Easily Excitable

Sunday, we’ll have started the final month in the first quarter of the year. 

That’s an over-indulgent way to say we’re entering March.

March is the tipping point of the year, the month when you look side to side and realize that, really, this school year is just about done. The hay is *mostly in the metaphorical barn. 

Why is it that, just two weeks ago, in the middle of February, I couldn’t see that? Do two weeks really make that much of a difference? *Shrugs.*

Two months into 2026, and I’d like to give you an update on one of my New Years Resolutions. This may be one of the only ones I’ve really stuck with in quite some time, and maybe that’s the key here.

Maybe the best way to ensure success when setting goals is making them enjoyable??

Did I crack the code here?!

My goal for this year was simple: I mainly just wanted to read more. 

So far, so good, as I’ve figured out the key to success here is making sure I always have a book on hand. This includes when I dry my hair, sit outside, heat up dinner, and work lunch duty.  

Something about having a book in close proximity makes it exponentially easier to read. 

Another hack I’ve implemented is deleting the Facebook, Instagram, and Threads apps on my phone: ultimately, this forces me to read, rather than scroll. 

I know that seems silly, and it maybe even borderlines on overkill, but I’m an all-or-nothing kind of person, so this was a good decision- really, the only decision. 

This was probably wise for my mental health as well. 

All this being said, I’ve read around Six(ish) books this year. 

We’re off to a good start, though it’s worth mentioning we’re still in the early stages of the year. Normally, I can keep my reading going well in the beginning of the year and throughout the summer. August through December are typically my ‘reading dry spells.’

At any rate, I’ve been pleased with that number. Roughly, it’ll take me about a week and a half to finish a book. I do consider myself a fast reader, but my reading windows are limited. 

A word about my reading preferences: 

I do not read classics unless it’s for work. 

I do not read advice books, especially marriage advice books, which might be the absolute worst. 

I do not read self-help books. I think that it’s a red flag if you’re so delusional that you think you have this whole life thing figured out. 

I do not read really serious stuff. 

I do not read depressing stuff. 

Reading for me is escapism, and if the book in question qualifies as ‘a good beach read,’ it’s right up my alley. 

And now, a couple of authors and books you should know about: 

Two of my favorite authors I’ve read this year were Kate Quinn and Fredrik Backman. 

I’ve read more of Backman’s books- three in total for the year- and I cannot recommend him enough: his writing is dry, witty, and very tender. 

What’s more, this man can write a plot twist like no one else. I’ve yet to read one of his books in which I could guess accurately how it’d end. His books are quirky, but not weirdly so. 

Two of the three I’ve read this year were addicting: these were Anxious People and My Friends.

If you like Liane Moriarty and Nita Prose, I think you’ll like his writing. 

Probably the best way to describe his writing is this: he writes deep issues lightly; that’s not an easy thing to do. 

And one last little tidbit: 

My eighth grade self would be quite impressed with me: I’m almost to the end of the most recent Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping.

Moment of shock for the fact that the Hunger Games series began in 2008, and that this was almost 20 years ago. 

Baffling. 

These books still hit, though, and I’m excited for Zayden to start reading them soon. I may reread the whole series when he does. 

Sunrise on the Reaping has been a great book, and if you’re aHunger Games fan of old (or new, too!) I think you’d love this book. Plus, it’s a quick, easy read. 

Reading after a dry spell is a borderline magical experience. 

It’s a reminder and a confirmation of why reading is one of the best acts we can engage in. I like to think that, if everyone made more of a habit of sitting down with a really good book, we’d live in a much better world. 

That’s just my opinion, though, and being that I’m an English teacher, it’s a very biased opinion. 

Doesn’t mean it’s not true. 

Happy Reading, folks!