December - 2025

Joy of Reading

I've always been an avid reader, a passion that has only intensified over the years. During long expeditions, books are my faithful companions, offering solace and entertainment on storm days, rest days, and those moments when sanity seems to slip away. To this day, one of my life’s simple pleasures is visiting the library and checking out a book.

Why I Share My Reading List

My decision to start posting about the books I read stems from a somewhat selfish motive. If these recommendations inspire even one person to set aside their smartphone, power down their laptop, or turn off their TV in favor of losing themselves in a good book for an uninterrupted period, I'll consider it a success. The benefits of reading are truly abundant and far-reaching.

Most of the books I encounter come recommended by fellow readers, admirers, or through magazine reviews. While not every book captivates me—and those that fail to hold my attention often go unfinished and unmentioned—most of the ones that do make it to my list are worth exploring.

An Invitation to Read

I encourage you to embrace the simple pleasure of reading. Find a quiet spot outdoors, perhaps under the shade of a tree or settled in a cozy tent, and immerse yourself in a good book. The world within its pages awaits.

Skål,
Sean

The books discussed below are from my evening, before-bed, reading list.

In addition to my nighttime reading, I devote hours to exploring books, magazines, and clinical research papers on wellness, mental fortitude, and fitness applications. Every day is an opportunity to learn and grow as a human being.

So Far Gone, Jess Walter

Walter’s novel centers on Rhys Kinnick, a reclusive environmental journalist forced back into society by family crisis. Rhys, who has spent years in self-imposed exile wrestling with regret, trauma, and intellectual separation, finds his world upended when his daughter, Bethany, sends her children to stay with him, fleeing the dangers of their stepfather's ties to a Christian Nationalist militia. I liked how Walter's characters are deeply drawn and real: Rhys is neither hero

We Should All Be Birds, Brian Buckbee

This, for me, was an example of how the mind can completely ruin your life if you let it. This memoir is raw. Its an exploration of chronic illness, grief, and the unexpected salvation found in a humble pigeon. Stricken by a mysterious and debilitating illness (eventually diagnosed as ME/CFS) that left him constantly isolated and tormented by unrelenting headaches, Buckbee’s former life as an adventurous athlete and teacher dissolved. The book begins at his lowest point, gri

Replaceable You, Mary Roach

Mary Roach's Replaceable You delivers her blend of meticulous research, dark humor, and relentless curiosity that her fans have come to love, making the quest to repair and replace human body parts fascinating. As usual, she humanizes highly technical and often nauseous subjects, covering everything from the history of prosthetic limbs and early skin grafts to the cutting-edge science of 3D-printed organs and xenotransplantation (pig-to-human parts). Roach takes readers into

Mailman, Stephen Grant

Stephen’s book offers a moral reflection on identity, service, and community, grounded in the rural landscape of Southwest Virginia. After losing both his marketing job and sense of purpose during the pandemic, Grant took on the role of a mailman in Blacksburg, VA. Through keen observations… like watching how a small gesture (coffee left in a freezing mailbox) becomes a ritual of mutual recognition, Grant explores how seemingly menial labor reveals value and dignity, pushing

Life, & Death, & Giants, Ron Rindo

A deeply moving novel that tracks the life of Gabriel Fisher, a child born under extraordinary circumstances… close to 19 pounds, and orphaned almost immediately. Raised first by his older brother and then by his Amish grandparents, Gabriel is physically very large (nearly nine feet tall), with grace and innocence seem woven into his being. He’s able to walk early, has a special bond with animals, and quickly becomes a local athletic sensation. Rindo tells the story through m