Hey guys! First of all, I just want to check in and make sure everyone is doing okay. We're living through some crazy history right now, and before anything, it's so important that we take care of each other. The best thing we all can do right now is stay home. For those who are lucky enough to work or study from home, we've found a lot of extra time on our hands. So what better time to tackle that stack of books?
For me personally, the spread of the virus has led me to come back home to Austin, Texas from Princeton, New Jersey (where I go to school). I'm now a week into online classes and have been using Zoom way more than I ever thought I would- it's definitely been a weird time of trying to keep busy, stay in touch with friends, and not feel the constant existential dread of the news.
The one amazing thing though, is that I've been able to really read again. While my reading load was probably the largest it's ever been this past semester (one course demanding three books a week), I had very little time to blog and really process the stuff that I was reading. More than that, while I kept up with leisure reading on the side, I didn't feel like I had the energy to really devote my time to watch I enjoy most: really completely losing myself to a book.
In some ways, I'm so lucky that I've been given this time to come back to reading & blogging. I'm hoping to really create a new journey for myself during this time, trying out a lot of exceptional changes! (will write more about this but just got my first Kindle and have been doing lots of e-book reading!! and have a whole load of unread Classics on my shelf I could get through)
At a time where everyone is starting to pick up some books again, I hope this space can provide some recommendations/updates as time goes on! My tastes have changed quite a bit over the course of this blog but hopefully, you'll still find something to gain and to read.
Finally, I just wanted to ask everyone and anyone who can to please please donate/buy from local, independent bookstores!! They are such a crucial part of our cultural fabric and deserve nothing but love during such a tough time- we can't let books go. A lot of bookstores are shipping as well so try & buy from them instead of Amazon! BookShop is a great place to start, with my personal favorite BookPeople operating out of it too.
That's it for me today!! Can't wait to come back with some reviews... Till then, a list of what I've read recently:
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
See you soon!
Happy to hear from you, Kate! I have seen a lot of old bloggers pop up again lately. It’s nice to see. I think that blogging can provide a lot of comfort in these tough times. Hope you’re well!
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