On reading that settles and soothes

And the kinds of books I reach for when I'm all over the place

I’ve been feeling scattered lately, tugged in a hundred different directions to the point of feeling a little bit frenetic. June’s been a pretty great month so far—dinner with friends! trips! concerts! a whirlwind birthday weekend!—but it’s also been a little bit of an overwhelming one. My to-do list keeps on spontaneously expanding, my routines are dusting themselves off and dragging themselves back from where they’ve been tossed to the wayside, and I’ve been going through reminder Post-Its at a rapid rate. And so, in a completely unsurprising turn of events, I’ve found myself turning to reading to regain my equilibrium.

I’ve always been aware of the grounding, vital role reading plays in my life but somehow I never realize how much I rely on those chunks of uninterrupted reading time until I’m not getting them. Reading brings me perspective and empathy, windows into other worlds and words that perfectly articulate the things I’ve been trying to say for ages. I even feel the tension start to seep out of my body and the pace of my thoughts start to slow down as I read. It brings me back to myself, firmly settling me in the here and now when my brain wants nothing more than to over-analyze the past and future. The focus reading demands is something that feels increasingly rare in our over-calendared, scattershot present and that I treasure more than ever.

Maybe all of this seems obvious laid out in writing. But it’s nice to have the reminder anyway. For the rest of the month, I’m recommitting to focused, leisurely reading sessions, not just the quick snatches I sneak in on the subway or during my lunch break, and on books that draw me in completely. It’s been interesting to see what kinds of books I’ve been finding myself drawn to in this hectic time too, as I’ve been increasingly leaning towards romantic sci-fi? Maybe it’s the combination of high emotional and planetary stakes but I’ve been craving steamy, sweeping space adventures and stubbornly convinced that romantic sci-fi is the next big thing after romantasy. (If I had any talent for writing action scenes, I might try writing one but my version of romantic sci-fi would probably just be people on a spaceship having conversations about their feelings and drinking tea.)

A few other kinds of books that I’ve been craving:

• All the summery contemporary romance, especially titles from the massive stack of queer romances I pulled off my shelves for Pride Month. I also think I might enjoy queer sports romance more than m/f sports romance? (Side note: I am, however, dying for a m/f sports romance where the heroine is a wildly successful athlete and the hero is a nerdy professor, soft-spoken baker, or otherwise completely unathletic. Send me your recs!)

• Clever historical mysteries. There’s a reason I always keep a Veronica Speedwell around for emergencies and I have a few other series to catch up on too.

• Arthurian legend retellings and reimaginings. I just read and would highly recommend Spear by Nicola Griffith and I’m already yearning for more books that put a fresh spin on classic legends and transport me to a faraway place and time.

• A family with a lot of drama, preferably one that stretches over at least 400 pages. If I hadn’t already read Rosamunde Pilcher’s big four, I would be beelining straight for The Shell Seekers and its gorgeous Cornish setting.

Let me know what your go-to restorative reads are in the comments!

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Currently reading: Luck of the Draw by Kate Clayborn, as Kensington’s in the process of reissuing her previously digital-only debut series in a set of lovely paperbacks. I’m only halfway through but already thinking this could be an excellent read if you like your romance angsty and complicated.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• Part of the aforementioned whirlwind birthday weekend was afternoon tea at Brooklyn High Low in Park Slope, which is located in the basement of a brownstone and decorated in a joyfully eclectic style. We had tiny sandwiches, scones, an array of desserts, and eight different kinds of tea. Perfect for any kind of special occasion.

• I mentioned this last week but I am fully in on Love Island USA, to the point where I’ve fallen permanently behind on the UK edition this year. The casting and chaos this year are top-tier.

• Classic ice cream sandwiches, aka the perfect antidote to the week of stifling heat we’re in for in New York. I’m also very into the watermelon agave popsicles from The GoodPop, which taste like pure summer.