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Toby Geeks Out!

Kentucky-made. Internet-brained.

Reading Life

I’ve been a loyal John Grisham fan for years, keeping a Christmas tradition my dad started for my late mamaw. I own every book, and The French Illusion will be under the tree this year.

"Many of the elements that make legal thrillers compelling—high stakes, hidden motives, intricate plots, and shady characters—also propel the best espionage fiction."
— John Grisham, Doubleday (2026)

I will miss his courtroom chaos. Although it isn't classic legal grit, I’ll still read it because he is John Grisham.

February’s Amazon First Reads dropped & I need your help picking my free book! Historical fiction, psychological thriller, fantasy, romance, sci-fi & more are on the list. Which genre would YOU grab first? I think I am picking either Serial Killer or Science Fiction Adventure genre. 📚

Another horror find from Bookshop’s eBooks under $4 newsletter—a globe‑trotting dark fantasy about a painter who steps inside cursed canvases & must destroy them b4 collectors or the magic does. eBook on sale for $1.99—why not grab that deal? Added to my Want to Read: The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson.

DNF-ing I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes for now.

Robin’s Books summed it up perfectly —

‘about 350 pages too long’ and ‘needed a much tighter edit.’

Feed Me Fiction backed that up, saying

‘those first 200 pages were overwhelming, so detailed in telling backstory which you weren’t sure you really needed to know.’

Hayes is verbose and meanders instead of getting to the point. Not in the mood for that kind of commitment right now.

So I am currently reading The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. 📚

My mamaw started a tradition of giving me a John Grisham book every Christmas. After she died, my parents kept it going. Grisham releases about one book a year, so I’ve got them all in my collection. Just got The Widow last Christmas and I can’t wait to read it. Such a special tradition to continue.

Apparently reading can drop stress by 68% in just 6 minutes? Wild. Also activates multiple brain areas and strengthens connectivity over time - may even lower your risk of memory loss as you age. This is why I love reading - feeds my writing, sparks ideas, builds vocabulary, boosts creativity and focus. Fiction builds empathy, too. Legit brain training for longevity. Another good article: “10 Brain Reasons To Make Reading a Habit.”

“an active engaging of the imagination…cause you to enter what is essentially an altered state of consciousness.” - Dr. David Lewis, Sussex University (WebMd)

Came across a review for Every Day I Read by Hwang Bo-Reum, and now I’m sold. 53 gentle, bookish prompts to help me fall back in love with reading? Yeah, I need that. [Link]

P.S. If you are not a member of Medium, here is the Friend link.

Talk about timing! Got an email about the Cross series right after binging three episodes. Season 2 starts in 5 days—the article suggests books to read while watching. If you’re into crime thrillers and the Cross series, these books are worth checking out.

Promising Science and My Mountain of DNF Books

Posted on Substacks on January 9, 2026 Hey folks, I’m experimenting here. I usually put together a monthly newsletter on various topics, but I read about 100 articles a week, and there’s always something that catches my attention and feels worth sharing sooner rather than later. Over the last two weeks alone, I had about 30 links I wanted to share with you—way too much for one newsletter. So I’m breaking them up into a weekly newsletter instead. This one covers genuinely good health news, some overdue reflection on Deaf representation, and tackling my mountain of unread books. Not sure yet if I’ll stick with weekly or go back to monthly—we’ll …

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Thrift store haul

Thrift store haul from Pikeville, KY! Yesterday’s adventures led my parents and me through two local thrift shops, and I struck an absolute jackpot in the book section. Found these four gems that I can’t wait to dive into 📚✨ They are very cheap, costing a dollar per book! What a great find, right? The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly 📚 State of Fear by Michael Crichton 📚 I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes 📚 Snow Crash: A Novel by Neal Stephenson 📚 Speaking of going analog—there’s something magical about holding a real book, feeling the pages, breathing in that paper scent. E-books are convenient, sure, but they’ll never quite capture that …

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About the Author

Toby Overstreet is a curious mind who has been blogging on and off since 2004 and still hasn't figured out how to stop. He launched Toby Geeks Out! as a space to share his honest, unfiltered takes on whatever has his attention that week. Whether he's documenting the latest technological shift, diving into neurodivergence topics, or exploring a wide variety of new subjects, Toby loves to follow his curiosity wherever it leads. He writes for the sheer joy of discovery and the satisfaction of making a complicated topic feel like a conversation. He lives in a tiny house in Kentucky, where he can usually be found reading, working on an adult coloring book, watching something new on streaming, or quietly eyeing a LEGO set he has no room for.