I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here.
Because I'm thinking so much about my own next book, I find myself avoiding other business-y non-fiction, and instead reading more fiction and books in a totally different genre than what I normally pick.
What I read
- Creativity, Inc, by Ed Catmull – So GOOD. Aimed at business owners who want to create a culture of creativity and innovation, the insights into how Pixar was built and runs are totally fascinating, even if you're not managing thousands of artists.
- Essentialism, by Greg McKeon – Eh. I strongly agree with the message of this book, and I think I live by it (as explained here!)…but after a while it felt a bit long and all of his examples are exceedingly impractical for the average person (I.e., taking time off work to heal from a disease).
- My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante – Ignore the cover. This book is much darker than it looks. It had been recommended by just about every podcast I listen to, so I decided to try it. The author does a great job of exploring the kind of love/obsession/jealousy relationship between girls in childhood. I'm not so in love that I'm diving into the second one, though.
- The Secret Place, by Tana French – I'm kinda crushed that I've now read all the books in this murder mystery series. I would LOVE a recommendation of something similarly well-written.
- Y: The Last Man, by Brian K Vaughn – Super fascinating graphic novel about the, well, last man. After an unknown event wipes all men from the planet except for this one, ordinary 20 year old dude….he has adventures as the only survivors (women!) have to figure out how to run the world. This one's not for kids (in case the premise didn't inform you!), and is well-written and gripping.
What I’m reading
- Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is this quarter’s Starship Book Club pick.
- Emma, by Jane Austen (part of my #greatbooksproject)
- Steal the Show, by Michael Port (pre-ordered it on my Kindle, to read before my teaching gigs!, and I loved Book Yourself Solid (it was one of my faves in my first reading round-up)
- Sand, by Hugh Howey was available on Kindle Unlimited so I snagged it, because I loved Wool.
What are you reading?
The usual disclaimery disclaimer applies!