book I found in Amazon Prime from an indie author. It kept me reading until the end. For fans of domestic thrillers, it will have you turning pages.

• Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck – I can see why it’s a classic. A true masterpiece. There was no fat in this story. Everything was perfectly put together in such a way that you got lost in the characters and what they were going through. A short read. I finished it in two days.
• On Writing – Stephen King – This is a gem for everyone struggling to write or trying to become an author. It teaches you, motivates you, and fires you up.
• King, Warrior, Magician, Lover – Robert Moore, Douglas Gillette – This is a great book for anyone trying to understand masculinity from a psychology stand point. An extremely interesting read which I know will leave you thinking: “I think I(or my father, brother, friend) am/is one of these archetypes.”
• The War of Art – Steven Pressfield – Motivation for anyone trying to make it as an artist. Very short read. You can re read these every month. It will take you a day. 
• Turning Pro – Steven Pressfield – Another short one from Mr. Pressfield. Another gem. Direct, and to the point. 
• Anthem – Ayn Rand – Ayn Rand’s first novel, I believe, about humans who are meant to just be workers and never question everything until the main character shows up. A lot of authors during this time were writing books like these. All of them with a slightly different approach. This one is not absurdist or comedic, it is more artistic and serious.
• Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl – Boy, if you think you have problems and your life is hard, read this book and get off your ass.
• The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday – In this book, Ryan illustrates how people deal with hardships and use them to their advantage.
• Ego is the Enemy – Ryan Holiday – Let go of your ego, be a student, be humble, believe that you can learn from everyone. We need each other. Read this.
• On the Shortness of Life – Seneca –  It’s not that life is short, but that people waste most of it on meaningless tasks. A short read form one of history’s greatest philosophers.
• On a Life well Spent – Cicero – This is a beautiful book and edition my father got me. Even turning the pages make you feel like you are getting wiser. It is a short read full of thoughts and conversations between Cicero and other people. It illustrate show to grow old gracefully, retire, work on the land and nature. We are nothing but borrowed bodies.
• Improv Wisdom – Patricia Ryan Madson – Highly recommended book about improvising that you can use for your daily life. It goes beyond just “yes, and” and gives a lot of good tools.
• To The Lighthouse – Virginia Woolf – One of the most beautiful novels about life I have read. Exceptional. One of my favorite quotes of all time can be found in this book (read it here)
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamont – Each one of these writing guides and motivation books teach you a little something. It reiterates stuff you already know from a different angle. In this book, the author illustrates the other unglamorous side of being a published author. Life doesn’t really change for most of us. It is stressful. You still fail all the time. But it’s better to fail at something you love than hating your life and still failing.
• The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger – I read this book on airplanes, during sad moments, and at home. A classic and a must read. A coming of age story that I wish I had read when I was younger.
• The Sun Also Rises – Hemingway – When two people are desperately in love with one another but they can’t fulfill each others needs… the hurt… the beautiful hurt of love. What else can I say of Hemingway?

Favorite Quotes

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