Read More. Scroll Less.
A gentle reminder that your attention is one of the most valuable things you own.
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Every season of life asks for something different.
Right now, mine asks for a lot & I'm sure all of you can relate.
I’m a one-third owner of an independent bookstore and wine bar, a full-time engineer in the oil and gas industry, a wife, and a mom to a five-year-old and an almost four-year-old. We live on five acres in West Texas with two dogs, a flock of chickens, and what often feels like a never-ending list of projects. Between youth sports, work deadlines, grocery runs, helping run Paper & Vine, writing this blog, creating discussion guides, Pinterest, emails, and simply trying to keep up with life, there is always something asking for my attention.
For years, whenever I found five quiet minutes, I’d instinctively reach for my phone.
Not because I truly wanted to.
Just because it had become automatic.
Sometimes I’d open Instagram looking for a dinner recipe. Other times I’d check Pinterest for home decor inspiration or a fun craft with the kids. Before I knew it, twenty minutes had disappeared, I’d watched dozens of videos and funny reels, and I couldn’t even remember what I’d originally picked up my phone to find.
I don’t think social media is the enemy.
I still use it almost every day. It’s how many of us discover recipes, find our next favorite book, learn new skills, and honestly, it’s how many of you found Paper & Vine.
But somewhere along the way I realized something.
I don’t actually want to spend my life watching everyone else live theirs. I’d rather build my own. I’d rather throw the baseball in the backyard. Read one more chapter before bed. Walk outside to check on the chickens. Cook dinner without checking notifications every few minutes. Write something that encourages someone. Create instead of consume.
Books have quietly become the thing that brings me back to myself.
Unlike social media, a book asks for my full attention and somehow gives it back to me.
When I close a book after twenty or thirty minutes, I don’t feel mentally cluttered. I feel calmer. More creative. More patient. More present.
I’m a better mom.
A better wife.
A better friend.
And honestly, I just enjoy my own life more.
Please don’t hear me saying I’ve figured this out.
I haven’t.
There are still evenings when I catch myself reaching for my phone without even realizing it. In fact, it’s a little sad how automatic it became. Sometimes I pick it up simply because there’s a spare thirty seconds and the overstimulation can be INSANE.
One of the simplest changes I’ve made has also been one of the most effective.
When I get home, I put my phone away.
At first, it was in a kitchen drawer. Sometimes it was in a basket. Sometimes it was literally inside a Ziplock bag in the pantry because I know I’ll absentmindedly reach for it if it’s nearby. (Now I have a pretty white box that charges stuff that I put it in).
It sounds silly.
But making my phone just a little harder to grab has made me realize how often I was picking it up out of habit, not because I actually needed it.
And every evening I choose a book instead feels…better. Not more productive.
Better.
Because life feels richer when I’m participating in it instead of watching it happen through a screen.
That’s the heart behind Read More. Scroll Less.
Not deleting every app.
Not pretending technology is bad.
Just becoming more intentional with one of the few things we truly own:
Our attention.
Start with a Book You Can’t Wait to Pick Back Up
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they’re trying to read more is choosing a book they feel like they should read.
Instead, choose a book that makes you excited to come back.
Busy lives need books that fit into busy schedules.
Books with short chapters.
Books that pull you in immediately.
Books you can read for ten minutes while dinner is in the oven or lose yourself in for two hours on a rainy Saturday.
Here are a few I’d recommend.
If you’re wondering why your phone is so hard to put down…
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
This is the book that made me think differently about attention, technology, and the world we’re raising our kids in. It’s thoughtful, practical, and easy to read in small sections.
If you want something completely binge-worthy…
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Ridiculous.
Hilarious.
Impossible to put down.
The chapters fly by, making it the perfect replacement for an evening of doomscrolling.
If you’re craving something cozy…
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Warm, comforting, hopeful, and exactly the kind of book that makes you want another cup of coffee and one more chapter.
If you only have ten minutes…
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Short sections and multiple perspectives make this incredibly easy to pick up whenever you have a few spare minutes.
If you love romance…
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune.
Carley does no wrong. Her books are immersive, sweet and just literally THE BEST when you want to get back into loving reading again.
If you’re in the mood for an amazing story…
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished it.
Reading more isn’t about discipline.
It’s about making books more inviting than your phone.
And once you find the right story, that becomes surprisingly easy.
Free Printable: Read More. Scroll Less. Weekly Reset
One thing I’ve learned is that if I don’t intentionally make space for reading, something else will gladly fill that time.
Usually…
It’s my phone.
So instead of making another complicated planner, I created something much simpler.
A gentle weekly reset.
Not a productivity tracker. Not another list of things to accomplish. Just a reminder to choose presence a little more often.
Weekly Reset Checklist
Download the Free Printable Checklist Here
Read More. Scroll Less.
I’m not trying to read 100 books this year.
I’m not trying to become someone who never checks Instagram.
I’m simply trying to spend a little less time consuming and a little more time living.
To notice the sunset. To laugh with my kids. To read another chapter. To create something instead of endlessly watching someone else create.
If you’re feeling that pull too, I’d love for you to join me.
Download the free Read More. Scroll Less. Weekly Reset, pick up a book you can’t wait to return to, and let’s reclaim a little of our attention—one chapter at a time.
Looking for your next read? Browse our curated Read More. Scroll Less. collection on Bookshop.org to support independent bookstores like Paper & Vine, or listen through Libro.fm, where every audiobook purchase also supports a local bookstore.
