My Favorite Books & Reading Recommendations
If I had to point to one habit that's influenced my life more than almost anything else, it would be reading.
Books have shaped the way I travel, photograph, write, report, and understand the world. They've challenged my assumptions, introduced me to unfamiliar histories and perspectives, and often sent me down research rabbit holes that eventually became stories of their own.
This isn't meant to be a list of the "best books ever written." It's a collection of books that have genuinely influenced me, stayed with me long after I finished them, or that I find myself recommending again and again.
Some taught me how to become a better journalist. Others changed the way I think about climate change, politics, travel, creativity, psychology, or art. Some are simply beautiful stories that reminded me why literature matters.
I'll continue updating this page as I discover new favorites, so consider it a living bookshelf rather than a finished list.
Table of Contents
Journalism & Storytelling
Travel & Place
History
Climate & the Environment
Politics & Society
Psychology & Human Behavior
Memoir & Biography
Creativity & Artistic Practice
Art, Photography & Design
Fiction
Poetry
Coffee Table Books
Books I'm Reading Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Journalism & Storytelling
Journalism is far more than reporting facts. At its best, it's about curiosity, empathy, careful observation, and helping people understand lives different from their own.
Many of the books in this section taught me not only how to report more thoughtfully, but also how to notice the details that often reveal a much larger story. Whether you're an aspiring journalist or simply someone who enjoys narrative nonfiction, these are the books I recommend returning to again and again.
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Travel & Place
The best travel books rarely tell you where to go.
Instead, they teach you how to see.
Some explore history through landscapes, others reveal cultures through everyday moments, and many ask difficult questions about tourism, identity, privilege, and belonging. They've profoundly influenced how I approach both travel and reporting.
These are the books that make me want to book a flight—not simply to visit somewhere new, but to understand it more deeply.
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History
I've always believed that almost every headline makes more sense when you understand what came before it.
History provides the context that daily news often can't. It explains why borders exist, why conflicts continue, how societies evolve, and why seemingly ordinary places carry extraordinary significance.
These are some of the history books that have most shaped the way I understand today's world.
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Climate & the Environment
Climate change is one of the defining stories of our time, but it's also deeply interconnected with economics, migration, politics, culture, and justice.
The books in this section helped me move beyond headlines and begin thinking about environmental issues in a more nuanced and human way. Whether you're new to climate topics or already immersed in them, I hope these recommendations encourage both curiosity and action.
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Politics & Society
Politics isn't just something that happens in legislatures or on election days—it shapes nearly every aspect of our daily lives.
These books explore power, democracy, inequality, media, globalization, and the social forces that influence the world we live in. Even when I don't agree with every argument, I appreciate books that challenge me to think more critically.
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Psychology & Human Behavior
I'm endlessly fascinated by why people think, feel, and behave the way they do.
Whether exploring relationships, identity, memory, decision-making, or the stories we tell ourselves, these books have helped me better understand both other people and myself. Many of them have also influenced the kinds of questions I ask during interviews and the way I approach storytelling.
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Memoir & Biography
Few genres create empathy like memoir.
Reading someone's life in their own words offers an intimacy that's difficult to replicate elsewhere. Some of these books inspired me creatively, while others reminded me how universal so many human experiences really are.
These are the memoirs and biographies I've found especially memorable.
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Creativity & Artistic Practice
Creative work isn't just about inspiration.
It's about building habits, staying curious, pushing through uncertainty, and continuing to make things even when they aren't perfect.
These books have encouraged me during periods of self-doubt, helped me rethink my creative process, and reminded me that every artist experiences uncertainty.
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Art, Photography & Design
As a photographer and painter, I find endless inspiration in the work of other artists.
Some of these books focus on technique, while others are simply beautiful collections of images that remind me to slow down and pay closer attention to color, composition, and light.
Whenever I feel creatively stuck, this is often the first shelf I return to.
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Fiction
While I read a great deal of nonfiction, fiction remains one of the best ways to explore different perspectives and imagine entirely new possibilities.
Some novels stay with me because of their characters, others because of their writing, and some because they changed the way I think about the world.
These are the stories I find myself recommending most often.
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Poetry
Poetry has a remarkable ability to express complex emotions with astonishing precision.
I don't read poetry every day, but whenever I do, it slows me down and reminds me to pay attention to language in a different way. Many of these collections have influenced my own writing more than I realized at the time.
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Coffee Table Books
Not every book needs to be read cover to cover.
Some are meant to be lived with.
These are the oversized photography, travel, architecture, art, and design books that continue to inspire me visually. They're books I return to repeatedly—not necessarily for the words, but for the ideas, craftsmanship, and beauty they contain.
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One of my favorite things about reading is that no book truly ends when you reach the final page.
The best books continue to shape how we think, influence future conversations, inspire creative projects, and quietly change the way we move through the world. Many of the books on this page have done exactly that for me.
I hope you find at least one title here that sends you down an unexpected path, teaches you something new, or simply reminds you why reading remains one of the most worthwhile investments we can make in ourselves.