Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link.

I had a bad day at work on Friday. It happens. But sometimes negative feelings linger, and on Sunday afternoon, when my malaise was not getting better, I decided to ignore my unsettled tummy and fix this issue. Husband in tow, I headed to the bookstore. Mind you, when I go to a bookstore, I do not go with a list in hand. This is not a grocery run. This is a sensory run.

Bookstores smell like home. Like paper and ink and art and love. Sitting in the middle of an aisle (yes, I’m that person), book or magazine in hand, feeling the heft, the weight, the smoothness or roughness of the cover. Do I want hardcover or paperback today? Do I want something nostalgic, comforting, intellectual, scientific, cozy? Looking at the cover and the title. What does the title say to me? How does the cover make me feel? As I delicately peruse the pages, as if avoiding waking a sleepy baby, I wonder what will be awakened in me by this piece of work. Piece of art. Will the words sweep me away, solve a problem, heighten my curiosity, inspire, or move me in some way? I’m not sure, but my feelings are heightened and my mood is lifted. These pages, in my hand, will go home with me. They will sit in many locations within it. The couch, the end table, a bookshelf, the floor. On a warm, breezy day, they may make their way out to the back patio. I’ll lie on the outdoor sofa, book in hand, while the cats monitor the situation from behind the glass doors. I am living tsundoku. And, I have no shame.

Let’s take a walk through my recent bout of retail therapy. Book style.

Oh Reader. Issue 024. I can’t believe this literary magazine has 23 other issues that I was unaware of. This is a magazine for readers who love to hear about reading. Not a volume of book reviews (although there are some) but a collection of stories to delight the reader’s mind. Articles such as “Everything I know About Not Reading”, “Words to Live By”, and “An Unromantic Guide to Hiking the Brontë Way” have piqued my interest.

Bella Grace. Issue 48. “The Magazine That Thinks It’s a Book.” It does. And it is. My husband who played the role of valet on this excursion had no idea that this was their tagline and called it a book. And he is a book lover so he knows. Stories like “A Season of Slow Pages,” “20 Books that Capture Who We Are,” and “The Wonder Around Us” introduce you to the luxury of slow living with a bookish vibe. Journaling prompts and beautiful photography (including a pictorial essay) make you feel like you’ve stumbled upon someone’s commonplace book. I won’t tell them you peeked inside.

Bella Grace Book of Lists 2026. It’s a book. Of lists. Scrollers of the world, rejoice. Your eyes have been saved from the glare of the screen.

Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read by Stanislas Dehaene. The mind fascinates me. Science excites me. Reading breathes life. So, yes, let’s discuss all that in one book.

The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life by Dr. Robin Stern. I wish I could say that this was purchased for noble reasons. It was acquired to deal with a coworker. Let me provide you a visual…

Me: gasping, dramatically pulls book from shelf (because sometimes dramatics are called for). Quickly reviewing it, I then turn to the husband and shove it in front of his face. “This will solve my problems with [insert coworker’s name]!” At this point, this has been the highlight of my trip. My sheer joy cannot be contained.

Husband: gently removes the book from my hand (obviously the uncontrolled giddiness I am now feeling has not transferred to him). Flipping through book, he periodically stops and looks at some of the callouts. Brows furrowed, he looks at me and says, “You can do a lot of damage with this book.”

Me: throwing back my head, a sinister laugh escapes. “Exactly. Isn’t it great?” Cackling continues as the lights within Barnes & Noble flicker from the sudden immense energy surge emitting from my tiny 4’10” body.

Dramatization for literary effect only. No coworkers will be harmed in the reading of this book. Information will only be used to protect my own psyche from the effects of the gaslighter. Appointment with therapist pending.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Clearly I need some help on how to achieve a deep enjoyment after the above narrative. Enough said.

I hope you have enjoyed this first volume of tsundoku. A little list. A little story. A little fun. And a lot of reading inspiration.