Hey Reader, The College World Series is where the best teams in college baseball fight it out for the national title. Double elimination. High stakes. Every pitch counts. This week, Gage Wood—a junior pitcher from my hometown Batesville, Arkansas—threw a complete-game shutout to keep the Razorbacks alive in the tournament after an early loss. Coming from the loser’s bracket means a team needs four straight wins to stay in it. This was win one. And it wasn’t just a win—it was history. Gage...
8 days ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, If you watched any U.S. sporting events this past weekend, you probably caught at least one player pausing—mic in their face—to say something solemn about Memorial Day. I believe they meant it. I also think they were cornered by the moment. What do you say, when someone asks you to sum up war, sacrifice, or national grief in a single soundbite? For what it’s worth: Memorial Day honors U.S. military members who died in service. But that includes more than combat casualties. It...
28 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Memorial Day weekend always sneaks up on me. Suddenly everyone’s posting their “summer reading lists,” full of trending titles and perfect poolside pics. I’ve read a lot of books in the past 18 months. Some were quick escapes. Others left a weird aftertaste. The ones I still think about? They weren’t optimized for speed or aesthetics. They were the ones that kept circling back—through conversations, memories, and moments of unexpected emotion. So if you’re building a summer...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, My mom and I have spent a glorious week at Orange Beach, Alabama. Before we came down, I was deep into a WWII spy novel. It was smart, tense, and featured female secretary-spies. Immersive. BFF-recommended. I could have finished by now if I hadn’t hit pause. Once we got to the land of sugar sand for a week, I wanted anything but depth, despair, or deep thoughts. My stretch goals for the week: A shrimp po’boy the size of three copies of Robert Caro’s The Power Broker placed...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, While I don't often think to check in on Reddit, every now and then I come across a post that feels like a fun version of a pillow fight. I couldn't wait to check out how people responded to this one. I wouldn’t have posted that.But I’ve thought it. Especially in the days when my book stack was overflowing with nonfiction titles I felt like I should read—books on mindset, habits, business, personal growth. I’d scroll right past a novel I wanted to read, because… what would that do...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Thanks so much for the responses to last week's newsletter How I Finished The Count of Monte Cristo (Without Losing My Mind)! Some of you asked how to go about picking a book that lends itself to using AI as a companion. First of all, picking a book to read with AI isn’t about finding the hardest thing you can survive. Instead, choose a book that sparks curiosity. Perhaps you wonder what all the fuss is about. For me, reading The Count of Monte Cristo was a little about Fear of...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Everyone name-drops The Count of Monte Cristo like it’s a universal rite of passage. But most people I know haven’t actually finished it. I did. And…wow. This was one of my "stretch reads" for 2025—a personal challenge to finally tackle the kind of book I’d long sidestepped: big, intimidating, widely referenced classics. And Monte Cristo was the one that almost broke me. I started with one of those free Kindle versions. Didn’t realize how wildly different translations could be. A...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Unhustled Archives Hello Reader, I’m experimenting with Friday morning sends—to give you something bookish before the weekend rush hits. Let me know if it works better for you. Or if it doesn’t. I’m listening. Speaking of weekends, last year I got to take in a Banana Ball game in Oklahoma City with some dear friends. My favorite of the 4 teams competing this year? Party Animals! And most weekends I make time to watch a game live on YouTube. 📚 Step Up to the Plate—With a Book In case you’re...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Some stories don’t end the way we want. The hero doesn’t win. The team comes up short. The underdog pushes all the way to the edge—and still loses. I’ve been thinking about this while working through The Count of Monte Cristo and watching my team's March Madness run end in heartbreak. Two very different stories, same uncomfortable truth: sometimes the most meaningful endings aren't the happy ones. In both basketball and literature, we’re trained to expect certain outcomes. The...
3 months ago • 2 min read