Read Something. Say Something.

Summer is one of the best times to read. Not because we’re on vacation (most people I know are still juggling work and life as usual), but because the season somehow invites a little more space. Space to pause. To reflect. And if we’re lucky, to pick up a book we’ve been meaning to read for months.

But here’s something I’ve noticed: the most valuable part of summer reading often happens after the book is closed, when we start talking about it.

A client recently told me she was reading a Harlan Coben thriller while traveling. She picked it up thinking it would be pure entertainment (and it was), but one of the plot twists sparked an insight about how she makes decisions under pressure. That moment ended up fueling a great conversation with her team about how they approach uncertainty.

Another client mentioned finishing The Wager by David Grann. It’s a gripping nonfiction account of a shipwreck, survival, and clashing leadership styles. He didn’t expect it to connect to his own role, but it prompted him to rethink how his team navigates ambiguity—and how quickly narratives can shift when no one’s steering clearly.

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These weren’t books about work. But they started conversations that mattered at work, and beyond.

That’s the power of a good book: it gives you new language, new angles, and sometimes even the courage to bring up topics you’ve been avoiding. It doesn’t need to be a business bestseller or a classic with literary prestige. If it makes you think, feel, or question—it’s working.

So this summer, I’m not just encouraging people to read more. I’m encouraging them to talk more about what they’re reading. Ask others what they’ve picked up lately. Share a favorite line. Tell someone what surprised you. A book on your nightstand can turn into a conversation that changes how you see the world—or how you show up in it.

Books open up ideas. And ideas—when shared—are where real growth begins.

In fact, that’s part of what Inspired by LIFE is all about: seeing inspiration not as a lightning bolt, but as something we can find in the everyday. Including the books we read, the conversations we spark, and the insights that follow.

So, what are you reading? If you want a recommendation—or have one for me—I’d love to hear it.