Hi Reader,

I was sitting in a pub a few days ago with a copy of The Power Broker by Ron Chernow.

A man sitting beside me said, “Can you write a book report on that for tomorrow?”

He was joking about the size of the book. It’s over 1200 pages.

In between scoffing mince and polishing off a cheeseboard, I’ll spend the next few days making inroads on it. Wish me luck, I could still be reading it next Christmas.

Here are the 5 best books I read in 2025 (4 new, one old).

​Shattered by Hanif Kureishi

On Boxing Day in 2023, Kureishi fell on his head and became paralysed. In his memoir, Kureishi chronicles what happened after his awful accident and his life today. A tough read, but it’s also somewhat prescriptive for creators.

He writes, "…the number of words one completes is irrelevant. It would be like an architect wanting to make sure he’s laid two thousand bricks in one day. It is the idea, the shape and the force of the piece which matters.

Kureishi writes over on Substack, and you can support his rehabilitation by subscribing. Every author has a Substack these days.

​The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson

Gary was one of Citibank’s top-day traders. He earned millions betting on the economic crash. Then, he’d a breakdown and quit day trading.

“Now, I’m going to tell you a secret about trading. Making money trading is not about being right. It’s about being right when everyone’s wrong.”

Some parallels exist between day trading stocks and playing the social media game (granted the former pays more). These days, Gary runs a popular YouTube channel GarysEconomics about economic inequality. That brings me to..

​Day Trading Attention by Gary Vee

I don’t subscribe to everything Gary preaches. Chasing the dopamine rush of social media is intoxicating and exhausting… but I always come away from Gary’s books with a few strategies to try.

He writes, “Remember, these platform algorithms will grow and develop over time. Continue to spend 10, 15, or 20 percent of your time on platforms that “don’t convert” and try to switch up your content organically to see if something gets you results”

For me, that’s Substack. I’m not using Substack to find clients or because I want to starting another paid newsletter. I simply enjoy the platform.

As much as I like Gary’s content, he sometimes forgets many creators and business owners don’t have the resources of a big social media team…and playing the algo can quickly turn into a full-time job.

But you can always…

​Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

I avoid 99% of business books these days. The genre is staid and derivative.

This one has a few good chapters about how entrepreneurs can find more time to work on what they want. In short, “Don’t hire to grow your business. Hire to buy back your time.”

​Are You Somebody by Nuala O'Faolain

Nuala O’Faolain was a well-known Irish journalist and social commentator. She released her biography back in 1996. Her book was an international best-seller, but I wonder if anyone remembers it today. I rarely see it featured on best bio lists.

Nuala chronicles her traumatic childhood, literary career, and the craft. There’s a lot of drinking and nods to other writers, too.

She says, "Writing in itself was not revered in literary Dublin. A lot of people wrote, and no bones were made about it. It was not thought of as a raid on the inarticulate or anything like that, so much as a craft that you might keep yourself by practising.

Enjoy the Xmas (or holidays).

Write on,

Bryan Collins

PS If you like reading these daily emails, you’ll love my private, no-cost Telegram channel. I share behind-the-scenes content about how I’m growing my content business. My goal is to help you add $3-5k to your business in 2025. Join here​