Ren Reads Too Much Podcast

This week, my brain latched onto something it really loves: books that happen on the same timeline and let you see a story from multiple angles.

There’s something so deeply satisfying about seeing a favorite story or scene play out in a different character’s head. It scratches an itch for context, for nuance, for that little thrill of knowing more than you did the first time.

I talked about this in the context of Rachel Reid’s books, how reading Role Model and The Long Game back to back (a second time) changed everything for me. All those tiny hints and offhand moments that didn’t land fully on my first speed read to the finish? Suddenly, they’re loaded with meaning.

There’s a kind of magic in going back and filling in the gaps, and I realized how much I crave that as a reader. Sometimes you don’t want the Big New Thing; you want layers and echoes in a world you already love.

But of course, not every book needs to beat you over the head with lessons (or trauma) to feel meaningful.

For me, these stories let me choose joy and comfort and still find depth if I want it. I get to pick what I take from them, and that’s a relief, honestly, in a world where everything feels a little extra sometimes. My TBR just keeps growing with books that let me revisit, explore, and understand characters all over again.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

* Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

* Role Model by Rachel Reid

* The Long Game by Rachel Reid

So...let’s talk

Do you have a book duo where seeing the same story from another perspective just made your whole reading brain light up?

This week was a strange one for my reading life…total hodgepodge energy, hopping genres and moods by the day.

I tried (and gave up on) a Booker Prize winner, finally admitted defeat on The Hobbit for now, and dipped in and out of a handful of books that felt exactly right for this moment, even if I’ve picked them up before.

Sometimes when I reread something I thought I knew, it just hits totally different because, shocker, I’m not the same person I was the last time.

Old favorites like Common Goal surprised me all over again. It’s wild how a book can morph in your memory, then land in a whole new way just because you’re carrying different stuff into it this time.

I’m starting to think that’s why I love revisiting certain stories so much - not just comfort or nostalgia, but that feeling of “whoa, is this secretly deeper than I realized?”

You should never feel bad about rereading; sometimes it’s exactly what your brain or your life needs.

And this week, I’m trying to really honor that. No guilt about not finishing, no shame about chasing comfort reads, no pressure to turn my reading life into a checklist. I’m learning to let my reading follow my energy, not the other way around…

Audiobooks while I knit, stories that remind me what I want out of life, and letting myself change my mind as often as I need.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq — A total wildcard, picked up for the library’s Ultimate Book Nerd Challenge. Booker Prize winner, halfway through, new perspectives unlocked. (00:35)

* The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien — Officially “not happening” for homeschool this week, and that’s okay. We don’t shame the unfinished books here. Permission to DNF, granted. (01:02)

* The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest — Ongoing all year, but this week’s entries kept hitting right when needed. Serendipity in book form. (01:38)

* The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest — Attempt #4, but this time I’m determined to finally finish. Sometimes the right book only lands when you’re ready for it. (02:02)

* Common Goal (Game Changers Universe) — Resurfacing for reread, now with post-Wolfbird fanfic feels and a much different impact than the first go-round. Reading at a different age? The book feels different. Always magic. (02:30)

* This is Happiness by Niall Williams — Audiobook + crafting = perfect combo. Rich language, soothing narration, and pure comfort.

Let’s Talk!

Has a book ever landed completely differently the second (or third, or fourth) time around, for better or worse? Tell me your stories!

This week, I leaned in hard to that belief that the book you need always finds you, right when you need it. My reading life has been shifting alongside everything else.

Does anyone else feel like 2026 is just this nonstop transformation party that they never even RSVP’d to, but find themselves stuck in?

The books on my shelf are suddenly fitting perfectly into what I’m working through in real time. It’s funny how that works, right? Something you’ve ignored for ages suddenly cracks you wide open because you were finally ready for it.

There’s something about incorporating new stories, fresh perspectives, or even just taking the time to notice what a book is revealing about your own patterns. That has been huge for me, especially as everything in life (family, work, being a lady in my 40s…ahem) is moving under my feet like I’m on a funhouse floor.

Some books go down easy for pure dopamine (and I fully support those smutty, comfort reads). Yet sometimes, it’s the pulling-back-the-curtain books that make you look right at yourself that are the ones that hit hardest.

And I think there’s room for both in our lives and on our shelves.

One concept I keep coming back to is gratitude, especially for the hard stuff.

Having a daily practice and focusing on seeing the progress, tiny joys, and things people do for you or themselves, makes it possible to reframe the tough moments and notice which books (or people) are kicking you forward in the best possible way.

Sometimes it’s about releasing grip on the stuff you can’t control, taking responsibility for your own responses, and letting go of your old stories and assumptions that keep you small.

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📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* The Pivot Year by Brianne Wiest

* The Mountain Is You by Brianna Weist

* Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Let’s Talk

I want to know: Have you ever had a book that sat on your shelf forever, only to change everything at exactly the right moment?

I'm changing my mind on Tough Guy and switching podcast day to Thursday because Tuesday is just not the day I can make this happen anymore!

Some weeks, it feels like my whole reading life stretches and shifts right along with my real life. I found myself in the middle of a massive pile of books, some familiar rereads, some totally new, and realized just how much my experience of a book is shaped by whatever point I’m at in my own life.

It’s wild how a story that didn’t really stick the first time can absolutely sweep you up on a reread, just because you’re a different version of yourself now.

I talked about how my perspective on certain books has changed, especially with my current Game Changers Universe ReReid. The first time through, I felt so much for the characters; sometimes it was overwhelming.

This time, I could enjoy and appreciate the story and characters in a new way, without getting hit so hard by the heavy stuff. That’s the thing about books: they don’t change, but we do, and suddenly they land for you in an entirely new way.

There’s also the comfort of those stories or passages that just show up and speak to exactly where you are…

Sometimes, a book hands you the words you need, right when you need them most. Whether it’s an excerpt that helps you breathe a little easier or a narrative that lets you see yourself with fresh eyes, I’m convinced the right book does find you at the right time.

And that mindset can bring a lot of magic to your reading (and real) life.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Tough Guy by Rachel Reid

* How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

* The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

* The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest

* The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest

* This is Happiness by Niall Williams

Okay, sometimes you go on a tangent about your all-time favorite books, but this week felt like a return to the usual rhythm. I’m deep in my Heated Rivalry spiral (again?? still??).

But now, I’m reading just a chapter or two a day, because I know myself…full-on hyperfixation feels amazing until it doesn’t, and pacing it out keeps things fresh.

At the same time, I’m stretching beyond my comfort zone with books I wouldn’t choose on my own.

Is it always joyful?

No, but there’s some actual magic in letting yourself try something new. Even if you “have to,” thanks to a school assignment or a reading challenge category.

That’s how I ended up reading Legends and Librarians for my library’s Ultimate Book Nerd challenge. At first, I didn’t totally click with it, but then the universe threw in one of its weird little winks - a random character named Sir Reginald III (and if you’ve been here for even five minutes, you know why that matters). 🐔

It was such a bizarrely perfect moment of bookish serendipity that I had to just stop and laugh. Sometimes you don’t realize why you are where you are until the story hands it to you in the most unlikely place.

That book’s last lines about friendship and community described exactly what I hoped to build with this podcast: a place to geek out over stories, be silly, feel seen, and support each other’s reading lives.

It’s wild how finding a character name or a single line in a random book can be the confirmation you need that you’re in the right place, doing what matters, and connecting with people who get it.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

* Tough Guy by Rachel Reid

* The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

* How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

* Legends and Librarians by Pandora Pierce

Let’s Talk

If you’ve ever had a book give you a sign, or found an odd little connection in a story at exactly the right moment, I want to hear about it. What’s the wildest or most perfect book coincidence you’ve experienced?

This week, I had to pivot a little: less reading, a lot more creating. Getting my pop-up merch shop together turned out to be a much bigger project than I expected, which meant trading some of my regular reading time for crafty energy and behind-the-scenes hustle.

You can check out the merch shop, here! I’d love any feedback you have on the designs or what you’d like to see in the shop. Hoping to get my “official” Etsy shop up and running by the end of the month…fingers crossed.

This week, I’ve been thinking about how funny (and a little tragic) it is that creating content about books sometimes leaves me with less time to actually read them. But I’m making peace with it, knowing that this is just how it goes sometimes.

I found myself reaching for the usual comfort rereads. Yes, the Game Changers universe is still living rent-free in my brain…but also letting myself try a few new things, both in books and in creative projects.

Crafting and audiobooks were how I coped this week. Not having access to my favorite audiobook (thanks, library hold list), I listened to what I already had. And I leaned further into cross-stitch and knitting, letting those old familiar patterns and new creative sparks fill up the limited time I had.

Beyond the comfort re-reads, I also wandered into some books outside my comfort zone and reminded myself (again) that you absolutely do not have to finish books that aren’t serving you, unless you’re a homeschool mom finishing The Hobbit with your kids…

Yet, even then, there’s value if you look hard enough for it.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* The Long Game by Rachel Reid

* The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

* How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

* Legends and Librarians by Pandora Pierce

Let’s Talk

What’s getting you through your week right now? Are you crafting, rereading old favorites, or letting yourself try something new in your reading life? Are you still stuck at the Cottage with no plans to ever leave?!

This week, I’m channeling all my energy into the books that have changed my reading life, not the ones that kept me up crying at 2 a.m. (though shoutout to those).

These are the nonfiction books that have shifted the way I think, write, and just generally exist in the world. There’s something about picking up the right nonfiction book at the right time that helps me see things a little differently. Sometimes it’s about creativity; sometimes it’s about habits; sometimes it’s about figuring out what you need to hear to just keep going.

I’ve always been that person whose reading life crosses from fiction right into the messier, less linear world of nonfiction. Memoir, self-reflection, a little bit of magic and a lot of honesty.

These are the books I come back to for perspective. I love fiction for the distractions and the feels, but I need nonfiction for the practice of being human. Creativity, gratitude, doing the work…none of it is easy.

Sometimes I need someone else to show me the way.

There have been days and entire seasons of my life where taking a tiny step forward every day, or just finding someone who’s been through it and come out the other side, gave me the courage to go on. And egads, I love how books can do that for us and then just casually live on your bookshelf like they didn’t just change your life!

So, if you’re in a season when you need your books to tell you a new story about your own experience, you’re not alone.

And I’m reading right there with you.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

* Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

* The Pivot Year by Brianna Weist

* Make Miracles in 40 Days by Melody Beattie (out on assignment!)

* Badass Habits by Jen Sincero

Let’s Talk

What’s your favorite nonfiction book? What did it teach you, and did it help make your life better?

This week was…a lot, and honestly, I don’t have the energy to pretend everything is polished or perfect, or worse, try to actually make it be like that. So I figured, why not lean right into the mess and talk about why this podcast exists, why it sounds the way it does, and why I don’t care about editing or fancy extras?

Done is better than perfect, and sometimes the magic is in just showing up: imperfectly, joyfully, talking about books because I want to, not because anyone expects perfection.

This week, I’m diving into the books that have been true game changers for me and my reading life; those stories that shook something loose in my brain or helped me see the world, myself, or other people in a new way.

I’m talking about the ones that make you want to talk back, start a podcast, join a fandom, or, let’s be honest, rethink your feelings about vampires and hockey smut.

It ended up being a mix of book love, personal confessions (yep, I admitted the Twilight thing), and reminders that it’s okay to be loud, messy, and take up space as a reader.

My reading life isn’t tidy, and neither is this podcast. If you’re looking for highly edited, polished content, there are plenty of other places you can go. But if you’re happy with joyful chaos and slightly unhinged book talk, I’m so glad you’re here.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

* Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

* Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

* the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive your FREE Best Reading Life Guide, become a free or paid subscriber below!

Let’s Talk

I want to know - do you have a book (or a series) that totally changed something for you, even if it surprised you? What’s your “game changer”?

Now also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Some weeks, my brain is like…yeah, we’re not doing anything new right now.

I reread Role Model this week, and knowing what’s happening in The Long Game at the same time?? Completely different experience. There’s so much happening in the background that you don’t fully catch it the first time, and going back to it felt like I was reading it fully for the first time.

And at the same time, I picked up Lobizona, which is doing something totally different but still kind of the same. Identity, belonging, immigration, gender - all wrapped up in this wild, magical world, and I’m still sitting with it because it impacted me in a completely different way.

But I’ve also been watching what’s happening online this week, and I feel like we need to gently, collectively, come back to center a little bit. Because there’s a difference between loving a story (book or TV show), even obsessing over it a little, and starting to lose the line between that story and real people.

You’re allowed to feel connected, and everyone involved is grateful that you care and appreciate their work. What makes it fun, safe, and not weird is remembering where the story ends.

And I think most of you already know that. I’ve seen it in your comments, your messages, the way you show up here. This isn’t about shutting anything down. It’s just about keeping the thing we all love, something we can actually keep enjoying.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

* Role Model by Rachel Reid

* The Long Game by Rachel Reid

* Lobizona by Romina Garber

* The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Join the conversation over on Substack! https://renreadstoomuch.substack.com/

Some weeks are not “try something new” weeks. And I feel like we don’t talk about that enough.

This has been a low-capacity week for me.

The kind where everything feels a little too loud, a little too heavy, and I do not have the energy to invest in figuring out if a new book is going to give me the dopamine.

So I didn’t. I went straight back to The Long Game because I knew exactly what I was going to get from it. No ramp-up. No risk. Just feelings on demand. And honestly? That was the only thing that sounded even remotely appealing.

I did add a few other books to the mix, but every night, I came right back to sad Ilya and clueless, disordered-eating Shane.

Remember, sometimes the win is not finding something new.

Sometimes the win is knowing yourself well enough to say, “I don’t have it in me this week, I need something that already works.” It’s not lazy or boring. It’s a really solid read on your own capacity and needs in the moment.

Also, the amount of messages I’ve been getting about starting a book club?? I see you. I’m working on it. And I’m already thinking about how I want it to feel less like “keeping up” and more like a place where you can show up exactly as you are.

Whether you’re reading something new, rereading the same book for the fifth time, or just there for the vibes and the conversation. If you’re here, you’ll be the first to know when that’s ready.

So if your reading life looks a little repetitive right now, or if you keep reaching for the same story because it’s the only thing that sounds good, remember that I’m right there with you.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Heated Rivalry

* Role Model

* The Long Game

* Cocky Score by Kenna King

* Lobizana by Romina Garber

* The Age of Overwhelm by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

Let’s Talk

What’s a book you didn’t just fall back on, but actively chose because you knew it would take care of you?