Does this ever happen to you? You pop into your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore on a random Saturday to discover they’re having a BOGO on books, which are only $.75 each anyway, and you fill up a basket quicker than The Flash, even though… HELLO… you already have a ginormous TBR list, and your friends might start calling you a book hoarder? The mind-blowingly amazing end result is something like this…
If you’re like me, you’re quick to rationalize buying 16 books with a mental pep talk:
📚 They’re books, not voodoo dolls, butt portraits, stray cats, or something else uncool to hoard—hoarding books doesn’t look bad.
💰 Ten bucks won’t break the bank, especially considering the in-store cost of these titles.
👩🏻💻 I’m a writer—it’s research.
🫶🏻 And it’s FOR CHARITY!
How can you say no to that logic? Well, I didn’t. But I probably should have.
The writer side of me feels a little bad—these authors won’t see a penny in royalties from my purchase and enjoyment of their heart-felt, hard work. BUT I will reward them with reviews and social media shout-outs (which I hope people do for me, too), so it’s still a win-win. And frankly, seeing my books in thrift stores would make me feel like I’ve finally made it—copies are being bought and passed on. My books would have to be on many shelves to end up on these.
🤫 The bigger issue is a dirty little secret… I’m not the best reader. 😬 I aspire to be. I love books and reading. I’ve read a lot, but it’s not a daily habit. When I’m writing a book (like, always), it’s easier and more necessary to escape into my story than enjoy someone else’s.
I’m nearly halfway through the first draft of my next book, Every Good Thing. I’m behind schedule—its release date is December 31st, which seems far away, but it really isn’t. I’m sweating it. Hard. Lena and Ben’s marriage-in-trouble story consumes me (in a good way), leaving little mental space. I MUST get to their better-ever-after ASAP.
All that said, reading is a good distraction on nights when I must put Every Good Thing aside. If I push myself too hard, my writing suffers. So, I’ll revisit my own advice on How to Read More Books and make the time. I’ll NEED it!
But which one should I read first? Ugh. Does this ever happen to you? You have so many great books to read, you don’t know where to start?
That’s a question for another day. Here are some amazing stories that will MAKE YOUR WEEK!
🕵🏻♀️ On the mystery side of things, this one deserves to be a mystery novel and a Netflix series! A high school sociology class in Tennessee with perhaps the coolest teacher ever (sorry, Rowan) took on an unusual project: examining cold murder cases to profile the killer. Their studies led them to solve six murders! Can you imagine the lifelong street cred those students now have? Oh, yeah, you played baseball? Well, I solved murders in high school. Not only that, but my former teacher-self loves any story showcasing amazing teenagers and teachers who think outside the box. Plus, amateur sleuths pulling out a win on cases that stumped trained investigators—this story has it all!
💝 Well, except romance… Have you ever wondered if big romantic gestures are still a thing? A groom in England proves YES. On his wedding day, he surprised his penguin-loving new wife with penguin ring bearers. The non-romantics out there are like, “Dude, she already said yes.” Their special guests stayed for the reception and enjoyed the party. Apparently, penguins like having their bellies rubbed—who knew? And yay—romance isn’t dead, y’all.
🏺If you like thrifting as I do, you’ll love this story. A Virginia woman scores a $4 vase from Goodwill and discovers it’s rare Murano glass-art. She later sells it for over $107,000! That’s enough to make me a thrifter for life and a reminder to look at more than books. I wonder if any of mine are signed copies… hmm.
Here’s more motivation to make time for a book this week:
“Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings. Following complex story lines stretches our brains beyond the 140 characters of sound-bite thinking, and staying within the world of a novel gives us the ability to be quiet and alone, two skills that are disappearing faster than the polar icecaps.” – Ann Patchett
Well said, Ann. Don’t know what to read, try one of mine. 🥹
Comment to share your BEST THRIFT STORE FINDS. I’d love to hear them!
Cheers to you and your latest read!
Bookishly Yours,
Jessica
