Good morning! I hope the world is being good to you and you’re being good to it. And if you’re reading this the day it’s published – happy Monday!

Grab your coffee or beverage of choice and share a thought with me to get the week started.

I made a goal for 2026 to “read” 15 books. I use quotes because my reading includes listening to audiobooks. Essentially, I’m trying to consume more literature this year and want to ensure the medium doesn’t hold me back. As someone holding a degree in English and who loves to write, I read too little and have not read some quintessential classics. My plan of attack at the year’s start was to alternate reads between a classic and a more modern “fun” read. That was the plan, but plans are only accurate until the pages start turning.

So far, I’m stuck with two classics at roughly halfway, 1984 and On The Road. Those are good reads and stories, but I feel like I’m reading in molasses. I’m not a fast reader by any means, but I swear my page count moves in reverse when I’m reading those books. On the other hand, I can motor through one of my “fun” reads in a week. Again, for a serious reader, that’s probably laughable, but for me, dedicating enough time to get through a novel in a week is an accomplishment. So, my book tally for the year stands at six (I’ve work to do). I’ve only crossed one classic off the list in White Noise and filled the rest of the tally with “fun” ones. While I’m always looking for a new fun series or good one-hitter story to dive into, I keep getting called back to two series with memorable protagonists, lots of action, and seemingly unstoppable page turning.

These collections are the Ben Hope series by Scott Mariani and The Gray Man novels by Mark Greaney. I first stumbled upon the Ben Hope books, and then realizing I thoroughly enjoyed the “one-man army for good” motif, received a recommendation for The Gray Man. They follow similar but not identical character journeys. Ben Hope is former British SAS who now runs his own training facility for law enforcement and security teams. Despite wanting to keep a low profile and just live his life, his travels, connections, and conscience always lead him into conflict. On the other side, The Gray Man, Court Gentry, is a CIA-trained assassin whose very name is known throughout the world’s darker corners. Where Court also wants to keep a low profile, his past, connections, and conscience make that an impossibility. The books in both series are written with fast pacing, knowledgeable description of weapons and combat, and strong character creation. I’ve not been able to keep up with all the books, but I’m okay with having a backlog of these to always turn to.

If I’m going make my 15 book goal by year-end, I’ll likely need to include more Ben Hope and Court Gentry, but I’m still determined to wrap up 1984 and On The Road. I’m also always looking for suggestions. What are your go-to quick-reads? Have you read any of the Ben Hope or Gray Man novels, and what did you think? Regardless of what I’m reading, my ambition for literary consumption has validated it’s still hard to beat escaping into a story with good book.