Things are so bad that you are gonna try and read a book.

Before I dole out some suggestions, here are some tips for reading in general.

Reading is one of those things that, for most of us, requires a warm-up period to get into the zone. That can take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. First, you have to be relatively free of distraction. Of course, that means distance from your phone and computer. I have to physically store my devices in a box in a separate room. The more obstacles you place between yourself and technology, the closer you’ll feel to the literature in your hands.

You can also be distracted by your environment. Some people can successfully read in public settings like coffee shops or parks. I’m attracted to humans, however, so it’s a bad idea for me. To read, I prefer to be isolated in a quiet room, sitting at a desk or propped up on a couch. I’m also a big napper so reading can knock me out like a glass of wine. That’s ok. Take your nap. When you wake up, try again.

The biggest distraction of all is coming from within your brain. If you have a lot on your mind, if you are stressed, anxious, or planning something, it will be harder to concentrate. So, think of reading as an open plain to escape to. Before you begin, take a few deep breaths, clear your mind, and focus on the text. If your mind keeps wandering, gently steer it back to the book.

Once you pass that threshold of overcoming diversions and you’re fully immersed in your book, it’s near impossible to stop. That’s the feeling we want to get to: a helplessness, a gravitational pull, where the book is now reading you.

My last bit of advice is that reading, like many things in life, is all about fit. Not every book is meant for you and vice versa. Readers have different philosophies on this subject, but I generally try to make it about 100 pages into a book before I decide to commit or dump. Some say read about halfway through. Regardless, it’s totally fine to ditch a book if it’s just not working for you. We are all busy people with limited time. Don’t waste it on the wrong book. No one is counting, nobody is judging.

Oh, I guess I do have one more thing. Read whatever you like. It’s the same thing I tell my kids. If they don’t feel like reading a school-assigned classic, it’s perfectly fine to read manga or a comic book. Some days I read cheap crime novels. Other days it’s strictly poetry. Books are excuses to try on different lives in new worlds, so dabble across the entire buffet.

My Heart is an Idiot
By Davy Rothbart
Non-fiction

Davy’s collection of short, true stories is an easy place to begin. His anecdotes are light and funny and almost unbelievable sometimes. One of those guys whose life is stretched to its boundaries. My favorite chapter is “What Are you Wearing?,” where Davy embarks on an unusual romance with a stranger who calls his motel room.

Shoe Dog
By Phil Knight
Non-fiction

Most of my The Hundreds audience who come to me for book recommendations are seeking something entrepreneurial or branding-oriented. Problem is I don’t read much of that genre at all. Yes, I find Malcolm Gladwell and Simon Sinek interesting because they map the philosophical and social psychology points of stewarding businesses. I also like The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. It’s a raw and honest depiction of founding, running, and selling companies. Other than that, I’m not reading Steve Jobs’ memoir (I don’t want to be Steve Jobs, I like being me).

Ironically, if there’s anything I’ve learned from the most successful business leaders, it’s that they don’t read business books! That’s probably because what makes for an innovative founder is their independence and pioneering spirit. They are often moving against the grain, not trying to follow anyone else’s footsteps. That leaves them closed off from learning from others’ mistakes, but it also means they’d rather just make their own mistakes and teach themselves the lessons.

Having said that, a universally appealing business book is Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. Like my memoir, it’s really not about branding or business at all. He doesn’t even mention Air Jordan until the end of the book and it’s only a paragraph. Instead, Knight walks you through his personal life, time spent in Japan, and illustrates the grit and perseverance that helped him build one of the biggest companies on the planet. I’ve always liked the Nike brand, but now I love the Nike story, because of how it mirrors one man’s prolific journey.

(Speaking of one man’s journey, my favorite example is Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables)

The Lowland
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Fiction

There are some authors that I viscerally connect with, in a way that I can’t explain on paper. Jhumpa Lahiri is one of them. Much of it is her language and tone. There are also the compelling characters and the rich environments, with most of her settings located in India. I chose The Lowland just because it was nearest to me on the shelf, but I’ve never read a Lahiri book I didn’t love.

(Another author who I am obsessed with for the same reasons is Khaled Hosseini. You can begin with The Kite Runner)

Deep Down Dark
Héctor Tobar
Non-fiction

Man, I loved this book. The story – if you remember it – is sensational enough: 33 Chileans who are trapped in a mine for months. They argue, bond, and fight to survive. Meanwhile, there’s an entirely different crisis unfolding aboveground as families, lovers, the media and the world descend upon the site.

But, again, it’s about the writing and storytelling. You can’t help but be down there with these guys the way Tobar writes it. He is one of my favorite modern authors for this book alone and he has another one on the way! (The Last Great Road Bum).

Pachinko
Min Jin Lee
Fiction

At first, I didn’t know what to make of Pachinko. This historical fiction novel by Min Jin Lee is set in the early 20^th Century in a Korean fishing town. We follow the protagonist Sunja as she is forced to flee to Japan. As her life unravels, we meet other characters and storylines that comprise the mosaic of the Korean-Japanese immigrant experience. To be honest, there isn’t much good fortune in these stories. There’s a sadness that follows. It wasn’t until much later, upon reflection, that I realized how much Lee’s narratives had stayed with me. Maybe that’s subjective because I gained a deeper context and sympathy for my own Korean-Japanese family history. But, I was also appreciative to meet characters with new complexities. In short, they are haunting. This is a thicker, more syrupy endeavor. You gotta give it your full attention, so prepare to spend some time with it.

There There
Tommy Orange
Fiction

This book made almost every Best of the Year list, usually perched on top. In full transparency, it was not my favorite book of the year, but it was extremely well written and eye-opening. There There follows 12 characters on their own journeys to the Big Oakland Powwow. If you’ve remotely heard about this book, you know there’s a crazy ending. I’m still not sure how it sits with me.

I was reading this novel during the time we were working with indigenous and native activists on our Obsidian collaboration. It made me realize how starved I am for Native American stories. Hopefully the success of this book is a sign of things to come.

Sharks in the Time of Saviors
Kawai Strong Washburn
Fiction

Are you following my book club? Death Sentences Reading Club.

This is my current selection for the month of March. I haven’t finished it, so I can’t quite give it a glowing review yet. But, I’ve dipped my toes and the water’s warm! Wow, Washburn knows how to write. He’s young and this is his first novel. Even though it just came out this month, Sharks is already drawing so much critical attention and praise. I won’t tell you too much about it, but come read it with me!

Some other suggestions while I have you:

• The Godfather by Mario Puzo
• Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell by Chas Smith
• Impossible Owls by Brian Phillips
• Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roper
• Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
• Maxims by La Rochefoucauld
• Poetry: Rainer Maria Rilke, Pablo Neruda, Rumi