Hi Reader!

The Epigraph

-Neil Gaiman

The Prologue

Happy New Year! As we enter 2024, let's talk about reading goals and building better reading habits.

I've read over 100+ books per year for the past several years now, all while being a busy person -- at one point I was working full time, blogging on the side, moving, and renovating both the old and new houses.

I'm not here to tell you to add so many things to your plate that life becomes unbearable, but I am here to tell you that you too can likely make time for reading more or reading differently in 2024.

A common misconception about reading is that it's something you need a luxurious amount of free time and space for. So often, people say "I wish!" But really, many avid readers are also busy people who are just picking up a book in place of time for other activities, like social media or TV -- sometimes for just a few minutes here and there.

This year, to read more, I'm committed to moving my phone further from my reach while reading and/or setting daily time limits on social media apps.

In the same vein, I have always found making small commitments to reap big rewards over time. For example, one of my goals this year is to read 3-4 "big books" -- the kind that can be scary to pick up -- and to reach this goal my strategy is reading just 5-10 pages per day, which will take roughly 10-15 minutes. This strategy helped me read the 900+ page Russian classic Anna Karenina last year. It works!

This January, I encourage you too to take a few minutes to determine what you want out of your reading life in 2024 and what actions you will take to serve your goals.

The Chapters

Chapter 1: New and Noteworthy

One book release on my radar this week is my Book of the Month pick, Mercury by Amy Jo Burns. It's a 1990s family drama set in small-town Pennsylvania, and it has great early reviews on GoodReads. Yes, please! (Get your first Book of the Month box for $5)

New on The Literary Lifestyle blog are the top 5 most viral bestselling books of the year and Fourth Wing cell phone wallpaper downloads.​

The new year brings a whole new year of reading challenges for my book club, The Rory Gilmore Book Club. This month, we are starting easy with kids' books from the Gilmore Girls list of 500+ books referenced on the show, so join us!

Chapter 2: Around the Book World

I absolutely loved reading one of my favorite authors, Ann Patchett's reading resolutions for 2024.​

Chapter 3: Currently Loving

I finally named my favorite book published in 2023: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. I struggled with this decision all month, went back and forth, changed my mind, and even debated a tie. But when I went back and read my reviews for a final time yesterday it was clear to me that my heart was ever so slightly in it the most for Hello Beautiful, a popular Oprah's Book Club selection that topped many "best" lists this year.

The new year is also a great time to dive into these great blog posts on The Literary Lifestyle:

• ​Best Books for Popular New Year's Resolutions​
• ​Easy Reading Goals for Adults​
• ​Best Books to Start a Reading Habit​

Lastly, the new year has made my printable Reading Journal popular this week, so let's have a sale! Use code SUBSCRIBER for 50% off (ends 1/10).

Remember, it's a good day to read a book.

-Jules

The Epilogue

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To show my gratitude, a portion of this month's profits are supporting PEN America's fight against banned books.