Station Eleven is one of my favorite books. I think about it often. Miranda’s line “I repent nothing” is my mantra when I am in doubt or when I’m spiraling into anxious thoughts. I love it I love it I love it!
I love everything about the idea of romanticizing your reading life, Natalie! So good. Thanks for sharing. And what a stack of favorite reads for the year 😍
I’ve added so many books to my TBR pile because of you and I LOOOVE it!! I don’t always have time to look up new books 📚 and you always have great recs. Also I would love a Subverse review of Our Share Of Night!!! 😍
No One is Talking About This was one of my top books this year! I could NOT stop sending quotes to all my friends and laughing so loudly it interrupted my partner’s work haha. And then, the last half, I was sitting in our backyard just sobbing.
Sea of Tranquility was brilliant! One of my favorites from last year. Other top 10 books this year for me include Hamnet and Piranesi. I’ll have to try Jonathan Strange too. (Heads up if you read Piranesi that you also have to give it at least half the book to get good but then it gets realllll good).
North Woods is next on my list (along with The Vaster Wilds) and I’m soooo excited.
We have got 2 of the same best books of the year!!! Demon Copperhead and sea of tranquility are also on my list I’m currently sorting out - great minds 🥰 I like how you categorised them too! I’m trying to work out how best to organise my list...and you’re giving me wonderful ideas! I’ve been meaning to read Trust for a while so this is also a good push for me to get round to it. Congrats on almost hitting your Goodreads goal! You’ll get to 52 in no time!
Also I used to think the phrase romanticising your life was so corny... then I lost my health and things got # depressing and romanticising my life was one of the only things I had left. And boy did I GO for it because frankly I was hanging by a thread. Still am sometimes. My favourite romanticising habits are: aromatherapy (I have a lavender one rn to make me all sleepy for bed and it just smells so good, it’s like a spa in my bedroom) in the same vein candles, drinking cups of tea whilst looking out the window to really promote main character energy, slightly overpriced but incredibly lovely pyjamas so every night so I feel a million dollars every day when I wake up, when I go on walks I have to pick ‘3 wonders’ I see - makes me feel present and like I’m David Attenborough, singing aggressively in the car like the teenage angsty protagonist I am deep in my soul and honestly food presentation. Like every meal or snack I have I present it as picturesque as I can to really indulge in it. Because food is joy. Also soft lighting / lamps everywhere. I can also picture exactly where I read my favourite books of the year. I love to read in silence honestly, but it does very feel romantic reading by the fire in the winter. Makes me feel like Jane Austen or a high society woman in the 19th century.
I mean I should have had you on as a guest writer because this is EXACTLY what I am talking about!! YES. Its unfortunate that illness is involved, but it sounds like you have discovered your inner romantic for life and I love that. I have this theory that we all tried not to use the good crayons as kids and now as adults we do the same thing, saving the good stuff for some indefinite time. If not now, when?? :)
Your taste in books is so incredible because of the pure pleasure you find in reading books. May it always be so. Also because I love and will never forget two of the books on your list. I can’t wait to read Sea of Tranquility.
Thank you Brian - I try very hard to be a well-rounded reading citizen while staying true to what I love. I can't wait for you to read Sea of Tranquility as well!
Ah what a lovely piece on romanticizing! I needed to hear it as I’m sure others did.
(I read and adored Piranesi by Clarke, now I’m even more excited to read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell after seeing your praise! I’d highly recommend Piranesi, too!)
I have been meaning to get to Piranesi for quite some time - its a slim novel so maybe its perfect for squeezing in to hit mmy Goodreads challenge... :)
Ooh, I have Station Eleven, North Woods, and Demon Copperhead sitting on my Kindle. Currently reading Possession by A.S. Byatt. In chronic illness reading, I picked up a book called The Anatomy of Hope from my local used bookstore and it’s surprisingly good and relevant to my current sitch.
52 books in a year? You are my shero 🔥
But it sounds like you’ve been too busy reading to give us an update on KittenGate. Your book to cat content ratio needs tweaking 😼
Station Eleven is one of my favorite books. I think about it often. Miranda’s line “I repent nothing” is my mantra when I am in doubt or when I’m spiraling into anxious thoughts. I love it I love it I love it!
oh thats a really good one!!!
I'm Glad My Mom Died was absolutely fantastic!
it still blows my mind when i think about it now!
I love everything about the idea of romanticizing your reading life, Natalie! So good. Thanks for sharing. And what a stack of favorite reads for the year 😍
Thank you Michelle!! Its been the best way to find some peace in a chaotic year for sure.
I’ve added so many books to my TBR pile because of you and I LOOOVE it!! I don’t always have time to look up new books 📚 and you always have great recs. Also I would love a Subverse review of Our Share Of Night!!! 😍
I’m so sorry for your TBR 😝 I will definitely post a review of Our Share it’s too good not to!!!
No One is Talking About This was one of my top books this year! I could NOT stop sending quotes to all my friends and laughing so loudly it interrupted my partner’s work haha. And then, the last half, I was sitting in our backyard just sobbing.
Sea of Tranquility was brilliant! One of my favorites from last year. Other top 10 books this year for me include Hamnet and Piranesi. I’ll have to try Jonathan Strange too. (Heads up if you read Piranesi that you also have to give it at least half the book to get good but then it gets realllll good).
North Woods is next on my list (along with The Vaster Wilds) and I’m soooo excited.
Well dang if we just aren’t some reading twins. I loved Hamnet too. This is second vote for Piranesi looks like it has to be up asap!!
We have got 2 of the same best books of the year!!! Demon Copperhead and sea of tranquility are also on my list I’m currently sorting out - great minds 🥰 I like how you categorised them too! I’m trying to work out how best to organise my list...and you’re giving me wonderful ideas! I’ve been meaning to read Trust for a while so this is also a good push for me to get round to it. Congrats on almost hitting your Goodreads goal! You’ll get to 52 in no time!
Also I used to think the phrase romanticising your life was so corny... then I lost my health and things got # depressing and romanticising my life was one of the only things I had left. And boy did I GO for it because frankly I was hanging by a thread. Still am sometimes. My favourite romanticising habits are: aromatherapy (I have a lavender one rn to make me all sleepy for bed and it just smells so good, it’s like a spa in my bedroom) in the same vein candles, drinking cups of tea whilst looking out the window to really promote main character energy, slightly overpriced but incredibly lovely pyjamas so every night so I feel a million dollars every day when I wake up, when I go on walks I have to pick ‘3 wonders’ I see - makes me feel present and like I’m David Attenborough, singing aggressively in the car like the teenage angsty protagonist I am deep in my soul and honestly food presentation. Like every meal or snack I have I present it as picturesque as I can to really indulge in it. Because food is joy. Also soft lighting / lamps everywhere. I can also picture exactly where I read my favourite books of the year. I love to read in silence honestly, but it does very feel romantic reading by the fire in the winter. Makes me feel like Jane Austen or a high society woman in the 19th century.
I mean I should have had you on as a guest writer because this is EXACTLY what I am talking about!! YES. Its unfortunate that illness is involved, but it sounds like you have discovered your inner romantic for life and I love that. I have this theory that we all tried not to use the good crayons as kids and now as adults we do the same thing, saving the good stuff for some indefinite time. If not now, when?? :)
Your taste in books is so incredible because of the pure pleasure you find in reading books. May it always be so. Also because I love and will never forget two of the books on your list. I can’t wait to read Sea of Tranquility.
Thank you Brian - I try very hard to be a well-rounded reading citizen while staying true to what I love. I can't wait for you to read Sea of Tranquility as well!
Ah what a lovely piece on romanticizing! I needed to hear it as I’m sure others did.
(I read and adored Piranesi by Clarke, now I’m even more excited to read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell after seeing your praise! I’d highly recommend Piranesi, too!)
I have been meaning to get to Piranesi for quite some time - its a slim novel so maybe its perfect for squeezing in to hit mmy Goodreads challenge... :)
Ooh, I have Station Eleven, North Woods, and Demon Copperhead sitting on my Kindle. Currently reading Possession by A.S. Byatt. In chronic illness reading, I picked up a book called The Anatomy of Hope from my local used bookstore and it’s surprisingly good and relevant to my current sitch.
52 books in a year? You are my shero 🔥
But it sounds like you’ve been too busy reading to give us an update on KittenGate. Your book to cat content ratio needs tweaking 😼