early morning table: writing and reading

my morning table

I have had a pretty rocky start to the new year, but it's just forced me to do more internal reflection. 

My daughter gave me some Mary Oliver poetry books for Christmas and I've really been enjoying starting my day with the poem. I have some literary goals for 2026 and by the end of the week I'll make a post about them. 

I've been so utterly exhausted that I've only been taking time to calm down my central nervous system, and read when I can. 

I started this year off with about seven current reads… I'm learning every year just how valuable I find this way of engaging with my books. If you've been here for a while, you know that I don't chart my reading, and any digital way. I'm never aware of how many books I've read in a month, or season, or a year. 

What's funny about that is I really enjoy watching people wrap up their books! Maybe I'll change and go back to counting some in the future, but for now, it feels really easy to just have as many books as I won't going at a time. 

I let the novels tell me what demands my attention. If my heart feels pull to a certain story, I'll stay with it for a while. 

Although I haven't been able to get much sleep, my morning, start very much like the photo above. The kitchen table with steaming, hot light, roast, coffee, my journals and agendas, and my common place notebook, a few e-readers… And a stack of books (not pictured).

I'm off to have a pretty intensive day of academic work, caregiving, cleaning, cooking and reading… I hope and pray that your new year is off to a great start and that you're able to find what touches your soul in the books that you read this year. 

If this next sentence resonates with you, I challenge you to accept it… Ignore everything you see on the Internet, including me. 

Read whatever calls see you.  

Happy frosty January reading, ☕️ 
 

17: the ritual of coffee and reading

my morning pour over with an angel company

I love coffee. 

That's not a revelation, but I really do. 

In the morning (particularly these freezing, dark mornings of winter), I find myself waking with the ritual already set in my hands. I move methodologically towards the kitchen.

I grab the glass jar that houses my freshly ground light roast, set the kettle to boil, and the ritual begins.

I listen to philosophy or classical music, or my own thoughts as my central nervous system prepares itself for the day.

The older I get, the more people tell me how bad coffee is for you. I don't completely disagree with the science on it, but I won't let it go.

Is this an addiction? Me and coffee? 

Perhaps, but I love it. 

Everything I love about my morning coffee

1. The stillness of it
2. The ordinary magic
3. The 10-15 minute process of grinding, brewing, sipping
4. The quiet time I make for myself to do it

We know that books and coffee go together like beans and rice. Even if you aren't a coffee lover, you can at least hopefully see the appeal of it. 

What I feel when reading and drinking coffee

The truth is that my life is and has been very heavy.

When I sit with a coffee and a book, something in my soul really remembers how to slow down. Much more so than with any other activity. 

I'm of now to enjoy my freshly brewed light roast + soy milk café au lait.

Wishing you a coffee-filled, novel heavy day of peace.

Happy reading ☕️ 

autumn reading plans: fresh coffee, early reading nights, travel, book lists

My plans for Autumn are coming together quite organically. 

I recently traveled to the City and had a wonderful time filled with coffee and journaling. I was busy of course, but the pockets of quiet I found really filled my soul with ease and peace.

early cafe mornings

I've loved this year I've had with reading- all while being so immersed in caregiving, graduate school, baking, cooking, redecorating and so much more. I will save my deep reflections for an ever-long post about my yearly reading life and reflections, but for now let me say that the organic, natural, ebb and flow way that I'm approaching my reading life has been restorative and cathartic.

I have full intentions on starting a new Book channel in 2026 and it will reflect that very pace. Easy. Natural. Simple. 

I moved all of my digital reading life away from Goodreads well over a year ago and I tried to use The Storygraph, but I felt pulled away from my reading experience for some reason. 

There was no way not to see things like total books read, other people's opinions, and just all manner of things I wasn't interested in. It felt like a chore. One of those things that other people are doing. 

iced soy milk triple shot

Yes it was cold in the City and no I didn't care. I would rather a hot coffee, but if I can't be guaranteed the foam will be done well, I opt for iced. It's weird, but just the way I am. 

I didn't make my way to a bookstore, but I did spend a night walking and feeling quite literary as the Christmas lights and cool air gave way to nostalgic feelings of lighter times and warm holiday memories. 

There is nothing quite like walking in New York City at dusk during the Autumn season. I'll stake my stack of Penguin Black Spines on that.

organic light roast pour over (added soymilk)

I've always been an early riser, but the dark of this autumn feels more like rising in the dead of night. It lends itself to writing and having coffee in liminal space. It's been extra cold. Extra quiet. Extra slow. 

I've loved it. I have a new practice of reading one of the Letters of Gustave Flaubert. Not sure why I am working so slowly through this collection, because I absolutely love it, but I am not rushing any of my reading. 

I am reading... rereading passages...highlighting...researching... taking notes... pulling quotations out- all of the things that make my reading life immersive and deep.

book stack on one side table

So many stacks of books, so little time. 

Right now I can feel the pull of Swann's Way, which is really the pull of quiet, intense solitude which is home to my nostalgic heart calling me to peace.

I read all of In Search of Lost Time in 2022. All 7 volumes. I wonder if just reading volume one would meet that need? I keep the physical copy there to ponder that very question. I gave away my entire Penguin set to someone as a gift. I feel like I deserve a spot in heaven for that.

I will be blogging a lot more as December comes and a few big projects have wrapped up. My life is really busy and I have more weight on my shoulders than any one woman should have, but reading brings so much solace- so much peace, I feel it will be beneficial to share it here. It will also be healing for me as well. 

Off to relax on this Saturday night and wishing you a peaceful start to this holiday week. 

my choice of single serve coffee machines

nothing is sponsored

Will it be convenient?

Does it contribute to massive waste?

Will the coffee even be good?

Will it really save me time?

Those were the thoughts I had been having for the past year or so as I debated getting a Nespresso machine.

As I gear up to go back to school (not for literature), I am debating if this will make sense for me. Perhaps I am projecting that it will be helpful for me, but really it won't and I'll regret the purchase. 

Long story short

I found out that Nestle owns Nespresso. So that's an easy NO. ❌ 

Longer story long

I bought a Ninja ✔️ I use it for freshly ground coffee and I don't use the K-Cup feature. The frother is excellent and I adore the entire system. Wish it were a bit smaller, but overall, I love it. 

Benefits of a single serve (if you love pour overs)

I love pour overs, but grinding daily, boiling the water, measuring in grams, etc. each and every morning (and heaven forbid if you want two cups), take more time than I am willing to give right now. 

I've been pondering ways to make sure that I am lowering my stress in areas that I repeat the same exact actions (coffee, cooking, cleaning, etc.) during this busy/stressful time of my life.

I love coffee and I still grind fresh every day or two, and buy (mainly) single origin, ethically sources, light roasts from the West Coast.

As Autumn 🍂 begins to whisper across the late nights and early mornings make her presence known, and the academic year looms right around the corner, I am preparing for an ease of transition.

Wishing you a successful change of seasons soon. ☕️ 

currently reading down from 17 to 6... oh, and waffles

 

beautiful cup of organic ethiopian 

The semester is over. I'm struggling with how stressful my daily life has been, and all around anxiety. That means slowing everything down.

I canceled a trip with my family, and starting putting my pajamas on at 10:00 pm. 

The answer for me is always ... L E S S 

I finished up a few books on my currently reading, and dnfed the rest. My shelf is now clear and steady. 

I am in love with nonfiction right now. It's my second read "genre" after classic literature. 

homemade gluten free vanilla waffles + kombucha

I'm just taking my time to square away the rest of May and gear up for June. I am intent on starting the month off on a good note. 

Wishing all who feel lonely and use reading for comfort a soft ending to the month of May.

Happy reading ☕️ 

Coffee and The City

New York City is my favorite place on earth. I spent the past few days walking the city, going to Broadway, drinking coffee and reading on the train.

As I browsed a physical bookstore in Rockefeller Plaza, I felt so warm inside. The feeling of being surrounded by a ton of gorgeous books cannot be replicated.

As much as I love and adore my kindle- I read 95% of my books digitally- I am a sucker for a beautiful bookstore.

I browsed around on a briskly cool day, just thinking about what it means to be a reader. 

I never tire of spending time between the pages of amazing books.

I added so many books to my TBR while walking around. Just the energy from beautiful books is sustaining.

As I boarded the train on my way back home, I took a deep breath while remembering just how special being a reader is to my essential existence.

I toy around with creating BookTube videos again, but in truth what I miss is that feeling of being able to express just how much reading does for my mental health and for my well-being.

I'm not sure video making or blogging will ever truly convey what it means to sink deeply down into a well written literary work for helping maintain my sanity.

My wish is that every reader is able to touch this sublime feeling that great literature provides.

Happy reading slow living friends.