I try to learn lessons from everything I read, but if I had to choose some that are tied to, like, emotional hurdles one may face during this period in their life, it’d still be difficult without knowing that person’s ability to, uh, metaphoricize.

I know people who could learn a thing or two from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and a few folks who need to read more nonfiction history.

I guess what you’re really asking is “Are there any books from this particular point in your life from which you took special meaning?” And if that’s the case, I’d have to say not really because everything I’ve read for the past decade or more has been to distract me from everything else.

I really like Hugh Howey, and I refuse to watch the Silo show based on his series because I don’t want to tarnish the book series for myself. It is my Game of Thrones. As are the several spinoff novels from various authors - Michael Bunker being the most notable. Check out the Pennsylvania Omnibus.

Justin Cronin is another good author. His Passage series is pretty cool.

S.M. Reine if you’re into YA angel/demon/werewolf stuff.

And if course Mr. Patrick Rothfuss, my doppelganger. I want so badly to recommend his Kingkiller Chronicles series, but he can’t finish the third book. I love the first two almost as much as my first-born son, though.

If you can’t learn a lesson from any of these, then you’re not ready to be a manotaur.