Get Lit(erate). with Stephanie Affinito

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm chatting with Abby to help her build a book apothecary for the season ahead. Join me as I talk all things books with a listener and build a book apothecary that will serve, soothe and nudge.Abby is a literacy educator who is content in her life, but also feels a bit of unrest. She wants to build a book apothecary focused on four key words: freedom, grow, nourish and connect. In addition to growing her reading life in nourishing ways, she'd also like to grow her writing life to help her uncover and decide upon her next steps in the season ahead. I have a feeling a lot of us are going to be nodding our heads and writing down titles in this episode!Here are the books mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!WAYS TO FIND YOURSELF by Angela Brown (Amazon / Bookshop)STRESS LESS, ACCOMPLISH MORE by Emily Fletcher (Amazon / Bookshop)THE DAILY ARTIST'S WAY by Julia Cameron (Amazon / Bookshop)YOU ARE A BADASS AT MAKING MONEY by Jen Sincero (Amazon / Bookshop)COUNTDOWN TO RICHES by Rhonda Byrne (Amazon / Bookshop)WHAT IF YOU ARE THE ANSWER by Rachel Hollis (Amazon / Bookshop)ABUNDANT EVER AFTER by Cathy Heller (Amazon / Bookshop)If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply! I'd love to connect and collaborate!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm guiding you through a gentle restorative reading and writing session for when you need a bit of hope. It's ideal for when things feel hard, for when life seems overwhelming and for when you'd like to brighten your outlook for the future.Here's a quick overview of how the guided sessions work:* First, we begin with a bit of grounding and a few breaths to settle us.* Then, I share a powerful short reading to orient our focus and launch our reflective writing. * Following the reading, I guide you through three journaling invitations that build on each other and shift the energy on the page and in your body.* Finally, we end with a short, yet powerful, affirmation to carry throughout your day and beyond. Here are the books and writing prompts mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy edited by James Crews (Amazon / Bookshop)Writing Prompts:First:* What line stayed with me?* What did I feel as I read it?* Where did I feel it? In my body? In my thoughts? In my emotions?Second:* What am I carrying right now that makes hope feel distant or fragile?* Where, even faintly, might hope still be present in my life?Third:* What would it look like to stay close to hope, just for today?Affirmation:I choose hope.Here's the audio I used in the episode: Nature Healing SocietyOnce you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!One more thing: If you'd like printable restorative writing cards that help you explore hope in your life, join my Restorative Reading & Writing Circle on Substack!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing all the details on my personal book apothecary for May 2026.Each month, I choose a one-word theme to guide my intentions and create a book apothecary to help me breathe that word into existence through reading, writing and learning. This month, my chosen one word theme is: HOPE.It was sparked by an email from Omega with an invitation inside:This month, we encourage you to reflect on what hope means in your life right now and how that understanding shapes the way you move forward. What are you willing to believe in? What feels ready to emerge? And how might hope guide your next step?That invitation seemed to be written just for me and has sparked an exploration into HOPE ever since then. It's the perfect word to follow my own-word theme of RELEASE from last month. Now that I've released some things that no longer serve me, I can make space for the hope that does. As you likely already know, the best way to welcome a new way of thinking, feeling and being into my life is through reading and writing, paying careful attention to the books I surround myself with and the prompts I write from so I can take inspired action in my life.Here's my current book apothecary to explore what HOPE means to me this month. Scroll to see the contents below and press play on the podcast episode talking all about it.Restorative Reading:I've chosen a mix of books to explore themes of HOPE and to bring more of it into my life. I admit, I have built a pretty tall stack, but I am hopeful that I'll read them all (yes, pun intended). Here are the books in my apothecary along with the publishers blurb for each of them:WAYS TO FIND YOURSELF by Angela Brown (Amazon / Bookshop)Technically, I've already read an advanced copy of the book, but it's going to sit on my shoulders all month long. It will be one of my top books of 2026 (if not ever) and has the kind of quiet power to help you move forward with hope while better appreciating all previous versions of yourself. It's breath-taking. Here's the overview:Grace Whittaker's life is coming apart.In the wake of her mother's death, a stalled writing career, and a slow-motion separation from her husband, Grace is more directionless than ever. But when she returns to Sea Drift, the beach town where she and her mother summered for years, Grace's life comes together in the most unexpected ways.Soon after arriving on the picturesque coastline that meant so much to her, Grace discovers more than she remembers, and for reasons she can't possibly fathom. Amid the weathered surf shops, pastel motels, and sloping beaches, Grace begins to encounter younger versions of herself. Each one is vivid, alive, and breathtakingly real.As she navigates this most surreal week—reconnecting with old friends, trying to solve a quiet mystery about her mother, and revisiting a love she left behind—Grace is forced to remember who she used to be. It's the only way she can figure out who she can still become.THE HOPE CHEST by Viola Shipman (Amazon / Bookshop)Personally, I think all of Viola Shipman's books have threads of hope on the pages and I cannot wait to find them in this book. Here's what I'm looking forward to:The discovery of one woman's heirloom hope chest unveils precious memories and helps three people who have each lost a part of themselves find joy once again.Ever since she was diagnosed with ALS, fiercely independent Mattie doesn't feel like herself. She can't navigate her beloved home, she can't go for a boat ride, and she can barely even feed herself. Her devoted husband, Don, doesn't want to imagine life without his wife of nearly fifty years, but Mattie isn't likely to make it past their anniversary.But when Rose, Mattie's new caretaker, and her young daughter, Jeri, enter the couple's life, happiness and the possibility for new memories return. Together they form a family, and Mattie is finally able to pass on her memories from the hope chest she received from her mother.With each item—including a favorite doll, family dishes, an embroidered apron, and an antique Christmas ornament—the hope chest connects Mattie, Don and Rose to each other and helps them find hope again in the face of overwhelming life challenges.THE PRAYER BOX by Lisa Wingate (Amazon / Bookshop)Do you have a prayer box? I do, but I only have one that my daughter gifted to me. I'm enchanted with the idea of having one for each year of my life as a way to archive it and reflect on who I've become, kind of like my notebooks. Here's the overview:When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house. Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.A SPRINKLE OF SWEET SERENDIPITY by Rachel Linden (Amazon / Bookshop)I have had this book preordered for months and I absolutely cannot wait for the latest book from one of my favorite authors. Here's the set-up:Paris trained chocolatier and single mother Emmie Wynne gave up her own dreams six years ago when she returned to her Pacific Northwest coastal tourist town to run her family's struggling candy store. Now on her thirty-fourth birthday, Emmie has only one wish, to be granted the vision that every Wynne woman is given once in her lifetime—a shimmering glimpse of her true destiny. This year, when she blows out her candles, it finally comes true.Her vision is more delectable than she could've imagined—her very own artisanal chocolate shop filled with decadent truffles and caramels, and her celebrity crush, Henry Summers, down on one knee. And when Henry suddenly arrives in town for the summer, offering Emmie the opportunity of a lifetime, the future in her vision suddenly seems possible.But a rekindled connection with Jakob, her former high school best friend turned hunky, brooding tattooed baker, forces Emmie to grapple with the bittersweet realization that her destiny may not be what her heart truly longs for. As the culmination of her vision draws nearer, can Emmie find the courage to create a happiness of her own making?29 GIFTS: HOW A MONTH OF GIVING CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Cami Walker (Amazon / Bookshop)If this book doesn't scream HOPE, then I don't know what does:At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by a battle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological condition that made it difficult for her to walk, work, or enjoy her life. Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine man: Give to others for 29 days . 29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple —a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement. The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.These are the central texts that make up my apothecary this month, but I'm always open to new suggestions and adding along the way. If you have suggestions, let me know in the comments!Plus, if you'd like to get access to my bibliotherapy book calendar embracing this theme with a book recommendation for every day of the month, join my Restorative Reading & Writing Circle here on Substack!Restorative Writing:I'm focused on two kinds of restorative writing this month that I believe will boost my mood and explore what hope means to me: gratitude journaling and letter-writing.First, gratitude journaling. I've always been the kind of person who tries to plan everything and that means scanning for all that could go wrong so I can avoid it. The problem there is that, as much as I hate it, it's harder for me to truly see and notice the good that is all around me. But when I do, everything changes. So this month, I plan to capture my gratitude in my 5 Year Journal (as always), but also in my weekly planner. I've changed what goes inside this planner more times than I'd like to admit, but for now, it's going to capture gratitude. =)Second, letters to my younger self. Last month, I read Jennae Cecelia' poetry book: healing for no one but me. You might know her from her viral ‘I met my younger self for coffee' posts on Instagram inspired by one of her recent poems. Combine this with the plot of WAYS TO FIND YOURSELF and you've got the perfect alchemy to look back at all the past versions of ourselves through the lens of love and with a kind heart. I hope to spend time in my notebook writing letters to the earlier versions of me so I can continue to release the past and look forward to a future bursting with hope.Curiosities to Explore for Inspired Action:I'd like to take another stab at a vegetable garden this summer. Last year, I tried the garden bucket method and it worked pretty well, but this year, my son wants to grow an actual garden with me. I'm talking raised beds, special fencing and all the seeds. Since I have absolutely no idea how to go about this, I'll be searching the Internet for helpful advice and people to follow. Send reinforcements!I've got another BIG thing on my want to learn list that has been there for YEARS, but maybe there is hope for me yet: I'd like to learn how to make things on Procreate: handlettered book quotes, monthly calendars, coloring pages and more. I purchased a course years ago and hope I can still access it. I just need to drop a chunk of change on an Apple pencil….or a knockoff. Someone, please hold me accountable for this goal and nudge me with pushy kindness. =)Things to Love:As I begin to define what HOPE means to me, I keep returning to this gorgeous visual reminder of the word from Christie Zimmer:This video is both beautiful and informative and I haven't stopped thinking about a key nugget found inside: Hope is about believing AND doing. For so long, I've defined hope as passive actions: hoping, wishing, praying for things to get better or to happen. But this video (and the research Christie cites) reminds me that hope is also an action, too. The tiny hopeful steps we take in the moment pave the road ahead for the things we hope for to actually happen. Plus, I really want to see if I can make one of those beautiful HOPE booklets! =)Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

I recently (and very quietly!) celebrated an important milestone on the Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness podcast: I reached the 225 episode milestone!It truly seems like yesterday when I nervously hit record and uploaded a very real, raw episode into the world and it's been a wonderful journey of learning ever since. Recently, I've started posting some of these backlist episodes in my current show notes as they relate to the current theme in case you missed it or are new to the podcast and I've loved seeing new life brought to these old episodes. So, I've decided to periodically bring back a backlist episode that relates to my current one-word theme in hopes that it re-energizes your reading and writing life, too. Starting today!Spring is in the air and that means Spring cleaning, organizing and freshening. This kind of work pairs perfectly with my RELEASE theme and might help you let go of the old and make space for the new on your bookshelf….and your life. Today, I am talking about shelf-care or showing love to your bookshelf in mindful and intentional ways to rejuvenate your reading life and how it can lead to self-care in our actual lives, too. Here's a quick overview of the steps I shared in the episode:Know Your WhyFirst, before you even get started, articulate why you are choosing to cull your book collection. Clearly stating your ‘why' behind this work will give you the energy your bookish heart will need to tackle it. Say it out loud. Are you sorting through your books to gain:* a cleaner and refreshed look to your bookshelves?* additional space for new titles and genres?* a chance to sift through your reading life past and plan for the future?Whatever the reason, define your why and hold it close throughout the process.Remove & SortNext, pull all the books off of your shelf so you can literally see and touch each one. This contact is important. Quickly glancing at the titles on your self will not suffice. Pick up each book and sort them into two piles: read and not read yet.Review the Books You've ReadThen, head to the stack of books you've already read. Pick up each book, say the title and author out loud and fan the pages. Saying the title out loud will jog your memory of the book and fanning the pages will highlight any dog-earned passages, bookmarks or sticky notes, all signs you loved the book. If this process does NOT jog your memory of the book, then that's a sure sign you might let it go.Make a decision to keep or donate each book. Is it a book that you read, loved, remembered and want to keep? Yes? Well, why? If you have a compelling reason to keep the book on your shelf waiting patiently for another reader that might never come, then do so. If not, set it aside so you can pay it forward to share with a reader who will love and appreciate it. Continue the process until you have sorted all of the books into KEEP and SHARE piles.But don't put them back on the shelf. Not yet!Review the Books You Haven't Read YetNext, it's time to head to the stack of books you have not read yet. Just as with the books you've already read, pick up each book and say the title and author aloud. How do you feel? Does the book register in your memory? Does it tug at your reading heart? Or do you feel nothing at all? Use that gut feeling to decide whether to keep the book on your shelves or donate to others. These questions might help you decide:* Do you remember when and why you purchased the book?* Are those reasons still relevant in your life today?* Do you remember who recommended it to you and why they thought you might enjoy it?If you can answer these questions and are still interested in the book, keep it. If not and you do not feel any tug at your reading heart, then pay it forward to another reader.Now, there are two steps left: to reorganize your newly culled reading shelves and decide on your donation strategy.Reorganize & ReshelveFirst, let's reorganize. Organization of your bookshelves is a personal process that should be based on your preferences and wishes as a reader AND your desire for organization and accessibility. Here are a few methods you might try:* Shelve books by reading status: read and not yet read* Arrange books alphabetically by author last name* Categorize books by genre and/or format* Sort books by hardcover and paperback* Cluster books by your mood for reading* Visually display books by color, size and/or shape* Celebrate favorite books in a showcaseChoose a method that speaks to your bookish heart and experiment with combinations of strategies, too. You might have a TBR shelf arranged by genre. Or an alphabetically arranged shelf within a certain genre. The choice is yours.Donate Books ForwardLastly, it's time to get your excess books into the hands of its next reader. Here are a few possibilities:* Donate adult books to your local library.* Donate children's literature books to your local school.* Add a few books to a Free Little Library in your neighborhood (or start your own!)* Gift them to family and friends with handwritten recommendations* Declare yourself a book fairy and leave a book in a random place for the next reader to find.Once you see the possibilities for pressing books into the hands of its next reader and making space for the books that need to find you next, it doesn't seem quite so daunting, does it?! Culling your book collections is a necessary stage of the reading life: sharing books that no longer serves you to others and making space for those that need to find you in this season of life:Shelf-Care to Self-Care MagicMoving through this book-culling process and releasing the books that no longer serve you in this particular season of life can feel quite thrilling and leave you with a sense of accomplishment. It also leaves you with new space: space to connect with new books that are just what you need in this moment. So, your last step is to reflect on these three questions, even better if you jot them down in your notebook:* Who do you want to be in this current season?* How do you want to feel?* What do you want to do?Use your unfiltered, gut-reaction responses to connect with new books that can offer you the kind of care you need right now. Here are the books originally mentioned in the backlist episode that I made space for on my newly refreshed bookshelf:ABOVE GROUND by Clint Smith (Amazon / Bookshop)WHEN THE RAIN ENDS by Mary Ellen Taylor (Amazon / Bookshop)ADELAIDE by Genevieve Wheeler (Amazon / Bookshop)And here are the current books I've made space for inspired by the re-airing of this episode:THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi (Amazon / Bookshop)A SPRINKLE OF SWEET SERENDIPITY by Rachel Linden (Amazon / Bookshop)LOVE, FINALLY: UNTANGLING THE KNOT BETWEEN MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, AND FOOD by Geneen Roth (Amazon / Bookshop)I'd love to hear what you think of this episode! How has culling your book collection helped you move into a new season of your reading life AND your actual one, too? What books are on your newly-curated bookshelf? Share in the comments below!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

If you didn't know this already, this podcast is truly a week-by-week sharing of my own reading and writing life, what I'm learning and how I'm growing in my own restorative practice. I talk about the books I'm actually reading, the things I'm actually writing and the ways I'm furthering my own knowledge in this little niche that I love so much. This week is no exception.I stumbled upon a key piece of research that could be the one thing standing in your way of a reading and writing life that is interesting and passes the time to a restorative reading and writing practice that actually calms your nervous system and makes you feel better.As a quick review, there are a few key steps to a restorative reading and writing practice that alchemizes the healing power of them both:* Carve out a block of time and create soothing conditions to read and write.* Choose the book or passage that you need right now in this season of life.* Read with an open mind and heart.* Write about the nudges you feel in your body and mind.* Take inspired action from the page to make life better. As is with many things, the first step can be the hardest part: finding the time and creating the optimal conditions for your own reading and writing. But honestly, if we do, such beautiful changes can happen in your mind, body and life, especially when we layer our reading and writing practices with soothing signals from our senses. Why?Well, I used to think it was because those sensory signals provided a soothing message to our nervous systems that we could calm down and sink into our practice, elevating our reading and writing experience. And that is still true. But I know know it is much, much more than that. The sensory layers we add to our practice actually signal SAFETY to our bodies.Let me explain, courtesy of my learning from Brett Larkin in HEALING WITH SOMATIC YOGA, a book from my RELEASE book apothecary this month:Our bodies do not speak in words. That's why, even though we truly want to, we can't tell it to stop worrying and to stop overthinking and to stop ruminating and have it easily respond. It simply cannot listen to us in the language we are using. Why? Because it speaks a different language: the language of movement, sensation, breath, sound and touch. When we speak in THAT language and give our body messages at the somatic and sensory level, our bodies can finally listen. That's why paying close attention to the sensory elements in our restorative reading and writing practice is critical.Armed with this new information, I think it's the perfect time to take a sensory audit of our current restorative practice and give it a bit of a refresh for the Spring season. To begin, take an honest look at your current reading and writing practices:* What signals of safety are you currently providing your system during your reading and writing time?* How do they align to the season of the calendar we are in to take advantage of Mother Nature's rhythms? Take a minute and list some ideas for your own personal practice and then borrow some from my own brainstorming below:Sight: Spring invites us to notice nature and the world around us.* Take your practice outside or read and writing with a visible view of the outdoor world. * Add a plant or flower to your reading and writing space.* Choose books, notebooks and bookish bling with Spring-like colors.Hearing: Spring invites us to listen to sounds of renewal and growth. * Read outside and listen to the birdsong or play nature-infused audio tracks while reading and writing. * Press play on a nature-themed ASMR room on YouTube.Smell: Spring invites us to embrace the scents of the blooming season. * Diffuse fruity and floral flavors in your essential oil diffuser.* Light a citrus, floral or minty candle while reading and writing. Taste: Spring invites us to explore personal flavors of joy and presence.* Choose a beverage or snack that feels like comfort and presence for you, even if not aligned to the Spring flavor profile.* Experiment with Spring flavor drinks, like flowery herbal teas or LMNT (my favorite is citrus and lemonade!).Touch: Spring invites us to ground ourselves in the physical world. * Read with your bare feet touching the grass for additional grounding. * Read with a natural stone to rub for presence.These are just a few of the ideas I'm trying in my own personal practice and I'd love to know your recommendations, too. Leave your thoughts in the comments below and let's build a restorative Spring reading and writing practice together!Here are the other episodes mentioned in the podcast:E218: Why a Personal Curriculum Isn't a Book Apothecary & Why That MattersE202: Create a Restorative Reading & Writing AltarLet's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

The most treasured part of my day is the early morning. I brew a cup of coffee, light a candle and sink into a beautiful restorative reading and writing practice themed around something I need or want in my life. It's magical and I thought I'd start sharing snippets of it with you here on the podcast.So…On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm guiding you through my first-ever guided restorative reading and writing session for when life feels hard and you need some care.Come listen as I explain how this episode came to be, walk you through a 15-minute restorative reading and writing session for when you need care and offer a powerful affirmation for the week ahead.Here are the books and writing prompts mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!HEART MINDED by Sarah Blondin (Amazon / Bookshop)Writing Prompts:* Lately I have been taking care of…* Right now, what I need most is…* One way I could take care of myself this week is…Affirmation:* I give myself permission to take care of myself. It's the best thing I can do for myself and others.Here's the audio I used in the episode: Nature Healing SocietyOnce you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Would you like more episodes like these? Or a live online gathering inside our Restorative Reading and Writing Circle? Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm exploring the how and why behind harnessing the power of picture books as portable life coaches.Come listen as I share what a life coach is and why a picture book fits the bill, why picture books are powerful coaching tools for adults, how we might use them to make life better and the three that I love recommending to everyone no matter that season of life they are in. Here are the three books I recommended:The Blur by Minh Lê & Dan Santat (Amazon / Bookshop)Time passes quickly and this book so beautifully captures just how fast. This is the perfect book to spark conversation on what matters most, what we do not want to pass us by and how we can savor our days.Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman (Amazon / Bookshop)This beautifully illustrated book sets us squarely in nature to marvel at the transformations that occur. It's perfect for choosing new goals and regrouping when we feel stuck and need or want to unfurl and grow.The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater (Amazon / Bookshop)Who knew that a big orange splot could transform a cookie-cutter neighborhood into a collection of people pursuing their passions? This book is perfect to spark dormant dreams and break out of a rut.I hope you'll give these portable life coaches a try and would love to know what you think of this idea. Share your thoughts and book recommendations below. Plus, if you have a special request for a picture book title, please add that below and I'll pop back with a reply. Interested in my whole collection? You can get that here! I continually add to it and you get those updates, too. Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing all the details on my personal book apothecary for April 2026.Each month, I choose a one-word theme to guide my intentions and create a book apothecary to help me breathe that word into existence through reading, writing and learning. This month, my chosen one word theme is: RELEASE.If you follow the astrological calendar, then you know we just ended the year of the snake and just entered the year of the horse. Apparently, that means we've been shedding what no longer serves us to make room for more of what does. Technically, according to the calendar, I should be done shedding by now, but I'm not. =)I'm feeling called to release old expectations, leave old routines and rituals behind and even throw out at least half of the clothes in my closet. I'm wanting to let go of old grudges, release lingering negativity and reduce inflammation in my body, too. Hence, the word RELEASE.For me, the best way to welcome a new way of thinking, feeling and being into my life is through reading and writing, paying careful attention to the books I surround myself with and the prompts I write from so I can take inspired action in my life.Here's my current book apothecary ready to help me RELEASE this month. Scroll to see the contents below and press play on the podcast episode talking all about it.Restorative Reading:The three books I've chosen focusing on three different aspects of RELEASE I'd like to explore: release in my physical body, release in my emotional mind and release in my object-filled home. Here are the books in my apothecary this month along with the publishers blurb for each of them:Healing with Somatic Yoga: A 6-Week Journey to Release Emotions, Rewire Your Nervous System, and Reclaim Your Body by Brett LarkinAmazonIn 6 weeks, learn a groundbreaking somatic system that blends the three essential models of body-based healing. Whether you crave gentle nervous system regulation, cathartic emotional release, or the healing power of self-touch, this book offers a revolutionary approach to coming home to your body—not just another collection of gentle poses.Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Amazon / BookshopIn the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series translated from Japanese, the mysterious café where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time welcomes four new guests:- The father who could not allow his daughter to get married- A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one- A boy who wants to show his smile to his divorced parents- A wife holding a child with no name . . .They must follow the café's strict rules, however, and come back to the present before their coffee goes cold. Another moving and heartwarming tale from Toshikazu Kawaguchi, in Before We Forget Kindness our new visitors wish to go back into their past to move on their present, finding closure and comfort so they can embark on a beautiful future.They Left Us Everything: A Memoir by Plum Johnson (Amazon / Bookshop)After almost twenty years of caring for elderly parents—first for their senile father, and then for their cantankerous ninety-three-year-old mother—author Plum Johnson and her three younger brothers experience conflicted feelings of grief and relief when their mother, the surviving parent, dies.Now they must empty and sell the beloved family home, which hasn't been de-cluttered in more than half a century. Twenty-three rooms bulge with history, antiques, and oxygen tanks. Plum remembers her loving but difficult parents who could not have been more different: the British father, a handsome, disciplined patriarch who nonetheless could not control his opinionated, extroverted Southern-belle wife who loved tennis and gin gimlets. The task consumes her, becoming more rewarding than she ever imagined.Items from childhood trigger memories of her eccentric family growing up in a small town on the shores of Lake Ontario in the 1950's and 60's. But unearthing new facts about her parents helps her reconcile those relationships with a more accepting perspective about who they were and what they valued.They Left Us Everything is a funny, touching memoir about the importance of preserving family history to make sense of the past and nurturing family bonds to safeguard the future.These are the three central texts that make up my apothecary this month, but I'm always open to new suggestions and adding along the way. If you have suggestions, let me know in the comments!Plus, if you'd like to get access to my bibliotherapy book calendar embracing this theme with a book recommendation for every day of the month, join my Restorative Reading & Writing Circle here on Substack!Restorative Writing:I'm focused on two kinds of restorative writing this month: expressive and affirmative. My expressive writing practice has truly brought so much release and pain relief in the past and I'm doubling down on that practice this month. I plan to listen to my body and heart and write freely about what needs to go. If you want to learn more about this special kind of writing, listen here. Another important aspect of my writing life will focus on affirmations this month. Here's a podcast episode talking through why this kind of writing matters. For whatever reason, I have a hard time letting go of the typical way I do things and the usual way I think. I plan to write and embody this affirmation from Cathy Heller on repeat throughout the month:I trust myself to acknowledge what nourishes me and release what no longer does. I imagine I might delve into some listicle writing too: lists of things to organize, donate and toss will certainly be one of them!Curiosities to Explore for Inspired Action:Somatic yoga has been calling my name for a while and this month, I'm truly sinking into it to help me release stress and negativity from my body. Brett Larkin's book is helping me learn, explore and grow and I'll press play on one or two or ten of her somatic yoga videos, too. Here they are!I'm hoping to learn more about lymphatic release, too. This topic seems to be EVERYWHERE on social media and I want to go underneath the posts to the science and see how it might benefit my health and wellness. This isn't a curiosity, but it is something I want to do: CLEAN MY CLOSET! Out with the old, in with the new. Out with the old stories, in with the new ones. Clearing clutter is emotional and cleaning your closet is an experience I hope to tackle. Things to Love:Everything. =) I do not want my focus on RELEASE to seem negative: out with the old and in with the new. Instead, I want to embrace that theme with a loving mindset and use love as the guidepost for moving forward. I recently found this poem and cannot get it out of my mind: The Question by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer:All day, I replay these words:Is this the path of love?I think of them as I rise, asI wake my children, as I wash dishes,as I drive too close behind the slowblue Subaru, Is this the path of love?Think of these words as I stand in lineat the grocery store,think of them as I sit on the couchwith my daughter. Amazing howquickly six words become compass,the new lens through which to see myselfin the world. I notice what the question is not.Not, “Is this right?” Not,“Is this wrong?” It just longs to knowhow the action of existencelinks us to the path to love.And is it this? Is it this? All day,I let myself be led by the question.All day I let myself not be too certainof the answer. Is it this?Is this the path of love? I askas I wait for the next word to come.This poem is stunningly beautiful, isn't it?! This lens of love will guide me all month long, running parallel along with theme of RELEASE, and I hope it guides you, too. If you want more poems like these, add this book to your book apothecary this month.One more thing: Here's my aromatherapy tincture I'm creating for Spring release: 2 drops Lemon, 2 drops Lavender, 2 drops Peppermint. Heavenly.If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm chatting with Dawn to help her build a book apothecary for the season ahead. Join me as I talk all things books with a listener and build a book apothecary that will serve, soothe and nudge.Dawn is a retired educator who is looking for more grace, more kindness and more peace in this season of her life. She's been a longtime member of my private Substack community and posed a special challenge for me: to select books for per book apothecary that she already owns as we #readourshelves together throughout the month of March. Challenge accepted! I've got just the stack of books for Dawn and bet there are a few that you'll love, too!Here are the books mentioned in this episode. You'll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page (Amazon / Bookshop)Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Amazon / Bookshop)The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye (Amazon / Bookshop)The Practice by Seth Godin (Amazon / Bookshop)Soul Shift: The Weary Human's Guide to Getting Unstuck and Reclaiming Your Path to Joy by Rachel Macy Stafford (Amazon / Bookshop)The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron (Amazon / Bookshop)Healing with Somatic Yoga: A 6-Week Journey to Release Emotions, Rewire Your Nervous System, and Reclaim Your Body by Brett Larkin (Amazon)Find Dawn on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/dawndevoursbooks/If YOU would like to build your book apothecary with me on the podcast, click here to apply!Once you've listened, I'd love to know what you think of this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!Let's Work Together!I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm revealing the newest addition to my restorative writing framework and inviting you to create a personal correspondence kit. Come listen as I quickly review what restorative writing is and the seven different kinds of writing you might explore. Then, we'll dive deeper into the newest addition to my framework: connective writing that keeps us tethered to other people, to new possibilities and to belonging. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/03/10/connective-writing-correspondence-kits/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm chatting with Nikki Russell, the illustrator behind the NY Times Best-selling series DORK DIARIES, about her innovative journaling notebook: the planary.Come listen as we explore exactly what a planary is, the way that Nikki approaches her own planary stack, the notebookish bling and tools that make a planary the perfect tool for wellness and much more. You'll be smiling from ear to ear as you soak up Nikki's infectious energy and enthusiasm. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/03/03/the-joy-of-blending-notebooks-the-planary-with-nikki-russell/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm launching a new segment of the podcast: Build Your Book Apothecary! Join me as I talk all things books with a listener and build a book apothecary that will serve, soothe and nudge.Come listen as I build a book apothecary with Amy! Amy's looking to feel more at ease in her life as she figures out how to welcome retirement and a slower pace of living. She loves her family, her home and wants to boost her creativity, too. I've got just the stack of books for Amy and bet there are a few that you'll love, too!You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/02/24/build-your-book-apothecary-with-amy/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm diving deep into the recent craze of creating a personal curriculum for yourself in the new year and why you should create a book apothecary instead. Come listen as I talk about the science and current popularity behind creating personal curriculums, the alternative wellness, creativity and expansion that a book apothecary provides instead and how to tell which one you need right now.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/02/17/why-a-personal-curriculum-isnt-a-book-apothecary-why-that-matters/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing my favorite books to soothe the mind after a session of expressive writing on the page. Come listen as I talk about what expressive journaling is and share a specific form of it called JournalSpeak from Nicole Sachs. We'll explore what it is, how it works and the books I recommend for soothing your nervous system once you lift your pencil from the page. This practice has changed my life and I know it can help yours, too. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/02/10/books-to-soothe-the-mind-after-journalspeak/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing the science-based research behind the magical potential of reading to help us manifest ANYTHING that we want in our lives from wellness and creativity to personal and professional accomplishments.Come listen as I talk about the inspiration for today's episode, detail the exact science you need to know about to harness the true power of books and offer a few titles that can help you get started manifesting your best life one book at a time.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/02/03/how-reading-can-help-you-manifest-anything/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm revealing a new category in my restorative writing framework and I'm offering a simple, yet powerful, tool for deciding exactly which kind of journaling you need next.Come listen as I talk about the reason why I created the restorative writing framework and decision three, the two questions you need to ask yourself to get started and the eight different writing prompts you can choose from to find exactly the one you need next.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: ⁠https://www.alitlife.com/2026/01/27/get-rid-of-journaling-decision-fatigue-with-this-tool/⁠Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at ⁠www.getliterate.co⁠. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: ⁠https://amzn.to/44wELKN⁠If you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: ⁠https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife⁠All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: ⁠http://www.alitlife.com/⁠ ⁠Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit⁠Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm walking you through a simple self-reflection tool to find out EXACTLY what your reading life needs next and the simple strategies to get there.Come listen as I talk about the quick and easy assessment tool to help you decide exactly what your reading life needs and offer nine recommendations to help you get there. We'll go deep into your reading habits, explore what your reading heart is after and decide if you need to broaden your reading community, too.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/01/20/heres-exactly-what-your-reading-life-needs-next/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing three ways you can winterize your reading and writing life for wellness.Come listen as I talk about why reading and writing look a bit different in winter than in any other season, three ways you can make your reading and writing life warmer, cozier and more wintery and the science behind why all of this matters anyway.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/01/13/winterize-your-reading-writing-life-for-wellness/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm exploring the science behind why we should theme our reading lives around intentional one-word themes, curiosities or questions and how we can do it joyfully.Come listen as I share the science behind the practice, offer concrete ideas on how to theme your reading life (and how not to!), how to create a TBR stack and book apothecary that embraces your theme and how to harness the power of the page to create a life you love.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2026/01/06/why-how-you-should-theme-your-reading-life/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm revealing my 2026 notebook stack: all the notebooks I'm using and loving and why. I'll begin by answering the top 3 questions I receive every time I release my annual notebook stack episodes: Why so many? Why are they so different? How often do you write in them? Plus, I'll share why I'm shifting my focus a bit this year, too. Then, I'll walk you through each of my notebooks: what they are for, what they look like and how they feel, how I'll use it and how often I'll write in it.Finally, I'll end with a mic-drop question that could change the way you think about notebooking and journaling forever.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/12/30/my-2026-notebook-stack/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm inviting you to give yourself permission for a holiday pause, a bit of time to drop into your restorative reading and writing practice against a backdrop of beautiful, instrumental holiday music.Come listen as I give a quick hello, offer a few things you might do during this time and invite you to settle in for some restorative rest. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/12/23/your-holiday-permission-to-pause/No Copyright Background MusicChristmas Music Mix   •

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm diving deep into epigraphs and why they are an essential element of a restorative reading and writing practice.Come listen as I share my real-time reading life and the book that sparked this episode, what epigraphs are and why they matter for restorative reading and writing and how you can harness their power in your own reading and writing lifeYou'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/12/16/book-chapter-epigraphs-as-restorative-invitations/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm exploring how restorative writing can help us write our way to, through and beyond the holiday season. Come listen as I share why restorative writing can support you through the holidays with less stress and more joy and provide seven different ways for you to show up on the page based on what your particular holiday season looks and feels like. Remember, the page has your back. =)You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/12/09/writing-our-way-through-the-holidays-seven-invitations/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm diving into my favorite personality framework as a tool to help you build and grow your reading life: the Four Tendencies Framework created by Gretchen Rubin. Come listen as I share why right now is the perfect time of year to dive into this work, provide a quick overview of the Four Tendencies Framework and list ways you can boost your reading habits based on your particular tendency. I promise you, this episode could be a game-changer for your reading life.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/12/02/how-the-four-tendencies-can-grow-your-reading-habit/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing my current favorite gifts to help others grow a restorative reading and writing practice….and my own, too. =)Come listen as I open with a quick reminder of the elements essential to a restorative practice and link each to a host of gifts you could share this holiday season. Think handmade gifts of time, unexpected notebook delights, aromatherapy that brings the holiday spirit and much, much more.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/11/25/holiday-gifts-for-restorative-reading-writing/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm exploring my newest notebook obsession: creating a restorative recipe notebook. It's a notebook full of my own personal recipes and the recipes that have been handed down to me. I recently shared my new project with my Get Lit(erate). community in hopes they'd offer suggestions and they did not disappoint.Come listen as I open the episode with this new idea and talk about why I've chosen a new format to do so. We'll explore the power of recipes as restorative writing, the varied ways you might create your own recipe notebook and hopefully, you'll share your ideas with me as I piece together my own.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/11/18/create-a-restorative-recipe-notebook/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm exploring a particular reading practice: book annotation and marginalia. It's something I've typically avoided in the past for various reasons, but am now ready to explore with gusto because of my recent book relay. Come listen as I share the experience that made me change my mind about marginalia, the various ways that you might choose to annotate your book pages, why the practice is so important to the reading experience and much more.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/11/11/e204-finding-magic-in-the-margins-of-book-pages/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm getting a bit vulnerable and talking about a personal strategy I'm trying for keeping my ducks in a row, my t's crossed and my i's dotted and not dropping the glass balls. Don't worry, it will all make sense once you listen.Normally, I come to you with tried and true recommendations from my own restorative reading and writing life, but this week, I'm coming to you in real time as I try to make Sunday planning a staple routine of my week. Come listen as I reveal why I'm giving this routine a try, how I'm going to do it, what I need and what I hope to do and the ways I'm going to make it my own.Spoiler alert: I need your help. This whole Sunday-planning system is new for me and I want to get it right so I can feel better all week long. I'll try your ideas and report back in a later episode!You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/11/04/why-im-trying-a-sunday-planning-notebook/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm sharing the nuts and bolts behind creating a restorative reading and writing altar for yourself in your home. Come listen as I explain exactly what a reading and writing altar is, the science behind why you need one, the unexpected altars you might already have and how to create one using four layers of creation and how to harness the power of a simple ritual to receive reading and writing joy and wellness in the coming season.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/10/28/create-a-restorative-reading-writing-altar/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness, I'm talking all about my holiday notebook tradition, how it helps us cultivate the kind of holiday season we want to have and how you can make one, too.Come listen to how the holiday notebook tradition began, what exactly a holiday notebook is, how you can make one for yourself and what you should put inside and the one thing that needs to happen to make the notebook work as it should. Plus, you won't want to miss the one BIG change to my own holiday notebook this year. If you like what you hear, you can join me inside my Get Lit(erate). Substack community to create one with us LIVE in our annual holiday notebooking session! There will be holiday music, notebooking and more! Join us here!You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/10/21/a-beautiful-holiday-season-starts-with-a-notebook/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm putting my party hat on, cueing the confetti and celebrating 200 episodes of the podcast!Come listen as I talk about where the podcast started and how it has evolved over the years, the top downloaded episodes you might want to listen to (along with a couple of my favorites), the ways the podcast will grow in the future and a request for help around helping me rename (maybe!) the podcast, too. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/10/14/e200-celebrating-200-episodes/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm exploring the healing power of books clubs and why they are an underestimated tool in our quest to make life better through books and reading.Come listen as I talk about the research-backed power of book clubs, how you can create (or join!) a book club with heart, the best kinds of books to promote group healing, the conversations your book club needs to discuss the next time it meets and the things we do outside the pages of a book that can literally change our lives. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/10/07/book-clubs-with-heart-how-group-reading-can-foster-collective-healingLove this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we're exploring the newest addition to my restorative writing framework: affirmative writing. Come listen as I explore what affirmative writing is (writing that affirms and uplifts your mindset) and offer 5 ways to try affirmative writing in your notebook:AffirmationsGratitudeManifestationJoyNotes of Acknowledgement All you need is your notebook to start turning around a bad mood!You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/09/30/affirmative-writing-ideas-to-change-your-mood/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we're exploring how to read our way to wellness in just 90 days. Come listen as I explore the idea behind a 90 day project, particularly at the end of the year, and why focusing on our reading life could make our actual life better. We'll talk about the three feel-good steps you need to take and I'll share how you can work with me along the way, too. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/09/23/reading-your-way-to-wellness-the-last-90-days/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we're diving into how and why your pencil pouch could be the key to changing your life. Really. =)Today, we'll explore the unexpected benefits of creating a restorative reading and writing pencil pouch: a little container to hold all the things you need to read and write with an open mind and heart. Come listen as I give you all the details on why you need one, how you choose one, the bookish goodies you should fill it with, where you should keep it and much more. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/09/16/e196-how-a-restorative-pencil-pouch-could-change-your-life/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm exploring all things restorative list-making. With only a sticky note, a pencil and 5 minutes, you can literally change your mood and physical well-being. Today, we'll explore my new one word theme for September and why list-making is central to bringing it to life, why list-making is so restorative to the body, mind and spirit, how you can get started with your own listing practice and how to choose the list that's right for you in this very moment. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/09/09/the-how-why-of-restorative-list-making/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I am talking with Jeannine Atkins about the power of writing to heal. Janine is the author of several books for young readers about courageous women and teaches writing for children and young adults. She's here today to talk about her newest release, KNOCKING ON WINDOWS, a memoir-in-verse about healing from trauma and finding her voice as a writer.Today, we explore the pivotal role that reading and writing played in Jeanine's life, the power of writing that comes off of the page, Jeannine's advice for getting started on your own healing journey and the quiet courage it takes to tell your story.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/09/02/when-writing-literary-letters-becomes-healing-with-jeannine-atkins/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm coming at you in real time as I expand my definition of restorative reading and bibliotherapy thanks to a recent session creating a book apothecary for a waiting reader. Today, I am talking about the idea of reading escape: using our reading life as a way to escape our own. We'll talk about my initial knee-jerk reaction to it, why reading escape is actually a form of bibliotherapy, how you might escape your own life through books and why it might be just the thing you need to make your actual life better. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/08/26/why-reading-escape-is-a-form-of-bibliotherapy/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm answering the most asked question that I receive: How and where do I find books for my own bibliotherapy? Today, we are tackling that question and more. I'll share a simple framework for choosing a book genre and title that is perfect for you and offer five different sources for finding the right book at the right time. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/08/19/how-where-to-find-books-for-self-bibliotherapy/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm talking about the six kinds of restorative writing that have the potential to make us feel better based on the season of life we are in and the kind of support we wish for in the moment. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/08/12/six-kinds-of-restorative-writing/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm talking about a practice that sets restorative reading apart from ‘regular' reading and could potentially be the one thing that changes your life: the nudge notebook.Come listen as I share a simple, yet powerful, definition of restorative reading, discuss the key elements that differentiate it from a ‘regular' reading life and invite you to consider paying attention to, tracking and acting on the nudges you receive from the pages. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/08/05/how-journaling-deepens-reading-the-nudge-notebook/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm sharing all the bookish details from my first-ever in-person restorative reading retreat. I'll share what makes it different from a ‘regular' reading retreat, the schedule we followed, the bookish surprises that were scattered throughout the day and what's coming next, too!Here are some of the details you won't want to miss:Why a one-day retreat is essentialHow a restorative reading retreat is different than a regular retreatThe three elements that were woven throughout the dayThe bookish schedule we keptThe best bookish snack bags everThe creative touches found throughout the dayThe best bookstore partnershipThe fun and woo-ey way to endIf I know one thing for sure after this retreat, it's that I want to recreate it over and over and over again at different locations, in different cities and with new booksellers. If you'd love to help me host, let's start planning!You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/07/29/what-does-a-restorative-reading-retreat-look-like/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm getting specific and sharing three restorative writing notebook prompts specifically for caregivers. Caregiving is hard and showing up for your loved one can be hard. But showing up for YOURSELF can be harder. Come listen as I share three very different, but very important, restorative writing prompts to take to your notebook to calm, soothe and provide hope, too. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/07/22/three-restorative-journal-prompts-for-caregivers/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On today's episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm talking with Wendy Dale about the power of capturing our stories in a private or published memoir. Come listen as we talk about why we all should consider writing our memoir, the difference between an autobiography and a memoir that will set you free, the two narrators every memoir must have and why that's conducive to healing and much, much more. As we talk, you'll hear me processing in real time, excited and in awe over how Wendy systematically opened new possibilities for all of us. I stumbled over my words a few times and that ‘s ok because I was swallowing some truth bombs that made me rethink everything.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/07/15/the-healing-power-of-memoir-with-wendy-dale/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm flipping the script on mood reading and inviting you to read into seasonal reading energy instead: both the season of the calendar and the season of life you are in. Come listen as I define what mood reading is, share why I think seasonal reading energy is even more powerful and offer three simple steps to get started right away.Plus, I offer something special at the end, so be sure to listen all the way through. =)You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/07/08/move-over-mood-reading-read-for-seasonal-energy-instead/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). Podcast, I'm exploring the science behind why reading and writing can help us feel better and change our life. From the impact reading and writing has on our physical body to the ways it can boost our mental health, reading and writing just might be the underdog in the wellness space that you've been looking for. Come listen as I share 5 ways that reading and writing can heal and help make life better:Activate your parasympathetic nervous systemBoost your brain powerSupport sleep habitsRegulate and improve emotionsBoost specific health markersThink of this episode as the permission slip you've been waiting for to dedicate more of your time to reading and writing no matter the season of life or the season of the calendar we are in. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/07/01/five-things-to-know-about-the-healing-power-of-words/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). Podcast, I'm talking about one of my favorite topics: using children's picture books as adult life coaching tools to spark transformation and growth. It's the most enjoyable form of therapy I know of!Come listen as I explore why picture books are the perfect tool in your life coaching toolbox, how you can use children's literature to spark adult growth and ten (or so!) titles that can help you move into your best self yet. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/06/24/childrens-picture-books-for-adult-life-coaching/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we're talking about pause piles: a collection of short stories and essays designed to be read in a single sitting to sooth, uplift and inspire. Come listen as I explore why we might take powerful pause breaks to read throughout the day, the uniqueness of short stories and essays that make them so soothing, how to create your own pause practice with books and a list of titles that are in my own stack.You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/06/17/permission-to-pause-how-short-stories-and-essays-can-soothe/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we're talking about building a writing habit, one tiny sentence at a time. Tiny writing is exactly what it sounds like: tiny micro-moments of writing that focus on the process of writing something nourishing down in the moment. Small moments, small sentences, even small notebooks can be just the thing you need to kick-off a writing habit and reap all of the benefits.Come listen as I explore what tiny writing is, convince you why you need to give it a try and share ten ways you could start a tiny writing practice today. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/06/10/the-joy-of-tiny-writing/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we're diving into how to create a summer bookshelf designed to create the best you and the best summer season yet.Here's the reality: we have around 90 days to make the most of our summer and if we approach those 90 days with intention, we could literally reinvent ourselves in a single season by surrounding ourselves with the perfect books to spark inspired action in our lives.Come listen as I share how to create a personalized bookshelf for yourself this summer. We'll start with a simple inventory, curate a personalized apothecary of titles (with a few surprises!) and end with a little unexpected list-making, too. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/06/03/create-a-personalized-summer-bookshelf/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On today's episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I'm talking with Jennifer Kreatsoulas about how her love of reading, writing and yoga supported a courageous path to healing through an eating disorder.Come listen as we talk about the three words central to both of our lives, how reading and writing can act as embodied, healing practices and how they both can shift and change over time based on what we need and the season of life we find ourselves in. You'll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/05/27/conversations-on-the-courageous-path-to-healing-with-jennifer-kreatsoulas/Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You'll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKNIf you'd like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlifeAll earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!Follow Stephanie:Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLitTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLitInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit