Making Time For Reading With The Marriage Pact

You may have noticed a bit of radio silence on all of my social media platforms over the last several weeks. This has been a bit of a whirlwind summer for myself and my family- and you can definitely see it in how quiet this blog has been! [*Hangs head in embarrassment- sorry guys!*] In the blur of travel for weddings, beach getaways, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and work trips, I was so excited to have the chance to dig into The Marriage Pact, a brand new novel from Michelle Richmond.

The Marriage Pact

My husband and I have deemed this summer the ‘summer of weddings’. After 3 weddings, 2 bridal showers, and 1 bachelorette party in less than 2 months, we’ve definitely got marriage on the brain lately! The Marriage Pact was the perfect choice for this busy season. This gripping thriller from Random House truly inspires a lot of thought about commitment, and the measures people may take to keep their unions strong. 

I’ve written before that I struggle to make time to read for pleasure. Even when I do find the time, my reading choices drift toward self help, parenting, or non-fiction. The opportunity to take some time to really immerse myself in an engaging piece of fresh fiction was exactly what I needed. Breaking from my day-to-day routine was the perfect chance to break from my boring old reading routine, and I’m glad I took the chance to try something new. Read on to check out some of the ways I’m making ‘fun’ reading a more regular part of my life again… 

Have Book, Will Travel

I was lucky enough to go on several road trips this summer, as well as fly to spend time with my best friends in NYC. Believe me, I took full advantage of my travel time as an opportunity to read more. I tucked The Marriage Pact into my tote for road trips while #thehubs drove, as well as on flights, & Uber, taxi, and subway rides. Jumping right back into the intense world of my current read was a perfect break from the noisy, hot environment that is summer in Manhattan.

A Little R & R

It’s not terribly surprising that after several weeks of back to back travel, I woke one morning with a summer flu of some sort. My body has just been a bit worn-down lately, and I think my immune system may be suffering as a result. Snuggling up in bed with The Marriage Pact for a few days was a great way to steal a bit of quiet time for myself. As I rested and recovered, I was able to continue losing myself in the exciting lives of newlyweds Alice & Jake. 

Making ‘Me’ Time

I love taking the opportunity to squeeze a little bit of reading in with my other self-care time. Many evenings after family dinner, I give myself a ‘mommy time out’ in my room. I like to take about twenty minutes to escape the noise of the day, and give the kids a chance to catch up with #thehubs. I love spending that little break reading quietly. Pairing a great book like The Marriage Pact with a manicure or pedicure is also a perfect combination. If I’m heading out for a little pampering by getting a pedicure at the salon, I always bring along a great book to read. If I’m just squeezing in a little self-care and painting my fingernails at home, it’s the ideal excuse to sit quietly and carefully turn those pages to avoid chipping the tacky polish.

who Needs Sleep?!

I hate to admit it, since I’m definitely one of those always-tired, gimme-coffee kinds of mamas, but I even found myself sneaking in a few pages of The Marriage Pact after I should have been asleep… Sure, the extra sleep would have been good, but truthfully, a little bit of ‘me-time’ reading was totally well worth it!

How do you find time to squeeze a little pleasure reading into your busy schedule? I’d love to hear your tips, so leave them in the comments below. Be sure to check out The Marriage Pact – it’s the perfect choice for a little indulgent reading time!