Reading With Our Brains Turned On

Curating a reading list, or a "TBR" that we'll genuinely enjoy and actually follow, isn't as easy as any of us wish it was. . . Especially for a mood-reader, like me. So, I'm proposing a different plan for mood readers: a "book menu." I've noticed other mood readers online calling their TBR a "menu," rather than a to-do list, and I thought I'd run with it. Having the mindset alone can be helpful, but tools are always a welcome addition to ideas. Also, as I'm discovering more

I'm sitting in my big leather recliner, possibly the comfiest chair I've ever sat in, yet I'm fidgeting. I've got headphones on, playing soft, instrumental music, yet I'm easily distracted. There's an open book in my hand, yet my mind wanders, skimming whole paragraphs absentmindedly. What is happening to me?!

Why did we ever stop reading children's literature? If you're anything like me, you haven't stopped watching children's media. There's even a genre of movies created to be enjoyed by the whole family! Why isn't there a genre like that for written publications? Well, there is. . . We just don't utilize it enough anymore. A Quick History "Children's Literature" wasn't quite a thing until the Renaissance and the advent of movable print. Before then, children consumed the same en

Annual reading goals are helping to kill reading, and if we don’t adjust soon, we could lose this very dear joy. I didn't set a reading goal until this year. However, I heard about them back in 2020, at the start of my freshman year in high school, and at a particularly vulnerable time in my life. The boy who introduced me to yearly reading goals was aiming for 100 books a year, and despite loving books, I definitely didn't read that much. To avoid competition and my ultimate

If you've found yourself saying, "I used to be a reader, but I don't do it much anymore" or "I loved reading as a kid, but when I became an adult, I kind of stopped," I'm writing this for you.

When I was a kid, developing a crush signaled the start of a race. The destination being my crush’s affections, which meant getting to know them as fast as humanly possible… I asked a million annoying questions, analyzed their behavior obsessively, and constantly speculated about their thoughts and feelings. Turns out, you can’t really get to know someone that way. The tool I was taking for granted, or in some cases purposefully ignoring, was time. Whether I like it or not, t

My main character’s specific flavor of idolatry is vanity, taught to him by his parents and the culture around him. A part of that culture is the acceptance of occult aid to enhance their features.

On top of that, steampunk is well-known for its aesthetic of excessive gears, goggles, airships, inventors, and “mad scientists.” Let’s say that vibe is not really to my taste… Though I believe it's entirely possible to be done well, it's often hyper-focused on hypothetical technology, which just isn't one of my special interests.