I do this once a year and they’re in no particular order but I’m a firm believer in re-reading great work.
From non-fiction to fiction there might be something in here that’ll tickle your brain soup.
Let’s go…
PSA by Rob Ulitski
(A short story with a pretty cool style and the layout of it is interesting too. It’s a short story and free. Give it a read. I enjoyed it a lot.)
ZombieCop by Ben Settle
(Fellow copywriter and all around grinch, my boy Ben writes a lot of weird and wonderful shit. Plus he’s one of my favourite marketers and copywriters)
Zen in the art of writing by Ray Bradbury
(Essays about the craft of writing and how Ray became as prolific as he did. Up there with Asimov as one of my inspirations in the sci-fi realm)
The Boron Letters by Gary C. Halbert
(If it wasn’t for Gary, a lot of writers turned copywriters wouldn’t be able to craft ideas, offers and sentences to the extent we did. I re-read this at least two times a year)
Me talk pretty one day by David Sedaris
(I can’t say much about David cause I don’t wanna spoil it but he humour infused essays are just great. The way he tells a story just sucks you in)
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
(Most people know Chuck for Fight Club, which is a great book and film, however he writes some twisted shit. I challenged you to sit through GUTS and if you come back and unsubscribe and block me, that’s totally cool too.)
The Acid House by Irvine Welsh
(Anyone who has seen Trainspotting (1993) knows that Irvine Welsh is an absolute insane genius but what people don’t know is that in The Acid House, his short stories hit ten times as hard. I also learnt a lot about how to write dialogue and incorporating local language / slang to write more express sentences)
Storm for the living and the dead by Charles Bukowski
(It’s not secret that I love poetry. From stealing my first Bukowski book from my uncle at the age of 13. I’ve read his work ever since. The low brow look at the world and how everything is intertwined is what makes his work so impactful. Not for the feint of heart but great nontheless)
Make ’em laugh & take their money by Dan S. Kennedy
(Dan is a legend in the direct response world and is as old school as it gets. This will make your writing a lot more entertaining.)
Scrappy little nobody by Anna Kendrick
(Just a little insight into the life of Anna, she’s an amazing actress and her humour in Hollywood goes unmatched. She shows that being a celeb wasn’t always glitz and glam, especially in her super early years.)
Sex, Drugs & Cocoa puffs by Chuck Klosterman
(I’m annoyed that I didn’t use that title for a book or a story although I’ll give it to Chuck. His low culture manifesto is top tier and funny)
The Pulp Jungle by Frank Gruber
(One of my inspirations to write the way I do. Going back to the dime novel era. Where every word pays rent and the rent is due tomorrow. You had to have written well, or you’d starve. The depression era of writers were cerebral and methodical in their output cause if they didn’t perform, they’d get replaced.)
Ca$vertising by Drew Eric Whitman
(If I woke up tomorrow and lost my memory. This would be the first book I’d hope to stumble on. This taught me more about humans and persuasive writing than anything. Ain’t no guru this far ahead of the game.)
This isn’t your typical “best books of 2024” list.
And there’s no particular reading order or anything.
It’s what I’d deem a masterclass in writing that spans from Ray Bradbury’s zen-like wisdom to Chuck Palahniuk’s stomach-turning brilliance (seriously, don’t read GUTS before eating).
From direct response legends like Gary Halbert and Drew Eric Whitman teaching you how to sell ice to penguins, to Irvine Welsh and Bukowski showing you how to punch readers in the gut with raw authenticity, this collection is basically a war chest for anyone serious about putting words on paper that actually mean something.
And if you’re wondering why this list jumps from Hollywood memoirs to marketing manifestos to horror fiction well, that’s exactly how your writer’s brain should work. Absorbing everything, questioning everything, and turning it all into your own beautiful concoction of chaos.
Stephen Walker
P.S. Yes, I read all these without pants. It’s called method reading, look it up.
P.P.S. If anyone asks why your writing suddenly got weird after reading these, blame me. I accept full responsibility and you better send them here so I can infect their minds with similar chaos. I’m recruiting people for 2025…
P.P.P.S. Seriously though, Don’t watch Chuck read GUTS right before dinner. You’ve been warned.
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Stephen Walker
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