Jail Journal

Explore my journey through incarceration with a unique collection of daily journals and in-depth book reports. Each entry offers a raw, personal perspective, transforming moments of confinement into reflections of growth and resilience.

BR: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

The Celestine Prophecy is a spiritual self-help book wrapped in a fictional narrative. It was anonymously donated to me—thank you to whoever you are. ChatGPT also recommended it as a must-read, and I think it was a cultural phenomenon in the late '90s and early 2000s....

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BR: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896, lived through World War I, and witnessed the Great Depression. While The Great Gatsby was first published in 1925, it didn’t become popular until after his death in 1940. In fact, it wasn’t widely recognized until it was...

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BR: Wise Guys by Nicholas Pileggi

This book was sent to me by my good friend Killyn. We share a love for gangster movies, so Wise Guys was a perfect fit. The timing was especially interesting, since a good portion of the story actually takes place in prison — something I can definitely relate to these...

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BR: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a timeless sci-fi classic, first published in 1872. I always wanted to read it because it’s considered one of the first science fiction novels—but I was intimidated by its size. At around 500 pages, it’s no quick read. But what else do...

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BR: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary is an awesome story! This book was sent to me by Doug Hardmnn—thank you, Doug! You’ve really reignited my love for science fiction. I seriously couldn’t put this one down. It was written by the same guy who wrote The Martian, which I also read early...

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BR: The Vagus Nerve by Kevin Jobson

I found this book in the prison library and the title caught my eye. I remembered reading about the vagus nerve in another book and being fascinated—especially how it’s linked to that "sick to your stomach" feeling during heartbreak. I’ve come to call it the...

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BR: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This book is a true classic. Even though I had read it once or twice back in school, it’s been many, many years. Thank you Karen, for sending this for me to read again. Harper Lee first published it in 1960, though it’s set in the 1930s in rural Alabama. The timing is...

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