This is one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever found. The dialogue is burst-out-loud funny, and the writing is spectacularly visual. I’d heard the name Lonesome Dove many times over the years, and I finally dove in after a friend mentioned that it’s his all-time favorite book. Here’s the description: “A love story, an adventure, and an epic of the frontier, Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Lonesome Dove, is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness of America. Two retired Texas Rangers, Captains Woodrow Call and Augustus ‘Gus’ McCrae, lead a cattle drive from the small town of Lonesome Dove to the unsettled Montana territories. On their grueling journey, they are joined by Joshua Deets, a Black scout and former Ranger; Jake Spoon, a fugitive; and Newt Dobbs, a 17-year-old boy who may have family ties to Call.” Even if you end up reading the text, listen to 30–60 minutes of the audiobook for narrator Lee Horsley’s accents and performance. Warning: Gus can be high-volume, as he’s a loudmouth in the book, and there is one tough stretch via audio about one-third in. I was tempted to put it down briefly, as was a friend, so just power through or switch to text. It evens out after that and simply gets better and better with each short chapter.

​Huge thanks to the legendary Tyler Jacobson (@tylerjacobsonart) for first recommending this book to me. In a stroke of good fortune, I happened to choose the audiobook version, and the performance from Steven Pacey has absolutely blown my mind. He’s one of the best narrators I’ve ever heard, and I’ve been listening to this trilogy (I’m now on the second volume) whenever I have even five minutes free. Brushing teeth? Washing dishes? Drifting off to sleep? I’ll grab any chance I can to listen. Here’s part of the official description: “Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.”

​Tokyo Ghost, written by Rick Remender, drawn by Sean Murphy, and colored by Matt Hollingsworth. Lazarus #1, written by Greg Rucka, drawn by Michael Lark, and colored by Santi Arcas. Reckless, written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Sean Phillips, and colored by Jacob Phillips. I posted the covers on Instagram for those who’d like to take a gander.

This was first recommended to me by Caroline Paul (@carowriter), an incredible writer in her own right, who was also one of the first female firefighters in San Francisco. This is one of her favorite books because, as she said, “A lot of [O’Brien’s] writing, at least initially, was about Vietnam in thinly veiled autobiographical form, but fiction. That book actually got me back to reading. When you go to college, reading gets kicked out of you a little bit. You have to read all of these things, and I didn’t [start reading again] until my friend Eric, a whitewater rafter with me, handed me this book.” Be forewarned that it contains beautiful prose and graphic violence in equal measure.

Created by writer James Tynion IV and artist Werther Dell’Edera. Colorist Miquel Muerto and letterer AndWorld Design also make the pages sing. Something Is Killing the Children was recommended to me by the incredibly talented Daniel Henriques (Thank you, Daniel!), whose work is definitely worth checking out. I highly suggest getting at least the first three volumes of this series, which only take a few hours to finish. That’s enough to build momentum, to enjoy key pieces of the story arc, and to leave you wanting more. This entire book is very elegant, IMHO. Some comics try to do too much, and all the miscellanea and subplots detract from the experience. Something Is Killing the Children is smooth, easy, and compelling.

This is a raucous masterpiece! After two close friends recommended it within 48 hours, I bit the bullet. I haven’t read graphic novels in ages, but this NSFW gem blew me away. I tore through it in two days. It’s rare that both the writing and artwork grab me, but this did it. Deep bow and “More please!” to Brian K. Vaughan (@briankvaughan), Fiona Staples (@fionastaples), and FONOGRAFIKS. Don’t let the page count scare you, as it moves quickly with the artwork. Think of it as a 150–175-page book.

​By Lionel Shriver (best known for We Need to Talk About Kevin) and narrated by George Newbern. From the description: “With dry wit and psychological acuity, this near-future novel explores the aftershocks of an economically devastating US sovereign debt default on four generations of a once-prosperous American family. Down-to-earth and perfectly realistic in scale, this is not an over-the-top Blade Runner tale. It is not science fiction.” Before committing too hard to a near-term dystopian future, however, it’s a good idea to read the predictions in Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders, first published in 1989. The end has been nigh for the US for a long time, but it’s still ticking 30+ years later, albeit with some serious bugs. Special thanks to J. for both recommendations

This 10–15-minute read is really spectacular. DO NOT read anything about this story before digging in, as even a small spoiler can ruin it. Special thanks to Adam Robinson (@IAmAdamRobinson) for sending it to me.  

This short and beautiful book was gifted to me by my mom. “This book is for everyone, whether you are eighty or eight,” as the introduction puts it. It looks like a children’s book, and you can read it in 30 minutes, but it’s replete with wisdom for adults. To give you an idea of how popular this book has become, it has 86,166 ratings on Amazon and an average of 5 stars.

Illustrated by Gwynedd M. Hudson. First Hodder and Stoughton limited edition 1982 reissue of 1922 first edition. Leather lettered and pictorially stamped in gilt. Marbled endpapers and twelve tipped-in plates. Here are some pics, which also feature Molly Puppins. Gwynedd Hudson was a British artist and designer who created exceptional illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Inspired by Michael Schur, I decided to buy a beautiful, old book with illustrations, just for the joy of traipsing through a tactile and visual feast. I decided on this 1982 reissue of the 1922 first Hudson-illustrated edition of Alice in Wonderland. It cost me $175 (here it is for $290), but there are many vintage editions available for far less. There are also some beasts for $52,000+! Browse here using different filters to see the range.

If you’re like: God, I'm one of those people who doesn’t read books, or I don’t know the time for books or whatever. It doesn’t have to take a lot and from my perspective also, one of the best ways to solve insomnia or get to sleep is to turn off your problem solving brain by reading fiction before bed . . . If you like fantasy, The Name of the Wind, I've mentioned this before; so good.  I have yet to suggest it to anyone who hasn’t enjoyed it.

If you’re like: God, I'm one of those people who doesn’t read books, or I don’t know the time for books or whatever. It doesn’t have to take a lot and from my perspective also, one of the best ways to solve insomnia or get to sleep is to turn off your problem solving brain by reading fiction before bed . . . If you like fantasy . . . you could try  The Lies of Locke Lamora, which is part of the Gentlemen Bastards series. It’s basically written as if the author had a little black book that he carried around and wrote down the most hilarious insults he heard people saying in every bar for a year and then wove them into dialogue. It’s fucking hysterical.

It’s a great fiction book. And it will pull you into this sort of surreal space of storytelling that temporarily disables this problem solving apparatus. And then, I find it easier to get to sleep

Slaine: The Horned God, which is a graphic novel that I like so much that I had 2,000 copies special printed with a bunch of fun original artwork in the beginning. Artwork by Simon Bisley, incredible hand painted.  He made the extremely well-known Lobo series, which I think was DC, if I’m recalling correctly.  Hand painted.  Slaine: The Horned God, graphic novel.  

This award-winning graphic novel, made into a cutting-edge film in 2009, explores the concept of super-hero. Recommended by 3 guests including Seth Rogen, an actor, writer, producer and director.

I have recommended this outstanding book before. It pits the instinctive against the intellectual, the simpleton (brilliant at times) against the over-thinker. Finding myself with my head frequently stuck up my own ass, this book is a constant companion and reminder to step outside of my brain. Zorba himself would have you believe that words are wasteful and books a frivolous use of time (better spent dancing barefoot on the beach), but Zorba the Greek is stuffed like a grape leaf full of life-altering wisdom. For those looking to release the inner wild man, live each day in passionate awe, and reconnect with nature, Zorba reminds us how to live fully, love lasciviously and appreciate a life in the present tense.

This fast fiction read has won just about everything: the Nebula Award for Best Novella of 2019, the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novella, and more. DO NOT look at the Amazon description, any reviews, or any overviews of the plot. Just buy it and dive in. The less you know beforehand, the better, and its 150–190 pages will fly by. Try the first 20–30 pages, and you’ll see what I mean.

This was first recommended to me by Caroline Paul (@carowriter), an incredible writer in her own right, who was also one of the first female firefighters in San Francisco. This is one of her favorite books because, as she said, “A lot of [O’Brien’s] writing, at least initially, was about Vietnam in thinly veiled autobiographical form, but fiction. That book actually got me back to reading. When you go to college, reading gets kicked out of you a little bit. You have to read all of these things, and I didn’t [start reading again] until my friend Eric, a whitewater rafter with me, handed me this book.” Be forewarned that it contains beautiful prose and graphic violence in equal measure.

The Overstory by Richard Powers. This unusual novel has been recommended to me multiple times. I made two attempts but put it down each time because the first pages made little sense to me. Finally, it was Hugh Jackman who, during our conversation on the podcast, gave me the best advice on how to approach this book: “Stick with it. It works on you in the way nature does. It’s patient, and it’s in no rush. It’s slow and it’s steady and it’s true.” Now, I’m in the middle and enjoying it tremendously. Here is a shortened description: “The Overstory, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of―and paean to―the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, Richard Powers’s twelfth novel unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.”

That was my favorite book growing up for three or four years in elementary school.

Stephen Fry makes this audiobook incredible. It’s one of the best voice performances I’ve ever heard. Like many people, I’d come across this book now and again for decades, but I was turned off by the goofy cover. Shame on me, but… perhaps it was perfect that I procrastinated until finding the audiobook, which has been great for laughs and smiles.

it’s about a young boy who is raised in a graveyard. Really, really stellar. I think the audiobook is partially what drew me in, just because Neil Gaiman is such an incredible narrator.  And so The Graveyard Book, people have asked me, and I’m just going to answer the question here, they’ve asked me should I get because I very specifically recommended the audio book. I’m sure the text is fantastic, but Neil strikes me – so I will drill into this with you a little bit because you have so much experience. Neil impresses me on many levels. He’s a spectacularly gifted poly math in the writing sphere and has not dabbled, it doesn’t do it justice. He’s not a professional dilettante like I am. He actually does really good work in a lot of areas. But he’s a really compelling narrator as an audio book narrator. He’s spectacularly good. And people have asked me should I get the full ensemble cast, or should I get the Neil Gaiman. I’ve only listened to the Neil Gaiman version of The Graveyard Book. But it’s really, really, really solid. And I believe that it is modeled after one of the Greek tragedies, I want to say. But I could be completely making that up to sound more cultured than I am.

“Albert grunted. ‘Do you know what happens to lads who ask too many questions?’ Mort thought for a moment. ‘No,’ he said eventually, ‘what?’ There was silence. Then Albert straightened up and said, ‘Damned if I know. Probably they get answers, and serve ’em right.’” — TERRY PRATCHETT, MORT

Raised in a culture where men are powerful, sexual, and dominant, the Klingon-speaking, D&D-playing chubby boy thinks he’ll never find true love or physical affection. Oscar struggles as a young immigrant from the Dominican Republic living with his older sister and mother in Paterson, New Jersey. A fun read with lots of geek culture, great history, and oh, it also won the Pulitzer Prize. May the half-elves inherit the earth. Grey or Drow? Tough choice.

A tremendous work that uses hilarity and absurdity to teach a lot.

“A successful writing day is the day that I suffer in the morning, and I have fun in the evening.” -Paulo Coelho Paulo Coelho (paulocoelho on Facebook) has long been one of my writing inspirations. His books, of near universal appeal, span from The Alchemist to the most recent Adultery and have been translated into more than 70 languages. Few people know that The Alchemist, which has sold more than 65 million copies worldwide, was originally published by a small Brazilian publisher to the tune of… 900 copies. They declined to reprint it. It wasn’t until after his subsequent novel (Brida) that The Alchemist was revived and took off. I, for one, have always been impressed with consistent writers. Paulo, who averages one book every two years, is staggeringly consistent. As I type this, I am under the pressure of deadlines and often feel as Kurt Vonnegut did: “When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth.” My output is erratic at best, and I wondered: how does Paulo write? What is his process? How does he think about it? I reached out to him, and he was kind enough to reply with the audio I’ve included in the podcast. In it, he provides some gems and answers the following questions (see below), which I posed to him (I provide my own abbreviated answers in brackets)…

Elon Musk: "I like 'Stranger in a Strange Land', although it kind of goes off the rails at the end." Tim Ferriss: "Ever feel like you don’t quite fit in? Don’t want to follow society’s silly rules? Then you can probably relate to human-born and Martian-raised Valentine Michael Smith. In this controversial 1960’s cult classic, Heinlein questions long held assumptions on religion, government, and sexuality (free Martian love for all!). It’s also where the term “grok” originated."

I haven't read the bottom book, but the top three are all INCREDIBLE.

Neal Stephenson, the science fiction author, although saying it that way doesn’t do justice to the work that he puts out, which is incredible. Snow Crash and so on.

This is one of the books most frequently recommended by podcast guests. Long ago, Naval Ravikant (@naval) highlighted for me the protagonist Siddhartha’s response to “What can you give?” His simple answer is “I can think, I can wait, I can fast.” There’s much more to his response (search “Kamala” here for a good excerpt), and I think about it often. Skip the Amazon description, as it gives away too much plot, but consider reading or rereading this short gem. If you’d prefer an even shorter read, try this: Can We All Be Like Texas? by David Byrne (@DBtodomundo).

It’s fantastic.

William Gibson in Neuromancer said, “The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” So you see these patterns that are sort of this smoke signal in the distance.

It’s a hysterical romp through high-stakes problem-solving and old-fashioned crime fighting, all told through deliciously mind-tickling prose. One of my absolute favorites.

Little, Big is simply one of the best novels I’ve ever read, and even that doesn’t do it justice. It is, as one reviewer put it, “mysteriously affecting.” Read a few of the Amazon reviews here to get a glimpse of what I mean. On top of that, I feel like it put me in an altered state of consciousness that often lasted for 6–12 hours, best described as a deep feeling of serenity. And yet, I’ve hesitated for weeks to put it into “5-Bullet Friday”! Why? Because I think it’ll only grab 10–20% of you. In fact, my brother gave me the paperback version in 2018, and I tried reading it three or four times over the past two years. I put it down after fewer than 50 pages in each attempt. So how’d I end up finishing it this time? This go-round, I committed to reading at least 100 pages, reading daily, and reading the Kindle version. Why? It’s partly because the prose is stunningly beautiful, but it’s unusual and requires close attention. It’s partly because there are a lot of characters introduced in the first 100 pages, and you need to keep them straight, which is why I also posted a pic of a family tree (the last of the three photos in the post) to help everyone out. Last, author John Crowley uses exquisite and poetic vocabulary, but I needed the Kindle built-in dictionary quite a lot (borborygmus, anyone?). It all sounds like a lot of work, and—guess what?—it is a lot of work. But hot damn, the payoff is just so, so delicious that it’s hard to describe. If you try it, don’t say I didn’t warn you. 8 out of 10 of you will think I’ve lost my mind. But 2 out of 10 will find this tale of hyperreality, unreality, concrete jungles, fairy tales, and dreams to be nearly magical in its effects. This book is special.

Adults can learn languages much faster than children when constant 9–5 work is removed.

Chris Sacca: "This book is amazing." Tim Ferriss: "A fun novel, which was recommended to me by billionaire investor Chris Sacca"

After his girlfriend leaves him for another man, Rob embarks on a journey of self-discovery and evaluation by contacting ex-girlfriends to see what went wrong in each relationship. High Fidelity teaches us that eventually we all have to grow up, get past adolescent self-importance, and take responsibility for our own lives. Who says I only like books with killing, aliens, and Greeks? I’m a sensitive guy.

It answers the question 'Can money by happiness?'

People should read it before their kids read it.

If you wonder why some people take censorship so seriously, this book will give you the answer. It’s also a fantastically inspiring story of a one-versus-a-million fight that’s worth fighting.

I’ve previously recommended Ted’s incredible collection of short stories titled Stories of Your Life and Others. Despite the fact that Ted started off as a part-time science-fiction writer with a full-time technical writing job, he is the equivalent of Martin Scorsese or Wayne Gretzky in the sci-fi world—he has won four Hugo, four Nebula, and four Locus Awards, among others. The hit film Arrival (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), one of my favorite movies of the last 3–5 years, is based on one of Ted’s short stories. Gizmodo has written that “the arrival of a new piece of short fiction by Ted Chiang is always cause for celebration and parades and wild dancing.” Exhalation, his newest collection, may be even better than his last. It’s just so damn good.

At one point, this was the only book listed on Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook page. If it’s good enough to be the sole selection of the founder of Facebook, maybe there’s something to it. The plot: In anticipation of another attack from a hostile alien race, the search for a brilliant military strategist has led to Ender Wiggin. In space combat school, Ender stands out, demonstrating exceptional leadership and unconventional strategy. But it is lonely at the top for Ender, as he struggles with relentless pressure from his instructors. Through Ender’s journey, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your teammates, as well as exploit your adversaries’ weaknesses. Ender is a futuristic Level 5 Leader we can all learn from. Teaser: Drop kicks in zero gravity are the bomb. Trust me.

To check the power of a fast-rising duke, a space emperor executes a convoluted plan to gain control of the all-important planet that has a monopoly of The Spice (a super drug-cum-jet fuel). But wait! The duke’s son is actually the messianic result of a breeding program run by space witches. Oh, and the Mentats? The coolest. If that all sounds like gibberish, don’t despair. Dune presents, despite my synopsis, perhaps the most incredibly detailed and oddly believable fictional landscape I’ve ever encountered. Also, to add to any confusion: walk without rhythm, and you won’t attract the worm.

If you've heard the term "metaverse" it probably came from his novel Snowcrash. My favorite book of his is Cryptonomicon which is probably a rare choice as a favorite but personally I think Cryptonomicon is so prescient in so many ways. If you look at cryptography leading into decentralized currency and so on. He has spotted so many things around corners 10-20 years in advance, it's truly quite mind-boggling.

I absolutely LOVED this book, which I just finished yesterday. First published in 1826, the story and characters still come vibrantly to life in these pages. The poetic and over-the-top language of Cooper evokes beauty, horror, and hilarity in equal measure. This is an old book and certainly not politically correct by today’s standards, but it contains moving tales of love and loyalty that transcend race, gender, and creed. It’s one hell of a novel. From the back cover (and edited to remove some spoilers): “A massacre at a colonial garrison, the kidnapping of two pioneer sisters by Iroquois tribesmen, the treachery of a renegade brave, and the ambush of innocent settlers create an unforgettable, spine-tingling picture of American frontier life in this classic 18th-century adventure—the most popular of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales. First published in 1826, the story—set in the forests of upper New York State during the French and Indian War—movingly portrays the relationship between Hawkeye, a gallant, courageous woodsman, and his loyal Mohican friends, Chingachgook and Uncas. ... Imaginative and innovative, The Last of the Mohicans quickly became the most widely read work of the day, solidifying the popularity of America’s first successful novelist in the United States and Europe.” Note that the Kindle version I read contains a few dialogues in French without English translations, but this hiccup has little effect on the story. You can slog through it like a Yengeese (you’ll learn all about that term) and still be rewarded with a page-turner of an adventure.

A fun read with lots of geek culture, great history, and oh, it also won the Pulitzer Prize.

Set in a futuristic, dystopian United States, Atlas Shrugged is a philosophical exploration. Atlas Shrugged was mentioned by 4 guests including Bryan Callen, a world-class comic and prolific actor. Callen says, "I remember reading Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. That's good fodder for a young man. It sets these bold, stark characters -- you could even call them Christ figures -- and you think to yourself, 'I want to be that.'”

This is one of the best short-story collections I've ever read.

From my 20-plus-years-in-the-making interview with Neil Gaiman: "I have been hoping to have this conversation for years. With a flashback for 10, 15, probably 20 plus years, I’ve been reading your work. I can’t say that about many people I’ve ever met."

Stephen King has called Y: The Last Man “the best graphic novel I’ve ever read.” From the description: “The first ten issues of the award-winning series written by Brian K. Vaughan (Ex Machina, Lost) are collected in an oversized hardcover with a new cover.” Excellent illustration work by Pia Guerra. I’ve previously recommended Saga: Compendium One from Brian, illustrator Fiona Staples, and letterer/graphic designer Fonografiks (Steven Finch). Thanks to OP for introducing me to Y!