Reviving our focus and books for the grieving

Plus unputdownable nonfiction and books for every Barbie

Hey, readers!

I am so excited to be sharing my first round of reading advice in today’s newsletter. I really enjoyed reading and considering your reading quandaries and book recommendation requests, and I’m looking forward to doing this in more upcoming newsletters.

What is your best advice on slowing down and enjoying the book I'm reading? I'm increasingly distracted by the new and rush through books just to get to the next shinier one. I worry that I've lost my ability to be present with each book as well as my patience for longer books. I would like to increase my reading attention span, slow down while reading, and fall less prey to bookish hype.

Can’t we all relate to this?! There’s so much in your question that I related to and I feel like I could write an entire essay in response (maybe I will!), but I’ll try to offer just a bit about the two main prongs of your question: 1) how to slow down and enjoy what you’re reading, and 2) how to avoid getting distracted by hyped books.

One thing that helps me slow down and enjoy what I’m reading is to know why I’m reading a particular book at all. If I have a personal “why” (i.e. I’ve always wanted to read this author, a trusted book friend recommended it, I want to talk about it with a reading buddy, I want to form my own opinion about a popular release) I’m more likely to maintain focus. If I’m really struggling with focus, I’ll also shift into reading only one book in multiple formats. So rather than having one audiobook and a different physical book going, I choose one book to put all my attention into, switching back and forth between physical and audio. This increases both my focus and my momentum so I’m less likely to start thinking about the books I want to read next. It may also help you to create a priority TBR so you know exactly what book you’ll be heading into next rather. Doing this helps keep me from spiraling by thinking about allllll the books I want to be reading instead of the one I’m reading now. In terms of slowing down and deeply reading the books themselves, I wrote a few tips for that here that you might find useful!

As for avoiding the distraction from hype, tracking and then reflecting on my reading has been the biggest help to me here. When I remind myself how often I’ve been disappointed by hyped books and how much more satisfying my reading is when I slow down and savor the books I choose, it’s easier to stay the course. I’ve also found that taking Instagram off my phone has been life-changing—it’s helped with many, many things, but not being constantly inundated by new releases and monthly reading wrap-ups is a huge part of it. Maybe try avoiding your primary sources for book recommendations when you start a book you really want to focus on. I say this as a professional book recommender, take a break from book podcasts, Bookstagram…this newsletter and allow yourself to settle into the book in front of you.

Finally, try to practice all of these tips on short books first. Often, we think about increasing our focus and reading slowly by reading long and challenging books—but that’s something to build up to. Pick a shorter book you’ve been wanting to read and put all of these strategies into place while you fully immerse yourself in it. Seeing immediate results helps us to maintain a habit, so practicing slow, deliberate, focused reading on something small may help you figure out which of these strategies works for you and cement them into habits for the future.

We recently experienced an unexpected death in our family, and it’s taken a huge impact on my reading. I’m looking for things that are warm, light, but still have characters to root for. I don’t love romcoms, but am willing to try some if they don’t have a miscommunication trope.

First, I am so so sorry for your loss. If this is a season of little to no reading, I hope you’ll give yourself grace to take that needed break. But it sounds from your question that you’d like to be reading as a source of comfort so I’ll do my best to provide a few recommendations.

Bite-sized reading may work well for you right now. The first thing that comes to mind is Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, which is (exactly what it sounds like) a book of mini essays all about the big and small delights of the world. I’d also suggest anything by Mary Oliver, particularly Devotions for poetry or Upstream for essays. And one of my life-time favorites, 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff is a warm blanket of a story for any book lover.

As for fiction with lovable characters and a warm, light tone, this is a weak point of my own reading, but I do have a handful I’ve read and enjoyed. Recently, Loot by Tania James was an unexpectedly delightful adventure story with a character you can’t help rooting for. If you have any affection for Austen, the chaste romance (and I don’t think there’s much miscommunication here) A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin or the cozy mystery The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray are two of my favorites. Natalie Jenner’s Bloomsbury Girls is lovely historical fiction with a delightful group of strong female friends to pull for. And both have sequels if you love them! On the more literary side, Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet is a surprisingly uplifting book with a cast of characters trying their best to be good people. And Michelle Huneven’s Search is an extremely engaging and propulsive story with a light tone and low stakes that feel shockingly high while you’re reading. Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett is one of the most charming and life-affirming books I’ve read in awhile, but it does directly address death and grieving so take care if you do choose this one.

Readers, if you have other ideas for books that have comforted you in a time of grief, please leave them in the comments. We’ll all be thinking of you ❤️

Have a reading dilemma or need a book recommendation? Use this form to tell me your current reading mood, share a book you love that you want a readalike for, or pose a reading life dilemma you need help solving. I’ll select requests for responses in the regular Sunday newsletter while I’m previewing books for my fall reading guide.

This week in books.

This week I read…

• The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. This was a fast listen and an incredible “truth is stranger than fiction” story about the world’s most prolific art thief. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Stéphane Breitwieser stole an unbelievable amount of artwork from museums across Europe. He used minimal tools, operated during regular museum hours, and never tried to sell anything he stole. That’s all I want to tell you about this story because the reveals Finkel parcels out over the course of this short work are perfectly paced and occasionally jaw-dropping. Pick this up the next time you need something quick and compelling. Resist the urge to Google while reading and don’t skip the author’s note at the end! Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

Now I’m reading…

• Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The FictionMatters Book Club voted to read a literary love story in July. This might be the most famous modern classic to fit that mood, and I’ve wanted to read it since seeing the movie Serendipity as a middle schooler. So far I’m completely swept up in the writing, but still uncertain how I feel about the story. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm

If you are an international reader or just prefer UK covers, you can also order books through my Blackwell’s affiliate page!

Links I love.

NPR staffers shared their favorite summer reads and the compilation is an excellent and eclectic list.

Two authors who’ve written literary fiction about Barbie examine her enduring legacy in this Electric Literature interview.

Authors are urging AI developers to stop using their work to train bots—here’s why it matters.

This is a wonderful piece about the writing world’s obsession with youth by an author who published her debut in her 60s.

8 books for every era of Barbie.

I want to read all of the books on this list of fiction about librarians. The two I have read are excellent.

End notes.

This week in views, listens, eats, and moments of joy.

• Getting to witness my niece finish reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time this week was pretty magical.

• This episode of The Daily was a great small bite of background on Barbie—the doll, the movie, the controversy, and the director. I’m not dying to see the film myself, but I’ve been intrigued by the proliferation of all things Barbie and the episode served as a good little explainer.

• Upon arriving at the beach, I discovered it’s much hotter here than it typically is (😬) and that I hadn’t really packed appropriately. I made a quick trip to J. Crew for a pair of shorts, and also got this tank top. I love it so much I plan to stock up on more colors when I get home.

• Louise has been living in these bike shorts. They’re adorable on their own or perfect for under her sweet little toddler dresses.

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Happy reading!

Sara