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Stasera ci leggiamo sia un romanzo sia una rivista.

Stasera ci leggiamo sia un romanzo sia una rivista.
Tonight we'll treat ourselves to reading both a novel and a magazine.
From Lesson 364:Ethical dative (mi guardo un film)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Stasera ci leggiamo sia un romanzo sia una rivista.

Why use ci leggiamo instead of just leggiamo?
This is the affective or ethical dative. Adding the pronoun ci (literally 'to/for ourselves') is grammatically optional, but it adds a cozy, colloquial tone. It shows you are doing the action for your own enjoyment, which is why it translates well to 'treating ourselves to reading'.
If I want to put this sentence in the past tense (passato prossimo), which auxiliary verb do I use?
Because of the added pronoun ci, the verb now behaves like a reflexive verb and requires the auxiliary essere. So instead of abbiamo letto (we read), you would say ci siamo letti (we treated ourselves to reading).
Is sia ... sia ... the only way to say 'both ... and ...' in Italian?
You will very frequently hear sia ... che ... used in exactly the same way. Both sia un romanzo sia una rivista and sia un romanzo che una rivista are perfectly correct and natural at this level.
Can I use this affective ci or mi with any verb if I am doing it for my own benefit?
No, it is generally limited to verbs of consumption or entertainment where you are enjoying the process. Common verbs for this structure include mangiare (to eat), bere (to drink), guardare (to watch), leggere (to read), and ascoltare (to listen).

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