Well, folks, it’s August. Yes, it is here. Stay calm, everyone; it’s still summertime. Don’t panic. Especially don’t panic if your summer reading life hasn’t lived up to your expectations yet. We bring ourselves into all the things we do. I know that may sound obvious, but let me explain. If you are a perfectionist, you likely bring high standards into a lot of what you do. If you are someone who likes organization and plans, you probably bring your lists and charts into many areas of life. And so on. So chances are, you are bringing yourself into your reading life. Which means sometimes we can be hard on ourselves when we are supposed to be having fun, right?
I find it helpful to have some mantras available when I am getting all stuck in “my rules” for reading. These show up when I feel like I am taking too long to read a book or I should pick up a book, as opposed to what I really want to read. Here are my go-tos:
“Kathryn, this isn’t school.”
“Kathryn, you’re an adult, do what you want.”
Depending on the day, these phrases get more colorful.
Try this…
Do you need a reading mantra? Are there sticking points for you that come up in your reading life? Mantras are only helpful if they fit you, but here are some starters for you to tailor to your needs and personality…
Just keep reading (you can channel Dory from Finding Nemo here)
Just one chapter today.
A page read is a page READ! Yipee!
Practical tip for summer reading…
Try short books. If finding time to read or staying engaged in a book is a problem because your reading life feels choppy, consider shorter books or books that are in different formats that fit better for this stage of life. There are many to try.
Novellas
Short story collections
Graphic novels
Poetry collections
The comment section is what we make of it…
Stay in the shade and join the comment section.
Do you have sticky pieces of your personality that get in the way of your reading life?
What are your reading mantras (sometimes you have them, but perhaps you don’t call them mantras)?
Any books you are prioritizing in the last month of summer?
Hello! I just finished The House in Paris by Kate Bowen and am currently reading The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand to get psyched up to go to Cape Cod soon. I can notice myself getting hard on myself about not finishing all my "summer books" but that is where a good mantra can be helpful!
My kids went back to school today so my summer reading is about to pick up for this last month of summer 😂