1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: tip is to read a short book if you are 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: out of the habit of reading or are feeling tired. 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: In general, tackling something substantial can feel overwhelming, but a 6 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:34,520 Speaker 1: short book is short it could be just the thing 7 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: to get you going. So today's tip was inspired by 8 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: a blog post from Modern Missus Darcy on short novels 9 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: to get you out of a reading slump. These were 10 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 1: all well recommended books like A Spindle Splintered or A 11 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: Psalm for the Wild Built that clocked in at under 12 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: two hundred pages or so and could be read fast. 13 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: As Anne Bogel, the brains behind Modern Missus Darcy, noted, 14 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: sometimes a short book is just what you need to 15 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: feel like you can start reading again. I think this 16 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: is a great idea. Many people would like to read more, 17 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: but sometimes we are feeling tired or busy, or we've 18 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: got other negative emotions going on in our lives. When 19 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: a spot of leisure time appears, it is much easier 20 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: to watch short videos on social media. When I have 21 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: been in phases like that, people have sometimes suggested easy fiction, 22 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: like a light mystery or a romance novel. But even 23 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: that sometimes feels like a bit much because I'm going 24 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: to have to get mentally deeply involved in a plot 25 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: for many hours. Even if the plot isn't exactly going 26 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: to require any deep thinking hmm, wonder who did it? 27 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: Still requires some energy. But a really short book changes things. 28 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: Even if you do have to follow a plot, it 29 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: is only going to be for an hour or two. 30 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: You will be able to finish in just a few sittings. 31 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: This feels like a lot less of an ask, and 32 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: so it is easier to get started, even if you 33 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: are getting bogged down somewhere in the middle. The finish 34 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: line is probably less than fifty pages away, So why 35 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: not look for a short book. If you'd like to 36 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: go literary. The Great Gatsby is less than two hundred 37 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: pages and moves along swiftly. You could go for something 38 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: that is nonfiction and motivational, like The War of Art 39 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: You Dora Welty's One Writer's Beginnings clocks in at just 40 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: over one hundred wonderful pages. Or hey, if you're listening 41 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: to this podcast and really like time management, there's It's 42 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: My Fable Juliette School of Possibilities. It's a little kick 43 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: in the pants that you can read in about an hour. 44 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: Progress creates its own momentum. You could spend the next 45 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: two weeks reading five or six very short books, and 46 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, you are the kind of person 47 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: who has read five or six books in the last 48 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: two weeks. As you are casually mentioning a book you read, 49 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: you might mention another, and then wow, you start to 50 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: feel like the kind of person who reads a lot, 51 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: and you are because short books are still books. Not 52 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: everything needs to be long. Things need to be the 53 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: length they are meant to be to say what they 54 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: need to say. That's why this podcast is only four 55 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: or five minutes long most days, So find the equivalent 56 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: in book form and maybe that can take your day 57 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: from great too awesome too. In the meantime, this is Laura. 58 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 59 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: our times. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 60 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 61 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 62 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, Please visit 63 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 64 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.