The Lazy Genius Podcast - #110 - Summer Reading Plans 2019

Episode Date: May 27, 2019

Summer reading is a thing, right? We did it as students in school, our kids might do it, and it just feels like the time of year to have a stack of books ready to go. I want to share my personal goals for my summer reading and some titles I’m looking forward to, and I hope it inspires you to make one or two small moves toward your own summer reading approach this year. Helpful Companion Links Check out all of the books on my Summer Stack here. Get behind-the-scenes info and my latest book, podcast, and music recommendations by signing up for the Latest Lazy Letter, a newsletter I send out every month. Take a look at what made Anne Bogel’s Summer Reading Guide this year. Download a transcript of this episode! This podcast is hosted by Kendra Adachi and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Welcome to the lazy genius podcast. I'm Kendra Adachi, and I'm here to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. Today is the start of something really fun. I strongly believe in living in the season, whether it's your season of life or the season of the sun or the calendar or whatever we call spring and summer and all that. Things change based on the season we're in. So we're going to start every new calendar season with a three-part series to get us ready. At least we're going to start with the summer. We're going to see how it goes. The topics, they might change a little bit, but for this particular series, as we enter into the summer of 2019, we're going to talk about our summer reading plans, how we're going to cook summer food, and how we'll deal with time in the summer, or the lack of routine that is lovely, but also drives us crazy.

I hope that you're going to join me these next three weeks to keep the season of summer as our driver and how we live and eat and read and just choose to be a person. I kind of hate summer. That's the honest truth. So it's important for me to be intentional about how I see it so that I don't hate it so much. Even when you're in a season that you don't like, it still has something to teach you. So let's learn from summer this year. And this week, we're going to talk about reading. Summer reading is a thing, right? I mean, yeah, of course it is. We did it as students in school. Our kids might do it. And really, it just, feels like the time of year to have a stack of books ready to go. Today I want to share my personal goals for my summer reading and some titles that I'm looking forward to. And I hope

it inspires you to make one or two small moves toward your own summer reading approach this year. So often, oh my goodness, I will enter the summer with grand intentions to read more, but I have nothing to really show for it because I went too big. My goals were too grand, or I left them ambiguous and overarching, thinking that read more would translate into actual reading. Often it doesn't. So let's talk about being specific and realistic in our summer reading, but also remember that this is supposed to be fun, right? It's not supposed to be another thing to fail at. Only do it if it matters to you. So I have three main desires for my reading life this summer. first I want to reach for a book during any free time or downtime as opposed to my phone or the TV.

Now, I am not knocking either of those things. I love them both. But the truth for me is that I love reading more, especially in the summer. That hasn't always been true, but it is now. I love to read. But if a book isn't right there, it's often easier to grab my phone instead. So if I want to read more this summer, I want to always have a book. That means bringing the action. book I'm reading from room to room and not leaving it in my bedroom where it feels like it's too far to go get it. I realize how silly that sounds. But it's also my reality. So there you go. Always having a book with me also means strategically putting my book in the room where my kids play. This is very important. Sometimes I will start reading while they play around me. And they're so

content. It's like we're all beautifully coexisting. But if I sit with me, them and they're content and then I get up to get my book, the magic is broken. If I move, it's over. They want snacks and a playmate and I lose my chance to read. I want to keep a book by my side, whatever room I'm in, so this does not happen. As far as downtime goes, whether it's like waiting in the car or at the doctor or just when a few minutes randomly appear, I'm going to use my Kindle paper white. I love this thing. It is so light and it doesn't have the same qualities as other screens. It's basically as close to papers you can get without it being actually paper. I love having it in my purse for any downtime. It feels simple to say, like always have a book around. But when I don't,

I don't read. It's that simple. Usually the simple things are the ones that make the biggest difference anyway. So maybe you can think about how to always keep a book close by in your life this summer too. So that's my first desire for the summer. My second desire for my summer reading is family reading time. We did this the last couple of summers where me and my boys who can both read, we would lounge in the living room and we would all read our own thing. It's taken some time to keep them from reading out loud, but that's okay. I just have to say like, hey, remember to read in your head, not with your mouth, when they start talking. And my kids talk super loud, so it kind of feels like the quiet reading vibe when they read out loud. But it is so nice to all just sit around in the living room and read together.

Super simple, an incredibly life-giving for me immediately. And for them, once they get started, last summer, it only took us a few days before they looked forward to family reading time, where before they'd whine and felt like I was making them do it, right? So since summers are notoriously flexible, which is what makes them fun and also horrible, my plan the summer is to use family reading time as kind of like the central hub of our daily rhythm. It will likely happen while my youngest, Annie, takes her nap, usually after lunch. And that is something that's fairly set in stone every day. My intention, again, intention, is to enter into family reading time after Annie goes down for her nap. But I'm flexible if that needs to change. It's always good to roll with it and see what works best.

Sometimes during the few minutes that I'm putting her to bed, the boys suddenly like start playing well together without me, I don't want to mess that up. They're not fighting. I don't want to interrupt pleasant playing with reading time that we can save for a little bit later. So I know that that will all be fluid, but family reading time will always happen. That is a commitment I'm making because it's important to us as a family. My kids love to read. If they're given the opportunity, they will take it just like I will. We will definitely be home a couple of hours every afternoon during that nap. So half an hour of that time, will be family reading time. My third desire for summer reading is to read a chapter book allowed to my boys.

We don't really do that now. And I really wish we did. I mean, yes, I read all the kids' books, but not chapter books. You know, we have like board books and, you know, whatever. But in terms of sitting down and reading a chapter book, that doesn't really happen very much for me and the boys. For context, my boys are entering second and fourth grades. and they're both, they're both pretty sensitive readers. They're easily scared. I read the illustrated

Harry Potter to my oldest a couple of years ago when he was like seven. And he couldn't get through the second book. The Basilisk really freaked him out, which let's be honest, is very understandable. We read the first book in the Wing Feather saga this past summer. But I think, I think it's a harder ask to get them into a new practice of listening to me, read them a story that is completely new to them. And so I am going to save Wingfeather and start with Harry Potter. Sam has already gone through the illustrated version, like I said, but that was a couple of years ago. I think I can sell them on Harry. And if I do say so myself, my accents are not too shabby. So a read aloud Harry Potter summer, it will be. The problem, not the problem, but the challenge is

when. I haven't quite figure that out yet. It will likely be before bed. I'm still mulling over how strong to beat the drama of announcing like, okay, now we're going to read together. I don't want to force them into something they're not excited about, but they won't change on their own. They like things to say the way they are. So adding something new to their current nighttime rhythm is a borderline silly, but like kind of a real problem they have. But wherever it lands, we'll kind of roll with it for a little while, we will read Harry Potter together. And I'm super, super excited. One of the things that stops us from reading more is not knowing what to read. It will be easier to follow through on reading aloud to my kids because I know what I want to read them. Having the actual book really

helps. The same goes for our own personal reading life. So if you want to join me in this, I will love it so much. I'm going to make a summer stack. That's what I'm calling it. An actual stack of books I want to read this summer. I fill my bookshelves at an annual book sale in my town. I get bonkers recommendations from Ann Bogle's summer reading guide, which is one of my favorite things. The internet has to offer ever. I love it. I will put a link in the show notes if you want to check that guide out. But the point is, I personally have plenty of actual books to choose from on my house, human shelves. Now, you likely have some titles on your shelf too. You can totally use the libraries, borrow from other people, go to your local used bookstore, you know,

you don't have to have a physical summer stack either. Like, in fact, if you prefer to read on a Kindle, your summer stack is technically very tiny. It's not a stack at all, but it's very light. Or you could just make a list of books on your, you know, kind of like virtual summer stack and read them as they come in from the library. The point is, it doesn't have to be a physical stack. Just choose what you want to read this summer. Think realistically about how quickly you read how many books you might be able to enjoy over, you know, eight weeks or so, and choose titles for your summer stack. If you need ideas I want to add, I will include a link to Anne's summer reading guide,

or you can take any ideas from my current summer stack, which I will share with you now. I will also link to some posts that I've written in the past about my favorite books from past years. I do like a year-end book roundup, so you can check those out too. All those will be in the show notes. I am in the middle of three fantastic books right now that I will share in the next latest lazy letter, which you can get by joining the IP list at the lazy genius collective.com slash join. But once those are done, my summer stack will start with a book called the Read Aloud

Family by Sarah McKenzie. If I want to begin more of a read aloud culture in our family, starting with this book seems like a no-brainer. Sarah is such a delightful person, and I'm excited to learn from her as I get started in reading allowed more to my own family. That book is, it's almost like summer reading for my summer reading. It's like the best kind of homework. For the rest of my books, I chose all fiction. I do enjoy nonfiction and I read it every day, but summers scream fiction for me. So all of my picks are fiction picks, which I will share links for in the show notes. Amazon presents Jeff versus

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wherever you listen to your podcasts. I made a library summer stack, and I put holds on the books that I want to read from Anne's Summer Reading Guide. A couple of them, I'm fourth in line, another I'm 58th. Who knows when those will come in? So, I have an at-home summer stack while I wait for library books to come in and then the library summer stack. My library holds are, I'm just going to just tell you what my list. My summer stack is. My library holds are field notes on love by Jennifer E. Smith. It's about a guy and his girlfriend who planned this huge railway trip across the United States, but she breaks up with him before they leave. Since the tickets are in her name, her name is Margaret Campbell. He has to find another

Margaret Campbell to go so he can go to, which is the sweetest little rom-com meat cute idea ever. We all know what will happen, but I'm really excited to read this one. I like a good rom-com love story, especially in the summer. My next pick from the library is the mother-in-law by Sally Hepworth. This is the one I'm 58th on the list for, so it might end up being like a summer 2020 pick, but that's okay. Anne says, Ann Bogle, says that it is great for Leanne. Is it Leanne Moriarty? I feel like I always mispronounce her first name, but it's fine. For fans of Leanne Moriarty, which I am. And it's about a mother-in-law who supposedly commit suicide, but it might be murder and everyone in the family, including the daughter-in-law,

who had a difficult relationship with her, has motive. I don't know. It sounds so good for summer. Maybe summer 2020, but that's good. Next on my library summer stack is the accidental beauty Queen by Terry Wilson. One twin is on the beauty pageant circuit and then the other twin very much is not. But when the competing twin gets sick or something, she begs her sister to pretend to be her in the pageant so she doesn't lose her spot. And of course, the non-beauty pageant twin starts to crush on a guy involved in the pageant who thinks she's someone else. We totally know where this is going, but I love it. I also put a hold on Aisha at last by Usma Jalely Ludden. I know that that's not correct, but that's fine.

I am so sorry for poorly pronouncing your name, Usma. This is a Pride and Prejudice Retelling set in a Muslim community in Toronto. And I am so excited to read this one. I'm only fourth on the whole list, so I will throw everything else down once this comes in. And then finally, on my library list is Save Me the Plums by Ruth Rischel. I've never read anything other than a gourmet cook. book by Ruth, but I love memoirs around food. This one is about her time at Gourmet Magazine as a food critic and a writer, so I'm super pumped to read it. This is only my only nonfiction book, but obviously

it's like heavy on narrative since it's a memoir. And every single one of those books is from Anne's Summer Reading Guide. So there you go. Now the two books that I want to read most from her summer reading guide are the new Blake Crouch book, Recursion and the River by Peter Heller. Both are thrillers and neither is yet available at my library, which is so. so sad. I will be patient. Blake Crouch's book, Dark Matter, is one of my favorite novels ever. So exciting and surprising. It's just scary enough. I loved it. Don't read descriptions, though. Just enjoy the process. So that's my library summer stack. My actual summer stack that will literally be stacked in my house other than the read aloud family, it starts with a book called Once

Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. I'm actually a couple of chapters into this one already, but I had to it down for a couple of library books I'm getting through, but I'm so into it so far. It's a story where multiple storylines converge. I love that kind of story. And it all centers around this girl who was pulled from the river. Because I'm not too far in, I don't want to give anything away. I don't really know what's important, what's not. But it has like a little bit of magical realism. The setting is really rich and easy to imagine, which I love. And the writing is solid. So I can't wait to finish this one. This is first up. Also on my summer stack is Attachments by Rainbow Raoul, right? Yep. I really loved Eleanor and Park. That's one of her most famous books. And I tend to like OIA love story. I don't know much about this one other than it's in a genre I enjoy. And I like her. I like her writing. So I'm looking forward to adding this one to the stack. And again, this is on my shelf. I bought this for a dollar at a book sale. So it's waiting for me. And the cover is like pink and cute and fun. And it feels like a good book.

to read the summer. I am also really looking forward to reading Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies. It's a super hyped book about marriage. And based on the description, it ticks a lot of my boxes. Intrigue, interesting characters, a story that moves, and solid writing. I tend to not dig too deep into what books are about because I like to be surprised. But I know enough about this one to assume that it's probably going to work out fine. And then finally on my summer stack, I have the Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. it's described as a love letter to books and based on how much I've talked about them so far in this episode and also everywhere else in my life, that seemed right for me. From what I understand,

it's about a heartbroken man who has a bookstore on a river, like a floating bookstore. And he fixes people's problems by giving them the exact book that they need. But he can't do that for himself. There's a journey and companions on the journey. And that's about all know, but a book like that seems perfect in the summer. And since I have a physical copy, again, I picked it up for 50 cents at a book sale. I am ready. In case, I just bust through that list, which is not super likely, but you never know. It could be like a magical summer of reading. I also have on my shelf lined up and ready, the hive, olive kidderidge, and the book of speculation. Those are kind of at the bottom of the summer stick. No matter how fast I read, though, I will be ready.

I think the thing that I really love about approaching my summer reading this way is that I'm ready. I mean, that's really what it comes down to. I have this life rule where I start a new book 24 hours after I finish the last one. Just because I want to keep the momentum. It's so easy for me to lose that momentum. And having a handful of books on deck that I can choose from based on my mood is so important to enjoying reading. more in the summer or anytime. I'm not pulling from like my entire entire entire bookshelf or from the entire entire book list of someone else. I have a small, I've curated my own curation down to a small,

small stack and I can choose from that stack based on my mood, what I want to read next. And then a quick word, as you make your summer stack and start your own summer reading, quit a book if you don't like it, man. I know for some of you, that is easier said than done. I realize I sound super bossy about this, but I think about all the books in the world and how many good ones I can enjoy. I don't want to waste my time on a book that I don't absolutely love. There are too many out there that I could absolutely love. So if you're brave enough, quit it if you don't love it. Sometimes I will ask a reader, I trust, who knows my reading taste, if I should keep going.

Some books don't get good until later, but don't be afraid to quit. I quit Iron Gold, which is in the Red Rising series. It's not in it. It's like a follow-up series. I'm obsessed with Red Rising. It's one of my favorite series ever. It's a trilogy and I love it with all my heart. But I couldn't get book four. I couldn't get into it. And when I shared that in a latest lazy letter, several of you told me to try again that you didn't enjoy it at first either, but it paid off later. And I believe you and I will pick it up again. I have shared with you guys that you should read the bear and the nightingale in that entire trilogy. But the first, I don't know, like the first 60% of the first book is a bit of a slog.

There is so much set up. There are so many characters. And it feels like nothing, nothing is actually happening. I'm selling this so well. But then suddenly everything is happening. And it is one of my favorite series ever. So I get the struggle with quitting a book because maybe it'll be good. But ask questions, maybe, rather than just pushing through. It could help. Okay, I hope you make your own summer stack. I really want to see it. So if you do make one, share it on Instagram.

You can tag me at the lazy genius. And then let's do this so we can all see each other's summer stacks. Use the hashtag lazy genius summer stack. So we can all see each other's books. And a random quick, quick tip that you probably know, but like we just don't really think about is if you share a hashtag and a story and an Instagram story. It is only visible for the 24 hours that your story is visible.

And after that, it's gone. That is unless you put it in a highlight. So I think the best way for us to see each other's summer stacks in the long run is to post them as an actual photo in our feeds, not in our stories. And that way we can see. Again, if you want some book ideas, I will have links to all of these books that I mentioned, plus links to other posts that I've shared about books.

I like in the show notes. and I will include an summer reading guide. It's beautiful. It's laid out like a dang magazine. It is so pretty. So we'll have all those links. You will have so many things to choose from. But I'm so excited about my summer stack. And I hope that you get excited about yours as you make it. So all of those will be in the show notes at the lazy genius collective.com slash lazy slash summer reading 2019. Okay. I think that's it for today, you guys. Next week we'll talk about making food in the summer and my own personal approach to meal planning when routine goes out the window. If you are not subscribed to this podcast in a podcast app, go ahead and do that now so you don't

miss any new episodes. Thank you for listening. And until next time, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra and I'll see you next week. You ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that, more dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming You. People think, okay, an A-plus life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming You wherever you get your podcasts.