Monthly Archives: January 2020

How to Read More Pleasantly

chit-chatting with Cat, Tips January 14, 2020 Leave a comment

Introduction

Hello, folks!

Reading in itself is already fun, but what if we could make it an even more pleasant time for ourselves? There are ways I found which can accomplish that. How about I share them with you so we can all enjoy reading even more?

Here’s what I love to do.

I hope you pick a few to try them out and find more pleasure in reading.

If you're interested in learning strategies to read more, you can find them in my article How to Read More This Year

 

Reading Socks

I discovered these on Indigo about a year ago. They are pricey, but so gorgeous and they look super comfortable! Since I didn’t want to pay that price, I told myself I would go on a quest to find a cheaper, but as cute and comfy pair of reading socks.

Then, I stumbled upon a cute kitty pair at Ardène and fell in love right away. They were 12$, cushioned and adorable. What’s not to love? Obviously, I took them home and tried them on with a book in hand.

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(Copyrighted Catherine Girard-Veilleux, 2020)

Let me tell you that it’s what I call bliss: a good book in hand (hopefully) and cozy reading socks! My feet were warm, and I felt all fuzzy, comfortable. I was genuinely happy and content all around.

Since then I forget that I’ve crossed the time limit I gave myself and just… read for hours. Due to my job as a translator and editor and serious health issues, I’ve got little time to read. But I swear the reading socks make me read longer! That’s how great they are.

Get a pair for your own sake!

 

Candles

This one is particular. I haven’t tried it yet, but I yearn for a good scented candle while I read. There are even thematic ones based on your tastes (like the scent of an old book), stories (Charles Dickens’s or Harry Potter’s), characters (Katniss Everdeen or Clary Fairchild), and so on. Seriously, I want one of those!

I’m a big fan of dinner at candlelight. Whenever we lose power, I’m so happy because I spend time under the candlelight; it imbues the air with mystery and a cozy sensation, which I crave. Hygge, here I am!

If you can, try this tip. You’ll smell a good scent and it’ll put you in good spirits to read. And bonus points if you turn off the lights and read at candlelight, all the cozier for you!

 

Bed/Cushions

I’ve got the habit of reading when I go to bed, either with a physical book in hand or on my Kobo. It’s the only time I found to read, so I take it!

I’ve noticed how fun and comfortable it is to read with an eReader in bed: you’re all wrapped up in your bed sheets, warm and tranquil. It brings peace of mind, or at least you’re just feeling calm and happy to read. If you read in the morning or during the day, try it a few times in bed, too. You might just enjoy it! If not, no worries, just go back to mornings and days, haha.

As for the cushions, this is a long story which I’ll make short. Whenever I read with a physical book in my bed (do you notice a reading pattern? Haha!), my back and arms hurt so damn much! So I keep changing positions until I’m so annoyed and tired I stop. It’s sad because more often than not, I stop reading not because I’m done reading, but because I’m aching all over. I found a cushion with arms I thought I could put against my bed wall and read with no aching.

 

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(Copyrighted Catherine Girard-Veilleux, 2020)

Fortunately for me, I received it as a Christmas gift! (Thanks, mom!) I kept complaining about how I couldn’t read as much as I wanted in bed… So, I tried this cushion with arms and joy to the world, it works! My lower back still aches a bit, BUT it’s overall very comfortable and I don’t have to switch positions anymore!

Want to hear the best part? I can read for how long as I want with this cushion, no need to stop because I’m sick and tired of the pain!

If you’re having similar issues or just want more comfort, please try such a cushion. It will either save your reading time or upgrade it.

 

A Clean Space

This might sound obvious, but a clean reading space will bring you more joy. If you’re stuck tight between boxes, objects and so on, you will grow annoyed and angry and will stop reading-or at least it will be miserable.

I suggest cleaning three feet around you so you feel like your personal bubble isn’t invaded and have all the space you need to settle comfortably.

I know cleaning’s not so fun, but this is a genuine trick. A messy place can ruin your pleasant time by turning it into a lame experience as you keep thinking about the mess and how squeezed you feel.

 

Plushy Friends and Accessories

Now, this tip is not for everyone, but I know a lot of us love cute character plushies and Pop! figurines and other merchandise of our favourite stories and characters. I’ve got a few plushies (Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Hermione, etc.) and Funko Pop! toys like Jasmine, Mr. Burns, and Aladdin. I’ve also got a big Elsa cushion.

Okay, but what does it bring us to? Well, remember the clean space I mentioned above? Clean it, then choose which accessory and plushie you want near you while reading. It’ll make your space even more personal and you’ll appreciate it even more as you read, surrounded by what you love.

It might be silly sounding, but it genuinely works and you’ll feel good, safe even.

And who doesn’t want a safe reading haven?

 

In Conclusion

Whether you choose a candle, cushions, reading socks, or accessories in a clean space (or all of these!), I’m sure you’ll find your reading time optimized and more pleasant.

It’s all about treating yourself well and finding things you love which make you feel at ease. That way, reading will be a breeze and you’ll wonder where time went.

I wish you a good reading!

Please leave me a comment about what other tips you find useful for better reading times. I’d love to discuss those with you.

See you next post, lovelies!

How to Read More This Year

Tips January 7, 2020 Leave a comment

With the New Year beginning and a sweet new decade, how can we succeed at our goal of reading more?

I have structured this article according to two main reading patterns. The first readers are what I call the “Hoppers”. I’m part of them without a doubt! Hoppers will read several books at the same time, gleaning one for an hour or two, then switching to another one the same day or the next day. We take a while to finish a book because of that, but there are solutions to finishing more books, which I’ll go over in this post.

The other readers are the “Dedicated”. Why do I call them like this? Well, they are dedicated to one book and one book only when they read. They won’t switch books until they’ve finished reading that one. Obviously, they finish books more rapidly than the Hoppers, but there are still solutions to implement to read more during the year.

Now, shall we take a look at how to achieve this?

 

For the Hoppers

Surprisingly enough, the methods I tried which worked aren’t the ones most people will tell you to do: focusing on one book at a time. Why? Because we just can’t do it! Gosh, that’s why we’re Hoppers! It lacks diversity and surprises. Okay, but what actually works? Well, my friend, I’ve got an answer for you since I’m a Hopper too (hello fellows, if you’re one!).

The solution I found to deal with the increasing number of ARCs I received and books I bought is to trick myself with some structure. I said structure, not focus. Here’s how it works:

  • You pick three books (ARCs included, though I suggest one or two, not all three) that you want to hop to and from.
  • Pick two books that you’ll be able to hop to only when you’re sick and tired of reading the three others.
  • Look at how much time you can read per day, then divide it by three.
  • Finally, jump freely between the three chosen books from the beginning according to the divided time. Remember: it’s in the order you choose!
  • If you’re growing restless because you’re “always reading the same three books”, fear not for you had chosen two rescue books! Pick one and read, then go back to the three you chose first the next day.

It’s a funny system, but it completely works with me. And I’m quite the Hopper as I can read 15 books at the same time… But this system that I built from trials and errors has helped me review more books and read more in general.

Trust your Hopper friend (that’s me).

Tell me in the comments if you think this is a good idea for you or if you’ve tried it! I’d love to discuss this trick with you.

 

For the Dedicated

Let’s be honest here, since you’re a Dedicated person, you finish many more books than Hoppers. So what could possibly improve this situation? It seems impossible.

Well, I may have an idea: better time management, if possible. Due to our busy lives, it’s not always easy to make the time to read. I’m pretty sure you’re reading in-between meetings and a short time either in the morning or in the evening. Perhaps you’ve got an hour in total, which is good. But what if you could squeeze in fifteen more minutes, half an hour or more?

Here are my suggested steps you can take in order to free up some time for more reading:

  1. Take note of what your typical week looks like with everything scheduled.
  2. Observe how much reading time you have.
  3. Then, examine which activities might not be priorities for you (let’s assume reading is one priority).
  4. Identify which activities you could either remove or shorten in their duration.
  5. Apply the shortened time or removal, and try to read during this newfound time, to see if it fits you better.
  6. Enjoy reading more books!

P.S.: If this doesn’t work, try switching for different activities to shorten or remove. Perhaps the ones you cut out were actually more important than you thought. Don’t let go, you can do it!

In Conclusion

Whether you’re a Hopper or a Dedicated reader, there are ways to optimize the amount of books you read. It can be through tricking yourself in reading fewer books at the same time while still maintaining that “free roam” feeling, or it can be through better time management. I know you can do it! May your new reading year be full of achievements and pleasure.

I hope these solutions have been helpful.

Please do leave a comment about what type of reader you are and what you think of these tips. I’d love to discuss this with you!

See you next post!

A Quarter Into My Novel (My Writing Journey)

chit-chatting with Cat, My Projects January 4, 2020 Leave a comment

Hello, folks! I’ve got great writing news today: I reached a personal goal in my Miranda Kane novel, Rise of a Heroine: Resurgence! I gave myself the goal of finishing the first draft by August 31st for personal reasons. I’ve got another open heart surgery coming up… and I want to make sure I come back from it again – I had one when I was four years old and died thrice until I came back to life, clinging to my less than 10% chance of survival. And this time, I wanted a huge reason to come back if something went wrong… I wanted my book. So I know it’s ready to be edited and published when I wake up. See?

SO, I reached a milestone in that overall goal, which is…

 

I Reached a Goal!

I’m 25% done in my novel! 😀 It’s a quarter of it written. *THROWS CONFETTI* I’m so happy and proud!

In order to celebrate this achievement, I decided to make graphics for Rise of a Heroine: Resurgence as well as publish it on Inkitt (it’s similar to Wattpad). And yes, you’ll be able to read it. 🙂

Who Wants Graphics?

This graphic is the one I made specially for reaching 25% written in my novel. It features my sweet heroine Miranda Kane (a.k.a Feather) and my dear Thomas Lance, villain with a big heart who started Miranda’s journey as a superhero.

Rise of a Heroine_ Resurgence

As for this one, it’s the cover I made for my story on Inkitt. I used real objects I had at home as well as my professional camera. When I saw the mask I could only think of my Miranda/Feather, so I bought it. As for the Batman comics, it’s this specific one that is quite important in my story. It all makes sense when you read it.

Rise of a Heroine_Cover

Where You Can Read My Novel

Speaking of reading, are you interested in reading Rise of a Heroine: Resurgence?

Head over Inkitt here: Rise of a Heroine: Resurgence

I upload a new chapter each week so you’ll always have something to read. I hope you’ll like it and stay on Miranda’s adventure of becoming a superhero and her fight against evil!

 

In Conclusion

I’m so glad I reached the 25% milestone! I managed to do it in two months, which makes me even prouder. Here’s to the next 75% by August 31st! *Raises her iced coffee*

I hope you’ll stick around and walk this journey with me. It’s always better with company.

Are you working on a project of your own?

Is a big event (like my upcoming surgery) a motivator for said project?

Leave a comment below and let’s discuss!

See you next post, lovelies!