New Years Resolution #1: Read More Books

I have loved books for as long as I can remember. In elementary school I read the entire Laura Ingalls Wilder series on repeat until the pages were worn as thin as tissue. In the summers, when Aaron and I were first married, we would take 3 week long trips abroad and I would pack books by the armful to come along for the ride. As I finished them, I would leave them in my wake-- on a stone wall along a canal in Bruges, at an outdoor table at a cafe in Paris, in the back seat pocket of a train in Italy. I hoped that they would find an owner who loved them as much as I did. (I was also just grateful for the added room in my suitcase for new shoes!) I never thought that I would be interested in trading in my tangible, paperback books for a digital tablet version, but when Amazon asked me to try out their new Kindle Paperwhite, I obliged.

Within the first week, I managed to make it halfway through All The Light We Cannot See, a book I've been intending to read since it's release over a year ago!  It may not be speed reading, but for a working mom of a toddler, it felt like a Guinness World Record... and also like a nice reprieve in the middle of a busy week!  I found myself reaching for it the very first day I had it while waiting to have lunch with a friend and then again at the salon while my highlights were processing. I stuck it in my beach bag last week before driving out to Malibu with my mom and nephew who were in town and even managed to sneak in a couple of chapters while they took Parker for a walk on the beach.  I love that, even if for just a few moments, I can escape into a book.  It feels like such a luxury!  For the last year I have been saying that I'm going to read more, but now it actually feels like an achievable goal for 2016! For more tips on how to find your own mini escape and read more books this year, keep reading below...

Tips for Reading More Books!

-Consider treating yourself to the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.  It is so small and compact that you can take it literally anywhere.  Also the screen lights up so that you can read in bed without disturbing any bed buddies or at the beach without any glare!  Plus, it connects you directly to amazon so that you can download books with a single click  and then stores them in your own little library.  Genius!

-Start a Morning Ritual.  Instead of rolling over to your phone first thing in the morning, consider starting with a book.  Allow it to set the tone for your day instead of your email.

-Always Carry A Book.  You never know when you'll end up with 10 minutes to spare and it will definitely make that DMV line more endurable!

-Have a Stack.  Rather than waiting for the reading mood to strike, always have a small stack of books that interest you at the ready.  Then you won't find yourself waiting or trying to decide what to read when you are ready to cozy up with a new book.

-Make it a Priority.  Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, self-help or an autobiography, reading is making an investment in yourself which is the best kind you can make.  It's a proven de-stressor and also makes  for a great conversation starter at dinner parties!

Photography by Emily Morgan

This post was created in collaboration with Amazon, a brand that gets all of my money because I love them so much!  Thanks for supporting the brands that allow us to keep making new content!