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A Lit Life

Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness

Getting Writing Inspiration from Books

June 27, 2023 in Notebooks & Writing, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
This summer, I’ve set a goal to really lean into my writing life. I want to write more regularly, tackle some writing projects, write outside the box and boost my writing communities, too.  So, I’ve joined two very different writing groups and have...
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Three Books to Spark a Passion

June 20, 2023 in Books & Reading, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
Do you remember the hobbies and passions you had as a child? Do you make time and space for them in your adult life? I knew I could seriously improve in this department in my own life, so I turned to books.  Books that remind me how important it is to...
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Our Reading Rules with Christie Zimmer

June 13, 2023 in Books & Reading, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
Summer reading season is here! Today, I’m talking with Christie Zimmer on the power of journaling to make our lives better….especially our reading lives.  We’ve collaborated together to create a colorful printable to help us reflect on our rules for reading, where they came from and what they mean, if they...
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Books for Alzheimer’s Awareness

June 6, 2023 in Books & Reading, Life & Living, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
June is Alzheimer’s and Dementia awareness month. With over 55 million people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related illnesses, many of us are personally impacted by this disease. Today, I’m sharing three books that have been particularly powerful in my own reading life on this topic. But since I have more...
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Literate Love for May 2023

May 31, 2023 in Literate Love, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
Every month, I share what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and loving in a bonus episode. Today, I’m sharing a list of books you haven’t heard me talk about on the podcast yet, a writing group that’s lighting my writing heart on fire, a fun historical project that involves a notebook...
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Lit Gifts for Graduates

May 30, 2023 in Books & Reading, Life & Living, Notebooks & Writing, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
It’s graduation season! Today, I share a bit of my own graduation regret and offer a collection of fantastic gifts for graduates, Get Lit(erate). style.  You’ll find three picture books, three notebooks, three technology gadgets and three bookish gifts just for fun on today’s episode.  Here are the books and gifts...
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Books to Celebrate AANHPI Month

May 23, 2023 in Books & Reading, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
I regularly reflect on my reading statistics generated from my bookish spreadsheet so I can continue to grow as a reader. I just reviewed my updated reading charts and did NOT like what I saw: Today, I share and think through my latest bookish statistics and offer a collection of books...
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Five Fresh Notebook Experiments

May 16, 2023 in Notebooks & Writing, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
Writing daily in my various notebooks, especially my Morning Pages notebook, has been a life-changing practice for me, but sometimes, those gleaming white pages can feel daunting. Often, I’ll find myself writing about the same thing over and over again or writing in the same way over and over again. And...
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Three Books to Explore Motherhood

May 9, 2023 in Books & Reading, Life & Living, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
Every May, we explore and celebrate the concept of motherhood: the incredibly loving act of caring for another.  And while we may not all be mothers in the traditional sense, we all have experience with our own sense of mothering and what that conjures up for us.  Today, I’m sharing three...
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Super Bloom with Megan Tady

May 2, 2023 in Books & Reading, Notebooks & Writing, Restorative Reading & Writing for Wellness
I love book birthdays: celebrating the day that new books are released into the world for readers to experience and learn from.  Today, we are celebrating the release of Megan Tady’s debut novel titled Super Bloom.  I devoured this book and it has a place on many of my personal book...
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ABOUT

Stephanie

A book-loving, notebook-hoarding bookologist on a mission to change lives one book and one notebook at a time.

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Stephanie's books

Paperweight
Paperweight
by Meg Haston
I read this hauntingly beautiful book on the recommendation of my teenage daughter. She told me it was powerful, told me I wouldn't want to stop reading it...and she was right. Meg Haston invites readers into the mind of Stevie, causing ...
The Gifts of Imperfection
it was amazing
The Gifts of Imperfection
by Brené Brown
I haven't stumbled across anything written by Brene Brown that I did not love and this book is no exception. Written so conversationally as if Brene was literally speaking directly, and only, to me, I could'n help bu be personally moved ...
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
it was amazing
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
by Anne Bogel
True to its title, this book was simply delightful. I felt like I was talking with a long-lost friend, a fellow book-lover whose life was just as entangled with the plots, settings and characters of fictional books as they were those in ...
Some Places More Than Others
it was amazing
Some Places More Than Others
by Renée Watson
It was almost like I was reading a book that was written just for me, even though the daily lives and locations of the characters were vastly different. The theme of love, self-worth and family connection was prevalent on each and every ...
Touching Spirit Bear
it was amazing
Touching Spirit Bear
by Ben Mikaelsen
This book shook me to my motherly core. I read this with my 13-year old twins as part of a school assignment and was swept into Cole's story of literally fighting for survival and for love. My children were drawn to Cole's story of survi...

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Middle grade novels hold a unique kind of magic an Middle grade novels hold a unique kind of magic and Ann Braden unlocks that magic with every novel she writes.

Her newest book is no exception.

HIJACKED BY GOATS is a heartfelt middle grade novel that delicately captures Josie’s inner world and the sheer number of compulsive and overwhelming thoughts that battle for her attention. Officially diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Josie progresses through residential treatment and outpatient therapy as she navigates recovery and a kinder way of treating herself.

Ann delicately captures the challenges Josie faces, the overwhelming thoughts and feelings that won’t let her rest and the brave choices she makes to move through them with the support of new friends, family and knowledgeable professionals.

While every middle grade reader might not be able to relate to Josie directly, they WILL be able to relate to going through something hard, wishing away particular thoughts or feelings or knowing someone who is struggling with their mental health. So will every adult reading this book, too.

This book so beautifully captures the entirety of the human condition and invites every emotion to the table, holding out a hand to those that need it and providing a window of empathy to those that need that, too.

It’s an incredible book and I’m forever grateful for having read it.

@annbradenbooks
#KidLitLove
#ALitLife
#MiddleGrade
#OCD
#Bibliotherapy
This. I know this face. I’ve made this face. I now This. I know this face. I’ve made this face. I now have better words to explain the significance of it and the love it holds. Thank you, Ann. ❤️

HIJACKED BY GOATS by Ann Braden

Coming September 2026
Full review coming soon.
@annbradenbooks
A restorative reading and writing practice doesn't A restorative reading and writing practice doesn't just feel good.....it sends a signal of safety to our nervous systems and THAT is what starts well-being at a cellular level.

Come listen as I talk about the one thing standing in the way of a reading and writing life that makes your actual life better and helps you feel better, too. 

We'll take a sensory audit of our reading and writing and brainstorm key ways to speak the language of our bodies and truly enhance our practice. 

Click the podcast link in my bio or visit me on Substack to listen!
On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m ta On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m talking with Melanie Dale about her newest upper middle grade novel: A GIRL OF LORE.

In this atmospheric paranormal novel, inner demons and town secrets collide in the haunting Southern town of London, Georgia. It had me guessing on every page, closing my eyes on some of them and truly inviting me into Mina’s world throughout.

Come listen as we talk about the unexpected way Melanie decided to write her first middle grade novel, the varied themes and entry points for all readers and why you should read it and hug it, too. Don’t be mistaken: even if you do not typically read novels like this, this book is for you. It’s enchanting. 

@melanierdale
#KidLitLove Podcast Link in Bio
#ALitLife
Books make Mondays better! This month, my one wor Books make Mondays better!

This month, my one word theme is RELEASE: of the past, of the things that no longer serve me....and the clothes that no longer fit. =)

This memoir is part of my book apothecary for the month to help me do just that:

THEY LEFT US EVERYTHING by Plum Johnson

It's been hailed as "a funny, touching memoir about the importance of preserving family history to make sense of the past and nurturing family bonds to safeguard the future."

I'm only two chapters in and I cannot get enough quickly enough. I have a feeling I'll hug this one after I'm done.

What books are making your Monday better?

#BooksMakeMondaysBetter
#IMWAYR
#ALitLife
#Memoirs
A Note from my Nudge Notebook... A Nudge Notebook A Note from my Nudge Notebook...

A Nudge Notebook is a special notebook where I track all of the whispers, nudges and ideas I get for making my life better from the books I read.

This week’s nudge came from The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts by Mary Claire Haver.

In it, she recommends tracking your daily nutritional intake through an app called Cronometer. I am NOT a person to track my food for a few reasons, but for some reason, it stuck with me and I’ve tried it for a couple of weeks with surprising results. 

My favorite takeaway is what I’ve learned about micronutrients: 

I’m not getting NEARLY what I thought I was, but after a couple weeks of tracking and making small changes, I am MUCH more balanced than I was and I can feel the difference. 

What nudges did you get from your reading this week?

@drmaryclaire
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