As I mentioned in my post about ditching my iPhone, I'm trying to get back into reading books.

One of the hardest parts about getting back into reading is to adjust my mindset about how I read books.

For the last couple decades, I was extremely selective about the books I read. I wouldn't pick up a book unless I was positive that I'd make it through without abandoning it early.

After all, dedicating time to a few hundred pages was a significant investment! I'm a busy man, after all.¹

A couple weeks back, my family walked up to the library together. Usually, it's a time where my wife gets to meander down the aisles, picking out books for herself and the kids, while the rest of us play with the puppets and dinosaurs they've got set up in the kids area.

This time, I decided to walk through the new release section and see if anything caught my eye.The distinctive pink cover of this book caught it right away.

I was slightly embarrassed as I sat down on the couches and started reading a book about a movie geared toward teenaged girls. I didn't realize that fifteen minutes had gone by when my family was asking if I was ready to leave.

I finished the book up yesterday and recommend it if you are into behind-the-scenes stories of how media gets made. The author interviewed all the actors from the movie, including those who only had one or two lines.

I was particularly compelled by the story of Rajiv Surendra, the actor who played Kevin G. He talked about how much effort it took to cultivate the confidence that his character exudes, and how he often channels that character in real life when he needs a boost.

Self confidence is an area I'm actively working on, so I appreciated being able to pull a little inspiration from a book I picked up on a whim from the library.

I'm sure none of this is new information to you all. Libraries have books, books are useful for transmitting new ideas, yadda yadda. Give me a break, I'm trying here!

I'm also working my way through A Hacker's Mind by Bruce Schneier based off a recommendation from my pal Arun.

Not sure if you all knew this, but reading books can be pretty dope.

(My buddy Paul recommended a few graphic novels that I'll reserve from the library next, but I'm still looking for a solid fiction series to get behind, so holler if you have any suggestions! )