The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

 

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Curated by Eric Jorgenson

For weeks, it felt like all Vanessa talked about was Naval. Naval said this…Naval said that. Who in the heck is Naval?

She has spent hours listening to his podcasts, sent me screenshots of highlighted passages, and she and Chandler filled their evenings watching his YouTube interviews. Eventually, I caved…I bought The Almanack.

Self-help books aren’t usually my thing. Vanessa devours them; I tend to read ten pages at a time before they quietly migrate to my DNF pile. Still, I opted for a hard copy. I like the idea of being able to flip back to meaningful passages and the profound statements…if there are any, and the lines that spark an audible ah-ha.

I was immediately drawn to the simplicity of the cover. After weeks of hearing about Naval’s wisdom and insights, I was genuinely curious to dive in.

What stood out to me most is Naval’s holistic view of success. He doesn’t frame wealth as purely financial. Instead, he argues that true success requires building both material wealth and inner peace. The book centers on creating financial freedom through life skills, leverage, and long-term thinking…while equally emphasizing mindfulness, contentment, and clarity.

One of his core philosophies is that wealth and money are not the same. Money is how we transfer time and value; wealth is what works for you while you sleep. Equally compelling is his belief that happiness is a choice, and a skill. It isn’t simply the byproduct of financial achievement; it’s something that can be cultivated intentionally.

He also makes a strong case that judgment is the single most important skill in business and in life. Good judgment compounds. Each sound decision builds upon the last, creating exponential returns over time.

I appreciated learning that he’s a voracious reader. He speaks often about how reading can dramatically improve your life. On that point, I wholeheartedly agree.

One idea that truly resonated with me was his advice on major life decisions: marriage, career moves, relocating. His rule is simple: If you can’t decide, the answer is no. There’s clarity in that. And when faced with two equal options, choose the path that’s more painful in the short term. Growth rarely comes from the easy route.

I didn’t pick up this book searching for financial insight. I’ve always felt wealthy in the ways that matter most: friendships, relationships, enoughness (is that a word?). For me, the most compelling chapters were the ones on happiness.

Overall, the book isn’t groundbreaking. But as Vee and I often say…it’s common sense. The truth is, common sense isn’t always common. Exercise. Build wealth. Value your time. Be kind. The simplicity of the message is part of its strength.

I enjoyed it more than I expected, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for practical, grounded guidance on living a more intentional and fulfilling life.

 

The Only One Left

 

The Only One Left 

By Riley Sager

Hope’s End is a 36-room coastal gothic mansion perched on cliffs where the Atlantic crashes below…it is totally dramatic, eerie, and dripping with history.

Every character has their own take on the past, but the real story is Lenora Hope, now in her 70s, the sole survivor of a family murdered 54 years ago. Townspeople never believed her innocence, turning her into a living legend…or nightmare.  She was reduced to a creepy little song sung by everyone:

At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

Enter Kit McDeere, reluctantly taking a job as Lenora’s caregiver. Lenora is paralyzed and mute from strokes, and Kit’s last patient died on her watch…so yeah, she’s desperate for work. Things get creepier when Kit learns the previous caregiver vanished without a trace.

Would you stay? She does.

Lenora finally decides to reveal her story via typewriter, slowly unraveling decades of mystery. The suspense is real, the twists are plenty…

But, let’s be honest: pretending to be an invalid for decades? Waiting decades for revenge on your sister…as a “prank”…mind blown. Some of the plot twists are equal parts thrilling and head-scratchingly absurd.

Despite the eyebrow-raising moments, I liked the gothic chills, dark secrets, and enough suspense that it kept me turning pages.

Just don’t ask me to explain Lenora’s life choices.

 

Theo of Golden

 

Theo of Golden

By Allen Levi

I’ll begin with the cover, because I love it. A single feather…simple, quiet, and beautiful. I collect feathers myself; I always pick them up when I see them. Years ago, someone once told me my spirit guide was a great Indian Chief who drops them for me. I’ve always loved the idea that feathers are left as symbols of growth, transition, freedom, and survival. While I’m not entirely sure what the feather represents for this book, I can’t help but see all of those meanings reflected in Theo’s journey.

The premise is simple. One spring, an elderly man named Theo arrives in the small Southern town of Golden. He is a man of mystery…wealthy, polished, originally from Portugal, and yet deeply private about his past.

Theo spends his days wandering around the town until he stumbles upon The Chalice, a local coffee shop. Lining the walls are nearly one hundred pencil portraits drawn by a local artist. Most customers pass them without a second glance. Theo does not. He stops. He studies them. Then he does something unexpected: he decides to buy them, one by one.

But he doesn’t keep them.

Instead, Theo tracks down the subjects of the portraits…ordinary townspeople who have no idea they’ve been drawn and gifts each person their image. What follows is a quiet ripple effect of kindness that transforms the town, and Theo himself, in ways that feel both intimate and earth-shattering.

I loved the concept…the generosity, the unexpected responses of the recipients, and the way the town slowly shifts. The novel feels like a study in human vulnerability. Through these stories, you come to realize that grief and joy are not opposites, but neighbors.

At times, the pacing felt a bit slow, and I think the story could have been shorter. Still, I truly appreciated the ending. You do eventually learn who Theo is, what brought him to Golden, and why he carried so many secrets, and that resolution made the journey worthwhile.

We could all learn something about how he lived…one focused on being curious, living humbly, listening intently…being generous.  If we did…perhaps we could change a town…or a stranger’s life…maybe a friend’s…or even our own.