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Due to overwhelming demand (one of you asked for it), we’ve started this evolving post to archive our semiannual-ish book lists from The Scout. Every now and then we let you in on what’s on our shelves and has piqued our literary curiosity.
For better or worse, we welcome you to The Scout Library:
Volume 1 (12.15.17)
Sticky Fingers by Joe Hagan
The life and times of Rolling Stone Magazine founder, Jann Wenner takes you backstage and into rock-star hotel rooms in glittering detail. Hear never before told tales from the heyday of rock and roll. The best story you’ll pick up about the magazine biz.
And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks by Jack Kerouac & William S. Burroughs
Are you a hipster? Want to look like one? Then carry this bad boy around. Written 10 years before JK and WSB became Beat heroes, this novel remained unpublished until 2008. Snag some avocado toast and settle in.
How to Be Happy (Or at Least Less Sad) by Lee Crutchley
We get it. 2017 has been a roller coaster. Don’t pout. Discover what’s going on in that complex, amazing brain of yours. You’ll color, you’ll draw, you’ll ask yourself the hard questions and if that doesn’t work for you, there’s a page on chocolate meditation.
The End of Advertising by Andrew Essex
Former Mad Man, Essex throws down a challenge to his industry in this page-turner: innovate or die. It’s controversial and it’s honest, imploring brands (local and national) to reinvent themselves in order to navigate the new world. See The Lego Movie.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
You have to go audiobook for this delightful tale with a refined character so missed in today’s media. Nicholas Guy Smith puts a voice to Count Alexander Rostov that will keep you in the car long after the drive ends.
Volume 2 (05.04.18)
New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
He comes right out with it in the intro, “It is not intended for everybody.” Controversial and celebrated among Catholics and non-Christians alike, Merton blends faith and intellect like only a mystic theologian can.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
This sprawling tale chronicles four generations of a Korean family in Japan. History itself is a character in this epic story of faith, family, and the struggles of identity.
Call Me Ted by Ted Turner
Ted Turner is a loudmouth. And we love him for it. His memoir is straightforward writing (nothing ornamental here) and will inspire you to go big and put it all on the line.
Black and White by National Geographic
The special April edition of Nat Geo is making us rethink everything about race and is asking all the right questions. Why do we see so many things as ‘us vs. them’
The Adventurists by The Adventurists
Ok, this one isn’t really a book, but you still need to read up on the purveyors of adventurism fighting to make the world less boring. And save a bit of it, too. Who wants to Monkey Run with us?
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
Are you afraid of failure? Say yes and do it. Want to go somewhere you’ve never been? Say yes and plan the flippin’ trip. Shonda (you know her from those shows you’ve been binge-watching on Netflix) did and it Changed. Her. World.
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Baby Llama loses his woolly mind and his momma calls him out for llama drama in this bedtime rhyme-fest. If you have a kid, you have to be reading this to them. And if you are reading it to them, you have to do it like Luda.
The Remix (10.04.18)
Love That Boy by Ron Fournier
The cover says enough: “What two Presidents, eight road trips, and my son taught me about a parent’s expectations. Spoiler: your kid may not be into the same things you are. And that’s cool.
S is for Southern by Garden & Gun
The American South is complex and this illustrated encyclopedia can help you break it down. Pour some sweet tea and learn all you care to know about sawmill gravy.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
A story spun in short, character-focused vignettes and told through an innocent and lyrical voice of a Latino girl in Chicago. It’s beautiful. It’s heartbreaking. We can’t stop coming back to it.
100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs
Facing down a major decision or just on a quest for more confidence and courage? Stop letting fear get in the way. It isn’t easy, but it is good.
From a Certain Point of View by 43 different people
This collection of stories reimagines moments from the original Star Wars film through the eyes of a supporting character. Think Figrin D’an in the Cantina on Tatooine. We’ll push our glasses up and get back to work now.
Stuff You Should Know by Josh and Chuck
Sure, this isn’t a book but we’re adding it in. We’re podcast fiends and this one is near the top of our list. Want to learn more about circus families, voodoo, or how chiggers work? This is the podcast for you.
Volume 4 (08.23.19)
When All is Said by Anne Griffin
Five people, five toasts, one curmudgeony octogenarian and a stolen coin. Pour a whiskey-and-stout and pack the Puffs for that ending.
Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan
Alan Turing meets the set of Black Mirror penned by Ian McEwan. The Times said it best, we guess: “A ménage à trois between a man, a woman and a sexy robot, is pretty good.”
The Place Within by Karol Woytila
Did you know Pope John Paul II was a poet? Did you know John Paul II worked in a rock quarry? Then you already have two reasons to pick this one up.
Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
The musings of how one man became a ‘man’ is delivered in a grumpy-old-man style we can’t get enough of. Melancholy at times, but upbeat and funny throughout.
On Writing by Stephen King
Honestly, we really never stop reading this primer on the craft. If you want to get into writing or even just want to put together more interesting emails, start here.
How to Invent Everything by Ryan North
On the off chance you are stuck somewhere in time, you can create a new civilization from scratch with this handy guide; starting with discovering what time period you landed in and ending with how to make a computer with “non-sucky numbers” wedged in between.
Volume 5 (01.22.20)
The Warehouse by Rob Hart
Orwell meets Bezos in this not-so-subtle, fictional take on Amazon’s impending world domination. Ironic, revealing and terrifying. Don’t eat the CloudBurgers.
Own Your Everyday by Jordan Lee Dooley
Overcome the pressure to prove and show up for what you’re made to do. Long subtitle, perfect summary. How to tackle disappointment, comparison, and distraction in your everyday life. We out here getting better.
Revisiting the Day Drummer Neil Peart Joined Rush by Ryan Reed
In the wake of losing Neil Peart, we’ve read anything about his life we can get our hands on. This piece details Peart’s first impression on Geddy Lee. It wasn’t a great one. For about a minute.
12 Truths I Learned from Life and Writing by Anne Lamott
Okay, this one is an essay — not a book — but it is loaded with 12 truths learned from a lifetime of writing. Bonus: it comes with a TED Talk.
The Revenant by Michael Punke
The ultimate “haters gonna hate” epic. We don’t care how you feel about Leo DiCaprio, it’s hard not to like a legend like Hugh Glass. This one will also help you not take for granted little things. Like the flashlight on your phone.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
It’s a new year so that means we take our annual chautauqua through Pirsig’s philosophical novel. Regardless of where you land on this polarizing work, sometimes it’s a little better to travel than to arrive.
Volume 6 (08.17.22)
Music is History by Questlove
Hop in the Way Back Machine and take a sonic journey with Questlove from 1971 to today. We recommend the audiobook version of this one 10/10.
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Parallel timelines. Storytelling magic. A bedtime story for adults. More words. Look, if we could write like Anthony, this would be a much better description.
Educated by Tara Westover
A tale of self-discovery from an Idaho survivalist’s junkyard to the halls of Cambridge. We thought we were good at teaching ourselves things, then we met Tara.
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
Whitehead’s debut from ’99 pits rival factions of elevator inspectors against one another in a serious/funny satire of American politics, morality and race.
Action Park by Andy Mulvhill
Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park. Full send.
