I’ve always considered myself to be fairly well read.

And then I run across lists like this one in the Gentleman’s Journal and I realize I need to spend a little more time curled up with a good book (or two … or more). Author Izzie Price has currated a little list of books you should read before you can’t read no more … as in you’re dead.

It’s a good list. Although I’m not crazy about the literal (or literary) deadline. To be honest, I’m a little embarrased to admit I haven’t read a single one of the recommended books.

And I’ve got a pretty decent library.

Still, it’s probably a good thing I figure out a way to insert a little more fiction into my reading regimen which is usually full of corresopndence, business/marketing analysis, non-fiction, philosophy, and politics. For a guy who spends time creating content and coming up with new ideas on a “for hire” basis, I don’t think I read enough material that stretches my imagination.

Why is that?

It might be that a lot of fiction I do read doesn’t meet my expectations. Maybe I read things too critically, but I don’t think that’s my real problem. I think the real problem I have is that once I get over 100 pages into a book, I feel “invested” and am determined to finish it – even if I think it’s garbage.

That’s on me. I get it. I need to learn how to “drop the chalupa” and back away. But I feel bad for the author who, I’m sure, put his or her heart and soul into writing those 350 pages (or more) of thin plotlines, nonsensical dialogue and gratuitous (albeit poorly described) sex and/or violence. 

So maybe it’s time I upgrade my reading list? This article seemed like as good a place as any to start.

The list

So fire up your Amazon account and break out your cheaters, because here’s Izzie’s shopping list for you to finish before you’re finished (and no, binging these movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime doesn’t count) …

1. The Great Gatsby – by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. On The Road – by Jack Kerouac
3. Half of a Yellow Sun – by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4. Atonement – by Ian McEwan
5. Rebecca – by Daphne du Maurier
6. Crying in H Mart – by Michelle Zuner
7. The Age of Innocence – by Edith Wharton
8. Why I”m No Longer Talking to White People About Race – by Reni Eddo-Lodge
9. The Talented Mr. Ripley – by Patricia Highsmith
10. The Color Purple – by Alice Walker
11. Delight – by JB Priestley
12. Reasons to Stay Alive – by Matt Haig
13. A Gentleman in Moscow – by Amor Towles
14. Never Let Me Go -by Kazu Ishiguro
15. And Then There Were None – by Agatha Christie
16. The Handmaid’s Tale – by Margaret Atwood
17. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly – by Anthony Bourdain

What makes your list?

Is your favorite recommendation not on this list? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll publish another list at some point in the future.

It’s simple. Easy. And according to this article in the Harvard Business Review (not commonly thought of as a health magazine), one of the most “strategic” things you can do for yourself.

So what’s the big deal?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, moderate-to-vigorous activity (including walking) can improve a person’s health and well-being. Both the physical and the mental.

I’m on yet another health kick. Trying to lose some weight to make traveling and living life that much easier. And for the past six decades, I’ve hated working out.

So I’m going to walk.

It helps that I love to be outside. I enjoy the out-of-doors. While some guys enjoy playing sports – even older-guy sports like golf and pickleball – my “sport” of choice is canoeing, camping, and backpacking. I just don’t do it very often because to do it well, you’ve got to be prepared.

It’s kind of a Boy Scout thing. I know. But trust me on this, nothing is more of a pain in the ass than realizing you didn’t have a contingency plan for a sudden thunderstorm when you’re stuck on an island in the middle of a lake.

So if lofting a 75-pound canoe over my head and hiking over some hills from lake-to-lake isn’t possible three times a week, the next best thing (I suppose) is making sure I’m getting in 7,500 – 10,000 steps a day. Some days I do well. Other times, work catches up to me and holds me down.

But there’s always tomorrow. And there are plenty of open trails to walk – no matter how cold or windy or wet. It’s just an hour of time spent clearing my head, enjoying the fresh air, and feeling good.

That “feeling good” part … it’s legit.

According to Dr. Jo Barton, Senior Lecturer of the School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences at the University of Essex:

“exposure to nature helps us switch from voluntary attention, which draws on our reserves of focus and energy, to involuntary attention, which requires less focus and energy. This allows us to recover from mental fatigue.”

(h/t to the Harvard Business Review … and Journal of Healthy Living – I added the second part. :D)

Okay, so it wouldn’t be an HBR article without bullet points. And this article is not any different. Because who doesn’t want to know how to walk with a purpose (seriously)? For those in the cheap seats, here’s a quick summary …

1. Walk for perspective. Use your time outside to connect with the larger universe and the beauty of nature.
2. Walk for connection. Spend your time on the trail with someone you care about and enjoy the shared experience.
3. Walk for learning. Listen to a podcast or audiobook and learn something while you get your steps in.
4. Walk for gratitude. Think about how lucky you are to be doing what you’re doing right then and there. Live in the present.
5. Walk for productivity. Learn how to dictate while you’re walking and capture all those great ideas you have when you’re miles from the office on the open trail.

And as far as I’m concerned … I’m walking for me. Because I like it, and it makes me feel good.

Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got to head out. I’ll be back in about an hour.