Guide to Life: Read Better Magazines

Switching up your periodicals is a great way to expand your horizons and change your tendencies. Just like you eschewed Highlights and SI Kids, it’s time to explore some new frontiers when it comes to what’s arriving in your mailbox.

spread of magazines laying on a table Courtesy

As we all ride through life it’s easy to settle into habitual tendencies — Honey Nut Cheerios in the morning, an after-work drink, putting socks on before pants. These are usually good things. A little bit of consistency goes a long way towards an even-keeled life. But at some point we’ve all got to grow. Can you imagine where you’d be right now if you still practiced “Vodka Thursdays” religiously or only read the Harry Potter novels? Puking your way through “Potter’s Wizarding World at Universal Studios” is no way to live.

A great way to expand your horizons and change your tendencies is to switch up your periodicals. Just like you eschewed Highlights and SI Kids, it’s time to explore some new frontiers when it comes to what’s arriving in your mailbox. We’ve picked ten of our favorites from an incredible crop of literary, sports, lifestyle, food and business magazines that will inspire you to do everything from cook the perfect brisket to master the nuances of Japanese cobbling.

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Granta-Gear-Patrol

Granta
Granta is a fantastic UK-based literary magazine with a “belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real”. Learn More

Garden-and-Gun

Garden And Gun
If you couldn’t tell by the title, the recently refreshed bastion of Southern life packs a huge range of interesting pieces on everything from Berettas to Bergamots. Learn More

Saturdays-Gear-patrol

Saturdays Magazine
With only three issues and a “whenever we feel like it” publishing schedule, the NY surf shop’s publication isn’t exactly a regular occurrence. When it does come out, the combination of great photography, design and content (on much more than just surfing) knocks it out of the park. Learn More

Monocle-Gear-Patrol

Monocle
The long standing king of the “hip” magazines holds that title for good reason. Unbeatably designed front of book stories on where to travel, what to get, and who to know precede interesting and diverse longform. Learn More

Gastronomica-Gear-Patrol

Gastronomica
This culinary quarterly is made for those who want to be in the know of all things food. Think less Bon Appetit pie recipes and more “The Politics of Single Origin Chocolate in West Africa”. Learn More

Peloton-Gear-Patrol

Peloton
Boasting punditry from some of the smartest guys in the sport, insightful gear tests, great photography and less “Lose 35 pounds in a Week with these Natural Superfoods” than other cycling mags, Peloton is alone off the front. Learn More

Wallpaper-Gear-Patrol

Wallpaper
A well rounded barrage of all things cool, Wallpaper brings design, architecture, tech and style to your door every month. Learn More

Texas-Monthly-Gear-Patrol

Texas Monthly
Coming from a source you might not expect, Texas Monthly consistently puts out fantastic longform stories and interesting quick-hits from the second largest state. Learn More

Victory-Journal-Gear-Patrol

Victory Journal
Victory Journal‘s a newspaper-style sports periodical that skips the live reporting of Derek Jeter’s latest conquest in favor of beautiful photo essays and incredibly interesting articles on everything from six-man football to boxing. Learn More

BJP-Gear-Patrol

British Journal of Photography
BJP is the best photo mag we’ve found for toeing the fine line between uninteresting technical photo magazines and hyper-esoteric avant-garde photography journals. Learn More