Letter to My Daughters: On Bedside Books

Lots of people publish reading lists for various topics and purposes.  I recently found a reading list for the “Collapse of Civilizations.”  Your Grandpa has a couple of reading lists:  “Life and Investment Fundamentals 101,” originally published in 1998, and “Ron’s Summer Reading List for 2026,” which deals with political-economic ideologies AND climate change.  Admiral James Stockdale credited Stoic philosophy for his survival in North Vietnamese prison camps and kept the “Enchiridion of Epictetus” and the “Meditations of Marcus Aurelius” on his nightstand.

And of course, there is the “Holy Bible,” which can still be found in the nightstand drawer of most hotels in the country and is recommended reading by every Christian priest, pastor, worship leader, etc.  Not to mention God; every time I ask him a question, He starts by asking if I have read His book.  It’s to the point where I go to His book before I even talk to Him in prayer.  Which, come to think of it, might be what He has been trying to get me to do all along.  I’ll have to ask Him… 😊

My bedside stack is short, only five books, and you can probably guess what a couple of them are.  Of course, “The Princess Bride” and “The Phantom Tollbooth.”   You might even guess “Fup,” by Jim Dodge.  The last two are “Dandelion Wine” by Ray Bradbury and “Illusions” by Richard Bach.  Five books with one theme: family, friends, and the often bewildering love we feel for one another.  (Perplexity AI produced very different themes, but various opinions are OK.)

Most bedside books are good for the mind; mine are good for my heart and my soul; they remind me of the true blessings in my life and how gratitude can be my everyday disposition.

Which brings me to why I am telling you all this: to encourage you to build your own stack of bedside books; books that feed your mind AND your heart and soul.  Your stack won’t be (and shouldn’t be) the same as mine.  In fact, I’m counting on it so you can share your list with me. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Love, Dad