Loisa 🤍

Kicking off the new year with a few obsessions: - Reading: Rouge by Mona Awad—completely hooked! -Listening to: “Blues Run the Game” by Jackson C. Frank—on repeat. - Watching: The Panic in Needle Park. It combines two of my favorite things: Joan Didion’s writing and ‘70s Al Pacino in a bandana. How about you? Discovered any new favorites to read, watch, or listen to in 2025? Bonus points if it’s something to help a girl survive these dreary, dark January days!

The first 7 days of 2025 have been spent escaping the cold weather while reflecting on my reading goals for the new year! 🪄 Here are a few of the goals I’m hoping to achieve this year: -Read more nonfiction (especially memoirs). -Read at least 5 big books (500+ pages) -Read more slowly and journal more about what I am reading. -Focus on my physical tbr, would love to have read at least 80% of my owned books by the end of the year. My final—and perhaps most important—goal for the new year is to keep my reading goals simple and flexible. Over the past year, I’ve realized that having too many specific goals or an overly ambitious to-do list can take the joy out of reading, making it feel more like a chore than a relaxing hobby. That said, I do enjoy setting a few meaningful and achievable goals each year. These not only make reading more rewarding but also serve as a great motivator to build and sustain the habit of reading. Do you have any specific reading goals for 2025? Or perhaps no goals at all? 🪄

My favorite books of 2024 💫 I’ve read so many incredible books this year and discovered so many new authors and genres, but of the 41 books I read, these six had a lasting impact on me, either personally or on my overall reading taste: -My Husband by Mona Awad -The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave -Things We Say in the Dark by Kristy Logan -Another Country by James Baldwin -Outline by Rachel Cusk -Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors Did you read any books this year that left a lasting impact on you? P.S. I hope you have a wonderful New Year and discover lots of incredible books in the coming year! ✨

Tchaikovsky Season ✨ Question: Are there any particular books you’re hoping to find under the Christmas tree?

Happy December! ❄️ Does anyone else (like me) struggle to find time for reading during this busy month? 🫢 However, the few pages I’ve managed to read have been absolutely wonderful! After many years of anticipation (and a bit of procrastination), I’ve finally picked up The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. At first, I was nervous that the book wouldn’t live up to my high expectations, especially since it’s so highly regarded by so many. However, I’m starting to see why it’s so beloved—it’s incredible so far! I can’t wait to spend my holidays reading it!! 🤍 Question: How do you make time for reading during a busy period in your life?

November moments 🌨️ How’s your November going? Are you reading any festive or winter-themed books yet? I’d love to hear your recommendations for cozy and festive books or movies to cuddle up to in December!🥹

The messier the bookstore, the better🤎🫶🏻 What has been the best purchase you ever made in a bookstore?

I’ve become quite the art nerd this past year, and been obsessed with learning more about different artists’ lives and how their experiences manifest in their work. I picked up The Lonely City by Olivia Laing this summer and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since! In brief, this nonfiction book explores the author’s and a couple of New York-based artists’ experiences of loneliness, and how those experiences have seeped into both their work and relationships. It poses questions such as: Can loneliness be valuable in our lives? Why is there so much stigma around loneliness? What are the different reasons for feeling lonely? Laing presents many types and experiences of loneliness that I found both fascinating and relatible. For instance, how loneliness can be related to language and fear of miscommunication, as in Andy Warhol’s case. Or how loneliness is often not about feeling invisible, but rather feeling overexposed, like figures in an Edward Hopper painting. This book can feel heavy at times, but I also found it very comforting. It explores how loneliness can sometimes be a valuable experience, deepening our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Highly recommend giving this book a go this Nonfiction November!! Also, I’d love your recommendations for books on art!! 🧚🏻

New Books Alert! 🧚🏻 Thought I’d share with you some secondhand books I’ve collected recently!! - Rouge by Mona Awad - Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh - My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (already read this masterpiece but had to buy a physical copy!) - Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell - A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (also read this one—my favorite Hemingway so far!) - The Makioka Sisters by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki Please let me know if you’ve read any of these! I’d love to hear your thoughts 🧚🏻

I want October to feel like a Brontë novel🤎 End of October – Reading Updates! Just finished: Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. I listened to Carmilla as an audiobook and fell in love with this classic vampire story! My only regret is not reading a physical copy, as it’s filled with so many beautiful quotes that I wished to annotate. If you’re looking for a short Gothic novella for Halloween, I highly recommend it! Currently reading: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. After experiencing a reading slump earlier this month, I’m finally back to reading Jane Eyre, and I’ve missed it so much! Jane is such a compelling and complex character, and I’m excited to follow her coming-of-age journey. This book is also making me realize how much I’ve missed reading Romance! 🥹 Planning to read: Hmm, I’m still deciding on my next book. Since I’ve been focusing on classics lately, I’m thinking about something more modern and plot-driven. I recently ordered my first Ottessa Moshfegh book, so Death in Her Hands might be my next pick! How’s your reading month been? 🤎

Have any spooky book recommendations? 👻🖤

October days <3 ✨ I have missed you! After many cups of tea, bowls of ice cream, and countless episodes of Gilmore Girls, I have finally recovered from the most awful cold. I’ve also been booked and busy in my personal life these last couple of days and have just come back from a very cozy birthday weekend getaway. I thought I would share with you some pics and videos from my trip, as well as a few moments from this month! 🤎 With that said, I have to be honest-I haven’t picked up a book in about two weeks… Which isn’t a bad thing whatsoever, but I’m not used to taking this long of a ”break” from reading and am currently finding it very difficult to get back into the habit. It feels like just a minute ago I couldn’t put Jane Eyre down, and now I can’t even bring myself to look at it. It’s me, not the book, I promise! 🫣 So pls, I could really use your advice on how to get out of this awful reading slump… Or maybe I should just embrace it and not ”force” reading back into my life but let it happen naturally? What’s your best advice when it comes to reading slumps? 🤎