Treehouse Book Club — Summer Series
A Reading Community for the Insatiably Curious
I often get asked how I find all these great books that I read. And the answer is, from everywhere! But mostly from people I admire. Whether they be friends, mentors, celebrities, or fellow writers, I believe that the people who I think are smart — both intellectually and emotionally — get that way because of what they’ve read. Reading is the fastest, most effective means of continuing your education and at 29 I’m not slowing down. Summer is at our doorstep with her sunny skies, shady lawns, and cherished downtime, making it an ideal season for reading. So I’m inviting all of you to read along with me. I’ve thoughtfully selected ten books I’ve been eyeing for months and curated them here for you. If any of these titles resonate with you, send me a message! We can read together and gab all about it.
“Good books, books that resonate with us, that spread from person to person, not because they were advertised on a billboard, but because they organically spread? That’s the reason we have such a connection to them. It’s because they’re real.”
— Seth Godin
This is what we’re doing here… Spreading literary love, organically, from person to person. I can’t wait to read with you.
Books we’ll be reading this Summer of 2018…
How would you choose to live if you knew exactly when you would die? This is the premise of The Immortalists which took #BelletristBabes by storm a few months ago. @Belletrist is my favorite online reading community and a highly trusted source for good reads, founded by Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss. They know what’s up. BUY IT HERE.
Sarah Jessica Parker posted on her Instastory that she loved this book so much she read it in one sitting. With her pristine record of style and taste, who am I to question an SJP rec? BUY IT HERE.
Prepare for your mindset to completely shift. Jeremy Rifkin is the feature of this VICE documentary that highlights the ideas in this book. It’s a highly-educational, sobering, and inspiring talk about personal responsibility on a dying planet. A bit heavy to be considered a beach read, but Summer is when I feel most energized to explore new ideas. BUY IT HERE.
Chamisa Kellogg, I know I’m about a year behind you in reading this book, but thank you thank you thank you for putting this beauty on my radar. And! Lidia lives in Portland, Oregon, like us. BUY IT HERE.
Designers, listen up! This is a charming book divided into bite-size chapters featuring the historical facts and narratives of 75 colors. I’m disappointed Millennial Pink didn’t make the cut, but excited none the less. BUY IT HERE.
A classic. And one recommended to me when I was just starting out as a writer, hungry for every morsel of wisdom. Two years into my writing career and a pinch more seasoned than in the beginning, I suspect Anne’s sage words will land more firmly now. Bird by bird… One day at a time… Just start. It’s how the work gets done. BUY IT HERE.
A few months ago HipSobriety and I — for once both in the same city of San Francisco, but at different dinner parties — reflected upon our respective evenings over text. She met a man who wouldn’t let her have an opinion — kept calling her aggressive for the simple act of speaking. I had just come off a conversation trying to explain feminism to a misogynist. We were both fired up and exhausted. I thought, fuck is this my/your job? Who’s job is it? Who’s job is it to explain and teach and guide and answer about sexism? About racism? And she said oh girl you’ve got to read this book! And so I will. An education for the revolution. BUY IT HERE.
Who also wrote one of my favorite articles on LitHub, How to be a Writer. Gem after gem after gem of advice, it’s fantastic. BUY IT HERE.
Dark, seedy, classic Kerouac set in 1950’s San Francisco. YES. So much YES. This book is my favorite punk friends’ favorite. BUY IT HERE.
It took me long enough… I’ve finally arrived to the Seth Godin party and was introduced to him through the 3 Books podcast (which is phenomenal, definitely go listen to it). So here’s the premise: Neil Pasricha asks amazing people to talk about their three favorite, most formative books of all time. Seth, uniquely, names one of his own: Linchpin. He remarks that authors don’t typically cop to loving their own work, but why not! He spent over a year writing the thing and it transformed his life. Read it along with me to find out why. BUY IT HERE.
Wondering where to start? I’ll be starting with Why I Am Not A Feminist by Jessa Crispin. You can pick up a copy at your local bookseller (please, keep it local!), which for those of us in Portland know is Powell’s, the reigning palace of all things literary (and who ships everywhere, btw). But start where ever you like! Welcome to the Treehouse Book Club….
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