I mention the Iceland Writers Retreat, which took me to beautiful Iceland.
We’d love to hear recommendations of your favorite beach reads—mysteries, thrillers, page-turning fiction, whatever you find most compelling. I’m hoping to make a list of suggested titles to share. Also, send us your questions for our upcoming “Ask Us Anything” Very Special Episode 380.
Try This at Home
Observe Complimentary May—the opposite of our complaint-free April (and also more fun and easier, we expect). We mention Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages, a framework which we discussed at length in Very Special Episode 80. Elizabeth and I are both “Words of Affirmation.”
Happiness Hack
In Happier in Hollywood episode 254, Elizabeth and Sarah talked about the convenience of using a Lazy Susan, and I spotted a Lazy Susan in my friend’s refrigerator—a great solution to a crowded fridge.
Know Yourself Better
Which historical site or natural wonder has made the greatest impression on you?
- Elizabeth: Ellis Island in New York—she mentions the movies The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, and Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather (Amazon, Bookshop).
- Gretchen: The War Rooms in London—the more we bring to something, the more we get from it, and I learned a lot about Churchill from writing my biography Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill.
Listener Question
A listener asks what to do about her family’s annoying habit of scrolling through their phones while they’re watching movies together. I mention the Apple TV+ show Severance, which I love.
Demerits & Gold Stars
- Elizabeth’s Demerit: She hasn’t been sending family “updates.”
- Gretchen’s Gold Star: I give a gold star to my old friends from grade school; after a few postponements, we finally managed to get together for a wonderful weekend in New York City.
Resources
- Speaking of summer reading—if you want to read more but struggle to make time for it, I’ve created a set of tools and strategies as a Reading Jump-Start for your reading routine.
- Do you love beautiful quotations? Subscribe to my free “Moment of Happiness” newsletter. I share a daily quotation related to happiness or human nature—and the design also makes it easy to screenshot and share if you like the quotation. Click here and select “Daily Happiness Quotation.”