Reading, Resting & Renewing.
But first, links!
Hello reading friends,
After more than four years of posting, podcasting, and writing without a full break, I’ve realized it’s time for something I’ve been craving: a creative vacation.
I’m going to take the next two weeks off from writing, podcasting, and screen time to read, try out some new hobbies, and fill my creative well. I won’t be researching books or planning content, but I will be enjoying long walks in the woods, hopefully reading in the sun (without excessive humidity), and maybe trying out a couple art projects I’ve been contemplating.
I love how Mary Oliver talks about creativity and rest in her book Upstream: Selected Essays
Creative work needs solitude. It needs concentration, without interruptions. It needs the whole sky to fly in, and no eye watching until it comes to that certainty which it aspires to, but does not necessarily have at once. Privacy, then. A place apart — to pace, to chew pencils, to scribble and erase and scribble again.
So, I’ll be back in your inbox in two weeks with fresh ideas, more Friday Threads, new reads and recommendations, and the clarity to make sure I have a better balance for myself because I’m here for the long haul— reading, recommending, and growing this awesome community. In the meantime, I won’t be checking my inbox regularly, so I may not be able to respond to emails or messages as fast as I usually do—thank you for understanding.
Before I sign off, I have some interesting links I want to share…..
Links I Loved
These are my type of road trip books (I LOVED The Lincoln Highway!). 18 great road trip books that aren’t on the road - NYT gift link
15 books we read this week - The Wall Street Journal gift link
I love this post on the month of August Feral Summer Energy . Creative Fuel with Anna Brones on Substack
Against the celebrity memoir industrial complex - Bustle
True crime to stream: The best of 2025 so far - NYT gift link
Literary film & TV to stream in August - The Thursday Murder Club has a great cast, I’ll be watching this for sure. LitHub
The best mysteries and thrillers of the second half of 2025 - BookBub
As a Gen Xer, I enjoyed this article - Hear Me Out: What If Gen Xers Are Actually the Cool Ones? Vogue
How to declutter books - Real Simple
The joy of not finishing books: if you don't like it, don't read it. Sometimes it really is this simple and giving myself this permission to not finish a book has helped me avoid many reading slumps - The Guardian
Self Employed, Self Exhausted echoes so much of what I’m also feeling - Suleika Jaouad The Isolation Journals
Here’s a special bonus discount offer to help you catch up on paid content
A few of my favorite posts you might’ve missed….
*Catch up on all past content here - including podcast episodes!
I hope you have a wonderful start to your August reading📚
See you soon,
Renee
Thanks everyone! How's this for serendipity- we've been at the lake today and shortly after I sent out that vacation post a boat drove by that said "logging off" on the side of it:)
Insightful 🙌 we talk of the same stuff so you are recommended to any one who subscribes to me!!!!👌let’s spread the word of the good