The October Reading List
Books, Takeaways, and Why You Should Keep Reading
Hey friends!
October came and went with cooler mornings, a few hard-earned miles on the pavement, and more pages turned than I expected. I ended the month with seven books, spanning military thrillers, investigative journalism, nostalgic Goosebumps re-reads, and a couple of heavy-hitting nonfiction titles that made me rethink how I train, create, and live.
Here’s what I read this month—and more importantly, what each one taught me.
💡 Corruption doesn’t always wear a villain’s face. This one hit different. It’s not fiction, it’s journalism. Harp pulls back the curtain on what’s happening inside the U.S. military’s most elite installation, and it’s not pretty. Drugs, coverups, and a chain of command that looked the other way. It’s a reminder that unchecked power and silence can rot even the strongest institutions.
💡 When your principles are clear, your path is too. Continued through the Terminal List series with books 5 & 6. James Reece doesn’t flinch. He hunts with purpose, and his moral code, no matter how brutal, is unwavering. Reading this during a busy month reminded me how powerful clarity can be. In work, in relationships, in mindset—know what you stand for, and move accordingly.
💡 In chaos, process is everything. Carr dials up the stakes in this one. Geopolitical backdrops, media warfare, betrayal. But Reece stays locked in. He doesn’t get pulled into the noise. He controls what he can and executes. Discipline, planning, and process over panic—that’s how you survive the mission and the month.
💡 Be careful what you pretend to be. This was a nostalgic trip through the books that
made me obsessed with reading when I was kid. Slap on the wrong mask too long, and it’ll start to stick. A childhood classic with a grown-up truth: identity is shaped by repetition, even when it starts as a joke.
💡 Fear fades with understanding. Another Goosebumps re-read. What I love about these stories is how fear is almost never what it seems. The ghost isn’t always the threat. Sometimes, it just needs to be seen. That lands differently when you think about how we treat people we don’t understand.
💡 Generalists win the long game (and a parenting book in disguise). I loved this one. In a world obsessed with early specialization, Epstein makes the case for the opposite. The most creative problem-solvers, resilient leaders, and boundary-pushers? They’re the ones who tried everything and figured out how it all connects. This was affirming for me as a writer, entrepreneur, dad, and creative.
💡 The real limit is in your head. As I trained throughout October—kettlebells, rucks, Sunday 5-milers—this book became a mindset guide. Hutchinson explores how our perception of effort, pain, and fatigue actually determines our performance. It's not just about muscle, it’s about the story we’re telling ourselves mid-rep, mid-run, mid-life.
Final Thoughts
Reading isn’t just about collecting information. It’s about training your mind to see the world differently. Some books do that by entertaining you. Some by informing you. Some by stirring up memories from your childhood that hit deeper as a parent.
These seven books shaped my October. I hope something here sparks a new read—or a new reflection—for your November.
Keep reading. Keep growing. And if you’ve got a book rec, hit me with it.
—Andrew
PS - I have a new book coming out in 2026! Check out more info about PUSH: Embrace Process to Unlock Your Potential and how to preorder the ebook.
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