Weekend Activity: Read Your Partner’s Favorite Book

Not everyone is an avid book reader. Keep this in mind. If you two are not very excited about this activity just skip it. Do something this weekend that you do enjoy. And have fun!

Now, for those of you who devour books – or at least do not loathe them – give this activity a try. You can learn so much about your partner by the books they choose to read.

Have your partner pick a book for you to read over the next few weeks (or months, depending upon the size of the book), and you choose one for them.

It’s that easy.

Or, you can put more thought into your choice by considering the following:

• Is there a book that represents a certain passion or belief of yours that you feel your partner doesn’t totally understand? Maybe this is an opportunity for you to teach them a little more about yourself and what is important to you.

• Have you two been disagreeing about where to go on your next vacation? Maybe you could have your partner read a travel book about your top destination. And, maybe, they will discover why this location is so special to you.

• If you and your partner have been looking for ways to strengthen your relationship, there are many books and activities out there that can be of assistance. Some couples will read together one chapter of a book each night before they go to bed. You may choose a classic like The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work, or this nice little freebie. Check out the Resources for even more options.

When you two finish with your books, set aside an evening to chat about what you learned.

Here are some questions to get the conversation started:

• What did you most enjoy about the book that your partner chose for you?

• Why did you choose this specific book for your partner?

• Why do you think your partner chose this particular book for you?

• Can you relate this book to your relationship in any way?

• What did you learn about your partner from reading this book?

I hope you have enjoyed this, yet another Weekend Activity from AVL Couples Therapy.

Keep learning about yourself and each other.

And… if you do commit to this activity, put a little more effort into it than this kid. At the very least, look at the pages and put some peanut butter on your fingers.