mid-spring cloudy weekend reading/coffee plans

 

yes i crack ever spine i own :)

I'm still loving this re-read of Les Mis. I'm taking a lot of time to annotate, tab, journal and reflect. The truth is that this is the perfect time to read Les Mis because the world is on fire, and so much that is wrong and unjust is happening to undeserving people. 

This narrative allows you to follow Jean Valjean through his story and you can't help but reflect on right, wrong, injustice, character, appearances, character. You ask, "What makes a good person?", "Who is actually deserving of hard circumstances? Is anyone?"

I've spent a few weeks away from my long hours of reading at night in lieu of watching shows with my mom (as requested by her), but I am yearning for the slow, quiet, tea filled nights that keep my sanity on a steady rhythm.

always planning

I'm a planner. A crafter. A writer. I could never have enough beautiful notebooks and agendas.

I've been working on burnout recovery. My planner (during this phase of life) is meant to make sure that I include calming, soothing activities in my day. 

a small taste of home: NOLA cold brew

Nothing like a super strong, unsweetened cold brew on a sunny day. I'm a hot coffee person through and through, but I do enjoy the occasional cold brew. 

This weekend I am designing a time to return to BookTube, reading deeply, preparing for travel and taking bubble baths.

Wishing you time to settle, live calmly, and drink coffee.

Happy reading ☕️ 

This Weekend I'll Drink Coffee and Read Books

My stress is at an all-time high. 

My days are long and longer every day.

In the past few weeks I haven't really been able to read and I miss it.

I miss the comforting feeling of being able to settle in with a novel and a hot cup of coffee in the morning, or my lighter read at night.

This will be rectified this weekend.

I have a gaggle of books on my currently reading and freshly ground coffee, and will just rest and relax. I do have household things to do (when do I NOT), but I want to settle in with reading for sure.

update: DNF @11%

As the last fews days of any daylight seem to linger, and the clouds create an overcast that induces depression... I will sink down into great literature and to find solace.

Autumn Morning Reading

freshly ground organic coffee

I'm so excited for a simple and easy morning with no appointments. 

I sat for an hour with my kindle and a small pot of hot coffee just bouncing around between my top novels this morning.

What a glorious way to start the day. I really enjoy exercising early in the morning, but NOTHING beat the calm and slow start to the day that reading with coffee brings.

It sets the tone for something calm and autumnal. 🍁 

🕯️ Cozy and peaceful 🕯️ 

I flipped between Yellowface (loving), The Book of Disquiet (deeply moving), Rouge (intriguing and moving in a way only Mona Awad can do), The Babysitter's Club (book two)- and I had such a great time with each one.

I'll spend this weekend getting things done around the house, and adding books to my currently reading folder.

If (like me) you're dealing with difficult life circumstances, I hope you can use reading to relax this week and find comfort. 

Deeply Reading A Debut Novel (Update: DNF)

 

I am loving this novel right now
DNF'ed at 48% review added below

I remember why it's so important to read great literature. 

I am really loving Adelaide and it feels deeply uncomfortable to be inside of the protagonist's mind, but I love it.

It feels so real. So true to the young dating hetero female experience of some women.

I am reassessing reading lots of books at one time, and am instead cultivating a list of what I want to read by the end of the year. 

Things I am considering:

1. Reading less books at a time
2. Deleting Goodreads reviews
3. Using my space here to review books 
4. Slowing down my reading for the second half of the year
5. Giving up on reading romances that are recommended to me (those are most of my DNFs)

Off to drink coffee and read for the 30 minutes I have that are free. 

Update: Review after my DNF

It started off strongly to me, but quickly became "quirky relatable girl meets damaged guy" and it's ALL we really focus on.

Is she working on a dissertation? Yes. Are we more focused on how many times Rory has or hasn't called? Also yes. 

Take this with a pinch of pink salt because I DNFed at 42%, but I am only here for 5 star reads, and no no no no. 

This whole "meandering, desperate, emotionally tortured" girl literary fiction novels are always missing something. I love the concept of of giving voice to that young adult female experience (which can be painful to read), but we have to take more care with it. Give some substance to the wandering Give some guts to the journey... geez HAVE a journey.

Okay rant over. I'll watch out for this author in the future, but an auto-buy she is not.

Recent Reads That Kept Me Sane: Spring Edition

Escapist fiction. Nothing wrong with it. I love it. It's keeping me sane. VERY sane.

I love my classics.

I love my literary fiction.

But, I've had to put most of those to the side for now. I never thought I'd say those words, but my brain can barely hold on to what is vital and necessary.

I am burned out. Fully flamed.

Romance novels and cozy mysteries are saving me these days.

My life is HARD right now and I LOVE well-written romance. I've been having a great time reading (and DNFing) a few books lately.

Books I've loved lately

LOVE this series

I normally cannot 
binge read cozies, 
but this series is different!

Another series I binged
I LOVE this one

These books hold up well
being read back to back

I didn't expect to love this
one as much as I did.
AMAZING.
The hero was delicious.

NOT the typical age-gap
TRUST me.
I struggle with those 
and this was romantic.

Books that have been okay-ish

I enjoyed this one. I don't
do a lot of historicals.
This was good.

My first Tiffany Roberts.
It was steamy. I really liked it,
but it felt about 75-100 pages
too long.

What I'm reading right now

This is on KU!

I've heard great things,
and my hold finally
came in from the library
update: DNF

If lightening up my reading has taught me anything, it's that it's all good. It's fantastic to read light novels with ONE or two (maybe) heavier reads to anchor it all down.

As someone who does NOT work in publishing, english lit, and is NOT a grad student in any of those subjects, I've realized just how much bookish content is made by those whose business or work revolve around the more intense novels.

Though it takes me out of the circles and conversations (let's be honest, people have called me crazy for saying I will focus on romance), I am in heaven now.

Happy light reading my slow living friends.

Last Coffees, Books and Nature Walks

one of my last coffees

The truth is that I hate talking about the inflammatory response from coffee because I love it so much. Truth is LOOK at the title of this blog! I may have to change it from Coffee and Copyrights over to something else because it won't feel authentic anymore.

The truth is that I've been loving coffee since my first sip in 1st grade. I honestly know that I would have to give it up entirely before thinking I could just have it on the weekends or special occasions (tried this and is anyone else sensing the addiction vibes here?)

Anyway... this last hot cup this morning is made with single origin organic beans from Peru (direct trade) and I am going to enjoy it to the last sip and let go... I'll report back.. either with an entirely new name or an entire blogspot full of tear face emojis. It doesn't matter... no one really reads this any way.

On to the books

I bought quite a few books this week and had a few shipped from the UK. Last week was a slow reading week for me, but I'm hoping to turn that around this week. 

it came sooner than I thought, but I have another due late this week or next

I also went to the library one day and choose a seat by the window and read for an hour. I realize that I want to go back to doing this more. 

I had such a relaxing time and it was so nice to only see out of the window and not glance up and every passing person and child.

This week I just scrolled through my kindle fire and chose a title for fiction reading. Nothing drew me to it really, but I wanted something light and easy to get me to shift from classics (still reading Daniel Deronda and Persuasion) and away from all the non fiction I've been reading.

So far, it was a good choice only one chapter into it. I wanted a no pressure book, and I got one. 

reading by the window at the library

Off to organize this week and include lots of time for relaxation and reading. I truly need it. 

Wishing you a slow living, coffee free week