I love to see what other people are reading at any given moment. This is what I’d like to give to you. Here is the pile of books that are currently on my nightstand. The list is growing, but I really like this current list. I’m going to write the name of the book and the author, then put a quick little blurb about my current thoughts.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Right now, I'm trudging through the introduction because it's giving me the history of Marcus Aurelius and the context of what it was like to be a stoic then. It shows so much promise, that I can't even think about giving up on it. Hopefully, I'll really dig in once I'm done with the 70-page historical introduction.

Next Job Best Job by Rob Barnett

I'm reading this to hype myself up into applying for a new job that pays me much better. It's working in some regards, but I recognize that this book was written for people who are well into their careers, and not someone who is just getting started. It's still one of the best books I can find about the job search though. I should check out his website.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Love this book. It's chock full of really great information on habit formation, and I find myself needing to carry around post-it notes just to keep myself from highlighting this book out of existence. I've talked this book up so much in my personal life, I already have a friend who is pining to borrow it after I'm done.

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

I'm finding this book surprisingly nice to read. It is essentially a short book of tips for princes on how to best rule over their people and land and draws a lot of clear lines on what is reasonable and what is not. It's basically a list of cautious tales for megalomaniacs, and I love that energy. The chapters are very short, so I'll often finish one before I go to bed.

Selected Poems by Lord Byron

Not as horny as I thought it would be. I'm only around 25 pages in right now, but while I'm enjoying the pose, I expected a spicier read. Maybe I was wrong to expect this.

The Tao of Chess by Peter Kurzdorfer

This is a book that I really enjoy as someone who is trying to get into chess. It really does make my head spin though. I love this type of technical book since it tries it's best to make the lessons relatable in life, with lessons like "as a bishop, we are at our best when we don't allow ourselves to get in our own way".

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I have not started reading this book yet, but I can NOT wait. I love the movies, and I'm very excited to see more of the world that the movies came from. I hope it's somewhat of an extension of the joy that I felt when watching the movies as a younger man.

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Bobby Fischer

I haven’t read this book yet either. It scares me. I’m proud to say that this is an aspirational read for me. One day this will blow my head clear off of my shoulders.

Freehand by Helen Birch

This is a book of pieces of art that are immediately followed by a short little page telling you what the author notices about the art. It's all really cool, and I feel like I am learning how to better appreciate visual artists. Feels good.

Irish Stories and Folklore, edited by Stephen Brennan

I read this book whenever I need a pick me up. It's full of the snarkiest little folk tales that ever could, and so I often like to read them when I'm taking things too seriously. It also reminds me of growing up in an Irish American home.

Make Time for Creativity by Brandon Stosuy

This is a book from my Grandmother on my mother's side (we call her Grammy). It's a wonderful little exercise book on how to break down a creative project into smaller more achievable tasks. I've finished around half of it, and I love how it interweaves quotes that the other lifted from a longer series of interviews that they did with many artist over the past 5 to 10 years.

with an honorable mention for my 3 different notebooks.