1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,959 Speaker 1: tip is that if you are absorbing words with the 4 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: goal of understanding what they mean, you are reading. No 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: need to go high brow if that is not what 6 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 1: you are into right now. Reading is reading, so let 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: go of the arbitrary rules and you can enjoy your 8 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: leisure time a lot more. If you have school aged kids, 9 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: their teachers or librarians may set guidelines for what kinds 10 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: of books count toward their reading requirements. Maybe the books 11 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: have to match the student's reading level or meet a 12 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: certain threshold for length. Those guidelines might make sense to 13 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: ensure that new readers challenge themselves and see the breadth 14 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: of what is out there. But you most likely are 15 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,279 Speaker 1: not in school anymore. You don't need to set rules 16 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: about what counts as reading, so feel free to read 17 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: whatever you feel like and enjoy it. Just keep repeating 18 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: this phrase, reading is reading. I find this is an 19 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: especially useful phrase if you find yourself in something of 20 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: a reading slump. This phrase gives you permission to lighten up. 21 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: You don't have to read Tolstoy or James Joyce or 22 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: Tony Morrison. Do you like reading interior design magazines awesome? 23 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: Do you enjoy the stories in People or US Weekly? 24 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: Read on You will certainly get some insights into human nature, 25 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: some of which I'm guessing Tolstoimi would have appreciated. Do 26 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: you need a good laugh, Maybe David Sadaras or Tina 27 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Fey or a joke book would hit the spot. You 28 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: do not need to be sitting on a beach to 29 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: read something beachy, and books written for children are absolutely 30 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: still books. There was a stretch of time when most 31 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: of the chapter books I was reading were magic treehouse 32 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: books because that is what my kids were into. I 33 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: still learned about some interesting times and places, and I 34 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: enjoyed this description. I came across somewhere in there that 35 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:43,239 Speaker 1: the air smelled freshly washed. I parked that one away 36 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: to borrow at sometime. Young adult literature can also be 37 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. There is nothing like a fantasy 38 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: novel that is over in less than two hundred pages 39 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: to give you a manageable escape from life. Ask the 40 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: kids in your life for recommendations, or feel free to 41 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: reread what you read in middle school. My bet is 42 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: that at least half the people reading Judy Bloom right 43 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: now have a little gray hair. I love reading great literature, 44 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: and I am proud to say that I have read 45 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: a lot of it. But if I only allowed myself 46 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: to read works by Nobel Prize winners or writers who 47 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: have made it into a Norton anthology, I would probably 48 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: spend a lot more time scrolling around on Instagram. So 49 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: when I go to the library, I let myself grab 50 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: things like books on gardening and books on Southern interior 51 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: home design or whatever. Then I read the captions on 52 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: the pretty pictures and know that I am absolutely still reading. 53 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: If you are in graduate school, then yes, you need 54 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: to read certain things to learn certain things. But if 55 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: you are reading for enjoyment, which the vast majority of 56 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: us are, then whatever you enjoy works reading is reading. 57 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be more complicated than that. In 58 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 59 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 60 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 61 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 62 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E. 63 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: The number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot 64 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot 65 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 66 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch. 67 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 68 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 69 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.