Read Your Shelves in March, Tarot Cards & JournalSpeak
Weekly Literate Love: March 14, 2025
Happy Friday!
No matter who many times it happens, it never ceases to amaze me how much my reading life parallels my actual life and how the lessons I’ve learned in my reading life are lessons I need to learn in my real one, too.
For the past couple of years, I’ve dedicated March as #ReadYourShelves month and I pledge to read only the books I already own or have currently borrowed from the library. I’m proud to say I stick to that promise pretty closely and by the end of the month, I have such a better appreciation for the books I already have rather than pining for the newest books released.
As I was walking in my neighborhood this week, appreciating the milder weather and listening to the birds chirping, I felt gratitude for the moment and instantly realized that better appreciating the books I already have was helping me better appreciate EVERYTHING I already had, but do not take the time to appreciate.
So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do this week: take stock of what I already have, really appreciate it all and celebrate where I am in the moment, rather than where I hope to go next. It’s not my default mode, but I’d like to think I’m getting better at it. =)
Do you have any lessons from your reading life that you also need to learn in your actual one? Share in the comments below!
Keep reading for your weekly dose of literate love and click the button below to share with a bookish friend!
Happy reading & writing!
Stephanie
What I'm Reading:
The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin
Oh, my goodness, this book. This book was such a heartfelt exploration of the power of books and a love letter to the books that have helped us, healed us and made life better. Emma has lost her mother, lost her father, lost her husband and now, has to send her daughter away to keep her safe from the war. Thankfully her job at the Booklover’s Library is not only distracting her, but reminding her of the power of reading and the connections that books can spark. Beyond the incredibly moving and emotional story, readers can't help but think about the impact of war and the lives lost and the historic boundaries women had to fight to cross. This is definitely on my favorites list.
Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson
I’m going to continue my historical fiction streak (and keep my promise to #ReadMyShelves in March and not buy any new books) and read this middle grade novel about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public’s fear of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War. It is Middle Grade March, after all! If you want more middle grade book recommendations, be sure to sign up for my monthly KidLit Love Substack!
The Life Audit by Ximena Vengoechea
Technically, this is not a book, it is a journal. But, it’s paired with The Life Audit book and I cannot wait to dive in. It’s small, colorful, inviting and FULL of some of the best prompts I’ve seen to spark intention and joy. I’ll be in this all weekend.
What I'm Writing:
I’ve gone down a therapeutic writing rabbit hole this week and have been playing around with the JournalSpeak technique. It reminds me of my Morning Pages, but with a twist: you go REALLY deep and get REALLY ugly so that you can release stored emotions in your body. Here are the three steps:
Step 1: Make your three lists (past stressors, current stressors, personality traits).
Step 2: Do your JournalSpeak (write DEEPLY and HONESTLY for 20 minutes on the topic).
Step 3: Soothe yourself with a 10 minute meditation (silence, guided, etc.).
I didn’t know this protocol, but it’s exactly what I do every morning: I write from the heart, move to a short yoga practice to move my body and end with some inspirational reading. It’s the best morning routine ever. =)
What I'm Learning:
Everywhere I turned this week, I was seeing references to tarot cards. A typical tarot card deck consists of 78 cards used for divination, self-reflection, and guidance. Essentially, it is a tool for self-knowledge and users ‘pull a card’ based around an intention and then interpret the cards based on their individual meanings and how they relate to each other in a spread.
I always thought someone had to read your tarot cards for you, but all of the references I saw this week had people pulling their own cards for self-reflection.
So now, I want a deck and need your help: Do you have a deck you love? Have you ever pulled your own cards? Perhaps got a reading?
Tell me all the things.
What I'm Loving:
I made this one-pan Mediterranean dish this week. It was delicious and you should try it soon. So easy. So good.
I love this 3-2-1 workout plan. It feels good, fits with my schedule and apparently, it pretty good for me, too. I just add a bit of morning yoga each day, too.
I want one of these adorable mini walnut shell baskets in time for Easter.
Keep scrolling for my latest podcast posts and updates!
Podcast Highlights From the Last Week:
The Why & How of Reading Books You Already Own
Today, we are tackling a true bookish dilemma: what do we do with the piles of unread books that we have on our shelves, but never seem to read?
Yup, I’m talking to you.
There’s some good research behind why we need to have books in our home, more books than we could read….but there’s also research on why it’s important to read the books we already have, too.
From My Private Substack Community…
Every Sunday, I post additional content for my private Substack community to bring even more literate love to our lives. Here’s what I shared this week:
Be sure to subscribe and add them to your TBR stack. Click the button below to subscribe. It’s just $5 per month!
Let’s Work Together!
I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.
Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:
🩷 Join my private Substack community for themed book calendars, bonus posts, book clubs and events each month!
📚 Connect 1:1 for personalized coaching to unlock the transformative power of your reading and writing life.
Literate love is multiplied when it’s shared! 🩷
Here are some free ways to support this newsletter and spread my message of the magic of restorative reading and writing far and wide:
🩷 Like and comment on this post so we can connect!
🔄 Restack your favorite nugget of literate love.
📷 Take a screenshot of your favorite part and text it to a friend.
💌 Forward this email to a fellow bookish and notebookish friend so they can join the literate love too!
⌨️ Refer a friend and earn prizes….including courses and coaching sessions with me!
I would love to hear more about JournalSpeak. It sounds like something I would like to try! I collect tarot and oracle cards, and I frequently pull cards for myself. If you need recommendations on tarot decks, then let me know and I can send you a few good ones that I enjoy!
Those walnut baskets are adorable! Another nature Creative project to add to my list. I'm busy organizing my already owned growing home TBR stack to line up my summer reading.