Stays together! (Or are really big dorks. π )
Some of you have asked how exactly Ryan and I are reading The Hunger Games together. Do we both have a copy of the book? Are we taking turns? Reading aloud? 
Itβs quite simple, really. First I read a chapter aloud, then he reads a chapter aloud, and so on. (Itβs always in this order because I like him to read last since I get sleepy.)
We first started reading together a couple of years ago when the sixth Harry Potter movie was about to come out in theaters. Ryan loved all of the Harry Potter movies but hadnβt read any of the books. I love both the movies and the books and convinced him that he needed to read the book before seeing the sixth movie. He agreed and we decided to read it together in preparation for the movie.
Reading together ended up being something we both looked forward to every night!
We always make it a point to pick books that appeal to both males and females, like Harry Potter or Phillip Pullmanβs His Dark Materials trilogy.
It may sound strange and totally dorky, but itβs actually a lot of fun. Itβs neat to be on the same page (literally) with someone and we enjoy discussing the books and predicting what will happen next.
Even this little lady enjoys story timeβ¦
β¦ But probably only because she gets to cuddle up in between mom and dad.
Dinner
After taking Sadie on a walk this evening and getting rained on, Ryan and I were in the mood for warm comfort food.
Apparently my lunch sparked a pasta craving, because ravioli sounded perfect. Ryan and I enjoyed Monterey Pasta Companyβs lobster ravioli, topped with marinara sauce. 
LOVE this ravioli.
Since my meals today have been completely void of any fruits, I snacked on a bowl of fresh strawberries as well.
Big shout out to Wish Farms for producing possibly the best pint of strawberries Iβve ever hadβ¦ and itβs not even strawberry season! 
I didnβt have one bad berry in the bunch!
Time to get readinβ! The Games are officially about to begin. Eeee!
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I think it’s SO cute that you two read together! If only I could find a sports book that both Craig & I were interested in, then we could read together too π
have you read any of dan brown’s books? they’re all AMAZING and guys LOVE them, too!
I agree! They’re so addictive and easy to get into.
I have heard of them, but never read any. Definitely going to check them out π Thanks for the feedback!
I love that you guys read together- that’s absolutely adorable!! I have a feeling my boyfriend would only go for it if I was the one doing the reading….so he could fall asleep π
Awwww! LOVE this idea. π I’m definitely going to pitch this idea to Mark. Thanks for the inspiration, Julie!
That’s cute! I’m trying to get my husband to read the HP books, but he’s just sooo lazy. I wonder if I could convince him to try this idea!
I have The Hunger Games on hold at the library! I love that you guys read together π
Hmmm, I think the only book my hubby would read would have to be about golf or soccer and both would put me to sleep!
That’s very cute!!
Such a pretty Sadie!
Okay I actually LOVE your blog! I love that you update it so frequently with happy posts so that whenever I come back there is always new material to read! I just received the Hunger Games as a gift and can’t wait to start it.
This is such a cute image. I think my hubby would fall asleep if I tried to read to him but I love the idea.
You two are too frickin’ cute.
My best friend made me do this over vacation. Reading aloud is hard! I got sleepy too.
Love love love that you read together!
My boy toy once read me an entire pretty little liar book when we went camping and i got sick.
Now that is love π
I love this idea of reading together!
Oh those ravilois look delicious!
Awww I love that you read together. Sometimes I read my blog posts outloud to my cat, although it’s not the same thing. π
my husband and i read aloud together too! we’re reading the chronicles of narnia, mostly in the car on trips. π it’s fun!!
Reading together is a wonderful idea…now, maybe I can convince my guy it is a wonderful idea π
I’m going to be biased here and say that it’s the little things like reading together that keep a couple strong and that you know they’ll stay together long π Now the catch is, we totally do it too π Glad to know there are others out there!!
That is such a wonderful idea! I’ve heard the “never go to sleep in a fight” is a great way to stay together, but I LOVE this too!
LOVE that you guys read together. Maybe I can convince Alex to do that with me. Except that we don’t live together…
awww so cute that you guys read together! i think i would have a problem paying attention though haha
if you love ravioli you muust try the spinach stuffed ravioli from costco! i have no idea what the brand is but its in a green bag and great for in a pinch dinners
it’s true…reading a book together is really a cool way to bond! nate and i drive to work every morning together and we read books during that time…it’s awesome!
I love Philip Pulman’s trilogy! I wsa so sad when bad assumptions kept the movie from doing well and the movie making stopped after Golden compass. You have good taste in books!
I can’t read outloud bc I tend to stop paying attention. Do you or Ryan ever realize you didn’t catch something?
I think I might have that problem too with the sharing of reading aloud… I’m very visual, and when I’m not reading along with someone while listening to them (like in school, not in face-to-face settings, ha!) I can sometimes zoneout!
That’s such a good idea, Julie…I love it and I cannot wait to hear all about the book π
I wish they made that ravioli gluten free…I always wanna drool over it when you post it on here, haha!
Enjoy your evening!
Meg
The husband will read to me when he is reading Bill Bryson books and I’ve read to him when I’ve read Jen Lancaster – it’s fun to have something to talk about. And I so want a strawberry now – thanks a lot! π
That is so cute! I love it!
you guys are seriously the cutest couple ever!
D’awwe you two are cute. π
I absolutely LOVE this idea, Julie! My boyfriend and I have been utilizing our library a LOT these past few months… I think I’m going to suggest this to him! Not sure how he’ll take it, but we’ll see π
Do you ever go to the library for books? I actually have downloaded some e-books onto my ipod (this is how i “read” all of the twilight series, ha!) and my boyfriend gets books on tape and listens to them when he drives to work.
As a future librarian, I love that you use the library. π I listen to books on tape a lot too. It’s like story time on my way to work! haha
My husband and I have been reading to each other since we started dating years ago. It started on long car rides (we were long distance for the first year and a half) and have kept it up, we love it, our friends think we are senior citizens =)
AW I love your relationship with Ryan! I have never heard of anyone doing this! I will have to remember it and try it some day π
That is so cute! I read Harry Potter with my friends the same way when we were stuck in traffic the day after the book came out. It’s fun to have story time. π I loved The Hunger Games. The whole series was so addicting.
The reading together may be the cutest thing ever. I can’t exactly picture my boyfriend and I doing that together, but I imagine its super nice. More engaging that sitting and watching TV together. Maybe I’ll mention it to him, and we can try it out too!
I’m a major Hunger Games fan. My husband and I read the trilogy together (OK, not quite like you, but I read one book then passed it on to him, anxiously waiting to discuss). I can’t imagine having to slow down enough during that series while he read, though. I read about 10 times as fast as he does, and that was a fast read!
Does reading on your laptop while sitting next to each other count as “reading together”? lol! j/k
Me and the fiance watch DVDs of the show “The Office” together and I like that ritual.
We occasionally read the same book. We’re both reading the Women Of The Otherworld series but we take turns reading the books.
I love that idea! I really want to do that when I get married! Enjoy the games! The first book is by far the best!!!
I love your and Ryans realtionship. I love how you arnt two people in the same house, you are one. You guys are so inspiring! π
I thinks it’s really nice that you read together! Me and my bf have a different taste in books, but maybe we should try this!
that is SO cute! I love that idea- and it keeps it interesting too!
Julie! I don’t know what it is about you and Ryan’s relationship, but the ridiculously cuteness factor is so…cute to me!
This is notable only because I am notorious among friends for being anti-mush, but you and Ryan are so clearly in love, I actually enjoy reading about it. I think I’ve teared up over each one of your wedding recap posts, which is saying a lot!
You are very blessed to have found someone so special to you, but I’m sure you already know that. π
I think it’s so cute that you guys read together! I think it’s awesome π
Jen
That is so cute that you and Ryan read together! I need to work on getting my boyfriend to do that with me. We enjoying watching the same tv shows together and talking about them after. Maybe we would enjoy reading together too. π Thanks for the idea!
I think it’s super cute that you two read together! I finally got my fiance reading (after we found him an awesome conspiracy book haha!) and I challenged him to read 4 books this year (compared to… one last year!). I love reading before bed π
That’s so sweet that you guys read together. I am reading “Hunger Games” right now and I’m about 70% of the way through it. I can’t even put it down because it’s so good.
As if you and Ryan couldn’t get ANY cuter, you guys have to read books aloud. To each other. Adorable.
I’ve been hearing about The Hunger Games, so I think I’ll give them a try! π
Aww I love that you guys read together! We did that the first year we were married, but that’s really tapered off a lot lately. Right now we’re reading “The Love Dare” together, but we read it at separate times since our morning schedules are so different (I’m out the door by 6:45am and he doesn’t leave until 7:55) and I’m usually in a rush. And it’s one of those things that you need to read early in the day to work on throughout the day. Anyway, it’s fun too, but I do prefer to actually read to each other. π We need to get back into that!
Love love love it! It’s one of the reasons we look forward to road trips. I hate driving and he likes it when I read out loud best so its a win-win. You guys are so cute!
Reading together is absolutely adorable! I love to read and I can’t tell you the last time my boyfriend read a book. I even bought him a zombie survival book he acted interested in at Barnes and Noble and he still hasn’t read it…but I’ve never tried reading to him, I’ll give it a shot!