How Books Transformed My Life—and Inspired My Own

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 "Never write anything that does not give you great pleasure. Emotion is easily transferred from the writer to the reader." - Joseph Joubert

Howdy folks,

This one is for my fellow bookworms, but don't worry if you don't enjoy a good book (which is odd that you're reading this and not books, but who am I to judge), because by the end of this, hopefully, you'll be inspired to pick one up yourself.

My love for reading started EARLY. I think I tackled The Fellowship of the Ring (177,277 words, if anyone is wondering) by age 9. Getting lost in a world of fantasy and adventure, in long-forgotten worlds with heroes whose courage was to be admired, was a delight.

It nourished my soul and my mind simultaneously.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? Done in 36 hours on release night.

Okay, enough bragging. Here are some of my FAVORITE books:

  • American Gods by Neil Gaiman

  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

  • A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain

  • Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton

  • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

  • Eragon by Christopher Paolini

  • Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

  • The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

That's just a sample of my must-read list. There will be a quiz on all of these, so get on it.

You name a genre, and I'm probably a fan.

I took a break from reading when I turned 14 due to discovering beer and girls.

In hindsight, not a horrible detour.

Fiction and fantasy will always have a place close to my heart, but as I grew older, philosophical texts and self-help books stole the show.

I had a period in Cancun where I had just taken a break from drinking and picked up The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

I devoured it.

The result?

I was more productive, spoke more eloquently, and got a promotion to Chef de Voile in Turks and Caicos. Thanks, Stephen.

Books and avid reading are an investment that will pay countless dividends down the road.

With a new outlook on life, plenty of free time, and a mind uninhibited by gallons of whiskey, I've taken the practice back up with a drive I didn't know existed.

I'm currently reading four books at once, picking one up as the urge takes me and cycling the rest in as I feel like it.

This also awakened my love for writing—self-evident in this blog I started.

So, with some prodding from my grandmother and a woman I care deeply about (yes, you, Corinne—shoutout), I started brainstorming my own ideas for a book.

A couple of ideas floated around, but it took a long shower at 7:49 a.m. after a good workout for the muse to whisper in my ear.

I won't bore you with the details, but it's been started.

I'm talking pen to paper here, people.

So, be on the lookout for that... oh, idk, next year? In five years? Who knows.

Which brings me to my feel-good advice of the day:

You're never gonna be 100% ready, dude.

Just fucking start the damn thing—whatever it may be.

Take action. Be courageous. Let your will shape it into something you're proud of.

And if you fail? So what. You learned one way how NOT to do it.

Get back in the lab.

I fucking believe in you, and I want you to prosper.

Pray on it and enact it.

Let's. Fucking. Go.

Sincerely,

Dorian Angelo Santolla

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