A&B #9

Hey friends,

I'm writing to all 2,753 of you today (up from 2,640 readers last week)!Yesterday was Halloween so in the spirit of trick or treating, I'm giving away some treats–free bookmarks. The only requirement is that you have a US address (I can't afford international shipping). Reply to this email with your name and mailing address and I'll send you some bookmarks for free. 

Alright, let's dive into this week's newsletter!

Podcast Update:

No new podcast this week, but since this newsletter is all about books and reading tips, here are two amazing podcast episodes for bibliophiles:

• TRJ #8. Alan Jacobs: How To Get More Pleasure Out Of Your Reading

• TRJ #4. Anne Bogel: How To Make Your Reading Life Fun & Delightful

PS: I know a lot of people are busy and don't have time to watch full episodes of the podcast, so I started making clips of some of the best moments and posting it on YouTube. You can watch it here.

Book Lessons:

I love reading books about books and here's a hidden gem most people don't know about: The Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life by Steve Leveen. This book shares a ton of great advice on how to get more books in your life and more life out of your books. Here are three lessons from it: 1) It's Okay To Give Up On A Book In life, it's usually good to have a finish-what-you-start mentality. But that's not the case when it comes to reading. If a book doesn't speak to you or give you value in exchange for your time, why suffer through it? As author Steve Leveen writes, "A few years ago I gave up on Crime and Punishment. I found it not enough crime and too much punishment." If you don't know when to give up on a book, Steve recommends applying the 50-page rule: If you don't like it after 50 pages, close the book and move on. Even if you do quit the book, you can always go back to it later. Books don't hold a grudge nor do they change. They will greet you with open arms years or even decades later. 2) It's Okay To Write In Your BooksJust as a lot of people feel guilty about quitting books, many readers feel guilty about writing in their books. But here's the truth: that's also okay. In fact, it's encouraged.Writing in your books helps you stay awake while reading. It also lets you jot down your reaction to what you've read and markup text to revisit for a later time. Let reading be a conversation with the author, not a lecture. Just as books leave their mark on us, let us leave our mark on them. 3) It's Okay To Read AudiobooksAnother common guilt among readers is that they feel they aren't true readers because they listen to audiobooks. If that's you, don't worry, we accept you as a legitimate reader. It's okay to read with your ears instead of your eyes. Author Steve Leveen was reborn as a reader thanks to his discovery of audiobooks. If you have a hard time reading print or digital books, consider giving audiobooks a try. Human beings listened to stories thousands of years before they learned how to read so there's an argument to be made that audiobooks are actually the original form of reading. Plus, audiobooks are a great way to read while multi-tasking so even if you love print books, you can use audiobooks to get more books into your life.  Actionable Advice:

• Next time you start a new book, apply the 50-page rule:

  • If you aren't enjoying the book after reading the first 50 pages, drop it and move on to a new one

• Write in your books:

  • Make reading a conversation and write in the margins about whether or not you agree with what the author is saying

• Give audiobooks a try

  • Listen to them while commuting, working out, or walking the dog

  • PS: If you want a free month of Audible, use this link

Reading Tip:Here are two new reading tips:1) Follow the Footnotes:One of the best ways to find great book recommendations is by looking at the footnotes & bibliography of your favorite book.2) Book O' Clock:In life, when there's an interaction we want to do, we schedule a specific time for it (gym session, work meeting, etc.). So why don't do the same thing for reading?Schedule a specific time to read every day. It could be as short as 15 minutes or as long as an hour (if you want to read more go for it). The key is to block off a period of time where the sole purpose of that time is to do one thing–READ.

Weekly Quote:"Book-love...never flags or fails, but, like Beauty itself, is a joy for ever."–Holbrook Jackson

Photo of the Week:

I know a lot of people are into digital note-taking apps like Notion, so I created a page to help you:

• Keep track of and rate the books you've read

• Add the key takeaways you've learned

• Create a list of actionable advice

I call it The Reader's Journal. You can get a

copy of the document here.

PS: Notion is free so if you haven't used it before, just set up an account and you'll be good to go.

Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next week!Read on,Alex W.