Ren Reads Too Much Podcast

Legends, Librarians, and Sir Reginald: Finding Joyful Community in Your Reading Life

Okay, sometimes you go on a tangent about your all-time favorite books, but this week felt like a return to the usual rhythm. I’m deep in my Heated Rivalry spiral (again?? still??). But now, I’m reading just a chapter or two a day, because I know myself…full-on hyperfixation feels amazing until it doesn’t, and pacing it out keeps things fresh. At the same time, I’m stretching beyond my comfort zone with books I wouldn’t choose on my own. Is it always joyful? No, but there’s some actual magic in letting yourself try something new. Even if you “have to,” thanks to a school assignment or a reading challenge category. That’s how I ended up reading Legends and Librarians for my library’s Ultimate Book Nerd challenge. At first, I didn’t totally click with it, but then the universe threw in one of its weird little winks - a random character named Sir Reginald III (and if you’ve been here for even five minutes, you know why that matters). 🐔 It was such a bizarrely perfect moment of bookish serendipity that I had to just stop and laugh. Sometimes you don’t realize why you are where you are until the story hands it to you in the most unlikely place. That book’s last lines about friendship and community described exactly what I hoped to build with this podcast: a place to geek out over stories, be silly, feel seen, and support each other’s reading lives. It’s wild how finding a character name or a single line in a random book can be the confirmation you need that you’re in the right place, doing what matters, and connecting with people who get it. 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * Heated Rivalry [https://amzn.to/4tDqRD3] by Rachel Reid * Tough Guy [https://amzn.to/4dqJk0u]by Rachel Reid * The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/4w9Uu1f]by JRR Tolkien * How to Help a Hungry Werewolf [https://amzn.to/42RlIfn] by Charlotte Stein * Legends and Librarians [https://amzn.to/49fU7rU]by Pandora Pierce Let’s Talk If you’ve ever had a book give you a sign, or found an odd little connection in a story at exactly the right moment, I want to hear about it. What’s the wildest or most perfect book coincidence you’ve experienced? Get full access to Ren Reads Too Much at renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe [https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Creating Joyful Reading Rituals and Crafty Comforts: Stories that Soothe and Spark

This week, I had to pivot a little: less reading, a lot more creating. Getting my pop-up merch shop together turned out to be a much bigger project than I expected, which meant trading some of my regular reading time for crafty energy and behind-the-scenes hustle. You can check out the merch shop, here! [https://ren-reads-too-much-pop-up.printify.me/] I’d love any feedback you have on the designs or what you’d like to see in the shop. Hoping to get my “official” Etsy shop up and running by the end of the month…fingers crossed. This week, I’ve been thinking about how funny (and a little tragic) it is that creating content about books sometimes leaves me with less time to actually read them. But I’m making peace with it, knowing that this is just how it goes sometimes. I found myself reaching for the usual comfort rereads. Yes, the Game Changers universe is still living rent-free in my brain…but also letting myself try a few new things, both in books and in creative projects. Crafting and audiobooks were how I coped this week. Not having access to my favorite audiobook (thanks, library hold list), I listened to what I already had. And I leaned further into cross-stitch and knitting, letting those old familiar patterns and new creative sparks fill up the limited time I had. Beyond the comfort re-reads, I also wandered into some books outside my comfort zone and reminded myself (again) that you absolutely do not have to finish books that aren’t serving you, unless you’re a homeschool mom finishing The Hobbit with your kids… Yet, even then, there’s value if you look hard enough for it. 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * The Long Game [https://amzn.to/3P4vCqU]by Rachel Reid * The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/4w9Uu1f]by JRR Tolkien * How to Help a Hungry Werewolf [https://amzn.to/42RlIfn] by Charlotte Stein * Legends and Librarians [https://amzn.to/49fU7rU]by Pandora Pierce Let’s Talk What’s getting you through your week right now? Are you crafting, rereading old favorites, or letting yourself try something new in your reading life? Are you still stuck at the Cottage with no plans to ever leave?! Get full access to Ren Reads Too Much at renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe [https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

From Big Magic to Badass Habits: Life-Changing Nonfiction for Real Life

This week, I’m channeling all my energy into the books that have changed my reading life, not the ones that kept me up crying at 2 a.m. (though shoutout to those). These are the nonfiction books that have shifted the way I think, write, and just generally exist in the world. There’s something about picking up the right nonfiction book at the right time that helps me see things a little differently. Sometimes it’s about creativity; sometimes it’s about habits; sometimes it’s about figuring out what you need to hear to just keep going. I’ve always been that person whose reading life crosses from fiction right into the messier, less linear world of nonfiction. Memoir, self-reflection, a little bit of magic and a lot of honesty. These are the books I come back to for perspective. I love fiction for the distractions and the feels, but I need nonfiction for the practice of being human. Creativity, gratitude, doing the work…none of it is easy. Sometimes I need someone else to show me the way. There have been days and entire seasons of my life where taking a tiny step forward every day, or just finding someone who’s been through it and come out the other side, gave me the courage to go on. And egads, I love how books can do that for us and then just casually live on your bookshelf like they didn’t just change your life! So, if you’re in a season when you need your books to tell you a new story about your own experience, you’re not alone. And I’m reading right there with you. 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * Big Magic [https://amzn.to/4erCrNx] by Elizabeth Gilbert * Bird by Bird [https://amzn.to/4uvs0x5] by Anne Lamott * The Pivot Year [https://amzn.to/4tYpnUO] https://amzn.to/4tYpnUOby Brianna Weist * Make Miracles in 40 Days [https://amzn.to/4cViTQy] by Melody Beattie (out on assignment!) * Badass Habits [https://amzn.to/4dauhGU] by Jen Sincero Let’s Talk What’s your favorite nonfiction book? What did it teach you, and did it help make your life better? Get full access to Ren Reads Too Much at renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe [https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Crappy Podcast, Great Books: Joyful Reading and Imperfect Progress

This week was…a lot, and honestly, I don’t have the energy to pretend everything is polished or perfect, or worse, try to actually make it be like that. So I figured, why not lean right into the mess and talk about why this podcast exists, why it sounds the way it does, and why I don’t care about editing or fancy extras? Done is better than perfect, and sometimes the magic is in just showing up: imperfectly, joyfully, talking about books because I want to, not because anyone expects perfection. This week, I’m diving into the books that have been true game changers for me and my reading life; those stories that shook something loose in my brain or helped me see the world, myself, or other people in a new way. I’m talking about the ones that make you want to talk back, start a podcast, join a fandom, or, let’s be honest, rethink your feelings about vampires and hockey smut. It ended up being a mix of book love, personal confessions (yep, I admitted the Twilight thing), and reminders that it’s okay to be loud, messy, and take up space as a reader. My reading life isn’t tidy, and neither is this podcast. If you’re looking for highly edited, polished content, there are plenty of other places you can go. But if you’re happy with joyful chaos and slightly unhinged book talk, I’m so glad you’re here. 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * Heated Rivalry [https://amzn.to/3R7pn68] by Rachel Reid * Twilight [https://amzn.to/42CqKMG] https://amzn.to/42CqKMGby Stephenie Meyer * Fight Club [https://amzn.to/3OLsuQC] by Chuck Palahniuk * the princess saves herself in this one [https://amzn.to/4cEn7f5] by Amanda Lovelace This Substack is reader-supported. To receive your FREE Best Reading Life Guide, become a free or paid subscriber below! Let’s Talk I want to know - do you have a book (or a series) that totally changed something for you, even if it surprised you? What’s your “game changer”? Now also available on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ren-reads-too-much-podcast/id1895060893] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2HAd0wpL20OBzHQirASH3e]! Get full access to Ren Reads Too Much at renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe [https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Stay Feral for Fiction, Not Real People

Some weeks, my brain is like…yeah, we’re not doing anything new right now. I reread Role Model this week, and knowing what’s happening in The Long Game at the same time?? Completely different experience. There’s so much happening in the background that you don’t fully catch it the first time, and going back to it felt like I was reading it fully for the first time. And at the same time, I picked up Lobizona, which is doing something totally different but still kind of the same. Identity, belonging, immigration, gender - all wrapped up in this wild, magical world, and I’m still sitting with it because it impacted me in a completely different way. But I’ve also been watching what’s happening online this week, and I feel like we need to gently, collectively, come back to center a little bit. Because there’s a difference between loving a story (book or TV show), even obsessing over it a little, and starting to lose the line between that story and real people. You’re allowed to feel connected, and everyone involved is grateful that you care and appreciate their work. What makes it fun, safe, and not weird is remembering where the story ends. And I think most of you already know that. I’ve seen it in your comments, your messages, the way you show up here. This isn’t about shutting anything down. It’s just about keeping the thing we all love, something we can actually keep enjoying. 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * Heated Rivalry [https://amzn.to/4mMyZ27] by Rachel Reid * Role Model [https://amzn.to/4e2cOCG]by Rachel Reid * The Long Game [https://amzn.to/3NT6oeq] by Rachel Reid * Lobizona [https://amzn.to/427KW9f] https://amzn.to/4cFfEeqhttps://amzn.to/48IFOMgby https://amzn.to/4vGUhlERomina Garber * The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/4e1YnyC] by J.R.R. Tolkien Join the conversation over on Substack! https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/ [https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/] Get full access to Ren Reads Too Much at renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe [https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]