10. The Art of Reading & Rejection
The one in which she is vulnerable. On getting comfortable with vulnerability, how reading has made me more myself, and an upcoming release you already know I'm including.
This week I am trying something new. I’m trying to become more at peace with new things, get comfortable with rejection and failure. I’m trying to teach my highly affronted OCD brain that trying something wholeheartedly and failing is better than the what if’s that I currently live with. I have a vision of this newsletter becoming a community where people can make friends, have reading buddies, and just come together to enjoy the art of reading. Where I might possibly get the chance to interview real authors for my Author of the Week section. Where I can be open and honest and find people who do so in return. To achieve this, I will have to put myself out there, which might be the biggest fear I struggle with.
I need to do the teensiest, tiniest baby steps when it comes to doing things that require me to be vulnerable, such as my book account. First, I thought about it for a few months. Next, I spent a month discussing with my therapist. Next, I took a baby step and created a blog. As a marketing girly, I knew there was little to no chance this ever generated an audience, but it was a great way to practice. Finally, I created my book account, then didn’t really post for a month and a half. This process was a little under a year. I decided to take a leap in May, when I deleted my blog (RIP but also thank you for helping me create my name) and began creating a community over there. The response was overwhelming. Why did I wait so long to do this? It makes me happy! I have created such amazing friendships! I have leaned into who I am and found people who embrace it! My friends love it! Let’s take it a step further and create this newsletter.
And the cycle repeats. Create the newsletter. Post my first article. Only promote it on my book account, where I have created a community I feel safe in. Only promote it on my extremely infrequently used book TikTok, where I know not many will see it and even less will read it. Don’t interact on Substack.
It has officially been a year since I created my blog. And though this cycle is exhausting, I can’t help but feel proud of the growth I have achieved not only with my accounts but also within myself. I have put myself out there and been rewarded for it. My biggest goal for 2024 is to do so with this newsletter too - put myself out there and grow a community like the one I have on my Instagram. And if anyone doesn’t like it? I wouldn’t want to be their friend anyway.
My point in trying something new on this article was this mini essay. One that I have been vulnerable in and that I hope people might find comfort in. One that relates to reading at a deeper level, and then below we can explore new releases, huge hits, recommended books, and learn about authors we admire. My biggest and harshest truth is that yes, maybe this newsletter will never generate a community, but I’ll be damned if I don’t try, if I have to live with that what if.
As an anonymous TikTok user commented one day,
The time will pass anyway.
Of course, there are many releases this week, but here are a few to get you started. We already know who the Big Boy is that’s coming this week, so I won’t put it off any longer!
House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City 3) by Sarah J Maas (Fantasy): Jan 30, 2024
Good Material by Dolly Alderton (Fiction): Jan 30, 2024
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland (Fantasy): Jan 30, 2024
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers (Fantasy): Jan 30, 2024
Books I’ve compiled from B&N Top 100, the NYT Bestsellers List, and Amazon Bestsellers in no particular order. I’ve decided to simply add the books I haven’t before, since I’ve caught up to the new additions. If you’re curious, last week’s post can be found here.
The Fury by Alex Michaelides (Mystery/Thriller)
Midnight Ruin (Dark Olympus 6) by Katee Robert (Fantasy)
Our Hidden Conversations by Michele Norris (Nonfiction)
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (Fantasy)
This week I decided to write about an author I’m unbelievably excited for. I have yet to read her most well known duology, but one of my best bookish friends loves it so I’m sure I will too! This week we’re discussing Heather Fawcett.
While I hadn’t heard of Heather Fawcett until her Emily Wilde series, she has several released. Her other series include Even The Darkest Stars, Ember and The Ice Dragons, The Grace of Wild Things, and more. Luckily, most and/or all of her books include dragons! Yay! One thing I love about doing this is discovering new books I want to read, but my TBR doesn’t thank me!
Heather lives in Vancouver, and you can find her on her website or Instagram. Her books range from Adult to YA to Middle Grade. While I don’t focus on Middle Grade books given my age, I always love to support authors who write this age group. While I have been a reader since age 4, middle school fantasy books are where I absolutely fell in love. Additionally, her covers are stunning.
Just a reminder to submit any books you think others will love on the R&R page or to my email: thesundayreads@gmail.com!
That’s all for today. Much love.
Izzy
So beautiful and utterly relatable - it's scary putting yourself out there, but the small wins really makes it all worth it! Writing just for myself and putting little pieces out there, even though it scares me has been so rewarding! ❤️
Ahh, we have a similar journey!! I also took the babystep route on putting myself out there because it was my biggest fear to be seen! And just like you, I started with a book account and the support there was overwhelmingly encouraging. It was definitely a stepping stone for my substack. I hope you take the leap into putting yourself out there in even more spaces when you’re ready, because I’m already loving your newsletter. 💕