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?

Get full access to Ren Reads Too Much at renreadstoomuch.substack.com/subscribe