May was a good month for reading!

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, book #2, and book #3 (FICTION)

A good friend sent me a physical copy of book #1 in the mail with the note, “Read this. I think you will like it.” I loved it! In the first couple of pages of the book, most of the Earth’s population is killed by an unknown alien civilization. Those who remain alive are invited to compete in a live-action Dungeons and Dragons-type game that the rest of the universe is watching for entertainment. If they make it through all the levels, they get to live. Carl is one of these remaining humans. Along with his ex-girlfriend’s pet cat, Princess Donut, he begins the adventure.

It is hilarious. If you like video games or Dungeons & Dragons, you will probably enjoy these books. They are light reading, action-packed, funny, and at times, surprisingly thoughtful. There are a total of 8 books in the series (so far), but I am stopping at #3.

The reason is the language. I try really hard to be unoffendable (a good book, by the way). I don’t expect people to believe what I believe, do what I do, or talk the way I talk. It allows me to go through life much less frustrated and to enjoy many more people than if I didn’t. I can withstand a lot of foul language. But in book #3, Carl began using the name of Jesus with the F-word as a curse. I couldn’t keep going. I love Jesus, and I couldn’t read his name being used as a curse. It’s too bad since I enjoyed the books, otherwise, but some things are more important than entertainment. There are other good books to read.

The Practice by Seth Godin

Seth Godin is a wizard with words. He is insightful, inspirational, and brief. It is a powerful combination. This book is about doing creative work. Not thinking about creative work. Not planning to do creative work. Doing creative work. It was good!

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami (FICTION)

This book was different. It was weird. That isn’t a bad thing. Weird can be good. It just didn’t happen to be good in this case. It reminded me a little of the Apple TV series “Severance” but set in Japan. It was just OK. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Letters to Self by Joey Bowen of Few Will Hunt

This was excellent. 11 short, inspirational letters to yourself from different personified aspects of yourself. For example, from your Goal, from your Potential, from your Comfort Zone, from Tomorrow Morning. I ate it up. Also, it is short enough that I will probably re-read it every few months. (NOTE: The link to the book above is for a PDF version, not a physical version. The link on their website for the physical version is broken.)

By the way, Few Will Hunt makes some fantastically comfortable, motivational shirts. They are great for workouts!

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Dethmer, Chapman, and Klemp

I don’t remember how this book was recommended to me, but it is a good one. I found it deeper and more philosophical than most leadership books. I didn’t agree with all of it, but found myself resonating with much of it. The initial paradigm of being “above or below the line” (of open self-awareness) will be a helpful reminder while trying to live out these commitments in the real world. This book shouldn’t be limited to those in leadership. These commitments are good for anyone who wants to be a more mature human.