I totally agree with using your book choices as a metric for your mental health status! When I notice I've been reading multiple subsequent romance novels in a compulsive fashion, I think "hmmmm...I wonder if I'm stressed?"
Congrats again on your book! I pre-ordered it a few weeks ago. I think you're my sister from another mother with regards to reading and books. I spent about an hour this morning researching books to read and downloading them to my kindle (up next: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig and Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange.) I'm not nearly as disciplined as you are about keeping a record of what I read - too time-consuming - but I also learned to read very young (though my memory of really reading starts in Kindergarten) and I've been devouring books full-time since 3rd grade. I, too, have trouble sleeping and am heavily reliant on my kindle (it improved my life dramatically when they upgraded to the versions that have a built in light in them!) Although I often read to go to sleep and have to be very particular about what I read in order to make sure I nod off -- basically: romance novels I've already read a few times before set in Regency England - Eloisa James is one of my favorite authors - her dialogue is great and her female heroines are smart and funny, Pride and Prejudice, or any of the Anne of Green Gables series of books - basically soothing AF!
A number of years ago when I had a less consuming career and was doing independent consulting, I created a googlesheet of some of my all-time favorite books (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11kP3x3YfuGzK4fenv-aOAM5mZBxkcT2aAm55bxUutfw/edit?usp=sharing) although when life got busier with two kids and a full time gig trying to stop the petrochem industry from ruining the world, I mostly stopped updating it. I, too, read more romance novels when I am overwhelmed, anxious, stressed. If I had been born into a wealthier family, I would definitely have ended up in publishing but I was only able to afford a one month unpaid internship with a publishing company between jobs after college. I still think about it, though.
A few other books I've especially enjoyed lately: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (for my next book club meeting), This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud, The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana Chambers, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, and The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (loved!).
I'm still not over Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zavin, which I read on your recommendation and have put into the hands of as many friends and relatives as possible. Its haunting, gorgeous chapter "The NPC" will live rent-free in my mind forever. I highly recommend anything by Katherine Arden, especially The Bear and the Nightingale series, and Alix E. Harrow's The 10,000 Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston was a fun summertime read. Also the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik was an unexpected delight.
Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow is one of the all-time greats. Have you read Ashley Poston's other books yet? All her work mixes spooky + romantic/hot in interesting ways! You might like 'em.
I loved Tomorrow and tomorrow and Tomorrow, too! Which surprised me as I'm totally missing the gaming chip but it is such a great book! I finished the first in the Bear and the Nightingale series two days ago and feel a little bereft. On to the sequels, though. I will check out your other suggestions!
I hope you enjoy the other two books in the series! The Girl in the Tower was probably my least favorite, but worth getting through for the absolute joy of The Winter of the Witch, which I loved as much (if not more than) the first book.
As someone who has been tracking their books read in a Google sheet since 2008, I feel seen. I also read anywhere between 100-200 books a year and this was very validating. I love reading about what other folks are reading; it's one of my love languages!
Thank you for sharing this today. So relatable, and there is nothing better than sharing and connecting over book recs. I’m reading Doppleganger by Naomi Klein right now. It really makes me want to hear what she has to say about all that is going on right now. Recently I read Freezing Order (Bill Browder) and The Spy and the Traitor (Macintyre), both of which are true stories and again are so interesting because of what they say about the past that echoes in today’s environment. I got them for $1 each at a local library book sale, which makes enjoying them even more sweet. In between the non-fiction, I’ve been working my way through Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti detective novels set in Rome. Full of place and easy to read.
I'd heard the NYPL lets you do that. I tried once but couldn't figure out how to do it (I live upstate and our lending system is okay but they often don't have things in ebook format that I'd like to borrow).
I totally agree with using your book choices as a metric for your mental health status! When I notice I've been reading multiple subsequent romance novels in a compulsive fashion, I think "hmmmm...I wonder if I'm stressed?"
Congrats again on your book! I pre-ordered it a few weeks ago. I think you're my sister from another mother with regards to reading and books. I spent about an hour this morning researching books to read and downloading them to my kindle (up next: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig and Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange.) I'm not nearly as disciplined as you are about keeping a record of what I read - too time-consuming - but I also learned to read very young (though my memory of really reading starts in Kindergarten) and I've been devouring books full-time since 3rd grade. I, too, have trouble sleeping and am heavily reliant on my kindle (it improved my life dramatically when they upgraded to the versions that have a built in light in them!) Although I often read to go to sleep and have to be very particular about what I read in order to make sure I nod off -- basically: romance novels I've already read a few times before set in Regency England - Eloisa James is one of my favorite authors - her dialogue is great and her female heroines are smart and funny, Pride and Prejudice, or any of the Anne of Green Gables series of books - basically soothing AF!
A number of years ago when I had a less consuming career and was doing independent consulting, I created a googlesheet of some of my all-time favorite books (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11kP3x3YfuGzK4fenv-aOAM5mZBxkcT2aAm55bxUutfw/edit?usp=sharing) although when life got busier with two kids and a full time gig trying to stop the petrochem industry from ruining the world, I mostly stopped updating it. I, too, read more romance novels when I am overwhelmed, anxious, stressed. If I had been born into a wealthier family, I would definitely have ended up in publishing but I was only able to afford a one month unpaid internship with a publishing company between jobs after college. I still think about it, though.
A few other books I've especially enjoyed lately: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (for my next book club meeting), This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud, The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana Chambers, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, and The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (loved!).
I'm still not over Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zavin, which I read on your recommendation and have put into the hands of as many friends and relatives as possible. Its haunting, gorgeous chapter "The NPC" will live rent-free in my mind forever. I highly recommend anything by Katherine Arden, especially The Bear and the Nightingale series, and Alix E. Harrow's The 10,000 Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston was a fun summertime read. Also the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik was an unexpected delight.
Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow is one of the all-time greats. Have you read Ashley Poston's other books yet? All her work mixes spooky + romantic/hot in interesting ways! You might like 'em.
I haven't, but I will definitely check them out - thank you!
I loved Tomorrow and tomorrow and Tomorrow, too! Which surprised me as I'm totally missing the gaming chip but it is such a great book! I finished the first in the Bear and the Nightingale series two days ago and feel a little bereft. On to the sequels, though. I will check out your other suggestions!
I hope you enjoy the other two books in the series! The Girl in the Tower was probably my least favorite, but worth getting through for the absolute joy of The Winter of the Witch, which I loved as much (if not more than) the first book.
As someone who has been tracking their books read in a Google sheet since 2008, I feel seen. I also read anywhere between 100-200 books a year and this was very validating. I love reading about what other folks are reading; it's one of my love languages!
I love other crazy people too! :)
Same! I read too many to track but I put my favs here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11kP3x3YfuGzK4fenv-aOAM5mZBxkcT2aAm55bxUutfw/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you for sharing this today. So relatable, and there is nothing better than sharing and connecting over book recs. I’m reading Doppleganger by Naomi Klein right now. It really makes me want to hear what she has to say about all that is going on right now. Recently I read Freezing Order (Bill Browder) and The Spy and the Traitor (Macintyre), both of which are true stories and again are so interesting because of what they say about the past that echoes in today’s environment. I got them for $1 each at a local library book sale, which makes enjoying them even more sweet. In between the non-fiction, I’ve been working my way through Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti detective novels set in Rome. Full of place and easy to read.
Ooh these are great recs. I started but never finished Doppelganger, tbh - I need to give it another try when I've got a little more brainspace.
When you said Gail Carson Levine, I clicked FOLLOW!❤️
The Brooklyn Public Library is like this, too! And you can get a library card from them no matter where you live if you want to take out e-books. :)
I'd heard the NYPL lets you do that. I tried once but couldn't figure out how to do it (I live upstate and our lending system is okay but they often don't have things in ebook format that I'd like to borrow).