Reading List

This isn't your average book list. It's part blueprint, part mirror, part war map.

There's no theme. No order. No filter.

Just stories, lessons, obsessions: we've got fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, biographies, self-development, all stacked together because they hit something real.

These are the books that have shaped me. Books that punched me in the gut, shifted how I see the world, rewired my habits, and reminded me what matters.

Some gave me systems. Some gave me fire. Some made me want to be a better man, partner, father.

I always wonder if a psychologist could decode my entire personality just by reading this list. Honestly, they probably could.

Because this shelf? It's raw. It's messy. It's mine. And it's exactly the kind of library I want my kids to grow up around, not because it's perfect, but because it's alive.

Yep. I love reading.

"Show me a man's library and I'll show you his mind."

Anonymous

🧙‍♂️ For When the Kids Are Old Enough (Jokes, I'm Harry's biggest fan)

Harry Potter Series

J.K. Rowling

The ultimate bedtime adventure saga. Magic, courage, loyalty, and perfect for reading aloud one chapter at a time when they're ready.

🔥 Motivation, Habits & Mindset

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Mark Manson

A punch-in-the-face reminder that life's about what you choose to care about, not just doing more.

Atomic Habits

James Clear

If you want to change your life, change your habits. The most actionable book on making that happen.

The 4-Hour Workweek

Tim Ferriss

Total blueprint for flipping the 9 to 5. Opened my brain to systems, leverage, and lifestyle design.

Miracle Morning

Hal Elrod

Waking up early becomes addictive when your mornings start changing your life. Solid starter routine.

The Happiest Man on Earth

Eddie Jaku

Holocaust survivor. Total legend. Teaches gratitude in the face of unthinkable horror.

💼 Money, Business & Success

Shoe Dog

Phil Knight

The Nike origin story. Vulnerable, gritty, and way harder than you'd think.

Motivated Money

Peter Thornhill

Investing wisdom. Shares, compound interest, and financial independence explained with brutal clarity.

Dick Smith: My Adventurous Life

Dick Smith

Whether it's flying solo across the world or calling bullshit on unsustainable growth, Dick's story is pure Aussie adventure.

Rule #1

Phil Town

Simple investing broken down like you're in a pub with Warren Buffett.

The Barefoot Investor

Scott Pape

Every Aussie should read this. Budgeting, investing, and financial freedom made stupid simple.

Losing My Virginity

Richard Branson

Maverick mindset. Wild risks. Pure entrepreneurial spirit.

🧠 Mind & Transformation

The Brain That Changes Itself

Norman Doidge

Neuroscience meets hope. Shows how your brain can rewire at any age.

Total Recall

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bodybuilder to movie star to governor. All-in ambition, immigrant hustle, and sheer force of will.

🎨 Genius & Legacy

Leonardo da Vinci

Walter Isaacson

The original multi discipline all interests no fucks given genius gangster. This book blew my mind, I knew so little and learnt so much. I couldn't put it down. This bio dives into genius-level curiosity like nothing else.

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

Brilliant. Obsessive. Flawed. Game-changing. Raw look at one of the most driven humans ever.

🎸 Rockstar Biographies & Raw Lives

Scar Tissue

Anthony Kiedis

Sex, drugs, and everything in between. A brutally honest story of addiction and art.

The Dirt

Mötley Crüe

The wildest rock bio ever. Chaos, excess, brotherhood, disaster.

Slash

Slash

Straight from the Les Paul-wielding legend himself. No PR filter.

Gypsy Boy

Mikey Walsh

Escaping trauma and tradition. Powerful memoir of survival and identity.

🌏 Real-Life Grit & Adventure

Snowing in Bali

Kathryn Bonella

True crime meets tropical paradise. Drug lords, power, and downfall in Bali.

Marching Powder

Rusty Young

A mind-bending true story about a British drug smuggler living inside a Bolivian prison. Raw and unforgettable.

Hotel K

Kathryn Bonella

Life inside Bali's most notorious prison. Bleak and fascinating.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Heather Morris

True story of love and survival in a Nazi death camp. Gut-wrenching and beautiful.

Cocaine and Surfing

Chas Smith

A raw, chaotic ride through the underbelly of surf culture. Part satire, part truth. Zero polish. All pulse.

I, Safiya

Safiya Hussain

Brave, confronting, and deeply human. A woman's journey through faith, identity, and survival.

Undercover: A Novel of a Life

Keith Bulfin

A gripping memoir from a New Zealand-born banker turned undercover agent. He infiltrated cartel networks, laundered millions, and risked his life daily. Feels like fiction, but it's all true.

American Dirt

Jeanine Cummins

Heart-stopping, raw, and beautifully written. A mother and son fleeing cartel violence, unforgettable.

🚀 Fiction That Stays With You

The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss

Musical magic, deep world-building, and a flawed genius of a hero.

11/22/63

Stephen King

Time travel, JFK, and the heartbreak of trying to fix the past. Less horror, more humanity. King at his best.

I Am Pilgrim

Terry Hayes

One of the most gripping, intelligently written thrillers you'll ever read. Global in scale, impossible to put down.

The Martian

Andy Weir

Stranded on Mars, survives using science, sarcasm, and willpower. Smart and hilarious.

The Wise Man's Fear

Patrick Rothfuss

Book 2 of the Kingkiller series. Slower but deeper. Still waiting on Book 3.

The Lion's Game

Nelson DeMille

Thriller gold. Sharp dialogue, cat-and-mouse suspense, and bold characters.

The Assassin's Apprentice

Robin Hobb

Dark, rich fantasy with one of the best coming-of-age arcs I've read.

Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Twisty, fast-paced, classic Patterson. Kickstarted a generation of gritty thrillers.

The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown

Conspiracies, symbols and secret societies. It makes ancient history feel like a race against time.

🥷 For the Man Inside the Dad

Be That Dad: Get Your Sh!t Together. Your Kids Are Watching.

Timothy Hodge

Part memoir. Part manual. The one I wrote. A story about breaking cycles, rebuilding yourself, and becoming the dad your kids will never forget. Not written by someone who's never missed a bedtime or lost his temper. Written by a dad who's lived every page of it.