Restorative Reading and Writing for Wellness

Have you winterized your reading life yet? In today's episode, I’m sharing concrete ways to winterize your reading life: to protect and prepare it for the winter season of reading. We’ll chat about how to winterize your reading habits, your TBR stack and the ways you connect with other readers over this season, too.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and res...

We are at the time of the year where we are setting intentions, making goals and looking forward to a new year ahead. This year, I abandoned my usual way of creating goals and it wasn’t on purpose. A dumpster fire of a day turned into a therapeutic journaling session that naturally chose my intentions for me.  It was unlikely and unexpected, yet quite effective and exactly what my frustrated mind...

It’s time for my annual notebook stack reveal! Today, I’m sharing my 2025 notebook stack: all the notebooks I’m using and loving and why. Right now, I’ve got a stack of 7 notebooks I’ll use across the coming weeks and months…and maybe one or two more up my sleeve, too.  I’ll begin by answering the top 3 questions I receive every time I release my annual notebook stack episodes: Why so many? Why ar...

It’s Christmas Eve! A couple of weeks ago, I released my gifting episode: Gifts for Restorative Reading & Writing. It was such a popular episode and everyone LOVED the homemade coupon I created for you to give to a friend and enjoy a reading and writing session together.  And now….I’m giving you to you! =) In today’s episode, I offer a heartfelt holiday greeting and invite you to read and/or w...

As we move through December, I find myself alternating between filling my home with holiday spirit and decluttering EVERYTHING as I think about starting fresh in the new year. Can you relate? And while I’ve recently sorted and refreshed my bookshelves, it’s been a long while since I have done the same for my notebooks and I have a stack that’s ready to topple over.  But it’s not so easy to decide...

It’s gifting season and our Inboxes and social feeds are flooded with gift guides and recommendations, often with the same overlapping recommendations.  That’s why I have something different for you! Today, I’m sharing a collection of unique gifts for the reader and writer in your life (and YOU!) who is working to grow a restorative reading and writing practice. Come listen as I catch you up on wh...

This might just be my favorite episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast so far. =) Today, I’m exploring all things cyclical living and notebooking with Rebecca Rankin of the Women’s Moon Wisdom podcast. Rebecca is here to help us explore a sustainable, holistic and cyclical lifestyle to balance our mood, boost energy, beat overwhelm and feel good in our body while living with intention.  We talk abo...

I love talking about my reading rules and I have one particular reading rule that you might not expect: I cannot read holiday books until December 1st. Not at all. While I love anything and everything to do with the holiday season, I like to restrict my holiday reading to only one month out of the year so it is filled with holiday bookish anticipation. So now that December has arrived, it’s time t...

Today, I’m exploring a genre that I’ve never talked about on the podcast before: cookbooks! Traditionally, cookbooks were simply the keeper of recipes, but today, they are so much more. They’re also part memoir, part non-fiction, part exploration and beyond.  In this episode, I’m diving deep into the micro-genre of cookbooks as self-help tools. We’ll explore three things cookbooks provide (beyond...

Are you wondering how to stay healthy this holiday season and give your immune system a needed boost? Look no further than your favorite books and notebooks. Today, I’m diving into the benefits of reading and writing on our immune systems. We’ll talk about 5 indirect effects of reading and 3 direct effects of writing that you need to know about during the upcoming cold and flu season. Once you’re...

Any time of the year is the perfect time to start a gratitude practice, but November offers a particular invitation to count our blessings, be grateful for what we have in our life and seek joy. Today, I’m sharing ways that we can show up to our notebooks in five different ways to embrace a season of gratitude. We’ll explore gratitude lists, notes and letters, doodles and sketches, creative spread...

It’s time for my annual Holiday Notebook episode! Years ago, I created my first holiday notebook out of sheer desperation to better manage the holidays. Now, it’s a tool that I cannot live without. Come listen to what a holiday notebook is, how you can make one and why you need to start yours today. You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned r...

Today, I’m talking about something I don’t do well in my reading life, but I want to: adding annotation and marginalia to the books I read. I’m quite comfortable with my sticky note and book dart practices, but something is calling me to explore more methods to leave tracks of my thinking in the books I read.  Come listen as I explore the how and why behind annotation, marginalia and what I like t...

Today, I’m bringing three favorite aspects of my world together: reading, writing and yoga. First, I’ll explore the wellness benefits of reading, writing and yoga separately and then together. Next, I’ll share three ways that we can layer reading, writing and yoga together for maximum benefit. Finally, I’ll share a book from my own TBR list that I’ll be reading and writing about….while in a yoga p...

Reading books can change our lives.  From the physical, cognitive and mental benefits that come with sustained reading to the ways that reading can spark new ideas and actions in our lives, a single book could change everything.  Today, I’m sharing 10 ways that we can take inspired action from the books we read to lift the lessons off of the page and into our actual life. From connecting with a fr...

If you’re listening to this episode of Get Lit(erate). on the day this episode is released, there are only about 90 days left in 2024. What?! Today, I’m diving into an intentional notebooking activity to help you end the year strong. It’s called a 5 x4 Routine Map and it helps you plan for ANY season of life in an intentional way. Listen as I talk about the idea behind the #last90days movement, in...

Today, I’m chatting about Banned Books Week, which happens to be NOW if you are listening to this in real time.  Come listen as I explore the statistics on book banning, step onto my own soapbox and talk about why you NEED banned books in your reading life. I’ll also share some of the most frequently-banned titles and ways that you can get involved, too.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode...

If you’re listening to this podcast, then you love stories. You love reading them, living them and telling them. And guess what? We all have one.  Today’s guest is here to explore how we can uncover, share and appreciate our wonderfully unique stories. In fact, his new book (which includes space to write!) is called 10 Little Rules for Sharing Your Story.  Come listen as Frank Winters and I talk a...

Today, I’m inviting you to create a book relay team for yourself: a group of readers who pledge to read and share books together, literally passing books to each other over a set period of time.  Book relays help us keep our reading habit high, introduce us to new books and strengthen our community of readers. Plus, it’s PERFECT for this time of the year. Come listen as I share exactly what a book...

Do you have a stack of notebooks around your house that you haven’t yet cracked open or only wrote a single page in? This episode is for you! Today, I’m sharing 20 different notebook ideas to start filling the notebooks you currently have (and maybe buy a new one, too!) with a topic that works for YOU. Listen as I share ideas like morning page notebooks, passion project notebooks, unsent letter no...

Do you have a busy bookshelf? You know, the bookshelves with double rows or books and books piled sideways on top of those books?! Me too. On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m sharing the process I use (guided by Marie Kondo) to minimize my bookshelves without hurting my reading heart. Come listen! You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resourc...

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we’re talking about my favorite thing to do while reading: lift lines off of the page and into my heart (and notebook!). We’ll explore why lifting our favorite lines from the books we read is so important, how you might choose to collect your own and what some of my favorites are. We’ll even explore how to mine your own collection of quotes to inspir...

Today is a big day for me. I’ve collected enough questions from listeners to populate an entire episode with them and host my first Ask Me Anything episode. Listen in as I answer YOUR questions, like: What’s your favorite notebook? How many books do you read in a year? How do you choose your one-word themes? What if I’m afraid to start writing? Who are your favorite podcasters and bloggers? Do you...

Each month, I choose a one word theme to guide my daily living and then read, write and breathe that word into existence.  On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m giving you a sneak peek into my one-word theme for August 2024 and share my bibliotherapy book calendar for the month, too. The best part? I create a book calendar around a one-word theme EVERY MONTH inside my Patreon communi...

I am literally going to blow your reading mind today. Seriously.  On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m exploring the role that mirror neurons in our brain play in connecting our reading life to the way we show up in our actual life. It’s fascinating. It’s backed by science. It’s something you can’t unlearn, so get ready! You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all o...