On Being a Reader

Plus my all time favorite books

Spring Cleaning is a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox (or the Substack app) where I share personal essays, recommendations, and ideas on how to live a joyful and intentional life. My hope is that it brings a mini moment of reflection to your day. 💌

If my writing resonates with you, please share it with your loved ones!

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Hi, friend!

We’ve had one of those elusive, perfect spring weather weeks in NYC that make me optimistic about life - as I sit in my kitchen writing, I can literally hear a group of birds chirping outside my window. I hope that you’re feeling the renewal and joy of spring, wherever you are this week. 

On Wednesday, I got my first library card in almost 15 years. I live close to the Brooklyn Public Library but never considered joining until I realized how much I’ve spent on Kindle books this year. I left with my new card in hand and a massive smile on my face, wondering how I’d forgotten about the existence of libraries until this week.

practically SKIPPING through the streets with my cute new library card

I’ve been a voracious reader since childhood and vividly remember accompanying my mom to Border’s Books and the Walnut Creek library. I’d happily sit alone in the children’s section while she browsed the store, and lose myself in stories about princesses, time traveling siblings (did anyone else read The Magic Treehouse series?!), and Harry Potter. As an introverted and self-conscious tween, I often preferred to stay in with a good book rather than spend time with friends.   

In high school, I became painfully aware of what was considered (un)cool by my peers and altered many aspects of myself in order to fit in: I straightened my hair, became a cheerleader, downplayed my intellectual curiosity, and slowly stopped reading for fun. Being a teenager in the late 2000s/early 2010s was a unique experience to say the least 😂 Life continued to get busy and by the time I graduated college, I barely read anymore. 

For me, getting into a groove with reading is not like riding a bike (and if it is for you, I’m envious!). When I don’t read consistently, committing to a book feels intimidating; it’s much easier to watch a show, scroll, or make plans with friends. I spent most of my 20s thinking about how I wanted to read more instead of actually doing it. 

Surprisingly enough, going back to graduate school in the middle of the pandemic is what reinvigorated my love of reading. After spending all day attending Zoom classes, office hours, and study groups, I desperately needed to recharge and to chuck my various screens out the window. Although I read hundreds of pages weekly for class, fiction became my solace during some of the most stressful and isolated times of my life. I distinctly remember reading A Little Life while simultaneously studying for my International Trade Theory final - crying for a multitude of reasons, iykyk - and feeling grateful that I had another person’s story to help me put my own life and small stressors into perspective.

I’ve been consistently reading again for four years, and it’s truly one of the biggest joys in my life. I’ve given myself permission to explore all genres and branch out to nonfiction (I never thought I could be a nonfiction person until last year). Who knew I’d love sci fi and romantasy?!

I was talking to my sister about my most recent read, the last book in a 7-part fantasy series, and she joked that I was healing my inner child. I was thinking more about this and while I don’t know much about inner child healing, it feels spot on. Revisiting activities that brought me joy as a kid has reconnected me with my authentic self, providing a sense of wholeness I haven't felt in many years. 

I recently heard that people who read fiction become more empathetic over time (probably saw it on TikTok, but here is a study and a more digestible article). The more I immerse myself in reading, the more I feel my emotional range expand. Each book is an entryway into a deeper understanding of my own feelings, past experiences, and the universality of being human. Reading has cracked me open: maybe it’s also a product of getting older (and therapy), but over the last few years I’ve found myself more emotionally moved than ever before. Books, movies, plays, and stories often bring me to tears. Even songs! It’s new and beautiful and also makes me laugh at myself, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the person that reading makes me.

If you’re in a reading slump, looking for a new book, or want to start your reading journey, I’m here to help! I love discussing books and giving recommendations - it makes me so happy.

In no particular order, here are my 14 favorite books I’ve read since 2020 - all genres, mostly fiction. I couldn’t choose just 10!!

1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

2. North Woods by Daniel Mason

3. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

4. Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

5. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

6. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

7. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (this is book #2 in A Court of Thorns and Roses)

8. Solito by Javier Zamora

9. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

10. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

11. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

12. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

13. Circe by Madeline Miller

14. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

A few books on my list if you’ve read all the above and/or want to join me:

1. Trust by Hernan Diaz

2. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

3. Horse by Geraldine Brooks

4. You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue

5. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

6. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

What are your thoughts on reading? Love it, hate it, want to love it? I want to know! 🤠

Let’s be friends on Goodreads and leave a comment on this post if you have any recommendations for me! I’m always looking for amazing books to add to my list.

What books have kept you up all night reading, moved you, or stuck with you for years? 

Things sparking joy this week

This week's joys

🌷Peony tulips from Trader Joes

🎨Painting cards

🥤The color of my morning smoothies

📖Reading in the park

✨Longer days and the evening light in my room 

If you enjoyed reading Spring Cleaning this week, here are a few ways you can support me and my work: 

❤️️Restack this post!

❤️️Send the link to your friends or talk about it in person!

❤️️Leave a comment or like on this post (below)! 

Thank you so much for reading! I deeply appreciate each and every one of you. Spring is here! 🌸 x