"The Final Days" stands as a profound testament to the power of great journalism. 4/5 Stars

"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" scratches an itch, but doesn't satisfy a deeper longing. I suppose that's the point. 3/5 Stars

As a writer myself, every once in a while I think about hanging it up and doing something else. Then I run across a book or essay that inspires beyond belief. "On Writing" by Stephen King did exactly that and more. 4/5 Stars

Everyone has a memoir in them and "Born a Crime" proves it. Funny, touching, and insightful, this book has me reflecting on my own life searching for stories to share. 4/5 Stars

Not the sort of book I usually read, but I found "The President Is Missing" to be a lot of fun and a gratifying escape from the heaviness that usually steals my attention. 4/5 Stars

Behind every myth and legend, there is a truth. "In the Distance" pulls back the curtain and centers the story of a man who lived a life larger than most. 3/5 Stars

Have you ever read a book so good you didn't want it to end? "Peace Like a River" is so beautifully written. Its prose and story had me fully engaged from the very beginning. 5/5 Stars

As you read this book, you're painfully aware that you are reading something written by a westerner who doesn't have a full understanding, grasp, or appreciation of the Buddhist religion beyond history and headlines. 2/5 Stars

I am fascinated by how other people approach the craft of writing. This book was so insightful and inspiring. 4/5 Stars

If you're doing it right, this book should feel more life-affirming than life-changing. I am happy to report I am on my way.

This book is an absolute breath of fresh air. Encountering a religious leader who embraces science without rigid reaction or fear that his questioning might lead to a loss of faith is not the experience of my youth. 3/5 Stars

After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, I found myself frustrated. Frustrated with the battles we continue fighting and frustrated with what I did or did not understand. So, like countless Americans last year, I reached for books to educate myself. As I soaked up the words of James Baldwin, I was confronted with my own privilege and the part I play in the continuation of an unequal and unjust society.

“Talking to Strangers” by Malcolm Gladwell is the book we need right now. In the shadow of a contentious presidential election and four years in which distrust in the very institution meant to inform and protect us has come into question, we, as a society, have defaulted toward disbelieving information challenging our worldview.

This book spends a lot of time focusing on the value of spending time with your thoughts. Traveling Italy on a solo adventure, digging deeper into a meditation practice at the cradle of a religious movement, or allowing yourself to fall in love on an island in the south Asian sea, for our author none of the life-altering changes can come to fruition if we do not know ourselves.

In a world this noisy, we are not afforded a lot of these opportunities. The more hectic life becomes, the less time we seem to be able to find for ourselves. For me, nothing remedies this like asphalt, yellow lines, and some far-off destination.

“History is written by the winners.” In this book, we are treated to a rare tale and offered a glimpse into the life of a pitcher who let one get away from him and ended up costing his team the pennant.

Ideas are impossible to defeat. They can linger in the shadow of men‘s hearts long after the final bullet has been fired. They can withstand the test of time.

Now, I arrive at this book in the midst of a five-year relationship with a partner I hope to marry. No matter the stage, I have learned something about myself with every single read of this book and my relationships have blossomed because of it.

No one comes to the beginning of a 2,650-mile journey without a reason. Sure, we are all seeking adventure, but if you dig deeper everyone has something bigger, they are chasing. For Cheryl, it was rebirth and a need to wrestle with the demons of her past. For me, my journey was meant to be one of self-discovery and an ultimate test before fully facing the trials of adulthood. No reason is better than that of someone else.

Living in Seattle, it is hard not to get lost in the possibility of the sea. With Puget Sound at your doorstep and the Pacific Ocean within a short drive‘s reach, one can find themselves endlessly pondering life beyond the horizon. While I prefer the comfort and speed of air travel, my mind cannot help but imagine life on the open ocean where every place seems within reach and too far to comprehend at the same time.

We live sheltered lives. We travel from home to work and back again. Our journeys into the wild are only temporary. Local parks, beaches, or visits to national parks are the only interactions some of us will ever have.

I‘ve heard it said, “That if only we had the faith of a mustard seed, then we could move mountains.” While I am unsure about the power of faith, I know we have damaged the air, sea, waterways, and land with our power.

Sarah‘s journey ended at a small tree in the wilds of Australia. To the best of her ability, she attempted to capture the emotions of that moment, but I know that is nearly impossible.

What I found profound about the reading of his adventures through the American south was his ability to stop and call everything by its proper name.

This book reads like a turn by turn description of the Pacific Crest Trail...

In all the books you read about thru-hikes, there is something that is often overlooked; boredom.

Looking back on your own life is more than a mere reflection. As you age, it is an opportunity to question major milestones and events.

What does it feel like to finish crossing the Australian Outback? The Appalachian Trail? The Continental Divide Trail? The Pacific Crest Trail?

“The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis entered my world, because of a friend who challenged me during a debate on religion.

Nature doesn‘t need us, but I think it longs for us to commune with it. We should find ourselves lost in its leaves, consuming its vistas, cooled by its waters, and hiking its trails. As we do, we give ourselves a gift and leave with a big brother mentality.

“The Historian” is a grand quest set in modern times focused on redefining the legend of Dracula.

Long before I claimed an apartment in West Seattle… Long before I moved into my dorm in Edmond… Long before my family settled on the plains of Oklahoma, these lands were cherished, cared for, and home to a proud race of people. It is these people who were on my mind while reading “Sons of the Profits.”

I find myself fascinated by Ayn Rand. The fascination grows out of intrigue and not a devout belief in her ideas. I find Ayn Rand compelling for the same reason I find Scientology interesting; the fact that a movement was born in our lifetime is something that I find curious. Unlike Scientology, Ayn Rand‘s ideas have taken hold on our society.

Reading this book was to read another chapter in the long story of heartbreak, betrayal, and killing of a once proud, but forever noble people.

As the new Darwinian orthodoxy swept through Europe, its most brilliant opponent, the aging embryologist Karl Ernst von Baer, remarked with bitter irony that every triumphant theory passes through three stages: first it is dismissed as untrue; then it is rejected as contrary to religion; finally, it is accepted as dogma and each scientist claims that he long appreciated its truth." -Stephen Jay Gould

There may be no stronger force in the universe than a mother‘s love.

"My questioning of the community to which I belonged left me without a community to belong."

The human condition and experience is not a solitary journey. At times, it may feel like it is but, there are very few examples of uniquely human experiences. When we group shared experiences together, we find a tribe, people who understand you. As people standing on the outside of these groups, it is our job to empathize when possible and offer support where appropriate.

I am a product of the 80‘s. I grew up with “Just Say No,” D.A.R.E., and the War on Drugs. Throughout elementary school, my classmates and I were brainwashed with these messages. Our televisions were filled with images of eggs frying in skillets and the harm of drugs. For the most part, these messages worked on me. I avoided drugs all throughout high school. The first time I saw cocaine was in college. I immediately left the party.

It can be fiction or non-fiction. It makes no difference because they share a foundational need for any good story. Character development and the quality of it makes or breaks a book. We may love and/or loathe the character we are reading but we must witness their growth over the course of the book. If we don‘t, then more often than not, a story is a failure.

I have been writing poetry since before I knew how to write poetry. It began as a way to collect my thoughts on a page, put the world in some sense of order, and express myself. Long before it was any good, it was a way to keep myself breathing and on this side of the Earth. What I have never done well is read poetry. Reading this book, which was given to me by a dear friend, changed that.

We are too often chained to the comfortable. We are victims of routine. Our adventurous spirits are like caged birds. Something made abundantly clear to me while reading this book was the value of an out of body experience; moments when we shake off normal like winter snow from a coat. These moments afford new opportunities to learn and grow. In them, we are made to experience a piece of the world unknown to us.