Claire Diaz-Ortiz’s Newsletter

Hello! A reading update from the 2026 trenches. Like this post? Give her a little heart! As a reminder: Yes, I read a lot! I pick up ~150 books a year, but don’t finish about 20%. (See: Life is too short to read bad books.) I read widely, but suffer “light”, and generally eschew. Here are books 77 through 90 read so far in 2026… 77. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke SO MUCH TO SAY.

In my day job at 100 Coaches, we just launched a new monthly addition to The 100 Coaches Newsletter, which Scott Osman created six years ago. Now reaching 60,000 readers, the new monthly bonus will include a leadership lesson we’ve been thinking about, and a series of recommended articles we’ve been reading. Please sign up directly here. I’ve included a preview below, this time about failure.

Like this post? Please give her a little heart! When bestselling author Glennon Doyle joined Substack this week, she wore a messy ponytail in a live video with Elizabeth Gilbert. Then, in one fell swoop, she brought over her community — a newsletter list of more than 200,000. Many people were excited. Some were not. As the hours and then days went by, that latter group started to become more and more vocal. There were different takes. She’s coming in too strong.

Like this post? Please give her a little heart! TLDR: The world is crazy, and I am reading. So far this year, I’ve started 32 books. As a reminder, I read about 100 books a year, but I start a lot more of them. (See this post to understand why only martyrs finish all their books!) In 2024, for example, I started 137 books. Of the ones I did finish, some were truly golden. See these round-ups of my 2024 faves here and here.

Do you like this post? Click the heart button to send me a virtual sprinkle! Last year, my pal Kirsten wrote an article about what was wrong with the United States and why she was moving to Italy. She wrote it, and then she did it. She has a visa. There are pictures. She is not the only one. Lots of people move to Italy. Like Frances Mayes, author of a book about Italy that sold a copy or two.

It’s a President’s Day Sale! Get 30% off an your annual subscription by upgrading now. Click to see all the great content that comes when you do;) From time to time I’ve written posts about Substack itself, for which some of you have liked and said RAH RAH THANKS CLAIRE.

If you like this post, please give her a little heart! It’s a new year, and a new year brings a new shiny page to start writing down the books I’m reading. (I’m on #8, so far.) But first, a recap of 2024. Background: I read a lot. (See: how I read 100 books a year.) In 2024, I started 137 books. I didn’t finish about 15-20% of them, because good people shouldn’t have to read bad books.

If you like this post, give her a little heart! She will smile;) Hello! It’s January, of the year 2025, which is an abhorrent thing! Time, it moves! Yesterday was my birthday, and I woke up to my kids singing at me in bed while manhandling a candled, cold English muffin.

If you like this post, give her a little heart;) Hello! It’s … December?! Yes, yes, the year has ended and we are shocked and it feels like … March? Down here in Argentina, December also means the end of the school year (the teacher meetings! the school presentations! the graduations! the pool parties!), which all in all provides for some high octane weeks that this mum needs a nap from.

cupcakes for sad people: memes to get through the week clairediazortiz.substack.com