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When our dogs thrive, we thrive too.
Prioritizing their health means more joyful moments together, whether it's with walks, play or just having them close by.
I have a new puppy, Taffy, and along with our dog Barnaby, they make us so happy.
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Hello and welcome to Happier, a podcast where we talk about strategies and suggestions for how we can all live happier lives.
This week we'll talk about starting the 100-day countdown to the end of the year and we'll share a hack for getting a source of great new material to read, and we'll make an exciting announcement.
I'm Gretchen Rubin, a writer who studies happiness, good habits, human nature, secrets of adulthood.
I'm here in my little home office in New York City.
And joining me today from Los Angeles is my sister, Elizabeth Kraft.
And Elizabeth, we are very excited about this announcement.
That's me, Elizabeth Kraft, a TV writer and producer living in LA.
And yes, Scratch, this is big.
Yes.
So we are announcing our next choice for the Happier Podcast Book Club.
And that choice is is Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir All the Way to the River Love, Loss and Liberation.
And you have probably been hearing about this book because Elizabeth, would you agree that there has just been enormous buzz around the publication of this memoir?
Oh my God, there is so much buzz.
The book was just chosen for Oprah's book club, so great minds think alike.
Yes.
We had already figured this out and got this in the works before.
We couldn't announce it yet, but we got there first.
But yes, great minds think alike.
And, of course, Gretch Elizabeth Gilbert is known for her huge memoir, the 2006 Eat Pray Love, which sold more than 30 million copies and was made into a movie starring Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert.
She also has the great books Committed, Big Magic, which is all about creativity.
Plus she has novels like The Signature of All Things and The City of Girls.
She gave a TED Talk that had more than 20 million views.
So many people follow her across social media.
And she is just a really, really great writer.
And this book is just sparking an enormous amount of conversation.
Yeah, Gretch, we got the ARC for this, an early copy.
And I mean, I think I read it in one day.
I mean, I just sat down.
I could not put it down.
I texted you in the middle of it, like, have you started the book?
It is so compelling.
And then you read it, I think, the next day.
And we both have been talking about it ever since.
Yeah, we just whipped through it.
So here is a description of All the Way to the River.
What if your most beautiful love story turned into your biggest nightmare?
20 years ago, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray, Love inspired millions of readers to embark upon their own journeys of self-discovery.
A decade later, Big Magic empowered countless others to live their most creative lives.
Now comes another landmark book about love and loss, addiction and recovery, grief and liberation.
In 2000, a friend sent Liz to see a new hairdresser named Rhea Elias.
An intense and unlikely curiosity sparked between these two apparent opposites.
Rhea, an East Village badass who lived boldly on her own terms but feared she was a failed artist.
Liz, a married people pleaser with a surprisingly unfettered sense of creativity.
Over the years they became friends, then best friends, then inseparable.
When tragedy entered their lives, the truth was finally laid bare.
The two were in love.
Unacknowledged, they were also a pair of addicts on a collision course toward catastrophe.
Thank you so much for having me.
All the way to the river is for everyone who has ever been captive to love or to any other passion, substance or craving, and who yearns at long last for peace and freedom.
There is so much to talk about in this book.
So get to reading, send us your questions, send us your comments and we will be talking with Elizabeth Gilbert in an upcoming episode.
I cannot wait to dive into this book.
Same.
And then we also got a really nice mention from Joshua Rothman in the New Yorker magazine.
He wrote an article called AI is Coming for Culture.
And the description is, we're used to algorithms guiding our choices.
When machines can effortlessly generate the content we consume though, what's left for the human imagination?
So this is a very thought-provoking article that ranges very, very widely.
And we were both delighted to see that we and the Happier podcast get a mention.
Yes.
Gretch Josh writes.
Even as our addiction to podcasts reflects our need to be consuming media at all times, they are islands of tranquility within the algorithmic ecosystem.
I often listen to them while tidying.
For short stints of effort, I rely on song, exploder, lens work, and happy with Gretchen Rubin.
When I have more to do, I listen to Radiolab or The Ezra Klein Show or Tyler Cowen's Conversations with Tyler.
I like the ideas, but also the company.
Washing dishes is more fun with Gretchen and her screenwriter sister, Elizabeth, riding along.
So that's so fun.
It really is.
That was such a surprise.
My friend Gage alerted me to it, and it was such a nice treat.
Yes, we really appreciate that.
And finally, we got this note from Lily in response to episode 546's discussion about why we might embrace regret.
Lily wrote...
Listening to your examples of learning from regret, I remember the week before my mom died.
Her student came to our house to visit with her as she had stage four glioblastoma and was unable to have a third brain surgery to remove this tumor.
It was nearing the end and I had reached out to friends and family to give them a chance to write and say goodbye.
Mary came over that night and after visiting, told me that she wished she had recorded videos of her grandma while she was alive.
This prompted me to record one, laying with my mom and saying, I love you to each other.
She died a few days after and I am forever grateful for this saved memory.
This is a beautiful example how one person's expression of regret can really teach somebody in time to do something in a way that they're really grateful for.
So that's a beautiful example from Lily.
It really is.
So this week, our Try This at Home suggestion is to start your 100-day countdown.
September 22nd is the day when we will have 100 days left in the year until we hit the new year.
And also, September 22nd is the last day of summer.
So this is a day that I feel like has a lot of symbolic significance.
There's a lot of power in the number 100.
It's like 25, 12, 7.
There's certain numbers that just have special power.
So we have the day 100.
We have the last day of summer.
And now we're heading towards the end of the year.
Yes.
And we've both been reviewing our 25 for 25 lists and seeing how we're doing and focusing on things we want to make sure we get done in the next 100 days.
100 days is still a lot of time.
100 days is still a lot of time.
And so we're not going to go through the whole list, but it is useful to review it and think okay, and maybe there's some low hanging fruit.
If you want to get as many crossed off as you can, what needs to happen and what might we get done?
So Alyssa, what stands out to you on your list of things that you really want to focus in on this last 100 days?
Well Gretch, speaking of Elizabeth Gilbert, one of my things on my list is to go to seven live events.
Yeah.
So inspired by the last 100 days, I just bought a ticket to see Elizabeth Gilbert when she's in L.A.
Fun.
That's so great.
It's in October at the Saban Theater, so I'm excited.
I will be seeing Elizabeth Gilbert live and on our Zoom, but I want to see her live too.
And get that much closer to your list.
Yes.
I still want to try SolidCore.
That's the new workout place that's really close to me.
I haven't gone.
I only need to go once.
So it's something I can easily cross off.
I said that I think it should count towards your orange theory.
I think you should allow that to meet the definition so that you get a double benefit from it.
I think that's fair.
I'm going to do that.
Also, Gretch, I still really need to get new photos taken with Sarah.
So we've got to plan a photo shoot.
We've been talking about it.
We just have not done it.
We've done a little research, but we just need to commit to a day and do it.
Yeah.
And then something else I really want to do that again is a one-off, so it shouldn't be too hard is host a game night.
You know, I love playing games like charades and taboo.
Yeah.
And I really want to host a game night.
So I got to do that.
Well, this is a good example of sometimes it's just as hard to get ourselves to do something that's fun, that we actually look forward to, as it is for something that we actually really do not want to do, and something that's fairly easy and straightforward as something that's complicated and multi-step, like getting photos taken.
Yes.
They're both still lingering on your list, even though they sort of occupy a very different place.
So this is why it's good to have a bunch of different stuff on the list.
Right.
Yes.
So I'm setting my sights toward these things and I feel very confident that I will hit these targets.
There you go.
Absolutely.
How about you?
What are you focusing on?
Well, on the idea that sometimes things that are easy and fun are hard.
There are these iconic movies that I wanted to watch and I haven't watched Frozen Inside Out or Boyhood.
So I want to do those.
I haven't visited the Earth Room, which is not that far from my apartment.
I think it's literally a room full of earth and you look at it and then that's it.
So this is something I could knock out very quickly, but I haven't.
I bet Eliza would go with you to that.
That sounds like something she would enjoy.
Yes, that's a really good suggestion.
I'll like turn it into an adventure together and then we could just go and get a cup of coffee and look at the earth room.
That's a good idea.
Making photo albums this is something that is really big and really arduous, but usually i do leave it towards the end of the year and so i can do as much as possible.
But i want to put it in my mind, and one of the things i'm thinking is maybe in my down time between now and when i tackle that, i should be cleaning up my photos in my phone, so that this is just requires less sifting through And there is a way that you can have it automatically eliminate duplicates.
And I need to look into that because you know, when you have like 15, people are like oh, I took a bunch for you to choose from.
I'm like, oh no, now I have to sort through 15 ones to see which one my eyes are open in, or whatever.
I am behind on my watercolor postcards.
I was supposed to do one a month.
I have not.
I've done some, but I haven't done them one a month.
So I want to send some watercolor postcards.
But I will say this, like on the idea that we want to look forward and think about our to-dos you also want to give yourself some to-dos.
I launched that Since US podcast, which that got done.
So I'm like, OK, I'm giving myself extra credit for that.
That is huge, Gretchen.
That is a huge undertaking.
And it's so exciting.
Yes, everybody listen to the SenseUS podcast.
It's super fun.
A new twist on the advice podcast that I'm doing with Lori Gottlieb.
But then both of us have some things on our list where we're not going to be able to consider them done until the very, very end of the year, like our slow read of War and Peace.
Yes.
The whole point of that is it's going to take I think we end a few days before December 31st, but it's basically going to take the whole year.
So we have to keep it up.
Yes, I am up to date on my War and Peace read to the day.
There you go.
Well done.
And orange theory.
Gretchen, as you mentioned, I have my hundred orange theory classes that I'm working to hit this year.
That's not going to be done until the very end.
That is a tough one.
That's a tough one.
That's going to be a nail biter.
Okay.
You know, I've been adding classes, but then something happens.
Like I go out of town and I miss or my foot hurts and I don't want to strain it.
So it's really tough.
But I am working, working to hit that.
I know.
I'm in suspense.
But then one thing I would say, another point about why it's so valuable to do this is like it really can remind you of why you love to do something.
Like if you did a game night, you might be like, oh, I want to do game nights all the time.
Like it might remind you of how fun it is and then make it easier to keep going because you're reacquainted.
So something that has been on my list for years it's been a repeat thing which is to work outside my office.
Like I used to every single day take my laptop and work in a coffee shop or a library.
And then I got out of the habit of it for years because I love my three monitors and just the nature of my work now is so much more do this stuff like this.
I'm not just writing by myself all the time, but I've really wanted to be going back to it.
And so I have gone a few times to work at the New York Society Library, which is one of my very favorite places in all of the world.
And I love it so much.
And now that I've gone back a few times, now I'm aching to go back.
Now I'm like every day, I'm like, oh my gosh, can I go?
And I've timed myself.
How long does it take to set up my extra monitor?
No time at all, right?
It felt like this big arduous thing, but I'm like, it's not that hard.
But it makes me so happy.
And so I really I'm very glad that I put it on the 25 for 25 list, because it is reminding me of something that I value so much, but I'd forgotten how much I valued it.
And now it's very active in my mind again.
Yeah, maybe you should arrange your schedule so that you always have Wednesday morning you go to the library, so you know not to schedule things.
I know it's hard.
It's hard.
I know.
Scheduling is life and I would love to do that.
And that's me being the monk and I would love to be the monk.
Maybe one day I'll get there.
I hope so.
Yes.
And Gretchen, if people have stopped forgotten, fell off of doing Read 25 in 25.
Now is the time to get back to it.
You have 100 days.
Yes.
You could just say, I'm going to read 25 minutes a day for the last 100 days of the year.
Just start over.
That has been so great.
I feel like reading has taken on this whole new life in my life, and I love it.
Yeah, you can read a lot if you read 25 minutes a day for the next 100 days.
So let us know if you do try this at home and how the 100-day countdown works for you.
What are you going to do with the last 100 days?
Let us know on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook.
Drop us an email at podcast.gretchenrubin.com.
Or as always, you can go to the show notes.
This is happiercast.com slash 552.
All right, Gretch, coming up, we've got a happiness hack.
It's a place where you can get a whole bunch of great information.
But first, this break.
Elizabeth, now that the weather is cooling down and the days are getting shorter, I just have this urge to make our spaces more cozy.
And to make a space more cozy, Wayfair is the place to go.
They have everything we need.
I got some throw blankets, because nothing makes a space feel warmer and cozier to me than having a lot of throw blankets.
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Cozify your space with Wayfair's curated collection of easy, affordable fall updates, from comfy recliners to cozy bedding and autumn decor.
Find it all for way less at Wayfair.com.
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Every style, every home.
Listen, now that I work with a team, I realize how hard it is to hire.
It's hard to hire the right people and it's extremely time consuming.
You have to wait for the right candidates to apply.
Sort through resumes, try to get in touch with potential candidates and find candidates.
Maybe those aren't even the people who are actively looking for jobs.
Well, now the future of hiring looks much brighter, because ZipRecruiter's latest tools and features help speed up finding the right people for every role.
So you can save valuable time.
And now you can try ZipRecruiter for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash happier.
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Use ZipRecruiter and save time hiring.
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And if you go to ZipRecruiter.com slash happier right now, you can try it for free.
Again, that's ZipRecruiter.com slash happier.
ZipRecruiter, the smartest way to hire.
All right, Gretch, we are back with this week's happiness hack, which is Substack.
Yes.
You and I talk about Substack all the time because... We do.
I have a Substack newsletter with Sarah for Happier in Hollywood.
You have a Secrets of Adulthood Substack newsletter.
But a lot of people just don't know what Substack is.
Yeah, I was at a dinner party the other night and, like this very sophisticated well-read friend, we started talking about oh yeah, do you follow that sub stack?
And he was like, what are you talking about?
I have never heard of that.
And it made me realize that.
Not so much anymore.
But there was a time when we started podcasting where a lot of people were like, what's a podcast?
I don't know how to listen to a podcast.
And we would go open up their phone, show them the app and just say like oh my gosh, there's this treasure trove of material.
No matter what you're interested in or what you want to follow, there's so much there for you.
It's really exciting, because if you connect somebody with something that they're really, really interested in and engaged in, especially something that is very available, it's just a great feeling for both of you.
It's like you with the audiobook or the Libby app.
When you're like, you can get this through your library card and it makes you feel so good.
And it makes them feel good because they're like, I had no idea I had access to this.
So let's explain what Substack is.
It's a platform.
So what is it?
Yeah.
Substack is an online platform.
You can go to it by going to Substack.com or the app.
But the way most people use it is they sign up for a newsletter and then it comes straight to your email.
So I get all these Substack newsletters that I love into my email, you know, once a week, twice a week, however often.
People can also send live videos.
Podcasts.
Podcasts, yeah.
I like using the app.
Whatever is your preference, you can get to the material that way.
It's easier than it sounds.
But it is a platform that directly connects creators with their audience.
And so for writers like the two of us, it's a great way to connect with people through our writing.
It's kind of the evolution of blogging in a way.
Mm-hmm.
People often have sort of a free tier where they offer some stuff for free, and then they often will have a paid tier where there's additional material or maybe there's Ask Me Anythings or there's live videos or there's other kinds of things that might be behind a paywall or maybe are free.
Every one is a little bit different in how each creator sets it up.
Yes.
And this started in 2017, so pretty recently, but it has really grown in the last few years.
I remember Eliza had a Substack and being like, what is Substack?
I've never heard of Substack.
And now, of course, half my life is like, what's happening on Substack?
There is just so much great stuff.
They also have a sort of Twitter-like platform. feed.
You can post what they call notes, which is very similar to Twitter was back in the day.
Right.
If you want to engage.
But the thing is, it's just like audiobooks or just podcasts.
If you're interested in fashion, there's fashion.
If you're interested in true crime, there's true crime.
If you're interested in politics, there's politics.
If you're interested in science, there's science.
If you're interested in George Saunders and his ideas about the short story.
You can follow him.
There is just a lot there for whatever is interesting to you.
It's just a great thing to know about and to explore.
It's just this funny thing where for some people it's part of their chatter, the way they would talk about TV and podcasts and movies.
And then you run into the person who's like, I have no idea what you're talking about.
So if that is you, check it out.
And, of course, be sure to check out the Happier in Hollywood sub stack and the Secrets of Adulthood sub stack, which are our sub stacks.
Yes.
Which we highly recommend.
Yes, we do.
And ours has lots of information for aspiring writers.
And mine.
Secrets of Adulthood.
It's Secrets of Adulthood where I write a short discussion about an interesting secret of adulthood.
But they're really fun to do.
You and I both, I think, are very creatively energized by doing it, Elizabeth, don't you think?
For sure. for listener answers.
So we want to highlight some responses that we got from previous episodes.
We got some interesting responses.
And they kind of like fall in two groups.
And the first one was people responding to episode 547.
That's where we talked about beware the impulse to disengage.
Yes, Sarah said, I love the recent episode on resisting disengagement.
I used to have lots of anxiety about climate change and felt like there was nothing meaningful I could do.
Things like recycling whilst important felt like a drop in the ocean.
But over time, I took the decision to engage more deeply rather than ignore the crisis.
I met with my elected representative, campaigned for policies at work to reduce unnecessary flights, and now I even work for an environmental charity, setting up fixing factories, community repair hubs, helping people fix broken items instead of throwing them away.
Choosing not to disengage has massively reduced my anxiety.
Plus, it's gained me a new job, new friends and a new sense of purpose along the way.
That's exactly why engaging is valuable.
Yeah.
Nora wrote, I recently retired from public school service after a 35-year career.
I was blessed that it was able to meet my professional and personal needs throughout.
I had been contemplating retirement for about two years when a job change for my husband sealed the deal.
His new job was going to take us to the East Coast after living in the Midwest my entire life.
The last several years.
We had spent more time in New York City when my son was at Columbia Law School, but nothing more than a long weekend.
This move was going to be a huge change.
Although my husband had made the move, I didn't head out until about six months later in order to fulfill my school year contract.
Even though I was comfortable with my decision and had the support of our two adult sons, I would still get pangs of worry, especially when someone would say wow, that's a big change.
Shortly before the move, I watched a reel of a young adult discuss how to spend her weekend when her husband was out of town.
One third was total alone time doing such things as tasks around the house or scrolling social media.
Another one third of the time would be spent socializing on the periphery, like being at a coffee shop or library or shopping, and one-third of the time with friends.
This model has helped me adjust to our new community.
I spend some of my day solo, some of my day in activities that introduce me to new people, but no personal friendships yet, like pickleball, golf and volunteering and my evenings with my husband.
He has to pick up the slack of the one-third socializing with friends, since I haven't made those yet, but I'm hopeful.
My husband and I spend the weekends exploring or catching up with acquaintances in the area.
On the days I could easily choose to disengage, I keep this structure in mind.
I don't follow it strictly, but it does keep me from binge-watching, reading or napping all day when I feel sorry for myself.
So this is a very structured way to think about engagement.
So you're not overwhelmed by the feeling like I just need to engage all the time, but you're making sure that you are spending that time getting out there and building those relationships in a new place, which is very, very hard.
Yes, this is really smart.
And then Gretchen, we heard from a couple of listeners who talked about designing their summer with Mahjong.
Elizabeth, right up your alley.
You're the Mahjong person.
Yes.
And another Elizabeth says, there are countless ways that you both have made my life happier.
Thank you.
But I've been especially thinking about you during my summer of Mahjong.
I've always loved hearing about Elizabeth playing American Mahjong.
In 2024, I found a teacher and organized a series of classes.
Our group became huge and organizing it started taking up a lot of my time.
Having awareness about my tendency reminded me not to take on too much and to ask for help.
I also realized that the outer accountability of my fellow Mahjong players makes me happier, because I now have a social hobby that is good for my brain, lots of new friends and something fun on my calendar.
Thank you so much.
Wow.
Two, read the new Mahjong book by Nicole Wong.
Three, I love this, got a floating Mahjong table and played in the pool.
Four, played at a Chinese restaurant with a Mahjong room with automated tables.
They converted the tables to accommodate American Mahjong.
Five, brought together friends, family, and fellow moms from school to learn how to play.
It's much more fun to attend an event that includes an activity, especially for people who don't know each other well.
Gosh, so many great ideas.
Oh, my gosh.
So fun.
And it is true.
It's often easier to make friends when you're doing an activity or working on something together than just talking, which can sometimes feel awkward.
Just so many great ideas.
Yeah.
So many.
I really want to play on an automated table.
They look so cool.
All of this is just like, I have no idea what it means, but it sounds great.
The mahjong of it all.
I get the relationships and the fun, but the actual mahjong is a little bit mysterious.
And then Amy wrote, I'm so excited.
I just set up a reading and mahjong retreat with my friend in Kansas City.
We are going to do a field trip to the new Bam Bam Room, revisit the rabbit hole and possibly try Winsteads for my first time.
In addition to lots of reading, resting, and playing Mahjong.
And it's within driving distance from my home in Nebraska.
Well, it's a reading and Mahjong retreat.
That sounds amazing.
Amazing.
And two of our favorite places, Kansas City and, of course, Nebraska.
Yeah, we love Nebraska.
That's where our grandparents are from.
We love Winstead's.
You've got to go to Winstead's.
It's so great.
The Rabbit Hole is this amazing museum dedicated to picture books, which is fabulous and like nothing you've ever visited before.
Yes, and if you're wondering, our favorite barbecue is Q39.
That's true.
She didn't ask, but I'll offer that.
But we haven't gone to the Bam Bam Room, Elizabeth.
I haven't even heard of the Bam Bam.
It's an intriguing thing.
Okay, we'll have to look that up.
Yes.
Okay, coming up, I give myself a car-related demerit.
But first, this break.
It's important to recharge, but when you go on vacation, please don't hide the key under the mat.
That's safe-ish.
We know safe-ish home security hacks don't actually work.
We just use them because they're easy.
ADT's systems help keep you safe and secure and are customizable to your needs.
ADT offers tools and services like 24-7 monitoring and cameras.
You can check from virtually anywhere with the ADT Plus app.
Visit ADT.com or call 1-800-ADT-ASAP.
Don't settle for safe-ish.
Get ADT.
If you've been keeping up with the podcast, you know that last month, Elizabeth and I went on our first ever reading retreat, which was amazing.
It was so fun just eating, reading, and sleeping all day every day.
No sightseeing, no scheduling, no stress.
And it got us thinking that you could really turn anything into a themed retreat.
You could go biking.
You could go hiking.
You could do a board game retreat with friends or a binge-watching retreat.
Whatever you're into, it's all about blocking out time and dedicating yourself to something you love.
And while you're away, why not host your home on Airbnb?
It's an easy, flexible way to take in some extra cash and make the most of your space.
And who knows, that cozy reading nook that you enjoy in your house day to day could be the site of someone else's first annual reading retreat.
Your home might be worth more than you think.
Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host.
Okay Alyssa, it's time for Demerits and Gold Stars, and this is an even-numbered episode, and so that's your turn for a demerit.
Okay, Gretchen, this is something.
Car maintenance, we all hate it, those of us who have cars, and I'm not great about it.
And I have to tell you, the tire pressure sensor on one of my tires just disappeared.
It just went blank.
And also, I think my pressure is low today. and the other tires.
So essentially I have got to deal with this.
I have to figure out, I didn't even know that was a thing that happened.
I think it's probably not that big of a deal.
You know, it's either just getting something small or maybe I need a new tire, but I just have been ignoring it and wishing it would go away, which obviously is not going to happen.
Yeah.
You're like, maybe that'll magically fix itself.
And then you're like, nope.
Exactly.
So that's my demerit.
Hopefully, by mentioning it, I will get myself to deal with it, or perhaps to beg Adam to deal with it, which is entirely possible.
Yeah.
Delegation counts.
That's a way to get something done.
For sure.
What is your gold star?
Okay, well, I just mentioned picture books.
I'm a huge fan of children's literature and young adult literature, also picture books.
But because I love this literature so much, over the years I have created a book group where we all read and discuss children's literature and young adult literature.
And it turned out the group got so big, it had to split.
So now I'm in two book groups where we read children's literature or young adult literature.
And And our 20th anniversary of our first meeting is coming up.
For that first meeting, we read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S.
Lewis.
So I have decided to plan a party to celebrate.
2025 ended up being so many anniversaries for me.
It was kind of bonkers.
Speaking of my 25 for 25 list, one of the things I put on there was that I wanted to plan a reunion for all of the people who clerked for the Supreme Court the same year that I did.
And I am doing that.
I cannot cross it off the list because it has not happened, but it is underway.
And I just thought, hey, I know my limitations.
I cannot plan two reunion parties at the same time.
And so it's going to be when I actually host this party.
It will be 20 years plus several months, but nobody's keeping track.
So I can't wait to do it.
And the thing about these groups is they are just such a huge engine of happiness for me, because I love this literature.
I love having the chance to talk to people about it.
And listen.
There was this funny thing that happened where a friend of mine was like, oh look, what just came in the mail for me.
And she had gotten an advanced copy of The Philip Pullman book that's coming out in October.
It's the third volume in what is called the Book of Dust trilogy.
So Philip Pullman wrote a trilogy called His Dark Materials.
The first book is called The Golden Compass.
It's one of my all-time favorite books.
I've read it like a thousand times.
All of the books are great.
And I didn't realize that the third book was coming so soon.
And I was just beside myself with joy.
I was like, this is so amazing.
I had no idea.
Now I want to reread the first two books in that trilogy so that I'm ready for it.
I was all fired up.
And then I thought, you know what?
I know people for whom this is incredibly important news.
And so I sat down and I wrote an email, called.
It was like alert exclamation point.
Exclamation point.
Exclamation point.
The Philip Goldman book is coming out in October.
Like, get ready.
And I got all these emails from people about being like, oh my gosh, that's so great.
Like, I got to get myself ready.
And it just made me so happy that I had this group of people who shared this very.
You know it's a small group but a passionate group.
And so I can't wait to celebrate our anniversary coming up.
That's so fun.
That's so fun.
And we got a bonus gold star very well-deserved, extremely well-deserved for Chuck from our listener Jenna.
Yes.
She said, I've been meaning to send this for a while.
Gold star for Chuck.
Like many listeners, I listen to my favorite podcast while at the gym cooking, cleaning and getting ready in the morning.
This means I listen attentively, but want to hit play and let it just go.
Many of my favorite podcasts cannot get their sound consistent and I have to constantly adjust the volume to hear or not go deaf.
The commercials, hosts, and guests are all at different volumes.
This is never true for your show and I assume that is due to Chuck, gold star.
Well, yes, it is due to Chuck, our executive producer.
He works very hard on making the sound consistent and he deserves this huge gold star.
I've had that happen many times where like, I'm lying down napping and the podcast is playing and then all of a sudden the volume goes up to 10, or you're listening and then all of a sudden the volume drops out.
So Chuck, well done, well done, well done.
Thank you.
It's so nice to be appreciated.
Yes.
Thank you.
Yay, Chuck.
And what is the resource for this week, Reg?
So we're talking about Read 25 in 25 and lately I've been hearing from so many listeners who are looking for a great book to read this fall, keeping on with their Read 25 in 25 or just reading.
We are bringing back the quiz, the Fall in Love with Your Next Novel quiz, which was super popular, and now it's got a whole new batch of suggestions.
I worked with the great people at bookshop.org to create this quiz.
It's just four questions and you'll get a few recommendations tailored to your current mood and reading style.
So if you're looking for a great recommendation, try it at happiercast.com slash next novel.
And speaking of what we're reading next, Elizabeth, what are you reading now?
I am reading Actress of a Certain Age by Jeff Hiller.
And no surprise, I am rereading The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman.
And that's it for this episode of Happier.
Remember to try this at home.
Start your 100 day countdown.
Let us know if you tried it and if it worked for you.
Thank you to our executive producer, Chuck Reed, and everyone at Lemonada.
Remember to subscribe to Lemonada Premium.
You can listen ad free.
Just tap that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or go to LemonadaPremium.com.
And here's your rhyming reminder.
Love the show?
Leave a review to let us know.
Or more to the point, to let other people know that they should listen to the show, too.
Until next week, I'm Elizabeth Craft.
And I'm Gretchen Rubin.
Thanks for joining us.
Onward and upward.
But listen, I can't even envision what a floating Mahjong table is.
Have you seen one of those with your own eyes?
Yes.
Well, not with my own eyes, but on TikTok in the algorithm that has a lot of TikToks of people playing Mahjong in the pool.
It's like a square raft with a hard surface and with trays for your tiles.
You have to look it up.
Okay.
But it looks very fun.
It looks so fun.
What a fun idea.
Yeah.
From the Onward Project.
And it got us thinking that you could really turn anything into a themed retreat.
You could go biking.
You could go hiking.
You could do a board game retreat with friends or a binge-watching retreat.
Whatever you're into, it's all about blocking out time and dedicating yourself to something you love.
And while you're away, why not host your home on Airbnb?
It's an easy, flexible way to take in some extra cash and make the most of your space.
And who knows, that cozy reading nook that you enjoy in your house day to day could be the site of someone else's first annual reading retreat.
Your home might be worth more than you think.
Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host.
