A Fall Reading List, How to Read More, a Semi-Viral Article, and the NFL Season is Back
I'm incorporating a re-read into each of my reading lists, usually a classic.
I promised some reading lists. Here’s the fall list with some comments on each book, why I selected it, and the reading plan for moving forward.
Mother Howl: I’m so excited to read this book. If Craig Clevenger writes it, I’ll read it. Admittedly that’s not asking a lot. He’s not the most prolific writer out there. This is only his third book. His first was published in 2002, The Contortionist’s Handbook which I’ve read multiple times. It’s about a master forger that continually changes identities to jump from one persona to anther, pops pills in his personal attempt to self-medicate, goes too far, survives, and is being interviewed in a psychiatric facility. He tells one story to the head doc - desperately trying to keep from being committed - and another story, the true story, to the reader. It’s sometimes called neo-noir but I’m not sure it can be stuffed into any category. Read it and you will be a Clevenger fan for life.
The second is Dermaphoria. It was published in 2005. I’m not going to say a lot here. It’s about a chemist, suffering from amnesia, that’s had his fill of LSD, and is now addicted to a new drug that synthesizes the feeling of touch. Should be enough to peek your interest. Stick it in your to-read pile.
Now 18 years later we get Mother Howl. Just started reading it but I’m hooked. I’ll crank through this quick. Updates to follow.
Sacrifice: This book comes highly recommended to me via a source I trust. It’s the true story of a wife, Michelle Black, of a Green Beret soldier killed in an ambush while on assignment in Africa. Thoroughly researched, and often told in the direct words from the survivors of her husbands unit, this is a brutally honest account of the events and an example of how we can question, hold accountable, and still support our institutions.
The Right Call: I’m not a self help guy. Ok, that’s not precisely true. I’m not a self help guy when I see some simplistic, catchy phrase passed off as life changing doctrine. But give me some science backed, tested and accomplished guide, with supporting documentation and stories, I can be convinced. Sally Jenkins combines the stories of those that have achieved greatness in sports, from her 100’s of interviews, and connects the dots to show how our elite athletes achieve greatness today. And how we can use these observations to improve ourselves and reach our own level of greatness. Plus she’s just a great writer. This is an entertaining read whether you’re a sport’s person or not.
The Climate Book: Looking forward to diving into this book. It’s a curation of the writings and reports of the world’s foremost experts on climate, how it’s impacting our world, and what to do about it. Whether you agree that climate change is man-made or not, the science is indisputable, climate change is here. So let’s not lose hope, let’s fight to change it.
The Brothers Karamazov: I want to re-read 4 or 5 classics a year. First up, Dostoevsky. Crime and Punishment is my favorite of his but I want to read Brothers again. It’s Russian, so there are lots of words, and characters, and themes. Is there a God? Does he matter? And if he exists why does he let horrible events occur driven by horrible people? Heavy stuff and well worth the read. These books are challenging and we all need to push ourselves.
Think About It…
I read and read. If you were to meet me, there would be a book within arm’s reach. It’s one of the ways I can crank through more books than average. Here are some other tips I use to up my reading game.
How to Read More:
Schedule - hate the word especially when it comes to something I love but it’s more habit formation than schedule when it comes to books. I work reading into my morning coffee. Every morning I make coffee, sit, and read. I also schedule one hour of reading a day. As I said, I’m not a schedule guy. I’m not a rules guy. But I am a book guy so I make sure that every day includes time to read.
Stash Books - I have a book in my car. I have another book in my backpack. I have a bookshelf in my office. Everywhere I go a book is within reach and easy to pull out and get a few paragraphs or pages or chapters read.
Read more than one book at a time - I only use one book for my scheduled reading time, and I stick with it until I’m done, but I’m also reading one or two other books. I snatch passages when I can. I consider them on-deck books. If I like them, I start finding time to read more. I usually have a non-fiction and a fiction going.
I read with a pen and highlighter in my hand - My books look like a box of crayons exploded all all over the pages. I make notes to myself and write in the margins. It may not help me read more, but it helps spark ideas, and leads to a better understanding. Usually a better understanding leads to productivity. If it’s more valuable, I’m likely to do more of it.
Quit reading more - There are more books in the world than you will ever read. There are more great books than you will ever read. So, if I don’t like it, I dump it. Then I get onto my next one. I’ll dump a non-fiction before the end of the introduction. Fiction, I will usually stick with for a few chapters. But that’s me.
How to Write a Viral Article:
Well, if anyone tells you they know how to write a viral article they are being disingenuous. Yes, there are some structures that will help. There are some categories and/or niches that are more likely to spread. Reading other viral articles and emulating them will help. But there is no specific overall formula.
There is one sure fire method though. Keep writing. Just write and write. If you keep writing bad stories you will eventually get better and write a story that pops. As long as you continue to work on your craft. Study. Read. Write. It’s the only way.
Here’s my semi-viral (about 20k views) article. It’s not the best article. But it was the most fun to write. And it was kind of an afterthought. It’s not related to any other topics I’ve ever written.
Who knew?
There is an underlying theme. Think for yourself. Anything else is apocalyptic.
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Do it…
This weekend is football. Can’t wait.
I’ve been a football fanatic since I was a kid with posters of Roman Gabriel and Deacon Jones on my walls. During football season my Sunday afternoons are blocked. I read in the morning. I go to JiuJitsu class at 10:00AM. And then the day is devoted to the NFL and pizza. I don’t watch college games. I don’t watch other leagues. Just the NFL.
Here are my totally biased, gut feeling, non-researched predictions for the opening weekend (And if you use these for an type of gambling purposes you will likely lose, just saying):
Chiefs vs. Lions - Chiefs win
Bengals vs. Browns - Bengals win if Joe Burrow plays
Texans vs. Ravens - Ravens big
Buccaneers vs. Vikings - Vikings
Panthers vs. Falcons - Panthers
Cardinals vs. Commanders - Commanders
Jaguars vs. Colts - Jaguars big
49ers vs. Steelers - 49ers win
Titans vs. Saints - Titans
Raiders vs. Broncos - Broncos and the Sean Payton era is off
Eagles vs. Patriots - Eagles
Rams vs. Seahawks - Seahawks
Dolphins vs. Chargers - Chargers
Packers vs. Bears - Packers in a close one
Cowboys vs. Giants - Cowboys roll because it’s not a playoff game
Bills vs. Jets - Bills in a shootout
Have fun this weekend. I’ll be rolling this newsletter out each Thursday. It’s not hump day. It’s not Monday. It’s not Friday like every other newsletter that plops into your inbox. But it does allow you to gather supplies, prepare for your weekend, huddle with family and friends and celebrate.