Favorite Books of 2023
This year, I spent a lot of time reading through an assortment of books of fables, old and new. Here are just a few I’ve delved into:
- The Black Sheep and Other Fables by Monterroso
- Fables and Fairy Tales by Leo Tolstoy
- Friedman’s Fables by Edwin Friedman
- Turkish Folk-Tales by Barbara Walker
⠀I also explored some of the ancient classics which gave birth to fables:
- Panchatantra by Vishnu Sharma
- Tales of a Parrot (a.k.a. Tuti-Nama) by Muhammed Simsar
And I’m just getting started! I find these old tomes of wisdom endlessly enjoyable and insightful, and they offer great inspiration for my own fable writing. In the coming year, I hope to find ways to share some of their best stories with you (alongside my own originals).
I strongly believe the modern world could use more old wisdom.
Beyond fables, here are a few books I really enjoyed this year:
Starting Point by Hayao Miyazaki (1979-1996) — I loved this book. It’s a collection of lectures by Hayao Miyazaki, filled with wisdom from his early years making films. I love that he is honest about the pain and struggle of creating something that truly moves people. It’s not easy to do great work. There are no tricks, no shortcuts. There are many days where you are exhausted, deflated from pushing yourself so hard. But for those of us that are driven in this way, those that want to make something that evokes, moves, and touches people, it’s not really a choice. I relate with and deeply appreciate the wisdom he shares in how he makes his films.
50 Greatest Short Stories — Most short story collections I’ve read have been somewhat disappointing. They’ll include a few great stories, and the rest make me wonder why I bothered. But with this collection, I found almost every story was worth its words. So many riveting, surprising, and delightful gems are found in this book.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind — I haven’t quite finished this, but I’ve gotten deep enough into it to say that it is one of the most insightful books on Zen I’ve ever read. I wish I had found it sooner!
