In this episode, I talk about a simple motto that changed the way I read: Read slowly, take notes, apply the ideas. Most of us rush through books hoping the next one will fix what the last one didn’t. But real learning happens when we slow down and wrestle with one book at a time. I’ll share how I use pauses between books to reflect, and why action—not speed—is what makes a reader grow.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

Nietzsche once said, “Live dangerously.” But what did he mean by that? In this episode, I explore the heart of that idea—why safety can dull the human spirit, and how risk is tied to becoming who you are. I’ll share my own struggle with this concept and recommend a book that might help you take the next step toward a more honest, courageous life.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

I’m behind in my reading. Does that ever happen to you? Let’s chat about why it happens, how it messes with the brain, and how to get back on track without all the reader’s guilt and drama.

In this episode, I share:

1. Why we get behind as readers
2. How it weighs on us mentally
3. Tips for getting back on track
4. A book recommendation

I also take a moment in the middle to talk about some of the coffee that I sell at my bookstore. I love this stuff, as it fuels my reading day.

This Episode’s Sponsor: Edgewater Bookstore Coffee

The Deep Read (dark roast great for espresso) - https://edgewaterbookstore.com/collections/cafe/products/the-deep-read

Anthology (Medium roast great for french press and pour-over) - https://edgewaterbookstore.com/collections/cafe/products/anthology

Prose (Light roast from Ethiopia) - https://edgewaterbookstore.com/collections/cafe/products/prose

Plot Twist (Light roast that changes monthly) - https://edgewaterbookstore.com/collections/cafe/products/plot-twist

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

In this episode, I close out my series on Emerson’s journals by looking at what his essay Self-Reliance can teach us about keeping a thoughtful record of our lives. I also share a book recommendation—Agnes Callard’s Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life—and give a quick update on my bookstore and the growing Edgewater community.

👋📚 Join our book club at https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

In this episode I explain how John Locke created a system for indexing journals that looks clever at first but quickly becomes a burden. I also share why Ralph Waldo Emerson abandoned the method and point you to his essay Self-Reliance. The larger point is simple: if a journaling system is too complicated, you won’t use it.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

Ralph Waldo Emerson didn’t just write in his journals—he returned to them again and again. In this episode, I’ll share how that practice helped him refine his thinking and why it can help us too. I’ll also recommend a short book on ethics that makes philosophy clear and useful, and give you a quick update on the progress of Edgewater Bookstore.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

In this episode, I begin a six-part series on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s journaling habits. Emerson didn’t see his journals as a place to record daily events—he saw them as a savings bank for ideas. I’ll explain what that means and why changing how you view your journal is the first step toward making it a tool for thinking. I’ll also share a book recommendation that can help you choose the right kind of notebook for this practice.

🔥Want to help open the bookstore?  Here's the link for our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edgewaterbookstore/join-me-in-making-edgewater-bookstore-a-real-location

Send Me a Text Message with Your Questions

👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

What makes a bookstore more than four walls and shelves of paper? In this episode, I read a short essay about how bookstores can help us rediscover ourselves. I’ll also share a powerful book recommendation—The Best Poems of the English Language, edited by Harold Bloom—and tell you about my Kickstarter campaign to launch Edgewater Bookstore. If you’ve ever wandered the aisles of a local bookstore and felt like you were finding a lost part of yourself, this episode is for you.

🦸🏻‍♀️ Be a bookstore hero. I'm trying to open a bookstore in Utah and would very much appreciate a small donation - even $5 - to help our Kickstarter succeed:

👋DONATE HERE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edgewaterbookstore/join-me-in-making-edgewater-bookstore-a-real-location 

Send Me a Text Message with Your Questions

👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

I sat down with J.D. Barker to talk about how he walked away from a career in corporate compliance and built a life as a full-time thriller writer. We cover his novels Dracul and Something I Keep Upstairs, the stories behind them, and how they connect to the wider tradition of suspense writing. J.D. also shares his own approach to reading so that every book—whether fiction or nonfiction—becomes a masterclass in storytelling.

Visit J.D. Barker’s website at: https://jdbarker.com

Send Me a Text Message with Your Questions

👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast

Philosophy isn’t written like a story or a textbook—it unfolds in a completely different way. In this episode, I’ll walk you through how I approach reading philosophy without going insane. I’ll share practical tips that have helped me stay grounded, even in the densest chapters. I’ll also recommend a short book that every creative person should read (Art & Fear), and I’ll point you to a channel I think you’ll enjoy: Prose & Petticoats.

📺 Visit Emmelie at Prose & Petticoats: https://www.youtube.com/@ProseAndPetticoats

📺 Watch my favorite video by Prose & Petticoats: https://youtu.be/At5uNTO1Ggg?si=gb7sXdwsTSUlIFj1

Send Me a Text Message with Your Questions

👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Join my Book Club Here): https://community.thereadwellpodcast.com/deep-reading-community?el=podcast