#80: Favorite Reads of 2025 | Part 1 (with Andrew Drake)

We're a little more than halfway through 2025 and it’s time for a six-month reading check-in! In this episode, my brother Andrew joins me to discuss six books that affected us during the first half of the year. We use the following questions as a guide:Which book surprised you the most?What is the most ambitious book you read this year?Which book had the best prose?What is one book that made you cry?Which book impacted your life the most?What was your personal favorite? Beyond simply talking about the books we selected for each category, we also explore larger aspects of both reading and creativity in general. One of the books sends us down a tangent about the role of questions in podcasting and therapy. We also talk about the dangers of emulating popular art without truly understanding what makes it great. I then dismount my high horse and let Andrew fire off some stray shots at the Fourth Wing series before we land on a few things that we think make for an engaging memoir. Material Referenced in the Episode:How J Dilla’s Timefeel ACTUALLY WorksDragon Ball GT: What The Hell Happened? You can purchase Andrew's debut poetry collection here: The Fire of Love: A Compilation of Spiritual Love Poetry: Volume One by Andrew Drake FOR EXCLUSIVE CREATIVITY TIPS, MUSINGS, AND EXERCISES, SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALWAYS CHOOSE ORANGE NEWSLETTER: https://www.alwayschooseorange.com