Finished reading: Montaigne by Stefan Zweig 📚

I was hoping for more philosophy in this, but I think it would pair well with a book of Montaigne’s essays to give insight to Montaigne’s thinking. (I heard of the book via Ryan Holiday’s newsletter and the links above are to his bookstore.)

Finished reading: Polostan by Neal Stephenson 📚

Finished reading: The Place of Tides by James Rebanks 📚

One of the best books I read this year.

Finished reading: Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson 📚

I’m glad I reread this before diving into Wind & Truth. There are a lot of details, especially in the last 200 pages or so, that I had forgotten. (📚💙)

Finished reading: At Work in the Ruins by Dougald Hine 📚

I’m going to need to let the ideas from this book marinate for a while, then revisit the book. A lot of what Hine writes resonates with me, but also challenges my long held views of science. There’s a lot to think about here … (📚💙)

Wind and Truth launch day! My local bookshop had signed copies. I have ~100 pages to go on my re-read of Rhythm of War, then I’ll dive in to this. 🪐📚💙

Just ordered my 2025 calendar refill from Austin Mann. The prints are always gorgeous and make a great gift.

☕️ With the holidays arriving in the US next week, I roasted my first batch of Sweet Maria’s Polar Expresso for 2024. I’ve been trending towards lighter roasts lately, but going Full City+ on this blend usually works well for both pour overs and espresso.

Finished reading: Reamde by Neal Stephenson 📚

This was my first reread of Reamde since it was published. I forgot how good it was. The terrorist story line was a little too mid-2000s, but the technology pieces hold up pretty well and the characters are great. 8/10

🖋 Happy Hobonichi Day! I’m due for a new 5 Year and am going to recommit to keeping it updated. I’ve done it sporadically over the last 5 years, but looking back on the stretches I kept it up is delightful.

I haven’t used a daily Hobo in a few years, but couldn’t resist adding one to my order.

Finished reading: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin 📚

I know a lot of people love this book, and I was excited to read it, but I just couldn’t get into it. I read it over the course of 6 months in small sections when I thought I was in the right frame of mind, but it never grabbed me.

Finished reading: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan 📚

I’m a big fan of Robin’s newsletters, but had never read one of his books. I enjoyed this immensely. If you like books, libraries, and typography, you might enjoy this too.

I’ve been getting back into print magazines and Mountain Gazette is a great one. Their list of “Magazines We Love That Aren’t Ours” is fantastic. I didn’t know that Creem is coming back!

Finished reading: A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend them Back by Bruce Schneier 📚

A book about all the various ways people (mostly rich people) hack our political, legal and societal systems for their benefit. I found it rather depressing as the “How to Bend them Back” portion of the book didn’t seem to offer many realistic solutions.

Finished reading: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy 📚

Finished reading: Freedom by Sebastian Junger 📚

A short book on what it means to be free in the worldly sense rather than the spiritual. I enjoyed it.

OK, that’s it for now. Sorry for all the posts!

Finished reading: Lessons from an American Stoic by Mark Matousek 📚

Finished reading: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson 📚

Finished reading: In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides 📚

Finished reading: Babel by R. F. Kuang 📚

Wow, I really enjoyed this.

Finished reading: The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard 📚

Finished reading: The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson 📚

Finished reading: Red Team Blues by Cory Doctorow 📚