Pages: 320

Rating: 6.5/7

A practical guide to changing your habits. Gives four majors methods for building and maintaining good habits and eliminating bad habits.

Extremely readable and useful. Enjoyed being able to apply lessons from the book in my own life while reading, especially with regards to setting up conducive environments for those habits.

Pages: 353

Rating: 6.5/7

An easy six-week program to getting your personal finances on track. Includes practical actions, funny stories, and an irreverent tone to keep you reading and learning.

Reminded me of the financial advise my parents gave me, and expanded upon that advise. Would recommend for anyone, whether they are in crazy credit card debt or saving towards retirement.

Pages: 304

Rating: 6.5/7

A woman who feels completely isolated, and in the space between life and death enters the Midnight Library where she gets to live her life as if she had made different choices.

Excellent. Reference philosophy and ideas about ways of living. Will likely be reading again. "You don't have to understand life. You just have to live it."

Pages: 123

Rating: 6.5/7

The story of a man who kills another, and his thoughts through his trial about life and meaning.

Reminds me of Catcher in the Rye, but much more mature and involved. Insanely fascinating.

Pages: 224

Rating: 6.5/7

A guide to finding the right things to care about.

These self-help books are really starting to echo, and this definitely talks a lot about the "value-finding journey" that others seem to refer to. Nothing much here, but was enjoyable.

Pages: 240

Rating: 6/7

A story of kids staying at a summer home with their hedonist parents. A storm floods the area, and the end of the world as it is ensues. Includes many references to Christianity, modern science, and climate change.

Amazing. Likens Gods to nature, Jesus to science, and the Holy Ghost to art (believing in science will save us). Also introduced a great Voltaire quote to me, "All we can do is cultivate our garden."

Pages: 432

Rating: 6/7

Another 12 rules, slightly more theological and political than the last. Hits on ideas of life as suffering, archetypal characters in religion, and how to act in the world.

Was alright compared to the last set. Think that these twelve rules are slightly less necessary but more precise than the first twelve. Would recommend.

Pages: 299

Rating: 6/7

A memoir from the author as he lives near Joshua Tree National Park and in Las Vegas during "The Rhino's" single scandal-filled term in office. A deep dive into Eurocentrism and climate change, Native American folklore and history, and ideas about what the act of writing is.

A bit hippy-dippy for my taste, but after spending a couple months of 2020's craziness in the American Southwest and coming from tech-loving environments both where I grew up and in college, very relatable in his questioning of what "progress" truly means. A good book for meditations on the above subjects, but lacks purpose and direction.

Pages: 304

Rating: 6/7

Both a memoir and a recounting of life lessons learned by McConaughey. Has brief snippets from a series of journals he kept over the years.

Very unlike what I expected from my first celebrity memoir. Gave me new respect for who McConaughey is as a person, as well as a new artist's lens on the power of values and the purpose of "livin."

Pages: 309

Rating: 6/7

Harry Potter starts his 7-book adventure.

Pretty good, an easy read. My copy has commentary that I wrote in when I was 16, which was a nice treat to get to look over. Much more activist then, may need to continue doing that to my books for the future fun of it.

Pages: 341

Rating: 6/7

The second edition to Harry Potter's saga.

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Pages: 448

Rating: 6/7

The third edition to Harry Potter's saga.

"What you fear most of all is -- fear."

Pages: 752

Rating: 6/7

The fourth edition to Harry Potter's saga.

While reading this as a kid, thought that the Ministry of Magic's reaction to Voldemort's return was absurd (they denied it profusely in the face of evidence). After this past year, I realize it was spot on.

Pages: 896

Rating: 6/7

The fifth edition to Harry Potter's saga.

I did not comprehend the emotional depth of this book as a kid. Of course everyone would try to discredit the main characters of the story. Of course Harry is emotionally unhinged throughout. Of course he spent the last part of the book in a daze after watching his only parental figure die. I could never express this in writing the way Rowling does. Brilliant.

Pages: 672

Rating: 6/7

The sixth edition to Harry Potter's saga.

Less of a masterpiece than the fifth book, but still incredible. "The trouble is, the other side can do magic too."

Pages: 784

Rating: 6/7

The seventh edition to Harry Potter's saga.

Great ending. Events line up near the end with great payoff, but lots of set-up in the beginning and middle. "...something about certain kinds of magic, of the incalculable power of certain acts."

Pages: 288

Rating: 6/7

A list of rules on how to deal with people. Argues that this skill is the most useful of them all, and gives examples in which normal people have applied them in their lives to great effect.

Very useful, especially since I am starting work this week. Will plan to reference frequently for the rest of my life, as I believe I am lacking in this particular area. Hopefully, can find ways to be more interested in people to embody these principles.

Pages: 297

Rating: 5.5/7

A Harvard Medical School physician's perspective of modern medicine's dealing with the end of life. Talks about how modern medicine seeks to fix the human body, while a more humanistic approach of helping humans live with dignity and purpose may be a better method going forward.

A great read for people who are dealing with such issues. Also is a great guide on how I may deal with people around me aging, and what things are important to consider near the end of life.

Pages: 224

Rating: 5.5/7

Very similar to David Goggin's "Can't Hurt Me," differing in that it has more actionable tasks of finding values and planning with the end in mind but a less inspiring overarching story. Talks about the Navy SEAL ethic and how you can apply those lessons to your own life.

Very good, though more of the same after reading Goggins. Enjoyed being able to use the mental models to find more clarity in my actions, goals, and principles.

Pages: 253

Rating: 5.5/7

A self-help guide to managing creative work in the email-infested modern workplace. Provides methods of getting the things that are meaningful done.

Would generally recommend to busy creative professionals (as in, professionals who create things for a living). Has some useful tips and advice, and is a short read due to large font and small size of the book.

Pages: 257

Rating: 5/7

A telling of the story behind the famous movie, "21," about the team of card-counting MIT students who won millions from weekend trips to Vegas playing blackjack.

A fun read. Showed that some of the details from the movie were entirely wrong (none of the counters were white because that would attract too much attention from the casinos). Didn't add any particular value to my life.

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/7

A fantasy novel of a man stuck in a corporate job, who finds a whole new way of living in an assignment to investigate magical youth.

A really wonderful read, and allowed me to get lost in the imagination of the author. Very witty and fun.

Pages: 160

Rating: 4.5/7

Short comic/graphic-style story of a girl growing up in Iran in the 1970s-80s.

Moving, short and sweet.

Pages: 256

Rating: 4/7

A manifesto of the former Navy SEAL's life philosophy, and recommended actions that follow from that philosophy. Also includes a workout guide at the end.

Interesting to read more about the SEAL ethic, but overall not very practical. Workout guide was useful. Good book to simply pirate online.