The Read Well Podcast
Subscribe to my newsletter for tips on close reading, detailed note-taking, and applying bookish wisdom to your life. I talk about fiction and non-fiction, interview literary experts, and host The Read Well Podcast. Subscribe today and build better reading habits.
This Book Made No Sense...Then It Clicked.
You May Not Be Ready for That Book - YET - Hello Reader, When I first read Slaughterhouse-Five, I didn’t like it. I couldn’t figure out why people called it a great book. To me, it was just about a strange guy named Billy Pilgrim who bounced around in time, got abducted by some weird aliens from Tralfamadore, and tried to make sense of all the death he witnessed in World War II. Now, years later, I love it. So it goes. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut I didn’t like the book at first...
Does Reading Make You Smarter? Potentially.
Does Reading Make You Smarter? Hello Reader, Here’s a question: Do books make you smarter? Will reading Shakespeare or Robert Sapolsky’s latest deep dive into neurobiology improve your intelligence? Or are we just reading to massage our egos? Books have the potential to make you smarter, but your IQ doesn’t ratchet up just because you read one. Access to information isn’t the same as using information—and it’s in the using that real learning happens. We’ve been convinced that the goal is to...
The FLOW of Reading Well
Find Reading FLOW Hello Reader, Flow is a fancy way of saying Optimal Experience. You've been there. It's when you're unstoppable, everything works, and your focus and skill are laser tight. Let's talk about how to get into reading flow, or how to have an optimal reading experience. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of FLOW - The Psychology of Optimal Experience, says, "The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish...
40 Years of Reading Taught Me This Lesson 📚
40 Years of Reading Taught Me THIS. Hello Reader, I've been reading books for 40 years. I started with those See Spot Run books—they were great. What's strange is that the lesson from those early books still holds true for the books I read today. In fact, it's not so much a lesson as it is a single word that has guided me along the way: Maybe. Every book I've read has taught me the invaluable power of saying, Maybe. Books have shown me that my culture is not the only culture. They've taught...
📖 Jane Eyre—Our Next Book Club Read (And Why You’ll Love It)
Jane Eyre 📚Our Next Book Club Read📚 (And Why You’ll Love It) Hello Reader, Next Tuesday (Feb 25), we’re starting a new book in our book club—Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. If you haven’t read it yet, this is your chance. If you have, it’s time to see it with fresh eyes. Why Jane Eyre? Because it’s one of the most fiercely independent, thought-provoking novels in literature. At its core, Jane Eyre is about a young woman who refuses to be defined by her circumstances. She’s orphaned, poor, and...
Shakespeare’s Secret for Better Reading
Shakespeare and His Reading Secret 🤫 Hello Reader, I’m in a university class called “Studies in Shakespeare,” and we just finished Henry V. At the beginning of this play, Shakespeare teaches us how to make every book we read 1,000% better. Before I share his tip, I need to set the stage (pun intended) by briefly describing Henry V. Setting The Stage Henry V is one of Shakespeare’s “War Plays” where he chronicles the adventures (and possible misadventures) of English conquest. In Henry V, we...
🤔 Do You Forget Books? Try This When You Read.
Remember What You Read Hello Reader, When you look at your home library, do you see books that you’ve read, loved, and COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN? I’m talking about the life-changing books that filled you with ideas and are now collecting dust on your shelf. What happened? When I forget books, it’s because I stayed at level 1 of reading comprehension – a barren place I call “Base camp.” 🏕️ READING LEVEL 1: BASE CAMP When I was 12, my best friend decided we would climb a mountain behind his house. I...
When Reading FEELS Overwhelming
When Reading Feels Like a Chore Hello Reader, Sometimes I don’t feel good about myself as a reader. Little thoughts slither into my brain and destroy my motivation. I want to talk about these thoughts today because they’re normal and many of you feel them as well. Last week, I got an email from a community member in a reading slump. This person’s email had the following statements: My reading practice has unraveled. I got too far behind. I don’t want to add to my schedule. Another reader sent...
5 Tips to Read More Books
How to Read More Books Hello Reader, Before we learn how to read more books, let’s chat about the ridiculousness of today’s image. I had ChatGPT create a picture based on my article below. The genius robots drew a woman in a chair. Notice how she and the side table are blocking the front door. Perhaps the best way to read more books (according to AI) is to lock yourself in your home and barricade the door. 🚪😂 Anyway, let’s get started. --- THE CHALLENGE: If you want to read more books, you...
Stop Binging on Junk Media: Feed Your Brain
Feed Your Brain with Better Books Hello Reader, I need to lose 10 pounds (mostly around the belly) and the process of dieting has taught me something interesting about reading deeply. I know what you’re thinking…that I pull these reading thoughts from strange places, but I promise this will help improve your deep reading sessions. Keep reading. Ok, back to the diet. I tried eating less food. That makes sense, right? WRONG. By cutting down on calories, I get ravenous halfway through the day...
Subscribe to my newsletter for tips on close reading, detailed note-taking, and applying bookish wisdom to your life. I talk about fiction and non-fiction, interview literary experts, and host The Read Well Podcast. Subscribe today and build better reading habits.