Feeling overwhelmed by reading is common, but self-doubt shouldn't derail your journey. Embrace your unique path and focus on personal growth instead of comparing yourself to others online. Discover a new monthly reading approach, starting with 'How to Live or A Life of Montaigne.' Dive deep into literature and engage with its transformative power. Each book can serve as a stepping stone to understanding yourself better.
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insights INSIGHT
BookTube Reality
BookTubers often exaggerate their reading habits to create content.
Many review summaries or use AI, rather than fully reading each book.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Avoid Comparison
Acknowledge that comparing yourself to others is natural but can be harmful.
Focus on your reading journey and engagement, not others’ accomplishments.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
TBR Overwhelm
Accept that you won’t read every book on your TBR list.
Give yourself permission to stop reading boring books and focus on reading purposefully.
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Michel de Montaigne's "Essays" are a collection of personal reflections on a wide range of topics, including life, death, friendship, and self-knowledge. Written in the 16th century, these essays are remarkable for their honesty, introspection, and intellectual depth. Montaigne's willingness to share his vulnerabilities and doubts makes his work relatable and engaging even centuries later. His essays are characterized by their digressive style and their exploration of the complexities of human experience. The "Essays" remain a cornerstone of Western literature, offering timeless insights into the human condition.
How to Live: A Life of Montaigne
in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer
Sarah Bakewell
This book is a unique biography that tells the story of Michel de Montaigne's life through the questions he asked himself and the various answers he explored in his essays. Montaigne, a Renaissance nobleman and philosopher, wrote essays that were free-roaming explorations of his thoughts and experiences. Bakewell's work delves into Montaigne's upbringing, his career, his friendships, and his reflections on life, death, and human nature. The book provides twenty different answers to the overarching question 'How to live?' drawn from Montaigne's texts, offering practical and philosophical advice on living a good life[1][3][4].
Deep Work
Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Cal Newport
In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.
Sometimes, reading feels overwhelming. It’s normal to have feelings of self-doubt and overwhelm when it comes to reading books. Today I’m sharing with you how I tackle these feelings so that they don’t derail me from my reading sessions.
The Read Well Podcast 
