October 2023 Top Ten

1.

We read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. The story was interesting, but where the book really shines is the prose. Mandel is a fantastic writer.

2.

I watched this video of a guy making contact with the International Space Station as it flew over his house. Pretty wild.

3.

I read Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung and enjoyed it. It has one of the most intense subtitles ever: Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time.

4.

We dusted off our Shultz Fall Songs playlist when the weather turned cold (and then hot and then freezing). We need to update it. Send me your favorite fall songs!

5.

I reread a book all writers should read: Story by Robert McKee. He just does such a great job demystifying what makes a story a story, without falling into formulaic storytelling.

6.

I’ve been watching season 2 of Loki and have been loving it. Looking forward to the finale.

7.

My favorite comedian, Nate Bargatze, hosted SNL for the first time last weekend and crushed it. This sketch was by far the funniest.

8.

I also reread How to Grow Old by Cicero. It’s fantastic and timeless. Look for the Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers edition.

9.

I also read the little book Worthy by Sinclair B. Ferguson. He mentioned a really interesting literary insight into the Joseph story from the book of Genesis that I appreciated (Joseph is one of my favorite characters in the Bible).

10.

There have been some absolutely freezing mornings lately. I like to turn on this album of piano instrumentals. Helps the mornings slow down and feel meaningful.