I've always heard that the moment you get hooked on reading books is when you find that one book that changed your whole perspective on reading in the first place; when you find that one character or characters so similar or so interesting that you think about them long after you've finished the novel. While this is partly true for my own experiences, I also believe that we can get hooked on reading when we find that one book that changed the way you think about life, the world, history, or even yourself, and has a positive effect on your being. This was a big player in my decision to start a journey of collecting and reading all types of books. I found several books at the beginning that really shaped the person I am today and continues to alter and adjust my perspectives to this day. However, there is a part of me that is rather disappointed that I didn't discover these items earlier on in my life; there is so much I could have learned and made adjustments from that could have led me to avoid certain situations entirely. Hopefully by my suggesting these novels, perhaps you can learn something beneficial early on in your life as be wiser for it.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Yes, it is in fact a science fiction novel. Now that we've clarified that, allow me to explain: Although Blake Crouch is known for the Wayward Pines Trilogy, which was adapted into a television series (Wayward Pines), to me, he is known for providing a unique and eye-opening way of explaining the importance of small encounters with people around the world, and how they contribute to the overall story of your life. Dark Matter uniquely explains that every little encounter, action, step, and forward movement can lead to an unlimited amount of possible results and endings for your life. If you don't talk to a certain person a certain way at a certain time and at a certain place, then something won't happen; then again something else will. It is a story about how there are endless possibilities in the universe about how events can go, and it all depends on the actions we take. So, tread lightly with your words and actions, and never take anything for granted, even the little encounters.

Coach Wooden's Greatest Secret: The Power of a Lot of Little Things Done Well by Pat Williams (with Jim Denney). I am a huge advocate for reading way too many self-help and self-improvement books. Some people find them to be dry, cookie-cutter, perhaps a tad preachy, and even a little unrealistic, and may even be thought of as containing way too much "one size fits all" material. However, I tend to find them very helpful, personally; especially anything about John Wooden. This book is all about the importance of doing the little things perfectly, every time. Too many people look at the magnitude of most tasks, projects, or responsibilities and become intimidated by what is in front of them. This leads to wondering "How am I ever going to be successful at something this big and important?" (At least, it was this way for me.) Inevitably, this lead to entirely too much stress, anxiety, worrying, and a bunch of heartaches that, in the grand scheme of things, weren't worth feeling. When we do the little things well and do them with consistency, then the big things will naturally take care of themselves. Big tasks become seemingly minute, projects seem less intimidating, and responsibilities seem less like a bog-down and more like something that holds value in your daily life. And, without a doubt, taking care of the little things properly and with consistency show your maturity in handling life's ever-expanding laundry list of tasks. If you ever feel like you sweat the big things and don't know how to handle them, I must implore you to take a week and a half and read this book.

Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver: Delivering a Culture of We, Not Me by Ron Wallace. Leadership is one of my favorite things to study from a professional standpoint because there is no set definition of what leadership is, was, will be, or what it looks like. Everyone has a different opinion about what leadership is and should be in an ideal world, and Ron Wallace is no exception. The former UPS International President gives lessons about how to be a "servant leader" in your organization and how to lead your people by example. He also gives lessons about how to develop the leadership qualities in your team, no matter what organization you are apart of, what club you are in, etc. All of this is done with the hope that we can all find the overall benefit in creating a culture that promotes the "We" over the "Me" in our companies. There are many books out there on leadership that you could check out and gather just as much wonderful knowledge from, however, this one stuck out to me and helped me so much in my supervisory position because of the timing in which I read it, so I highly recommend you give this one a read. That and, it was simply amazing to read.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. I find it completely ironic that this book was placed at end of the list since several of the books before it was of the happy-go-lucky, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" variety. This book simply wasn't even on the same branch, let alone the same tree as its counterparts. Mark Manson provides a new way to view and handle life's curveballs: stare it directly in the face and take it head-on. Manson affords us the opportunity to see that life is all about how we react to situations and handle ourselves following circumstances, and less about the circumstances themselves. Charles Swindoll once said that "...life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it." Attitude is everything in this life, and regardless of how you react to it, life can and will hit you in the mouth from time to time, whether you are ready for it or not, so it's better to accept this hard fact and learn how to "better stomach the lemons" (As stated in the summary of the book.)

All of these books, along with many others in my collection, have had some sort of profound influence on me and has made a connection with me in their own unique ways. Had I discovered these books earlier on in my life, I wonder what a difference they would have made later on. Regardless, perhaps you can find something in them that you can carry with you throughout life too, no matter the time frame in which you discovered them.