Ask me anything about my reading, writing, or really anything else. I get a lot of questions about specific books, reading routines, etc. I’ll answer all your questions, and get some good ideas about newsletter topics to hit in the future!
How did you transition from being a reader to being a professional reader and writer? What was the most difficult part and what was the most surprising?
Man, what a question! I'm actually going to answer them in reverse order.
Most surprising: That there are a lot of people out there who enjoy reading about what I'm reading about! It sounds kinda simplistic, but it's a little mind-boggling to me, every single week. It's very humbling that people trust me with their inboxes and their reading lists.
Most difficult: Building a following. It takes a looong time. I've been doing this every single week for over three years. The internet these days is absolutely saturated with content and it becomes harder and harder to stand out. I'm blessed with a couple great platforms, but even those were 5-10 years in the making.
How did I do it: Truly, just A LOT of reading and writing. I love reading, so that part is easy for me. As for writing, it just takes tons and tons of practice, like anything else. I've written 1000+ words weekly for 160 weeks, and that's just the newsletter. Combined with the writing for my day job, I'm writing many thousands of words a week. My journalism degree was somewhat helpful in learning how to be a better writer, but honestly, when you read so much, you get a feel for what good writing looks like and, more importantly, sounds like. There's a lot of threads this question could take, so if you have more specific questions, let me know. Happy to talk about it!
David brings up a good point because being a great reader does not necessarily transfer to being a great writer (and vice versa). As a teacher, I often tell my students that I’m a great reader, a good re-writer, and know what great writing looks like. 😉
It seems my "to-be-read list' is always growing despite the amount I am reading. Do you have a general rule regarding when to "quit" a book? Is there a page count/% into the text before you decide- "not for me at this time/ever"? I often feel I am to tied to a book because its on my reading list.
Ha, yeah man. My TBR list is likely 4 digits long. I know I won’t really ever be done growing that list, and I’ve just come to accept it.
As for when to quit, I like the rule of 100 pages minus your age. Though sometimes I get halfway through a book (even up to a few hundred pages), and decide it’s just not doing it for me. If I’ve enjoyed it but just can’t muster the motivation, I’ll put it back on my shelf for later. There’s a good chance I’ll come to it at a fresher point in life.
Don’t ever feel too tied to your reading list! Reading is meant to be for you — if it’s not working for you, don’t feel beholden to it.
Have you ever read anything by Karl Ove Knausgard? His seven book series, My Struggle, reads like a modern Proust! Definitely one of the greatest writers of our time. If you haven't read anything from him, I'd recommend his Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter series. Much shorter than My Struggle and has to do with the joys and struggles of raising a young family. Definitely something you could relate to! ;) The audiobooks are great too!
I'm usually reading 2-3 books at once, but they're almost always different genres. So I'm often in the midst of one novel, one history/bio, one business/psychology book (or something like that). I agree that doing multiples of the same genre is pretty tough to do without confusing things.
How do you choose your next book to read? For example, do you look at your TBR list and choose a book with a different genre from the one you previously read?
I wish I had a better system, but it's pretty all over the place. Sometimes, it's as simple as picking a book that's hit my doorstep that day from a publisher. Sometimes it's something that's been on my shelf, glaring at me for years with its shame-inducing spine. Sometimes it's that a library hold has popped up unexpectedly. Mostly, I try to pick just based on whim . . . what do I WANT to read to next, and is there any reason not to just read that?
The reading volume is certainly partially a product of just how much time I can give reading. But I do also read very quickly — not on purpose, but just because the more you do something the faster you get at it. I can cruise through most 300-page books in 2-3 days.
I’ve come to believe in the last year or so that the most underrated genre is the murder mystery — not necessarily the thriller. Thrillers rely on quick plots and jaw-dropping turns/twists, whereas a true murder mystery can rely a little more on smart plotting and good writing (in my opinion, at least). A really well done mystery is so heads and tails above a really poorly written one — Tana French’s novels, for example. Great mysteries are absolutely to be found among the great novels of the world.
As for an underrated author — that’s a much harder question! While I didn’t intend for this to relate to the above, I’m gonna go with William Kent Krueger. His Cork O’Conner mystery series is amazingly well written. He captures a sense of place that is hard to find elsewhere. His standalone novels are incredible too (even better, actually).
I wish I enjoyed classic sci-fi/fantasy a little more. I love an epic series and sci-fi has some major ones. Discworld, Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson, Dune. It very well may be things that I come to enjoy a little later in life, but they almost feel too daunting right now.
I also wish I loved ancient classics — Plato, Sophocles, Virgil, etc. I just have a really hard time getting through it and being motivated to keep going.
How do you take notes / what’s your process for highlighting and digesting main points? Do you discuss the book with anyone as you’re reading it, or do you wait until the end? What do you look for in the first 30 pages that tells you “oh this is going to be a great book”?
1. For most books, I underline passages I like (interesting anecdotes, inspiring lines, or even just prose I really enjoy). Then when I finish the book, I type all those underlined passages into a Google Doc. If I’m feeling productive, I’ll even organize the passages in that doc by theme — for a bio that could be “early life,” “parents,” “reading habits,” “character,” etc.
2. I do discuss what I’m reading! Generally with my wife, but other folks too. My opinions of a book can certainly change as I read it.
3. What do I look for: either a great story (and an original one), or great writing. It’s only when you’re really lucky that you get both. When it comes to a great story, that’s pretty subjective. Great writing gets more noticeable the more you read.
What are some of your favorite books to read to/with your kids? Right now my 5-yr-old and I are reading The Magic Tree House series. My 3-yr-old loves the picture books by Sherri Duskey Rinker.
A few of our recent favorites: E. B. White collection, Brad Meltzer’s “Ordinary People Change the World” series (so fun), anything by Jon Klassen (weird picture books but enjoyable), Peter Rabbit is a really fun classic, anything by Adam Rubin is also crazy good (picture books, but entertaining for everyone).
These may seem silly depending on personality but Jocko Willink writes a "Way of the warrior kid" series and teaches kids hard work, accountability, physical activity, responsibility. I started with "Mikey and the dragons" with my 2.5yo and he loves it but has a whole series through teen years.
How did you transition from being a reader to being a professional reader and writer? What was the most difficult part and what was the most surprising?
Man, what a question! I'm actually going to answer them in reverse order.
Most surprising: That there are a lot of people out there who enjoy reading about what I'm reading about! It sounds kinda simplistic, but it's a little mind-boggling to me, every single week. It's very humbling that people trust me with their inboxes and their reading lists.
Most difficult: Building a following. It takes a looong time. I've been doing this every single week for over three years. The internet these days is absolutely saturated with content and it becomes harder and harder to stand out. I'm blessed with a couple great platforms, but even those were 5-10 years in the making.
How did I do it: Truly, just A LOT of reading and writing. I love reading, so that part is easy for me. As for writing, it just takes tons and tons of practice, like anything else. I've written 1000+ words weekly for 160 weeks, and that's just the newsletter. Combined with the writing for my day job, I'm writing many thousands of words a week. My journalism degree was somewhat helpful in learning how to be a better writer, but honestly, when you read so much, you get a feel for what good writing looks like and, more importantly, sounds like. There's a lot of threads this question could take, so if you have more specific questions, let me know. Happy to talk about it!
David brings up a good point because being a great reader does not necessarily transfer to being a great writer (and vice versa). As a teacher, I often tell my students that I’m a great reader, a good re-writer, and know what great writing looks like. 😉
It seems my "to-be-read list' is always growing despite the amount I am reading. Do you have a general rule regarding when to "quit" a book? Is there a page count/% into the text before you decide- "not for me at this time/ever"? I often feel I am to tied to a book because its on my reading list.
Ha, yeah man. My TBR list is likely 4 digits long. I know I won’t really ever be done growing that list, and I’ve just come to accept it.
As for when to quit, I like the rule of 100 pages minus your age. Though sometimes I get halfway through a book (even up to a few hundred pages), and decide it’s just not doing it for me. If I’ve enjoyed it but just can’t muster the motivation, I’ll put it back on my shelf for later. There’s a good chance I’ll come to it at a fresher point in life.
Don’t ever feel too tied to your reading list! Reading is meant to be for you — if it’s not working for you, don’t feel beholden to it.
Have you ever read anything by Karl Ove Knausgard? His seven book series, My Struggle, reads like a modern Proust! Definitely one of the greatest writers of our time. If you haven't read anything from him, I'd recommend his Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter series. Much shorter than My Struggle and has to do with the joys and struggles of raising a young family. Definitely something you could relate to! ;) The audiobooks are great too!
I haven’t! But now I want to. I’ll move it a bit higher on my list.
How do you find the time and how many books will you read at one time? I fear getting stuff mixed up if I’m reading too many at once.
I'm usually reading 2-3 books at once, but they're almost always different genres. So I'm often in the midst of one novel, one history/bio, one business/psychology book (or something like that). I agree that doing multiples of the same genre is pretty tough to do without confusing things.
How do you choose your next book to read? For example, do you look at your TBR list and choose a book with a different genre from the one you previously read?
I wish I had a better system, but it's pretty all over the place. Sometimes, it's as simple as picking a book that's hit my doorstep that day from a publisher. Sometimes it's something that's been on my shelf, glaring at me for years with its shame-inducing spine. Sometimes it's that a library hold has popped up unexpectedly. Mostly, I try to pick just based on whim . . . what do I WANT to read to next, and is there any reason not to just read that?
Do you consciously try to read quickly or do you just read at a comfortable speed and the volume ends up being due to "time spent?"
The reading volume is certainly partially a product of just how much time I can give reading. But I do also read very quickly — not on purpose, but just because the more you do something the faster you get at it. I can cruise through most 300-page books in 2-3 days.
If you had to pick a most underrated author who would it be? What about most underrated genre?
I’ve come to believe in the last year or so that the most underrated genre is the murder mystery — not necessarily the thriller. Thrillers rely on quick plots and jaw-dropping turns/twists, whereas a true murder mystery can rely a little more on smart plotting and good writing (in my opinion, at least). A really well done mystery is so heads and tails above a really poorly written one — Tana French’s novels, for example. Great mysteries are absolutely to be found among the great novels of the world.
As for an underrated author — that’s a much harder question! While I didn’t intend for this to relate to the above, I’m gonna go with William Kent Krueger. His Cork O’Conner mystery series is amazingly well written. He captures a sense of place that is hard to find elsewhere. His standalone novels are incredible too (even better, actually).
What is one genre of literature and/or author and/or book that you really want to love, but still struggle to read and enjoy?
I wish I enjoyed classic sci-fi/fantasy a little more. I love an epic series and sci-fi has some major ones. Discworld, Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson, Dune. It very well may be things that I come to enjoy a little later in life, but they almost feel too daunting right now.
I also wish I loved ancient classics — Plato, Sophocles, Virgil, etc. I just have a really hard time getting through it and being motivated to keep going.
Great question!
How do you take notes / what’s your process for highlighting and digesting main points? Do you discuss the book with anyone as you’re reading it, or do you wait until the end? What do you look for in the first 30 pages that tells you “oh this is going to be a great book”?
1. For most books, I underline passages I like (interesting anecdotes, inspiring lines, or even just prose I really enjoy). Then when I finish the book, I type all those underlined passages into a Google Doc. If I’m feeling productive, I’ll even organize the passages in that doc by theme — for a bio that could be “early life,” “parents,” “reading habits,” “character,” etc.
2. I do discuss what I’m reading! Generally with my wife, but other folks too. My opinions of a book can certainly change as I read it.
3. What do I look for: either a great story (and an original one), or great writing. It’s only when you’re really lucky that you get both. When it comes to a great story, that’s pretty subjective. Great writing gets more noticeable the more you read.
Yes, I want to know this spread sheet you have and also how you take notes.
The famous spreadsheet! I document:
—Date Finished
—Title/Author
—Author gender (trying to read more women)
—Pages
—Year published
—Keywords (this is both genre and subject, “biography, Civil War, strategy”
—Format (library book, hardcover/paperback, Kindle)
—I also keep a checklist for when I’ve reviewed it in the newsletter and Goodreads
I too would like to know your note taking process.
What are some of your favorite books to read to/with your kids? Right now my 5-yr-old and I are reading The Magic Tree House series. My 3-yr-old loves the picture books by Sherri Duskey Rinker.
A few of our recent favorites: E. B. White collection, Brad Meltzer’s “Ordinary People Change the World” series (so fun), anything by Jon Klassen (weird picture books but enjoyable), Peter Rabbit is a really fun classic, anything by Adam Rubin is also crazy good (picture books, but entertaining for everyone).
Frog and Toad series is great! Also, when older, the Borrowers series is so charming. And of course, the Wind and the Willow is a masterpiece.
Lots of good choices depending on the child's age/attention. I enjoyed reading out load the Paddington Bear books by Bond when my kids were younger.
Thanks for the recs! Love the Borrowers
These may seem silly depending on personality but Jocko Willink writes a "Way of the warrior kid" series and teaches kids hard work, accountability, physical activity, responsibility. I started with "Mikey and the dragons" with my 2.5yo and he loves it but has a whole series through teen years.
I haven’t read those either; glad to hear they’re good, even for really little ones!
Will definitely check them out, thanks!