Chapter #53: On My Dopamine Menu

Bookish things that instantly boost my dopamine levels ✨

Feeling My Shelf is a bi-weekly newsletter about books, life, and, well, life with books. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and get comfy. First up, some recent reads.

If I Were You by Cesca Major

On the way to Amy's sister’s extravagant wedding, she and her boyfriend Flynn have a massive argument during a thunderstorm. Lightning strikes, and in Freaky Friday fashion, they swap bodies, forcing them to experience the wedding weekend as each other. As they navigate exes, secrets, and wedding chaos, their relationship is tested. While the body swap is a humorous twist, I wanted them to break up so badly! They weren’t a good fit at all and knew absolutely nothing about each other. LIKE NOTHING. The wedding antics were fun at times, and I enjoyed how their relationships with family members evolved over the story. But yeah, Amy and Flynn were better off as friends (if even that.)

The Most Famous Girl in the World by Iman Hariri Kia

If you looked up “hot mess,” you most definitely would see Rose Aslani’s picture beside the definition. She’s a scrappy young journalist who exposed Poppy Hastings as a socialite scam artist, unintentionally skyrocketing her to influencer fame. After Poppy’s release from prison, Rose begins to spiral. Obsessed with revealing more of Poppy's hidden crimes, she teams up with a rogue FBI agent to bring her down. The novel is a campy, satirical take on modern fame and its consequences, filled with wit and absurd twists. There were so many twists! One in particular, I guessed, one I loved and didn’t see coming at all, and one I could’ve done without! But overall a super fun read.

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you’ve probably come across a dopamine menu—a fun way to break down the little activities and moments that trigger dopamine, aka the “happy hormone.”

Like a restaurant menu, a “dopamine menu” is divided into categories, each representing a different type of experience that provides a pleasurable dopamine release.

• Appetizers: Bite-sized activities that give you an immediate burst of pleasure

• Entrees: Activities or moments that bring more satisfaction but require a bit more time and energy

• Sides: The extras that might accompany more significant (or mundane) activities

• Desserts: Things that you indulge in every once in a while

• Specials: Activities that aren’t always available (or affordable), but it’s fantastic when they are

Of course, my dopamine menu has a bit of a bookish feel. Some favorites are using a fun bookmark instead of a receipt (appetizer), organizing my bookshelves (entree), using a colorful pen to make lists (side), binge-watching a TV adaptation (dessert—by the way, I’m currently watching season 2 of Tell Me Lies and screaming at the screen every five minutes), and attending an in-person book club meeting (special.)

What would be on your dopamine menu?

Libras are known for our love of beauty, balance, and relationship dynamics. According to ChatGPT (my new favorite way to source recommendations!) and me (a Libra who’s read all of these and 100% agrees), here are a few fitting recommendations in honor of the superior sign.

Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams
“The story’s focus on duality and the struggle for self-acceptance resonates with Libras' appreciation for harmony and understanding in complex relationships.” (Complex we Libras are!)

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
“A romantic story about love, balance, and astrology, blending traditional matchmaking with modern dating apps, making it a fun read for astrology enthusiasts.” (I also love the emphasis on family in this one!)

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
“Libras will appreciate this tender, philosophical novel about love, loss, and finding balance in life through human connections.” (Prepare to cry a lot.)

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
“A thought-provoking exploration of identity, family, and the complexities of racial passing. Libras will appreciate the balance between personal stories and social themes.” (We love to dig deep into things.)

Cozy (and spooky) read season is upon us! I’m kicking things off with Deja Brew by Celestine Martin, a “spellbinding rom-com about a wish gone wrong, two opposites might just get a second chance at love.”

WTF is Steve reading on Sex and the City? Thirty-two fall desk essentials that give grown-up Scholastic Book Fair energy. Eight great books paired with eight chic bags. People We Meet On Vacation: Everything we know about Netflix’s adaptation. The perfect escape from our online world. For some cookbook authors, nail art Is part of the story. Connie Chung signed off, but she isn’t done talking.

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