Alexis' Great Idea

Better late than novel.

Feeling My Shelf is a newsletter about books, life, and, well, life with books. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and get comfy.

They say that you never forget your first.

No, not that first. I'm talking about the first book that changed my life. Although I'm confident that my first orgasm came courtesy of a Scholastic Book Fair circa 2001.

I was seven and strolled starry-eyed into the fair consisting of immaculate cardboard displays. Shelves and shelves of new books lined the room—gel pens, stickers, bookmarks everywhere. A budding bookworm's Candyland, and not just because of the candy-scented erasers nobody needed, yet everybody bought. I was in heaven. And heaven got 10x sweeter the second I picked up The Baby-Sitters Club #1: Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin. 

Kristy Thomas, aka the mastermind. Fearless and sporty with an entrepreneurial spirit. She was a bit of a control freak, but she got stuff done. One hundred and seventy-six pages later, I was hooked, and I devoured every single BSC novel that followed. I felt seen. Heard. Understood. Problems that I could relate to were solved. Best of all: Tween girls making money and hanging out with their friends? Ideal scenario. I remember itching to babysit somebody's child, so I could pretend I was a club member. Now you know a book has changed your life when it has you wanting to work. 

Over the years, books have continued to have a similar effect on me. Well, no. I no longer dream of working or watching other people’s kids. But I do continuously feel seen. Heard. Understood. And also eager to share.

I struggled with launching this newsletter. If you know me in real life, then you know that I don't like sharing things. At all. But in particular, things that may be random or less than perfect. Two things that Feeling My Shelf is guaranteed to be. But nearly 22 years after first reading the BSC and feeling inspired, I figured it was time to channel my inner Kristy. Easier said than done; as someone who relates to the shy, overthinking, introverted Mary Anne, the most.

Anyways, that's my long-winded way of saying thank you! Thank you for being here, reading this, and helping celebrate a new first: my first letter. Another first I won't forget, mainly because the internet is, unfortunately (fortunately?), forever.