Cappuccino Thoughts 33: On How to Read More
Plus, save the date for a bag party! + a book that made me reflect on choices
A recent article made the rounds for the always-online questioning if the gamification of reading by Goodreads is destroying the way we read.
I thought a lot about this topic because my relationship to reading completely changed when I finally gave in to logging my books on Goodreads.
I was always a big reader.I come from a family where family vacations were spent with each of us happily ensconced in our own books. But after participating in a rigorous humanities program my freshman year of college that had us read three books a week (if we actually did all our reading), reading for pleasure lost its appeal to me. During the early p*ndemic, a time when I thought I would consume books at my previous voracious pace, I found it difficult to concentrate enough to get into a book.
When I started my corporate job and had a more structured schedule, I set a Goodreads goal for the first time. That first year, I aimed to read 36 books, which felt like a massive accomplishment. This year, I’m going for 75 books and am easily meeting my goal. Action begets motivation.
Tips to read more:
Bring a book with you everywhere. Make it the easiest choice. My friend told me recently that I read “reflexively.” I had never thought of it that way, but it’s true. I bring a book with me everywhere (that’s so Rory Gilmore-coded, the TikTok kids would tell me). I make subway / train time reading-time, not mindless scrolling time. It makes me actually…look forward to the rides? And I read every night before bed, whether it’s 5 minutes or 2 hours.
Get a public library card! I cannot emphasize this enough. The New York Public Library in particular has an incredible selection, with almost zero wait time for books published 5+ years ago. They will also ship your requested book from branches all over the city to the branch closest to you (many cities do this). You can also get e-books via Libby or Axis360 by using your library card. Reading does not need to be an expensive hobby.
Join a book club. My book club reads shockingly bad books (I say with love. With love!!), but it’s still fun to meet a community of bookish gals and just be in the habit of reading every month.
Gamify it. If you’re super goal oriented, why not apply that same mentality to reading. I can already hear the pushback from those of you who read by chance, picking up a book no one has heard of from a stack of secondhand books. But to actually finish books at a regular rate, nothing beats the satisfaction of crossing a book off your TBR list.
***Read a book you actually want to read. I think many of us pick the books we *think* we’re supposed to read. (I do not buy that anyone has ever actually finished the 1300 page tome Power Broker by Robert Caro, yet it’s on every man’s bookshelf). So we end up not reading at all. The books that got me out of my reading rut were the P.S. I Love You series by Jenny Han. So what! That same year I also read Katie Kitamura, George Saunders, and Joan Didion. Eventually you will tire of light reading and seek something heavier. Or you know what, you might not! And that’s okay too.
Updates on the bag project—time to party!
We have a date for the launch party! Quick recap: I’m super jazzed to be doing a collaboration with the designer of By Liv, the boutique where I also sell my bags. I’m using her beautiful antique fabrics as the linings on a select capsule of bags. We’ll celebrate the launch on September 23rd at her boutique in North Williamsburg from 2-7pm. Official invite to come, but in the meantime, mark your calendars!
It’s pretty remarkable to look back at the first few months of Cappuccino Thoughts issues when I was truly unsure if I was going to be able to produce this bag endeavor. I used this newsletter as motivation for myself to keep going. Now, I’ve shipped bags around the world and have had so many wonderful conversations with you all about the project. I can’t wait to celebrate in person and bring this community together.
Look of the week
As someone perennially overdressed, I really dig this woman’s lunchtime Madison Square stroll look. She lets the dress do the talking with simple shoes and sleek curls. And in a city where black attire always seems to be the answer, I love the color palette.
What’s on the bedside table
My love of Japanese literature continues with Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. This absolutely charming short novel is told through a series of connected vignettes. It takes place in a cafe in Tokyo where patrons can sit in a particular seat and have the chance to go back in time for one moment. The trick is that no matter what they do in the past, it will not change the present. This was a lovely exploration of regret, grief, and acceptance of choices made. If you liked Matt Haig’s Midnight Library or the recent film Past Lives, you’ll like this. Reading this book made me say yes to an opportunity recently that made very little logical sense but seemed like a once in a lifetime adventure.
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This week I will be going to a concert at Elsewhere in Brooklyn (wow, so hip, I know!), visiting the Hudson Valley, and taking up residence at Le Dive. Next week, come back for “espresso thoughts,” my hot takes on the state of the world. I heard your feedback last time: this time we’re going even hotter.