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Books Read This Month

Favorite Books, Reading / /

Etty Hillesum: A Life Transformed by Patrick Woodhouse
The more I read about Etty Hillesum, the more in awe I am of her. This book deepened my understanding of what shaped her spiritual awakening—and I still don’t have the words to do it justice. There’s so much I want to say about it, and about Etty, but at the moment it would just come out as word vomit. (Case in point: the other day I asked Courtney to come to my office and she assumed I wanted to read her another Etty passage.) So for now, I’m holding back until I can write about it properly. Suffice it to say: this book is brilliant. (Also, the section on Etty in Enduring Lives: Living Portraits of Women and Faith in Action by Carol Lee Flinders is worth the price of the whole book.)

So Gay For You by Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig
I love a good memoir, and after reading a sample of this one on Amazon, and laughing out loud, I bought it on the spot. It opens with Leisha Hailey recalling the moment she first heard about a new TV show that would eventually become The L Word:

“I was at a barbecue in the Hollywood Hills talking to an ex of one of my exes (in keeping with gay tradition) when she mentioned the lesbian pilot. “Oh, did they finally find Amelia Earhart?” I asked. She chuckled, which made no sense to me, since I was genuinely invested in the aviator’s whereabouts.”

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of one of my all-time favorite memoirs, High School.

On Solitude by Montaigne
I love the way Montaigne writes. (He is the inventor of the modern essay, after all.) He follows his curiosity wherever it leads, flowing from one thought to the next like he’s having a conversation with himself. But what really makes this worth reading is the wisdom inside. It’s like eavesdropping on someone who’s thinking things through in real time—and stumbling on truths that still hold up centuries later.

Still Writing by Dani Shapiro
I loved this book. It’s full of writing wisdom, yes, but more importantly, it’s full of encouragement. One idea that especially stuck with me was about lowering the stakes: a writer friend of Shapiro’s set out to write a short, bad book. That was the goal. No pressure, no perfection. Just a short, bad book. It ended up winning a Pulitzer Prize.

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman & A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy
No matter how many times I read these books—at this point, it’s probably five or six times each—I always discover something new. When I first read The Daily Stoic in 2016, it felt like a launching pad for the rest of my life. Nine years later, I’m still learning from it. It’s written in a page-a-day format, and this year Courtney and I have been reading a page aloud together each night after dinner. A Calendar of Wisdom has been life-changing, too. I picked it up for the first time in 2019, and now I read a page each night before bed. Somehow, the insights still land as if I’m hearing them for the first time.

Books Read (June 2025)

Reading / /

An Interrupted Life and Letters from Westerbork by Etty Hillesum
I almost didn’t include this on the list because there’s nothing I can say that would do this book justice. All the great things I want to say inevitably fall short; it’s simply one of the best books I’ve ever read, probably in my top three. How had I never heard of Etty Hillesum? She was a Dutch Jewish woman who began keeping a journal at twenty-seven—just nine months after Hitler occupied the Netherlands in 1941. Two years later, she was deported to Auschwitz, along with her parents, and killed in a gas chamber. But her journals and letters to friends survive—and they’re remarkable. Actually, remarkable doesn’t even come close. Through her writing, we watch her grow—spiritually, emotionally, philosophically—in the face of unthinkable horror. She writes with a clarity and depth that reminds me of the Stoics. In Westerbork, the transit camp, she describes walking beside the barbed wire fences and feeling…joy. She wasn’t delusional or in denial—she knew full well her likely fate. Yet her awareness didn’t lead her to despair; it led her to presence, to love, to lightness. I told Courtney how obsessed I am with Etty. And I meant it. I’ve already started ordering more books about her, including…

The Jungian Inspired Holocaust Writings of Etty Hillesum: To Write is to Act by Barbara Morrill
As I mentioned, I’ve been obsessed with Etty Hillesum ever since I read her diaries. This is a powerful companion to her writing, offering deeper context about the world she lived in and the Jungian philosophy that helped shape her inner transformation.

What You’re Made For by George Raveling and Ryan Holiday
I really enjoyed this one. One of my favorite takeaways: before ending a conversation, Raveling tells the person he loves them (if they’re not a stranger) and asks sincerely, What can I do for you? I’ve been trying to remember to ask that question to everyone I talk to.

Vertigo by Louise DeSalvo
I’ve been reading Louise DeSalvo ever since I read Writing as a Way of Healing. There’s something deeply comforting about her voice—clear, honest, easy to read but never simplistic. Every book of hers circles the same theme: how we make space for our creative work while still thriving in the real world.

Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson
Wow. This book opened my eyes to the problems we face as a country and what we can actually do to solve them. Really thought-provoking and, surprisingly, hopeful.

Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton
I’ve been reading published journals lately, and I really enjoyed this one. May Sarton captures a year of her inner life—writing, reflecting, and navigating the tension between solitude and connection. She calls time to think and be the greatest luxury, and wrestles honestly with how to use it well.

Books Read (May 2025)

Reading / /

–The Art of Slow Writing by Louise DeSalvo
So, so good. I only put it down when I absolutely had to.

–The Courage To Create by Rollie May
I loved this one so much that the second I finished it, I searched for more of his books and ordered Man’s Search for Himself. He’s brilliant.

–The Artist’s Way Toolkit by Julia Cameron
This reminded me what my morning pages are really for: taking action. It led me to another one of her books…

–Write for Life
Easily one of the best books I’ve read about writing. It does what every book on writing wants to do: it makes you actually write. That’s her whole motto—just write. Even if you have nothing to say, write. And if you want to better understand Morning Pages, read The Artist’s Way.

–Fahrenheit 182 by Mark Hoppus
Blink-182 was my favorite band growing up, so when Mark Hoppus released this memoir in March, I had to read it. It’s hilarious and surprisingly moving. One of the best memoirs I’ve read.

–Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austen
Courtney has been telling me to read this for like two years, and holy crap. I apologized for five days straight for not reading it sooner. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. It completely changed the way I see the justice system—and this country’s obsession with mass incarceration. It also made me furious. I said to Courtney, “How the hell is it legal for a person with zero critical thinking skills to determine someone’s future? Shouldn’t they be required to, I don’t know, prove they’ve ever read a book? Jury members are screened for bias—why aren’t parole board members required to show they can think beyond ‘tough on crime’ political soundbites? How is any of this legal?” The answer: it shouldn’t be. Everyone needs to read this book.

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