Feeling My Shelf is a newsletter about books, life, and, well, life with books. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and get comfy. First up, some recent reads.
No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel
I really enjoyed Myah Ariel’s first novel, When I Think of You, so naturally, when I heard about her second, I knew it was a must-read. Ella Simone is a pop star reeling from a very public divorce and a prenup that threatens everything she’s worked for, when she finds herself in a compromising position with Miles, a pro-baseball player with demons of his own. What starts as a PR relationship to rehab both of their images quickly gets sticky thanks to the undeniable chemistry between them. A fun read if you’re into celeb romances.
History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook
Ahh, this book scratched a part of my brain that only a few novels have. It follows a zany, sharp-witted college history professor. She suddenly finds herself at the center of a campus scandal when her (ahem, douche bag) colleague turns up dead. When all signs point to her being the next target, she dives headfirst into a trail of clues to solve the murder. The mix of dark humor and historical bits had me hooked.
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
Ashley Poston takes the whole “can’t get this song out of my head” thing to a new level in her latest magical romance. Joni is a songwriter with writer’s block (relatable), who returns to her coastal hometown to reset. But then, she starts hearing a melody in her head along with the voice of a moody, musically-inclined man. No, he’s not a ghost, and yes, she does eventually meet him. Although he’s not at all what she expected. But their strange connection (it’s got layers!) proves to be just the thing Joni needs to write her next hit. And you know, get through some other deep life stuff. Like, this is an Ashley Poston novel after all. (If you’ve read The Dead Romantics, The Seven Year Slip, and/or A Novel Love Story, then you know what I mean.) Keep tissue nearby.
“After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breathe and reboot.”
Did you miss me in your inbox? I was flailing between the dramatic ebbs and flows of being a 30-something-year-old, so I took Carrie Bradshaw’s words (which I can’t seem to avoid while scrolling on TikTok lately) to heart and space to reset.
It was much needed, but if I’m being honest, it’s part of a recurring practice that I’m not exactly proud of. See, if you’ve been here for a while (or know me in real life), you know that I tend to “disappear” when I’m in my feelings. Sure, if you reach out, I’ll text back, and I would rather eat glass than let my inbox overflow with unread emails, but I won’t be the first to spark a conversation or share how I’m feeling. Or, in this case, write a newsletter. Sometimes, I don’t even want to read.
But after a lot of late nights, chats with my therapist, and more tears than I care to admit, I realized I need to build a life I don’t want to constantly escape from.
For so long, I’ve treated “resetting” like something you do after a crisis. Hit pause, hide away, patch yourself up, then reemerge as if nothing happened. But the truth is, that cycle has been keeping me stuck. I don’t want to keep running on empty and then crashing (and complaining to my mom lol). I want a life that feels like it’s filling me up as I go, not one that constantly needs saving.
So lately, I’ve been thinking about the small things that make me feel like myself and doing them more often. My happy habits. Of course, this won’t change my whole world overnight. And I can’t promise that when I have a shitty week, I won’t still hide out at AMC instead of writing this newsletter, but I am committed to making more room for joy and ease every day.
Here’s how that’s looked over the last few weeks:
Making tea every morning
Literally filling my cup. It’s fun getting use out of all my eclectic mugs and Anthropologie icon glasses.Baking just because
I made homemade pop tarts for the first time recently, which were way easier than I expected. I’m excited to experiment with different fillings going forward.Leaning into my love of orange
Orange has always been my favorite color. For the longest time, I only indulged in little pops here and there. Now I’m going all in: painting walls, wearing more orange, and (maybe) even getting that new iPhone.Burning my good candles
My therapist has been telling me for years to stop saving my good candles for a “special occasion.” I finally listened, and am not regretting it.Taking everything showers featuring products from Pattern Body
I love the scent of these products, but also taking care of my skin as an eczema girlie, and just feeling pampered.Putting my records on (literally)
I’ve been spinning old favorites, and I’m planning to get Olivia Dean’s new album, The Art of Loving, on vinyl next.Working out
Even though I Sucked (with a capital S) at mat pilates recently, it made me feel productive and alive, and I actually want to do it more.Listening to the ReLiving Single podcast
I can’t stop talking about this because it’s so good! Funny, nostalgic, and just the thing I need to power through every week.Journaling
I still don’t know what to call my little journal, but I love it. It’s a junk, scrapbook, and media/book journal all wrapped into one.And of course, reading
A good romance novel (or twisty academic mystery, apparently) always fills my cup. 🧡
I’m currently about 50 pages into The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy, which was recommended to me by . It follows “five Black women over the course of their twenty-year friendship, as they move through the dizzying and sometimes precarious period between young adulthood and midlife.”
How to write a sex scene according to Exit Lane author Erika Veurink. Twilight Is 20. These books will remind you why you loved it so much. Why do we get so attached to fictional characters? The Waterbearers author Sasha Bonét on the perceptions thrust upon a Black girl’s body. And ICYMI: Baby-Sitters CIub to be adapted as a stage musical.
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