Get Lit(erate). Read. Write. Learn. Love.

Stephanie Affinito

I'm a a book-loving, notebook-hoarding reader and writer on a mission to change lives one book and one notebook at a time. On this podcast, we talk all things books and reading AND notebooks and writing mixed in with mindful practices and creativity to make life better. read less
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Episodes

E121: Furry Reading Buddies & Books with Dr. Barb Vokatis
Apr 23 2024
E121: Furry Reading Buddies & Books with Dr. Barb Vokatis
We’ve talked about a lot of things in the over 100 episodes we’ve shared together from why we read and titles we might love to how to read best and how to use reading to make life better.  But today, we are talking about something I’ve only recently been exploring: the power of reading with furry, four-legged friends.  Dr. Barb Vokatis, a reading therapy dog handler, is here to explore this idea with me and I’ll share three books with dogs as important main characters that I think you should add to your TBR stack, too.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store. All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message
E120: Letter Writing Month with Tiny and Snail
Apr 16 2024
E120: Letter Writing Month with Tiny and Snail
April is National Letter Writing month and Leah from Tiny and Snail is here to help me celebrate! Tiny and Snail produces incredibly beautiful note cards to send in snail mail, something I adore doing. They have an incredible story and are working to share their mission to make mail more beautiful, fun and easy. Plus, did you know that sending cards can raise the level of feel-good chemicals in our brains?  Come listen as we talk about the story behind Tiny and Snail, why card writing is so important and how you can get a beautiful set of cards for yourself.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store. All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message
E119: Books Embracing Adult Friendship
Apr 9 2024
E119: Books Embracing Adult Friendship
Every week, I send a bit of bookish snail mail into the world to a fellow reader. Recently, a reader requested a book around adult friendship and it took me down a rabbit hole of books and notebooking in the most wonderful way.  On this episode, I’ll share a bit about adult friendship statistics, offer a list of books I’ve already mentioned previously on the podcast that embrace adult friendships and discuss three books in more depth that I think you’ll love, too. Oh…and I’ll share the notebooking prompts I used as I went back and forth from these books to my notebook, too.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store. All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message
E116: Up Lit Reading & Writing for Spring
Mar 26 2024
E116: Up Lit Reading & Writing for Spring
Today, we are exploring the power of reading and writing to make life feel better through Up Lit.  Up Lit is a particular genre of reading that makes us feel good. The stories are hopeful and inspiring, even if the characters are going through hard things.  Today, I’ll take a deep dive into this micro-genre, quickly mention a list of books you’re likely already familiar with that characterize this genre, take a deeper dive into three books I think you should add to your Spring TBR and end with 5 notebook prompts perfect for some uplifting writing experiences, too. You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store. All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message
E111: How to Get Out of a Reading Slump
Feb 27 2024
E111: How to Get Out of a Reading Slump
The reading life is full of ups and downs. From time to time, you might find yourself stuck in a reading slump and reading slump can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You might find yourself stuck in a genre, reading the same one over and over. You might find yourself stuck in a format, reading or listening exclusively. Or, you might find yourself stuck in general, struggling to find the time to read or get started after finishing a book a long while ago.  So, what’s a reader to do? Join me in today’s episode to find out. We’ll explore what a reading slump is, how to decide if you’re actually in one and how to get out of reading slumps, too. I’ll share my favorite tips and tricks AND crowdsourced favorites from my Get Lit(erate). community, too. You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message
E108: Books to Beat the Winter Blues
Feb 6 2024
E108: Books to Beat the Winter Blues
Right now, we are smack dab in the middle of winter. The days are shorter, the sun sets earlier, the wind is colder and for many, that brings on a case of the so-called winter blues. We can feel less motivated, our overall mood can decrease and we might feel stuck waiting for the longer, sunnier days in the season ahead.  Enter books to the rescue.  Today, I’m sharing three books perfect to help you beat the winter blues. One book celebrates the magic inside of a cold winter season. Another will whisk you away to another, likely colder, location and make you forget about your own winter blues as you get lost inside the pages. And finally, the third book will give you the swift kick-in-the-pants reminder that you can control much of how you feel…so you should.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message
E105: The Write Habit with Dr. Nicole Janz
Jan 16 2024
E105: The Write Habit with Dr. Nicole Janz
I love books. I love reading. I love notebooks. I love writing.  But life is busy and sometimes, it can be hard to make the time for the kind of reading and writing lives we want to have.  Today’s guest is changing all of that. Dr. Nicole Janz is a writer’s coach on a mission to help book lovers and writers establish a creative practice that gives them joy.  And it all begins with The Write Habit: A Planner for Writers. Let me be clear: This planner is not just for writers who want to share their writing publicly with the world. It’s for ALL of us who simply want to bring more writing into our lives….and in the process, make our actual lives better, too. Come listen as we explore how to create a writing life you’ll love and how a planner can help you do it.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message
E103: The Healing Power of Books with Bijal Shah
Jan 2 2024
E103: The Healing Power of Books with Bijal Shah
Bibliotherapy, the idea that books can help us grow through what we go through, is a fascinating field highlighting the important role that reading can play in making our lives better and today’s guest is leading the way forward in it. Bijal Shah is a bibliotherapist, counsellor and author. She is the founder of Book Therapy and offers bibliotherapy sessions, personalized book prescriptions and bibliotherapy training.  On today’s episode, we talk about all the things: what bibliotherapy is and why it matters, how books can heal, the importance of literary journaling and much, much more.  Come listen and bring a notebook. I know you’ll want to capture some of the content shared today so you can go back to it later. You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co.  Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try! Follow Stephanie: Website   Facebook Twitter Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getliterate/message