0:00

We're all looking for ways to save on

0:02

groceries, and at Whole Foods Market, there are

0:04

lots of ways to save on quality items

0:06

every day, so you don't

0:08

have to sacrifice quality to save money.

0:11

New weekly sales drop every Wednesday

0:13

at wholefoodsmarket.com, and when you're shopping

0:16

in-store, look for 365

0:18

by Whole Foods Market Items. Their store brand

0:20

has all the quality you expect from Whole

0:22

Foods Market at prices your wallet will love.

0:25

There are so many ways to save at

0:27

Whole Foods Market, now you know. Once

0:33

upon a time, Goldilocks discovered some

0:35

delicious iced coffee in someone else's

0:37

home. This

0:40

Dunkin' Cold is just right. And

0:44

this Dunkin' Cold is just right. And

0:47

this Dunkin' Cold is just right.

0:50

She sipped on and on, blissfully

0:52

unaware that the bears stood watching.

0:54

Berry, say something. Roar! Was

0:56

that good? The

0:58

Home With Dunkin' is where you want to be. Hi

1:03

there, you're listening to the Lazy Genius podcast.

1:05

I'm Kendra Adachi and I'm here to help

1:07

you be a genius about the things that

1:09

matter and lazy about the things that don't.

1:12

Today is episode 370, the ins and outs of summer reading. This

1:18

episode is for those of you who would classify

1:20

yourselves as readers and those of you

1:22

who would not. And here's why. I

1:24

want to look at two things in this episode. First,

1:26

I want us to look at the aspects of summer

1:28

reading that are all over the internet right now and

1:30

decide if they are in or out for

1:33

us as lazy geniuses. Are

1:35

we paying attention to the best things? Are

1:37

we telling ourselves the kind truths? Reading

1:39

has some weird layers and we're going to address those

1:41

today. Second, I'm going to share

1:44

the ins and outs or the mechanics of

1:46

how I am personally approaching summer reading in

1:48

my own life this year. If

1:50

you're new here, reading is my favorite

1:52

hobby and books are my favorite decoration.

1:54

I think about how, what, where, and

1:56

when I'm going to read all throughout

1:58

the year, but particularly in summer. If you

2:01

have similar leanings, maybe my approach might spark an idea

2:03

for you. But really the first part of this episode

2:05

is where I want us to spend the most time.

2:08

So last week, Leah

2:10

Jarvis, my director of content, she said

2:13

something when we were thinking through this

2:15

episode and it stuck with me. She said, reading

2:17

is not virtuous. Reading

2:20

is not virtuous. What

2:22

is your reaction to that? So a

2:25

virtue is something that indicates high moral character.

2:28

And while you can certainly learn things that

2:30

help deepen and grow your character from reading,

2:34

reading itself is not virtuous. It

2:36

doesn't make anyone better or worse than another.

2:39

Someone who reads is not morally better than

2:41

someone who doesn't. But

2:43

do you live like that's true? If you're

2:46

not a reader, do you see

2:48

that aspect of yourself neutrally? I

2:51

hear people all the time, especially women

2:53

who are frankly carrying a lot on their

2:55

plates already say things like, I should read

2:57

more, or I feel bad that

2:59

I'm not more of a reader, or

3:02

I just don't enjoy reading

3:04

that much. And I know that's probably terrible

3:06

that I just don't. There is some

3:08

secret shame, and maybe not so secret attached

3:10

to whether you read or not. And

3:13

I wonder if it's because somewhere in our

3:15

thinking we have internalized that reading is virtuous.

3:17

Instead of seeing reading for pleasure as a

3:20

virtue, let's just see it

3:22

for what it is. It's a hobby. Reading,

3:25

at least in the way we're talking about, which

3:27

is just personal enjoyment, is a

3:30

hobby. It's just one way

3:32

to leisurely spend your time

3:34

and feel like yourself. If

3:36

you choose it as your primary hobby,

3:38

like I do, awesome. If it's just

3:41

one hobby of several, and it's not

3:43

always front and center, awesome. If it's

3:45

just not one of your hobbies at

3:47

all, awesome. Reading is

3:49

not virtuous, y'all. Yes,

3:52

it can open your eyes to aspects

3:54

of human nature and other lived experiences,

3:57

but so can conversations and relationships.

4:00

You don't have to read in order to grow as a person

4:02

or be a person. Reading is just

4:04

one way you can do that. So

4:07

in light of that, what's in and what's

4:09

out for us as lazy geniuses when it

4:11

comes to summer reading in particular? There

4:14

are a few things I see floating around

4:16

the internet this time of year and I

4:18

want us to look at them through a

4:20

lazy genius non-shaming, reading itself is not virtuous,

4:22

let's just have fun lens. Ready? So

4:25

first up, reading plans. When

4:27

I say reading plans, I mean like a list of books that you'll

4:30

read in the summer or a

4:32

certain kind of goal like a

4:34

number of pages or a number of hours or something. Any

4:37

intention at all toward your summer reading would be

4:39

a reading plan. So are reading plans in

4:41

or out? I don't

4:43

think you're going to be surprised by this or any future

4:46

answer at this point, but reading plans are in if you

4:48

want a reading plan and they're out if you don't. You

4:51

get to decide. Because

4:53

people who love to read as

4:55

a hobby and that hobby tends

4:57

to pick up in the summer, they're

5:00

going to be really passionate about summer reading. And

5:03

if you're not passionate, you might

5:05

feel badly about that. You think, I should probably

5:07

have a summer reading plan, right? I mean, that's

5:09

what people do. Only

5:11

people who want to be a genius about it because reading

5:13

matters a lot to them. If it doesn't

5:16

matter to you, be lazy about a summer reading

5:18

plan. That might mean reading

5:20

just one good book before August is over. Or

5:22

that might mean releasing the shame you have around not

5:24

reading at all and just enjoying the

5:26

water or the park or your gardener or couch

5:29

or your other hobbies instead. Reading

5:31

plans are in and so fun for

5:33

people who love reading and they are

5:35

absolutely out for people who don't have

5:37

the care or energy right now. And

5:40

that phrase right now deserves a little attention before

5:42

we move on. Anything that

5:44

was in for you for a long

5:47

time might be out in this season

5:49

or vice versa. The ins

5:51

and outs of your personal reading

5:53

life will likely change over time based

5:55

on what season you're in. So

5:58

notice that if you're struggling. to

6:00

adjust your perspective on what, how,

6:02

or even if you read. Maybe

6:05

it's more about your season than you think. Okay,

6:08

next thing we see a lot right now,

6:10

summer reads. There are lists of summer reads

6:13

everywhere, books set at the beach on a

6:15

tropical island during a summer, like

6:17

a hot summer, you know? Maybe it's a

6:19

summer read because it's an escape and

6:21

in another world entirely. A summer

6:24

read might be one that does not require like

6:27

a lot of your brain, just easy breezy.

6:29

A summer read might be something that's

6:31

really long that requires an entire summer

6:34

to really get into. There

6:36

are so many ways to look at what a summer read is, so

6:38

is that in or out? As

6:41

lazy geniuses, what do we think about

6:43

summer reads in particular? Again,

6:45

it's up to you. If you

6:48

like saving frothy romance novels for summer, do

6:50

it. If you want to read Anna Karenina

6:52

on the beach, do it. If you want

6:54

to read a novel set in the snowy

6:56

winter, even if it's hot outside, do it.

6:59

Basically, if you love the idea of

7:01

summer reads and look forward to reading

7:03

them during the actual summer, enjoy

7:06

them, save them up, savor them, fly through

7:08

those pages, enjoy the way they make you

7:11

feel. But if that is

7:13

too heavy a list for you and you just don't

7:15

even understand why everyone's making a big deal about summer

7:17

reads, read whatever you want if you

7:19

even want to, right? We all get to choose.

7:22

Now let's pause a minute and I want to

7:24

talk about some boundaries around reading. I

7:26

need this message more than anyone. The

7:29

person who reads a lot might

7:32

have the tendency to try and get someone who

7:34

doesn't read as much to read more. They

7:37

or I say things

7:39

like, well, what do you like to read? I'll help

7:41

you find something. Or I bet you would

7:43

love this book. It's right up your alley. But

7:46

if that person just is not interested and is

7:48

trying to be nice and like

7:50

also might have some of that non-reading shame

7:52

I mentioned earlier, all I'm doing is being

7:55

annoying. The person who loves

7:57

to read doesn't necessarily need to try and convince

7:59

the person who doesn't doesn't love to read to change their mind.

8:02

And then on the flip side, the person

8:04

who doesn't read a lot, doesn't need to

8:06

poo-poo on people who geek out over summer

8:08

reading lists, right? Before

8:11

we became lazy geniuses and we learned

8:13

that people who love order are not hiding

8:15

something or think they're better than other people,

8:18

and that people who are a self-defined hot

8:21

mess are not necessarily more real and more

8:23

vulnerable, before that, we might have

8:25

thought that people who don't read are struggling with

8:27

something and they just need the right motivation. Or

8:30

that people who read all the time think

8:32

they're better and smarter than everyone else. That's

8:35

the water we used to swim in, especially

8:37

as women. So much judgment, so much comparison,

8:39

so many assumptions about how a person actually

8:41

is because of one particular behavior. I

8:44

haven't talked about that aspect of being a person in a

8:46

while, mostly because we've moved past

8:48

that in this community. And

8:51

even though talking about it in a reading

8:53

episode is a bit wild, it matters here.

8:55

If reading is not virtuous, a

8:58

person cannot be labeled as virtuous or not

9:00

based on whether or not they read. That

9:02

means we need to see reading choices as

9:05

neutral and let people live. There

9:07

is no judgment if someone geeks out over

9:09

books and there is no judgment if someone

9:11

doesn't read books at all and everything in

9:14

between. We all get to choose.

9:18

Rack up the deals on everything summer at Nordstrom

9:20

Rack and get brains you love up to 60%

9:22

off. Bimps, Kate

9:24

Spade New York, Steve Madden, Madewell,

9:27

Nike, and more. Great brands, great

9:29

prices every day at Nordstrom Rack.

9:32

Justin dresses, tops, shorts,

9:34

sandals, sneakers, denim, luxury

9:36

bags, and sunglasses. Rack

9:38

up the deals today and save up to 60% on

9:40

summer at your Nordstrom Rack

9:43

store. Put

9:45

down the boring burgers and said salads.

9:47

This is a flavor intervention. Spice

9:49

up any bland meal with the bold taste

9:52

of Helmand's spicy mayonnaise. Much like the classic

9:54

Helmand's we all know and love, but with

9:56

real peppers to give it that perfect kick

9:58

and to make a dish absolutely. irresistible, all

10:01

you need is Hellman's Garlic Aioli made with

10:03

real garlic. Deliciously flavorful, 100%

10:06

Hellman's. Find Spicy Man-Ace, Garlic Aioli

10:08

and even more exciting flavors at

10:11

Hellman's.com. Once

10:15

upon a time, Goldilocks discovered

10:17

some delicious iced coffee in

10:19

someone else's home. This

10:22

Dunkin' Cold is just right. And

10:26

this Dunkin' Cold is just right. And

10:29

this Dunkin' Cold is just right.

10:31

She sipped on and on, blissfully

10:33

unaware that the bears stood watching.

10:37

Barry, say something. Roar! Was that good? The

10:40

home with Dunkin' is where you want to be. Oh,

10:45

watch your step. Wow, your attic

10:47

is so dark. Dark? I know, right?

10:49

It's the perfect place to stream horror

10:51

movies. Sleepy.

10:54

What movie is that? I haven't pressed

10:56

play yet. AHHHH!

10:59

AT&T Fiber with All-Fi covers your whole house.

11:01

Even your really, really creepy attic turns home

11:04

theater. Jimmy, what have I told

11:06

you about scaring our guests? Get

11:08

AT&T Fiber with All-Fi and live like

11:10

a gazillionaire. Limited availability coverage may

11:12

require extenders at additional charge. Our

11:17

next thing to determine if it's in or

11:19

out, family reading. Ooh, this

11:22

one I think is pretty close

11:24

to like the, wait, isn't reading virtuous

11:26

camp? There's already enough pressure

11:29

on those of you who have kids to be

11:31

good parents. We all know

11:33

there is a lot of judgment around raising kids,

11:35

and reading does not escape that. And

11:38

in the summer when your kids are likely

11:40

home, reading might be a

11:42

big piece of the puzzle, at least in

11:44

conversation. You're trying to figure out how to

11:46

motivate your kids to read. They always have

11:48

to read before screen time. Maybe there are

11:50

incentives, you know, that kind of thing. Lots

11:53

of potential decisions. And

11:55

while all that's great, I think it

11:57

sometimes can feel like the only thing. option

12:00

that you have to do really

12:02

organized family reading. So is family

12:05

reading time in or out? You

12:07

already know the answer but it depends on what matters to

12:09

you. For some families,

12:11

for some kids, for some

12:13

ages, for some seasons, reading

12:16

is going to take on a different shape. That is

12:18

normal and okay. It can be

12:20

something that is of the highest value in your

12:22

family and you can also go

12:24

through an entire summer with your kids and never go

12:26

to the library or read together as a family one

12:28

time. We used to

12:31

do family reading time in the summer because

12:33

I wanted to model how I value reading,

12:35

that I also wanted everybody to be quiet

12:37

for 20 minutes and not ask me any questions. So

12:40

for years, family reading time was for survival

12:42

as much as anything, for my survival. But

12:45

I've slowly shifted how I see it,

12:47

how I see family reading. Because I

12:49

love reading, I think

12:52

it's natural to want

12:54

my kids to love reading, you know? And in

12:56

general, I think they do.

12:58

Ben, my middle kid, genuinely loves reading.

13:00

Like he takes a book with him

13:02

most places. He is as content

13:04

as he can be. He uses my audible credits more

13:06

than I do. That child loves listening to Percy

13:08

Jackson. Now Sam, my

13:11

oldest, actively says he hates

13:13

reading because he's 14 and he

13:15

actively says he hates those things. But

13:18

when he gets into a book, he will not do anything

13:20

else. Like his posturing about it

13:22

is a bit more due to his age and

13:24

development than his actual feelings about reading. But deep

13:27

down, he doesn't actually hate it. So

13:29

I kind of have to nurture that a little bit.

13:32

And then Annie, my youngest, she likes being read too.

13:34

But she had a lot

13:36

of anxiety early on in learning how to

13:38

read. Now that is starting to fade. But

13:40

we're still trying to move into the phase

13:42

of independent reading for her. And

13:44

I know that will come with time and exposure

13:46

and practice. Something I would

13:48

like to provide for her in a

13:50

non pressured way. Even

13:53

after that, if she doesn't love reading as much

13:55

as I do or Ben does, that's okay. We

13:57

all like different things and we engage in different

13:59

hobbies. over time. But

14:01

it does matter to me to give her

14:03

the tools to try so she

14:06

doesn't miss out on a hobby she might love. So

14:08

I say all that to say, I'm

14:10

personally in on family reading, but

14:13

I also hold it much more loosely than I

14:15

used to. I think it's

14:17

valuable to have reading in your life, but

14:20

I don't want to unintentionally communicate to my

14:22

kids that reading and readers are more virtuous,

14:24

right? Because I don't believe that's true. So

14:27

when it comes to family reading, whether it's in or out

14:29

this summer is up to you and in whatever way. Now

14:32

I could list out any number of other

14:35

summer reading concepts and then ask if like,

14:37

are these are out that you already know

14:39

the answer. Are they in or out? It's

14:41

up to you. So remember these

14:43

last few minutes, whenever you feel that like little

14:45

little niggling in the back of your brain, like

14:48

reading shame towards yourself

14:50

or reading judgment towards someone else, even

14:53

in like a totally benign way. Reading

14:55

is not virtuous. And being a reader

14:58

does not automatically make you a virtuous

15:00

person. Reading is a tool. It

15:02

is a hobby. It is a neutral thing

15:04

that can be used in powerful, enjoyable ways.

15:07

But it is not more worthy of your time and

15:09

attention than something else that brings you joy unless

15:11

you just genuinely want it to be right.

15:14

Okay, now we're going to take a super strong turn and

15:17

I'm going to tell you what's in and out this summer

15:19

for my own reading. This will be less like philosophically heavy.

15:21

I promise. I just want you guys to have

15:23

permission to like not be

15:25

so stressed out about summer reading. I just

15:28

don't want that. Okay. Now it

15:30

is likely not surprising that

15:32

what is in for me are summer

15:34

reading plans, summer reads, family reading, reading

15:37

hours for myself, all the reading things.

15:39

Like I said, reading is my favorite hobby and I

15:41

want to make as much time and space for it as

15:43

I can. All of those things

15:46

might look different than in summer's

15:48

past, but they still matter to

15:50

me because I love reading. If

15:52

you get the latest lazy letter,

15:54

my monthly newsletter, you already know that

15:56

because I share all my book reviews in

15:58

that and it's usually 10. to 12 a month.

16:01

As I thought about my summer reading plan and how I

16:03

wanted to approach it, I knew that

16:05

I needed to start with what matters.

16:07

Shocker. But in some ways

16:09

that felt weirdly challenging this year. Like so

16:12

many things could matter about reading, but

16:14

also isn't the thing that matters that

16:17

I just read a lot? Like what matters

16:19

is that I read as much as possible and

16:21

I like what I'm reading. That's honestly my

16:23

goal all the time though. So what makes it

16:26

different during, you know, the

16:28

sparkly summer reading season for me. When

16:31

I think back on my favorite reading memories,

16:34

there is always some kind of context. I

16:37

read Jaber Crow by Wendell Berry in the early

16:39

days of the pandemic, mostly on my front porch

16:41

swing. I remember finishing the book on

16:43

that swing, like holding it to my chest as

16:45

the wind blew and being

16:48

just so gratefully content for my life, even

16:50

in the midst of all this pandemic

16:52

loneliness and chaos we were all experiencing.

16:55

I read the Hunger Games, like the

16:58

whole trilogy in this one corner of my couch

17:00

over two days in November. I barely

17:02

got up, but who cares? Because

17:04

it was November and it was cold outside and it

17:06

was perfect to stay put. I read

17:09

Malibu Rising and People We Meet on Vacation

17:11

and Project Hail Mary during the same stretch

17:13

of weeks and one of the hottest summers

17:16

ever. And that was before we joined a

17:18

pool. Those settings in those

17:20

books helps me feel like it was summer

17:22

without my having to be outside in the

17:24

aggressive heat. I read the

17:26

entire ACOTAR series on my Kindle in less

17:28

than two weeks, the entire series in

17:31

less than two weeks at the pool and in

17:33

my house while I was cooking dinner and while I brushed

17:35

my teeth and literally everywhere. Certain

17:38

reading experiences are connected to

17:40

certain contexts and I think

17:42

those contexts matter. We

17:45

don't have to make every single book match our

17:47

lives perfectly and know what

17:49

we're walking away with, you know, some kind

17:51

of like formative reading experience. That's just not

17:53

how life works, nor do I want

17:55

it to. That's just too much pressure on

17:57

my reading life to make every book count. in

18:00

the moment. But I do love

18:02

being thoughtful about what I'm reading and how

18:04

I'm approaching it, especially in unique seasons. And

18:07

summer is a unique

18:09

season because of the time, the

18:11

vibes, the weather, the permission to

18:13

read more or to read differently than in

18:16

other seasons. So

18:18

I want to approach this upcoming summer

18:21

with a little bit of that intention.

18:23

And I'm doing that in three ways.

18:25

Okay. First, I am naming where

18:28

and when I usually read so that

18:30

I can be aware of like

18:32

where and when I'm in those places and actually choose

18:35

reading while I'm there. Does that make sense? Like I

18:37

can look forward to it. Second,

18:39

I have five summer reading house rules for

18:41

myself and my family. And then third, I

18:43

have a summer reading queue with books that

18:46

I feel like fit the summer well.

18:48

I'm not trying to force the context too much, but I'd

18:50

like to at least give myself a chance. So

18:53

let's start, I'm just gonna explain

18:55

like the naming where and when piece of

18:57

this of where I usually read in the

18:59

summer. Like this is such a, this is

19:02

such a basic question, you guys. But I

19:04

think the basic questions are actually weirdly helpful.

19:06

Where do I read? I read

19:09

at home, at the pool and in

19:11

the car. Those are the

19:13

three main places. If Kaz is driving and we're

19:15

going somewhere that takes longer than 10 minutes, I'm

19:17

probably reading. If I'm at the

19:19

pool and I'm not in the water with my

19:22

kids or talking to my sister or friend, I'm

19:24

probably reading. And if I'm home and not talking

19:26

to someone, I'm probably reading either with a

19:28

book in my hands or a book in my ears. It's

19:30

just what I do. But knowing

19:32

those main times and places that I

19:35

do read, it was weirdly helpful for

19:37

me to name. It

19:39

gives my reading choices context.

19:42

So if you look at the summer

19:44

as like one big season, you might

19:46

not be as intentional about when you

19:48

want to read in that season. So

19:50

think about your own context. If it

19:52

would help look at the places you

19:54

normally are and decide when you'd like

19:56

to read in those places. Like it's

19:58

not a hard rule, I must

20:01

read at the pool every time. It's

20:03

just shining a light on your life so

20:05

you can see how reading can

20:07

better fit into where you already are. Okay,

20:10

so that's the first thing that I thought about. Home,

20:13

pool, car. Now,

20:15

house rules. Set house

20:17

rules is one of the 13 lazy

20:19

genius principles that I highlight in my

20:21

first book, The Lazy Genius Way. I

20:23

love set house rules. House

20:26

rules are my favorite. They are rules

20:28

that everyone in the house follows,

20:30

but not for the purpose of

20:33

control. House rules keep life in

20:35

rhythm and they support what

20:37

matters. If you know

20:39

that things fall apart because this particular

20:41

thing happens and then that thing knocks

20:43

down like all the metaphorical dominoes after

20:45

it, make a house

20:48

rule involving that first domino. See if you

20:50

can keep it from falling. It's like

20:52

last week's snack episode. Have a house rule

20:54

about how often kids can snack or whatever

20:56

so you don't get asked and then get

20:58

frustrated and then get mad and then yell

21:00

and then have to repair. Now it's an

21:02

hour later and you lost your reading time

21:04

because you were too busy apologizing about goldfish.

21:07

House rules are great. Okay, so

21:09

I have five summer reading house rules this

21:11

year. Three for me and two for everybody

21:14

in my house. Let's start with the three

21:16

for me. First summer reading

21:18

house rule, always bring your Kindle

21:20

along. I do read

21:23

on the Kindle app on my phone,

21:25

but recently I've had a much harder

21:27

time than usual staying on that app instead

21:30

of sneaking over to Instagram or my email or

21:32

a game or something. Now none of those three

21:34

things are bad, but I

21:36

would rather read. I would rather read. Reading matters

21:38

more to me, but still the addictive nature of

21:40

my phone in my hand, it makes

21:43

it easy for me to succumb to

21:45

what I've been sort of programmed to

21:47

do, you know, like those dopamine hips

21:49

from that stuff. They are addictive. The

21:52

world we live in messes with our ability to focus

21:55

and that impacts how much I can stand my Kindle

21:57

app without going somewhere else for a minute.

22:00

that turned into 20 minutes. So I

22:03

read now on my actual Kindle. That's

22:05

not actually a house rule, but

22:08

I suppose it is about my realizing it. Like I

22:10

do now kind of have a loose rule to read

22:12

on my Kindle instead of on my phone. That's funny.

22:14

But the real summer house rule is to take my

22:16

Kindle with me. If I'm going somewhere,

22:18

I take the Kindle. Even if

22:20

I'm going to another room, I

22:23

take my Kindle with me. I wanna have

22:25

access to quick reading that does not require

22:27

me to hold an entire book or fit

22:29

a book in my purse or whatever. The

22:31

Kindle is like a little bird that perches on my

22:33

shoulder at all times. It just follows me around. Flying

22:35

from room to room, errand to errand,

22:38

staying with me. Always bring the

22:40

Kindle with me. House rule

22:42

number two, bring the

22:44

Kindle and a book to the

22:46

pool. We will go to the

22:48

pool a lot this summer, and I do love

22:51

reading at the pool. I love it so much. And

22:53

sometimes it's too hot to not get in

22:55

the water. But when I'm in the water, I'm

22:58

not always playing with a kid or talking to a

23:00

friend. Sometimes I'm by myself and I'm reading. But

23:03

I learned the hard way that reading a

23:05

paper book while standing in the pool, no

23:07

matter how hard you work to not get

23:09

it wet, will result in the book getting

23:11

wet. It's just what happens. So the Kindle

23:14

is for being in the water. But

23:16

when I'm sitting in a lounge chair or like up in

23:18

the shade of the grass at my pool, I would rather

23:20

hold a paper book. So

23:23

my house rule is to bring both a book

23:26

and a Kindle. As often as possible,

23:28

as often as I remember to the pool,

23:31

so that I can enjoy my reading

23:33

experience in that context.

23:37

House rule number three, stick

23:40

to my cue. As

23:42

I say that, it has me in a bit of a pickle because

23:44

I do like reading

23:46

by mood. Maybe it's because

23:48

I was an English major and was told what to read

23:50

for four years. But

23:52

I'm always resistant to reading

23:55

from a list. I'm not much

23:57

of a rebel, but I am in that way. So.

24:00

Choosing specific books for specific seasons

24:02

has almost always worked for me and

24:04

it usually very much works for me in the summer.

24:07

So I really do wanna stick to my summer reading

24:09

queue. You know, like these are

24:11

the books I definitely wanna read this summer. Now

24:13

the reason I feel a little sticky about it right

24:15

now though is because I haven't chosen all the books

24:18

yet. So there's

24:20

nothing to be excited about because I don't exactly

24:22

know what I'm going to read. I have a

24:24

handful of things in my summer queue but I'm

24:27

still working on building it. But

24:30

one thing I have thought about though

24:32

is to format. I read about 10

24:34

to 12 books a month and those are

24:36

a mix of physical books, digital books and

24:38

audio books. However, I collect

24:41

the first two kinds and not the last. Audio

24:44

books are mood choices. It's whatever is

24:46

available on Libby or it's a deal

24:48

on chirp or something. So

24:50

those, I'm just gonna take them as they come.

24:53

I don't hoard audio books. But

24:56

for physical books and digital books, I

24:58

have quite a few. And

25:00

I would like to set aside

25:02

some specific titles to read this

25:04

season when I think the context

25:06

will matter. Okay, so since

25:08

I read 10 to 12 books

25:10

a month, I

25:13

think setting aside four

25:15

to five titles a month seems reasonable because

25:17

I can leave the rest for audio book and

25:19

mood. So that's two

25:21

physical and two digital options

25:23

a month. So that's

25:25

a summer reading queue of six. If

25:27

we're looking at three months, six physical books and

25:30

six digital books. And

25:32

they're all already ones that I own. So

25:34

once I pick those, which will probably happen

25:36

this week, I will be

25:38

sure to put them in the latest Lazy Listens email

25:40

that accompanies this episode. You can sign

25:43

up for those emails with the link in the show notes. We'll

25:46

see how many I decide. I

25:48

just feel like really resistant to it right now.

25:51

It's okay though, I'm gonna be patient. However,

25:55

it is important for you to know that because

25:57

it's summer, I'm recording this episode a couple of weeks

25:59

before. actually releases. You're listening in the middle of

26:01

June and I'm recording it at the very start.

26:03

I don't think that matters that much, but in

26:06

case some of you are worried that

26:08

I'm trying to cram four books into the next two

26:10

weeks when you're listening, I will probably

26:13

read four books in the next two weeks anyway, but I've

26:15

already read them. So there's no

26:17

need to be concerned for me. Podcast

26:19

timing is weird. Okay. The

26:22

final two house rules involve my kids, not

26:24

just me. House rule number four, and every

26:26

day I mentioned this a

26:28

couple of weeks ago when I shared my summer playbook

26:30

this year and we are, we are doing a new

26:32

thing this year rather than having

26:34

a list of things each

26:36

kid needs to do in order to get

26:39

screen time that day, which is

26:41

the thing they ask for the most. They have a

26:43

list of things they need to do in order to

26:45

get screen time. The next day we've been doing it

26:47

for a few days already. It isn't

26:49

so great. Like the jury's still out,

26:52

but the kids having the entire

26:54

day to do their list on

26:56

their own time without it impacting

26:59

today's rhythm and especially today's screen

27:01

time options. It has, it's really

27:03

been great. But one of the things

27:05

that will be on that list every single day for everybody is

27:07

to read. I might be specific

27:10

and how long, what book, maybe a new format

27:12

to try, but a house rule for us is

27:14

within reason. And when it makes sense, we read

27:16

every day and hospital number

27:18

five, we go to the library about every

27:20

two weeks. If we make it part

27:23

of our rhythm like we have in summer's past, eventually

27:25

the kids get to a place where they, they know

27:27

where things are in the library. They

27:29

get used to choosing something and they always

27:31

read in the car once we leave y'all.

27:34

It's the sweetest thing. It's like so quiet.

27:36

Everybody's reading their books and I always take it like a

27:38

very roundabout way home, like a

27:41

very long way home from the library. Our

27:43

library is like six minutes from our house

27:45

and I drive probably 25 minutes before we

27:47

get home because they're just like reading

27:50

the whole time. They don't even think about it. It's so cute.

27:53

Now also part of this library every two

27:55

weeks house rule is to prevent the domino

27:57

falling of late books and bookstores. and all

28:00

of that. It's just nice to know that we

28:02

have a built-in rhythm to return books that

28:04

we're done with, right? I

28:07

also really love our local branch that's six minutes

28:09

away, but we do have a lot of

28:11

libraries in our county. So part of

28:13

this rhythm might be to explore other branches of the

28:15

library too. We'll see if that happens. But ultimately going

28:18

to the library a couple of times a month, it's

28:20

going to be a great house rule for us. Okay.

28:23

So in summary, reading

28:26

is not virtuous. At least I don't

28:28

think so. And not on its

28:30

own. Now, some of you listening to this

28:32

might disagree with me in the particulars of

28:35

that statement, but I'm fairly confident that all of you

28:37

believe that people are good even when they

28:39

don't like to read. We all

28:41

know people we love dearly who just do

28:43

not enjoy reading no matter how good we might think we

28:45

are at recommending books to them. So

28:48

let's just let everyone make the decisions they need to and

28:51

approach some are reading the way they need

28:53

to. And we leave our judgment and comparison

28:55

and chain behind. Anything can be in or

28:57

out depending on what matters to you. Now,

29:00

if you're looking to be intentional about

29:02

a summer reading rhythm, think about where

29:04

and when you usually read or would

29:07

like to prioritize reading that context really

29:09

helps. And then consider if there

29:11

is a house rule or two that would

29:13

help you keep that priority at the forefront. For

29:16

me, it's to bring my Kindle with me to bring a

29:18

Kindle and a physical book to the pool, reading

29:21

for my summer reading queue so I can

29:23

enjoy those summer reading, summer books

29:25

on purpose to read every day

29:27

as a family, not necessarily together, but

29:30

that everybody reads every day and then go to the

29:32

library every couple of weeks. Now

29:34

that might seem like a lot for some of

29:36

you and then not nearly enough for others. Everyone

29:39

gets to choose how to approach summer reading, what's

29:41

in, what's out, and then we can all

29:43

choose to be kind to ourselves and others

29:46

about those choices. And

29:48

those are the ins and outs of summer reading.

29:51

Okay, before we go, let's celebrate the

29:53

lazy genius of the week. This week,

29:56

it's Beth Keith. Beth writes,

29:58

I keep two boxes of gear. deli brownies

30:00

in my pantry at all times as a

30:02

way to show up for people in various

30:04

ways. I've made them for a neighbor having

30:06

a bad day, as a dessert to a

30:08

last-minute dinner gathering, and an easy potluck contribution,

30:10

or even as a treat for my family.

30:12

The brownies are easy and quick to make

30:14

with ingredients we always have on hand. I

30:17

like to have two so I can scale up to

30:19

a double batch if needed, and I can always add

30:21

toppings or a side of ice cream if I want

30:23

to be fancy. Beth, I love this and I do

30:25

this too. I get the mix from Costco even. We

30:28

have six bags at a time. They really are such

30:30

good brownies. Also, you guys, if

30:32

you would like to amp up these brownies a bit,

30:34

I don't know if this works necessarily with like all

30:36

box brownies, but with these cura deli ones, I

30:39

add a healthy pinch of

30:41

salt to the batter because, of

30:44

course, I do. I also add

30:46

a half a teaspoon or so

30:48

of instant espresso powder, which just

30:50

makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey,

30:52

not more coffee-y, and

30:56

sometimes I add a little dash of vanilla. If

30:58

I'm not in too much of a rush, I use milk instead of

31:00

water, and I always add an extra

31:02

handful of chocolate chips. Or when

31:04

they're in season, a few of

31:07

those chocolate dips, peppermint Jojo's

31:09

from Trader Joe's, you chop those up,

31:11

put them in a brownie. Holy moly!

31:14

But yes, having a favorite boxed brownie

31:16

mix around, it really is

31:18

like one of the easiest ways to add

31:20

some sparkle to any day, especially

31:22

a summer one. So thank you

31:25

for this Beth, and congratulations on being the

31:27

Lazy Genius of the Week. This

31:29

episode is hosted by me, Kendra Adachi,

31:31

an executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna

31:33

Fisher, and Angela Kinsey. The Lazy Genius

31:35

podcast is enthusiastically part of the Office

31:37

Ladies Network. Special thanks to Leah Jarvis

31:40

for weekly production. Thanks y'all for listening,

31:42

and until next time, be a genius

31:44

about the things that matter, and lazy

31:46

about the things that don't. I'm

31:48

Kendra, and I'll see you next week. Imagine

32:13

earning a degree that prepares you with real

32:15

skills for the real world. Capella

32:18

University's programs teach skills relevant to

32:20

your career so you can apply

32:22

what you learn right away. Learn how Capella

32:24

can make a difference in your life at

32:26

capella.edu.