Dopamine, Smut, and Self-Help: Curating a Reading Life That Feels Good

From the Pivot Year to Game Changers: Why Some Books Just Feel Right This Week

This week was a strange one for my reading life…total hodgepodge energy, hopping genres and moods by the day. I tried (and gave up on) a Booker Prize winner, finally admitted defeat on The Hobbit for now, and dipped in and out of a handful of books that felt exactly right for this moment, even if I’ve picked them up before. Sometimes when I reread something I thought I knew, it just hits totally different because, shocker, I’m not the same person I was the last time. Old favorites like Common Goal surprised me all over again. It’s wild how a book can morph in your memory, then land in a whole new way just because you’re carrying different stuff into it this time. I’m starting to think that’s why I love revisiting certain stories so much - not just comfort or nostalgia, but that feeling of “whoa, is this secretly deeper than I realized?” You should never feel bad about rereading; sometimes it’s exactly what your brain or your life needs. And this week, I’m trying to really honor that. No guilt about not finishing, no shame about chasing comfort reads, no pressure to turn my reading life into a checklist. I’m learning to let my reading follow my energy, not the other way around… Audiobooks while I knit, stories that remind me what I want out of life, and letting myself change my mind as often as I need. 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * Heart Lamp [https://amzn.to/43YOSK7] by Banu Mushtaq — A total wildcard, picked up for the library’s Ultimate Book Nerd Challenge. Booker Prize winner, halfway through, new perspectives unlocked. (00:35) * The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/4urInKy] by JRR Tolkien — Officially “not happening” for homeschool this week, and that’s okay. We don’t shame the unfinished books here. Permission to DNF, granted. (01:02) * The Pivot Year [https://amzn.to/49StLwA] by Brianna Wiest — Ongoing all year, but this week’s entries kept hitting right when needed. Serendipity in book form. (01:38) * The Mountain Is You [https://amzn.to/4vaMCM4] by Brianna Wiest — Attempt #4, but this time I’m determined to finally finish. Sometimes the right book only lands when you’re ready for it. (02:02) * Common Goal [https://amzn.to/4velrj6] (Game Changers Universe) — Resurfacing for reread, now with post-Wolfbird fanfic feels and a much different impact than the first go-round. Reading at a different age? The book feels different. Always magic. (02:30) * This is Happiness [https://amzn.to/4v6Pqts]by Niall Williams — Audiobook + crafting = perfect combo. Rich language, soothing narration, and pure comfort. Let’s Talk! Has a book ever landed completely differently the second (or third, or fourth) time around, for better or worse? Tell me your stories! 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]

Dopamine, Smut, and Self-Help: Curating a Reading Life That Feels Good

This week, I leaned in hard to that belief that the book you need always finds you, right when you need it. My reading life has been shifting alongside everything else. Does anyone else feel like 2026 is just this nonstop transformation party that they never even RSVP’d to, but find themselves stuck in? The books on my shelf are suddenly fitting perfectly into what I’m working through in real time. It’s funny how that works, right? Something you’ve ignored for ages suddenly cracks you wide open because you were finally ready for it. There’s something about incorporating new stories, fresh perspectives, or even just taking the time to notice what a book is revealing about your own patterns. That has been huge for me, especially as everything in life (family, work, being a lady in my 40s…ahem) is moving under my feet like I’m on a funhouse floor. Some books go down easy for pure dopamine (and I fully support those smutty, comfort reads). Yet sometimes, it’s the pulling-back-the-curtain books that make you look right at yourself that are the ones that hit hardest. And I think there’s room for both in our lives and on our shelves. One concept I keep coming back to is gratitude, especially for the hard stuff. Having a daily practice and focusing on seeing the progress, tiny joys, and things people do for you or themselves, makes it possible to reframe the tough moments and notice which books (or people) are kicking you forward in the best possible way. Sometimes it’s about releasing grip on the stuff you can’t control, taking responsibility for your own responses, and letting go of your old stories and assumptions that keep you small. Watching the pod and like the shirt? Get it in the Ren Reads Too Much Pop Up Shop! [https://ren-reads-too-much-pop-up.printify.me/] 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * The Pivot Year [https://amzn.to/4x7TATl]by Brianne Wiest * The Mountain Is You [https://amzn.to/4dR5KZi] by Brianna Weist * Heated Rivalry [https://amzn.to/4dR66PC] by Rachel Reid Let’s Talk I want to know: Have you ever had a book that sat on your shelf forever, only to change everything at exactly the right moment? 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]

Rereads, Revelations, and Reading Joy

I'm changing my mind on Tough Guy and switching podcast day to Thursday because Tuesday is just not the day I can make this happen anymore! Some weeks, it feels like my whole reading life stretches and shifts right along with my real life. I found myself in the middle of a massive pile of books, some familiar rereads, some totally new, and realized just how much my experience of a book is shaped by whatever point I’m at in my own life. It’s wild how a story that didn’t really stick the first time can absolutely sweep you up on a reread, just because you’re a different version of yourself now. I talked about how my perspective on certain books has changed, especially with my current Game Changers Universe ReReid. The first time through, I felt so much for the characters; sometimes it was overwhelming. This time, I could enjoy and appreciate the story and characters in a new way, without getting hit so hard by the heavy stuff. That’s the thing about books: they don’t change, but we do, and suddenly they land for you in an entirely new way. There’s also the comfort of those stories or passages that just show up and speak to exactly where you are… Sometimes, a book hands you the words you need, right when you need them most. Whether it’s an excerpt that helps you breathe a little easier or a narrative that lets you see yourself with fresh eyes, I’m convinced the right book does find you at the right time. And that mindset can bring a lot of magic to your reading (and real) life. 📚 Books Mentioned Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit. * Tough Guy [https://amzn.to/4wT8JaO]by Rachel Reid * How to Help a Hungry Werewolf [https://amzn.to/49u0tnM]by Charlotte Stein * The Hobbit [https://amzn.to/3Prm89u]by JRR Tolkien * The Pivot Year [https://amzn.to/4fKSCpE]by Brianna Wiest * The Mountain is You [https://amzn.to/4vlqMFf]by Brianna Wiest * This is Happiness [https://amzn.to/4nRISvS]by Niall Williams 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]

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]