My 5 personal reading rules

I used to be extremely rigid about certain aspects of reading.

And, I know many of you are rigid about certain aspects of reading too. 

It has taken me decades, but I've become much more flexible and relaxed about my reading habits. I hope you'll find my five personal reading rules helpful, and I hope they might give you permission to become more relaxed in your reading as well. 

1. The 20 pages or 1/3 rule

If I pick up a book and the first 20 pages don't hold my attention or make me want to keep reading, I allow myself to quit and move on to another book. If I make it past 1/3 of the book, but my attention starts to fade, I also allow myself to put the book down and move on. 

Admittedly, I would love to allow myself to quit a book at any point, but I'm finding that 2/3 of the way through my current book, I'm not willing to quit. My current book has taken some turns that I've really not liked and that have made me question if I should keep reading. The first 20 pages and the first 1/3 captured my attention and I was enjoying it until about 2/3 of the way through.

Of course, these are just guidelines and we should all feel free to quit a book whenever we just aren't interested anymore.

2. It's ok to stop reading mid-chapter

You have permission to stop reading mid-chapter. I have several friends who won't allow themselves to stop reading mid-chapter. For some, it's about continuity and having a natural stopping point. For a few, it's a mental block and a bit of a compulsion that they must stop only between chapters. 

I make good use of bookmarks specifically so I can stop reading mid-chapter, but I also use page flags or sticky notes to mark the specific line on the page where I'm stopping. 

One of my friends only reads books with shorter chapters so that she knows she can easily finish a chapter before she stops reading -- some of my favorite books have had lengthy chapters and I would have missed out if I'd given up on them because of an "I must finish this chapter" mentality.

3. It's ok to skip "classics"

Read what you want. You don't have to read classics or what someone else thinks counts as good literature. I love contemporary fiction and don't want to set that aside because someone else thinks a different set of books have more value because they are considered classics. 

4. Move while reading, if you want to

I love to read while I walk. I find it calming and leisurely. Of course, it's not always safe, but when it is safe, it's one of my favorite pleasures in life. 

As a private tutor, most of my reading students have done best if they've been allowed to move while reading. Some might need to walk in circles around their bedroom. Some might need to bounce on the balls of their feet. Others might benefit most from sitting on an exercise ball. Some benefit from sitting in chairs that move (wobble chairs, rocking chairs, etc.).

5. Shop independent whenever possible

Although I occasionally link to Amazon when blogging about various books, I truly love to shop at independent bookstores. Seek out your community's independent book shops or buy from my favorite shops online (none of these are sponsored, nor are they affiliate links):

The Bookshop, Nashville, TN 

Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

White Oak Books, Vancouver, WA

Capital Books, Sacramento, CA

Maggie Mae's, Gresham, OR 

 

Ultimately, I don't believe there should be rules around reading for your own pleasure or your own knowledge. Read what you want, when you want, how you want. 

What are your personal reading rules?

Book Review: Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin

As I write this, I am sitting in a friend's apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I'll be in Argentina for an entire month, and as I noted in THIS post, one of my reading strategies is to choose a theme -- for January, I decided that my theme would be Argentinian fiction. 

Please note: links may be affiliate links in nature. Your purchases through these links may result in small commissions for me at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance! Book links are to Bookshop.org.

At the start of January, I chose four books:

• Thus Were Their Faces by Silvina Ocampo
• Trafalgar by Angelica Gorodischer
• The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezon Camara
• Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin

(I tried to include the accent symbols in the author names, but my computer and/or Blogger wouldn't cooperate!)

The first book I finished is the short story collection, Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin -- winner of the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2022. Not only did this book fit my theme, but by being short stories, I also felt like I was accomplishing some reading goals with every short story that I finished which, in turn, helped to keep me reading. 

Schweblin's book is seven short stories in which something is missing or lost or fading away. Each of them is deeply rooted in realism with an edge that cozies right up next to magical realism. Magical realism is deeply rooted in Latin American literature and deeply tied to Argentinean literature specifically, primarily starting in the 1940s. 

The short stories in this collection are at times disorienting -- one centers on a woman and her incredibly lonely descent into dementia. Another focuses on a young girl who finds herself alone amidst a family emergency and a meeting with someone that feels at once sinister and exhilarating. Another involves possible ghosts. Then, there are the choices made -- or not made -- between spouses that leads to a sense of loss.

Each story feels complete in and of itself, but each also is dark and somewhat mysterious without falling into the magical aspects of magical realism. Most of the stories feel highly modern, though a couple could be set across a few time frames from the last 100 or so years. 

These are truly stories of loss and emptiness, as suggested by the collection title. According to the reading app, The StoryGraph, my reading preferences are typically reflective, emotional, sad, and dark -- Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, definitely fits with these unconscious preferences, particularly the story about the woman with dementia. I highly recommend this collection!

What are you reading? Is it part of a larger theme that you've chosen? Share in a comment!

3 Ways to Read More in 2024

Please note: product and book links may be of an affiliate nature. Purchasing through these links may result in a small commission for me at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance! Book links will mostly be to Bookshop.org, though occasionally may link to Amazon or to my own blog posts about books mentioned.

Back in June of 2020, I wrote THIS blog post about how to increase your reading when times are tough. As I write this, Covid-19 still exists, but many (most?) of us have gone back to somewhat normal life; however, that doesn't mean we don't all experience ups and downs that sometimes impact our favorite hobbies, including reading.

I thought it was time to revisit the idea of how to increase the amount we read when things aren't going the way we'd like.

I've experienced dips in my reading not only during the pandemic, but also when I've found myself grieving, I've become burnt out on work, I've been sick, and so on. Sometimes, I'm just so bored that even reading doesn't appeal to me -- and it's my favorite activity!

Over the past four months, I've dealt with one illness and injury after another -- several bad colds, a broken ankle, Covid, a rare form of pneumonia, a sprained wrist, a torn ligament in my other wrist (I'm wearing a wrist immobilizer as I type this!). Plus, I've been dealing with job related uncertainties and a few other life complications.

As much as I love to read, it hasn't always been at the forefront of my interests amid the turmoil of life. 

In my last post about how to read more, I suggested reading first thing in the morning, having a designated reading spot, and reading something easy or familiar. I still stand by those ideas, but here are the three things I've done over the last few months to get or keep myself reading:

FIND A THEME

I'm writing this from Buenos Aires, Argentina, so I thought it would be fun to read books by Argentinian authors. I started by just doing a Google search and then cross referenced the authors I found with what would be available as e-books from my local library. I'm 90% of the way through my first of four books -- a collection of short stories called Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin. 

I think if you can find a theme that's relevant to your current situation in life, to a specific intense interest, or something you've been interested in for a long time, you'll be more likely to keep reading than if you just choose a random theme. I opted to choose just four books for my four week trip, and I'll probably only realistically read three of them. In addition to choosing a theme, consider limiting the number of books or the amount of time you spend on the theme so that you don't overwhelm yourself.

TRY SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

Following from our first tip, try finding collections of short stories. Instead of feeling like you've read 20 pages and still have a whole lot of pages to go, you'll get a little dose of satisfaction after finishing every short story, even if you aren't finished with the book! 

Knowing that I've already finished several of the stories in Seven Empty Houses, I'm more motivated to finish the rest! But, I already feel accomplished thanks to having read several complete stories within the book. 

CUT BACK ON SOCIAL MEDIA SCROLLING

I think most of us go through periods where we find ourselves just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling on social media. I honestly love Instagram and I use Facebook to stay in touch with friends that live far away, but I also find myself really wasting a lot of time just scrolling. 

Several weeks ago, I decided to do a huge social media purge. I went through both Facebook and Instagram and unfollowed, unliked, and removed a lot of accounts that I actually don't enjoy or that don't serve my interests or needs anymore. I also deleted several that seemed redundant. 

I've noticed that I'm enjoying my time on social media more now that I've worked on curated my feeds, but I'm also spending less time on there! Instead of constant, unsatisfactory scrolling, I'll catch up on things and then put my phone down in order to read. 

BONUS: PUT YOUR TECH IN ANOTHER ROOM

In my prior post, I suggested creating a cozy reading nook. Well, take it a step further. Once you've created your cozy reading spot and purged a whole bunch of social media junk, practice putting your phone, tablet, and other tech (including smart watches!) in another room while you read! I'm much more likely to keep reading if I can't reach for my phone or tablet from where I'm sitting.

Each of these has taken time to get used to and to become natural habits, but I've definitely increased my reading over the past few months by incorporating these ideas.

How are you getting more reading in? Share your tips in a comment!

BOOK REVIEW: We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

(Links are affiliate in nature. I may receive a small commission or payment at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. Thank you in advance!)

Years ago, my mom was in a reading rut and asked me for some book suggestions -- like me, she was a voracious reader. It was rare for my mom to find herself in a lull with reading, so I happily supplied a list of 10 books or so and she started in on it. 

After the first three books on the list, my mom came to me and said that she appreciated the list, but she'd no longer be reading from it and would not take reading suggestions from me again.

Her reason? Most of what I like to read is "depressing and sad", according to my mom. That has not changed over the years. 

Case in point: We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman.

This novel is devastating but beautiful.

We All Want Impossible Things is about love, loss, and grief, as well as motherhood and friendship. It really highlights that we are all human and reminded me a lot of something one of my high school English teachers said (she was quoting the author, Wally Lamb, I believe): "The best fiction is often more true than real life." This book was so true to my experience of grief and loss that it definitely felt more true than real life! I've had a lot of heart break over the last few years, and this novel helped to mend some of it.

This book made me cry a lot, but despite being so sad, it also made me laugh quite a bit!

We All Want Impossible Things is about a woman whose best friend is in hospice and how she navigates that alongside being a single mom to a teen daughter and a college aged daughter, while still being in love with (and also not in love with at the same time) her ex-husband, and while trying to figure out her own life.

If you enjoy the work of Anne Lamott, particularly the novel Rosie, you'll like this one. It's equal parts sad and funny. My mom would still would have found it depressing.

I found We All Want Impossible Things to be deeply satisfying. It is filled with all the ups and downs of relationships in many areas of our lives, includes good food, cozy living rooms, sex without being gratuitous, awe and wonder at the world around us, and so much more. I will definitely read this one again!

Buy it on Bookshop.org HERE.

Buy it on Amazon HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: No Land to Light on by Yara Zgheib

Links are affiliate in nature and may result in a small commission for me if you purchase through them. Thank you in advance!

No Land to Light on by Yara Zgheib is by far one of the best books I've read in a very long time (in addition to Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan).

This book combines so many emotions: hope, sadness, worry, outrage, love, tenderness, and more!

No Land to Light On features shifting points of view between the two main characters with news editorials sprinkled throughout. The book is the story of a Syrian refugee who has become a legal US resident who falls in love with a Syrian woman who immigrated to the United States in order to attend college at Harvard. They marry and eventually find that she is pregnant. 

The young couple endures the ups and downs of navigating growing love and the prospect of becoming parents while also working through different experiences and different levels of comfort within the United States -- she is far more comfortable and wholeheartedly embraces her new status as an American. he clings to his Syrian roots while feeling the pull of a new way of life. 

Sama left behind bitterness and ran towards opportunity. Hadi left behind parents, friendships, and a love of the land and his father's orchards. He also left fear and violence as he moved towards the promise of freedom and a chance to start over in America, but clouded with fear of the unknown.

Upon the death of his father, Hadi returns to his homeland for the funeral. Little do they know that his attempted return to his legal home in the United States will coincide with a travel ban that includes Syrians -- even if they are legal residents of the United States. 

As Sama awaits his return at the arrivals section of the airport, amid the chaos of protestors, she goes into premature labor and starts her own harrowing journey. 

No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib, published by Simon & Schuster, is beautifully written, despite the sometimes difficult topics. 

Up next, expect a review of the classic book Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Purchase No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib:

• At Amazon HERE
• At Bookshop HERE

January and February 2023 Reading Roundup

So far, in January and February of 2023, I've read far more than in the same time period the prior few years! 

In part, I've been making a conscious choice to sit down with a book instead of mindlessly scrolling or watching TV. I've also just been far less stressed than in the last few years, so it's been more natural to pick up a book without having to make a conscious effort. 

Links within the body of this post are affiliate links for Bookshop.org. Links at the end of the post are from Amazon.com. Either way, these may result in a small commission for me if you make purchases through these links. Thank you in advance!

In January, I finished:

• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (American fiction)
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (non-fiction; memoir; autobiography; poetry)

In February, I finished:

• Cold by Mariko Tamaki (young adult fiction; murder mystery)
• The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson (Contemporary British fiction; chick lit; Rom-Com; lighthearted and sweet)
• Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan (Contemporary American fiction; psychological thriller; family and friend relationships; near future climate crisis)

As of this writing -- the second to last day of February -- I am currently working my way through:

• No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib (Contemporary fiction; dramatic and tense but EXCELLENT)
• The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (Contemporary Swedish fiction; humorous)
• Animal Farm by George Orwell (Fiction; satire)

I have several other books in progress from months past, but these three are at the top of my list.

So far, the best book I've read in 2023 is Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan. Whoa! This book is tense, but I could not put it down! The book takes place in the near future amid a growing climate crisis that is making life nearly unbearable in what is an otherwise very typical suburban United States neighborhood. As the story unfolds, we see relationships  shift between a group of neighbors and their children. The kids are growing up and shifting allegiances. The parents are mostly trying to hold their lives and families together with varying degrees of success. Ultimately, everything unravels when one of the kids disappears into a sink hole. Cracks in all of the relationships -- family units, friends, and so on -- begin to form and unthinkable acts of violence occur under the cover of darkness. Although this was a devastating story, it was also exceptionally written and I highly recommend it.

What has been your best read so far in 2023?

2022 Reading Roundup and Looking Forward, Across 2023

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission -- thank you in advance.

I did a terrible job at blogging in 2021 and 2022, didn't I? I posted three times in 2021 and not at all in 2022! Those two years were whirlwinds, and not just because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

Throughout a large portion of that time span, I was temporary guardian to one of my tutoring students and foster mom to his brother. I won't be going into the details other than to say that I was exceptionally busy and there were some extreme ups and downs.

Both boys have since been reunified with their mom and I'm getting back into the swing of life.

I'm looking forward to finishing some books that I have had in progress for a while and to move on to new (to me) books!

As we cross from 2022 into 2023, I decided to set up a new spread in my reading journal -- I'm working on a video about the process, but for the time being, you'll have to settle for this blog post.

After some decorative stamping, stickering, and gluing down of vintage Richard Scarry bookish illustrations, I wrote out all of the books I had started in 2022 but did not finish -- though I realized I missed a book and wrote it in afterwards. As you can see from this photo, I also color coded the books on the left edge of the pages. The color code prioritizes the books in the order I would like to read them and follows rainbow order with pink substituting for purple (because that's what was in the pencil set I used).

RED -- FIRST PRIORITY:

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• We are Called to be a Movement by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
• The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
• Inciting Joy by Ross Gay
• Fermenting by Asa Simonsson
• Local Dirt by Andrea Bemis
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

ORANGE -- SECOND PRIORITY:

• Conscious Creativity by Philippa Stanton
• Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
• The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window by Jonas Jonasson

YELLOW -- THIRD PRIORITY:

• Looking at Mindfulness by Christophe Andre
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

GREEN -- FOURTH PRIORITY:

• There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk
• Wild Embers by Nikita Gill

BLUE -- FIFTH PRIORITY:

• An Alter in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
• Hawk of the Mind by Yang Mu
• The Armillary Sphere by Ann Hudson

PINK -- LAST PRIORITY:

• God and Guns in America by Michael W. Austin
• Life Among the Terranauts by Caitlin Horrocks
• The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

The order in which I would like to finish these was a combination of things I need to finish for my tutoring practice, items due back at the library soon, items already returned to the library that I would like to eventually finish, books I'd like to finish but am not feeling a huge pull to do so immediately, and a few other less specific criteria.

And, of course, I already have started a new book for 2023:

• A Girl Called Jack by Jack Monroe

Of the books on my list which have you read? Which do you want to read? When I finish this list, what should I read next?

BOOK REVIEW: Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Know My Name by Chanel Miller was by far the best book I read in 2020 (followed closely by Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi). Miller's book is a memoir about her experience as a sexual assault survivor, including the attack, the court case that followed, and rebuilding her life after physical, emotional, and mental trauma. 

I particularly enjoyed Miller's ability to weave memories of earlier times in her life into her telling of what happened to her. She is a master story teller, even when it comes to the awful, most horrifying bits. Miller's memoir is filled with both vulnerability and strength. At times I found myself openly weeping and crying while at other times I cheered and smiled large at her ability to find joy amid the depths of despair. 

After being attacked by Brock Turner on the Stanford University campus in 2015, Miller sunk into a deep depression that was only made worse through the madness of the criminal justice system. Instead, however, she fought her way back to herself and rebuilt her life. It is clear from her memoir though, that this also entailed dealing with long lasting trauma that may follow her and inform her choices and thoughts and overall being for the rest of her life. She chose over and over to not give in. She chose over and over to experience life and explore her interests. That's not to say it was easy and that's not to say she didn't go through periods where she did want to give up, where she did succumb to her fears and dark thoughts. But, she always climbed back out of the depths. 

Included in the memoir is Miller's victim impact statement which is a masterpiece that no one should ever have to write. It is a masterclass in how not to rape, how not to assault, how not to behave, how not to treat others. 

Miller's assault was not that long ago, but I am sure it will have a lasting ripple effect on her life, the lives of her sister and parents, on her friends, and others. I'm sure the intensity has and will continue to dial down over time, but the assault and all that came with it will always still be there, like a little grain of something in their shoes that they forgot about for the longest time. Then it shifts, and they feel it with every step until they try to remove it, but can't find it. It shifts again and they move on and don't feel it -- even forget about it again until, one day, there it is yet again. 

Every now and then Miller's attacker comes up in the news and do not feel a single bit sorry for him when the news is related to him having a hard time in life. He brought that upon himself. 

Rather than rewrite things I've already written, the rest of this post is primarily from comments I made in a small book group myself and three good friends read Know My Name. I've only edited a little bit for clarity and length. 

This was such a hard book to read, but I'm so glad that I did! I'm so glad I bought it instead of getting it from the library. I'll read it again, but not anytime soon. I know I'll recommend it to many people in years to come too. 

I'm struck by similarities with the Netflix short series "Unbelievable" which is excellent and based on real rape cases near Seattle and in Colorado. In both Miller's book and the Netflix show, there seems to be a clear division in the way men handled and treated victims compared to how women responded. There are some women who will take the "what were you wearing/doing/drinking" or "you should have kept your legs closed" stance and also some women who get embarrassed or don't want to to be involved in such intimate invasions, but I see it far more in men both in media and in life. It's unfortunate since men can be excellent allies -- and they aren't exempt from being victims as well. 

Women are constantly held to double standards from birth and both Miller's book and "Unbelievable" highlight that fact. As I was finishing Know My Name, I also was reading the poetry collection Wild Embers by Nikita Gill which was the perfect compliment to Miller's memoir. The poems feature themes about the double standards women are held to, about boys and men being given a pass for bad behavior because of the idea that "boys will boys", and how women are forced into the defensive position when we deserve to stand strong and not to be subjected to abuse. 

I loved Miller's book (and "Unbelievable" and Wild Embers), but it provokes a strong emotional response as a reader and was difficult, at times, as a result. I was struck by Miller's ability to create vivid images and to craft metaphors while mining the depths of her memories and lived experiences to create context, emotions, and so on.

I hope you'll consider reading Know My Name by Chanel Miller. I think about it regularly even though it's been months since I read it. 

You can buy a copy of Know My Name on Bookshop HERE.

Or find it on Amazon HERE. 

Or look for it at your local library. 

As of my writing this, "Unbelievable" is available on Netflix HERE.

You can find Wild Embers by Nikita Gill on Bookshop HERE.

Or on Amazon HERE.

Or try your local library.

Please note: links may be affiliate in nature. Making purchases through such links may result in a small commission to me at no cost to you. Thank you in advance. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

In 2021, I'm participating in a children's literature reading challenge hosted by Mrs. Sarah Collier of Belle's Library and the Victorian Letter Writers Guild. 

Portions of this post also appear on my parenting blog: Mom2MomED

in a post called 7 Ways to Use The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

Read the full post HERE.

My inaugural book for the Children's Literature Challenge is The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. My child (now an adult) and I first received this book as a gift from my mother several years ago when my kiddo was still quite young. 

On my parenting blog, I share 7 ways to use this book with your children (read the post HERE), but in this post, I am going to focus more on the book itself. I mean, look at these illustrations? The book is GORGEOUS!

My mom was a kindergarten teacher and bought many beautiful books for my child over the years, but The Kissing Hand is one that we returned to over and over. The story and premise are pretty simple but also familiar to pretty much every parent ever -- a child is scared and nervous about going to school for the first time and the parent tries to find a way to make it ok. In this case, mama racoon helps her child to overcome fear and anxiety by kissing the child's palm as a reminder that she's always there even if she's not physically present. 

The Kissing Hand was instrumental in helping my child and I adjust to the emotional turmoil that comes with going back and forth between divorced parents (read about my suggested books for divorce HERE). Although the book is the story of a child going to school for the first time, it easily is applied to any form of temporary separation between parent and child.

I loved reading through this book again and thinking about my mom -- she has dementia, but she still loves a kiss from one of her children or grandchildren -- and my child, now an adult. The story is lovely and the illustrations are beautiful. The animals, trees, and other aspects of nature are beautifully rendered throughout. 

Over the years, I've bought copies of The Kissing Hand for friends navigating divorce with young children and many have started their own kissing hand traditions to help their children navigate going back and forth between parents' homes.  

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak, is such a lovely and sweet book. I hope you'll pick up a copy for a child in your life.  

Grab a copy on Bookshop HERE.

Grab a copy from Amazon HERE.

Or, hit up your local library.

This post may include affiliate links ~*~ making a purchase through these links may result in a small commission to me at no cost to you. Thank you in advance. 

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin ~*~ Chapter 1: January

In my last post, I wrote about setting up my reading journal for 2021 and the books I planned to read in January. To be honest, I thought by January 9th, I'd have read a lot more than I actually have, but life gets in the way, right?

That said, it's not like I've done no reading at all. I've made much progress in two books not on my January 2021 plan but which I'd started previously and just hadn't finished yet -- The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. And, I added two books that aren't on my original January list: The Odyssey by Homer (Robert Fitzgerald translation) and Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

I'd started Crooked Kingdom quite some time ago and have been reading it in fits and starts -- I'm enjoying it, but I'm not so fully captivated that I feel compelled to read it quickly. The Chemistry of Tears was given to me by a friend on Christmas Eve and I do love it, but I've had competing interests and general life ups and downs to contend with.

Then, I suddenly had a surge in tutoring requests for literature and composition. Thus Catcher in the Rye and The Odyssey were suddenly on my list -- I always read books following my students' course reading schedules so that I can best advise them in their studies. Not only that, but I have another student starting The Odyssey this week (hopefully the same version as the first student, but we'll see!).

But, let's switch it up and talk about The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. 

I've read Rubin's book a couple of times and the new year seemed like the perfect time to start since the structure of the book follows the months of the year. The topic -- The Happiness Project -- should make it pretty obvious what the book is about: a project undertaken by Rubin to increase the amount of happiness in her life. Each month, she tackled a different theme or idea.

So, let's dig into January.

In the book, Rubin's themes for January are vitality and boosting energy. She also sets some specific goals for the month:

• Go to sleep earlier
• Exercise better/more
• Organize and declutter
• Take care of a nagging task
• Act more energetic

Rubin delves into the science behind why some of these can improve one's life, but she also talks about her own successes and failures in tackling each item on the list.

For myself, I'm a night owl and have a really hard time getting to bed at an hour that anyone might consider reasonable. My goal has been 3am for a long time, but I'm trying to be ASLEEP by 2am. With increasing requests for tutoring by students in several time zones, I find it helpful to go to sleep and wake up earlier. So far, I'm only doing so-so in this area. The only time it wasn't a struggle were all the years I worked night shift in hospitals.

As for exercising better and more, my kid and I have made it a point to get out and take regular walks -- usually four to five per week, weather permitting. We've been gradually increasing our distance and we both have noticed the benefits to our mental AND physical health. At some point, I'd really like to get back into bicycling and swimming, but the weather right now isn't my favorite for cycling and I'm waiting until Covid-19 is better under control before I head to a pool again.

When it comes to organizing and decluttering (Rubin's actual bullet point is "Toss, restore, organize"), I'm a natural, but Covid-19 and inheriting all of my uncle's stuff when he died, as well as all of his best friend's stuff (a story for another time), has overwhelmed me and resulted in tons of clutter and stuff to toss or restore or organize! Thankfully two friends are doing a lot of decluttering and organizing right now, so we've been able to hold each other accountable. We've all been getting a ton taken care of! With regard to the "restore" piece -- I've always checked our laundry as I sort it or fold it, and I pull out items that need repairs. Right now, I have two shirts with tiny holes that I'll repair (or restore). 

As for tackle a nagging task, well, January is pretty much the perfect time to start working on taxes, right? Yep, that's what I'm tackling. Ick... But, I know the sooner it's done, the happier I'll be!

And, acting more energetic...I'm naturally a low energy, shy, introvert (note: not all introverts are shy, but I am). As my tutoring student requests are rising and I'm taking on more students, I've found myself having to act more energetic, upbeat, and extroverted than I really am. All three of the students I've met with in the past week have commented on how upbeat and energetic I seem to be and how they like it! But, as a hardcore introvert with a shy streak, you can bet I need a few hours after each session to decompress!

I plan to come back every month to review my reading of that month's chapter in The Happiness Project and how it relates to my own life. Have you read it? What did you think? 

Grab a copy of The Happiness Project:

On Bookshop HERE.

On Amazon HERE.

Or at your local independent bookshop or library.

Learn more about my January 2021 reading list in THIS blog post or buy books from the list at Bookshop HERE.

And, if you or your child are in need of a literature or writing tutor (or both), you can find more information about my tutoring practice and offerings HERE.