Simple, Direct, and Nightly

Each month, at least one reader asks about my reading process. Leaning on a tweet that seems reasonable - “More than one person asking = it should be public”, I figured I’d write about it for you. 

While thinking about how I read, it seems simple and a tad meta. Simple is the ultimate sophistication, or so a billboard near the “L” in Chicago once said. Well, I love simple so, naturally, this turned out to be a lot of fun to write.  

I’ve enjoyed reading for most of my life. Few things can remain consistent in life from elementary school on and I’m grateful a habit of reading has been that for me. My interest has led from Eric Carle to Harry Potter, Jack Kerouac, Robert Caro, and C.S. Lewis; close to that order.  

Currently, I lean towards non-fiction books and long-form articles. When I was younger I devoured magazines such as S.I. for Kids, Outside Magazine (still do), Sporting News, and ESPN the Magazine. I’m not sure if these are all still publishing, but I’ve since navigated to material with fewer picture ads filled between a handful of stories. The more directly sourced, the better. 

Articles 

Most (longer) articles that I want to read beyond skimming are sent directly to my Kindle. This simple Chrome extension is the second best tool (behind only Readwise.io for my highlights) that’s elevated my reading experience over the years. 

The articles I read are found via Twitter or other newsletters such as The Rabbit Hole by Blas Moros. I am constantly working to craft my feed so that it leads to interesting content. However, I am seeking more diversity of thought here. I welcome any suggestions for compelling writers and curators that I can follow. Luckily, I have interesting friends sharing items I could never have found on my own. It also helps that Twitter is the best tool for finding experts in any field, hearing their thoughts, and opening an opportunity to interact directly with them. Here’s more evidence Why Twitter is Dope.

Currently, between Twitter and the newsletters I read, I am able to cast a wide net to cover most of my interests. To name a few - outdoors, scenius, architecture, business operations, entrepreneurship, creativity, woodworking, gatherings that form connections and share experiences, Christianity, and unique art such as Jer Collins or Bernoid.

Once I have found something interesting, I send it to my Kindle. This allows me to read them at another time without distractions or any way to click out of them. The articles are all lined up too. It’s a personal super-feed of interesting items that I have handpicked. 

Ideally, I read them when I have a pen and paper, but this only happens ~60% of the time. This helps me digest and remember a point or two from each article. 

Articles that I particularly enjoy are saved along with my notes to Evernote. In my main notebook, I have a working note for Side Notes each month (i.e. April 2020 - Side Notes). This is where I collect ideas for writing, books I’m reading, articles, and other items of interest so they are all collected when I go to publish. 

Books

The majority of books I read come from pre-filtered sources; either newsletters or dedicated reading lists. I also find interesting books to read from Twitter mentions and recommendations from friends. 

Anytime a book is recommended to me or catches my eye, it’s immediately added to my Amazon wish list. It usually will stay here until it’s referenced by a trusted source more than once. The older or more obscure references, the better. 

Of course, there are certain categories that I’m a constant sucker for. These include:

• Business memoirs 

• Philosophy written for practical use

• Anything by Steinbeck

• Sports-related stories that tie in other themes (Shoe Dog, Boys in the Boat, etc.)

• Biographies

• Parables

  • The Alchemist and Jonathan Seagull Livingston

When I Read

Most days I read some in the morning over breakfast but the majority happens each evening. Reading before bed was instilled and forced upon me by my mother from early on. Lucky for me, this habit stuck. Thanks, Mom. My Kindle is a paperwhite which has extended the hours that my eyes can function in a day while also allowing me to read without keeping lights on that bother my wife trying to sleep. Another useful habit that seems to have stuck with me is keeping a book on me at all times.

Remember traveling and flying? That used to be when I did my best reading. I’m already missing the excitement of flying and knowing I would be forced into undistracted reading time with no way out. 

Lastly, I don’t watch much TV which helps with falling into a time to read. However, COVID-19 has led me back to Ozark and to The Last Dance, and I’m not regretting either decision.

If you enjoyed a piece of this writing, I will hand-deliver these thoughts to your inbox first.

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