💛 My Summer Reading List (Books, Rituals, Prompts + Inner Work)
A long, cozy reading list to ground your summer. Just for you, my inner circle.
So here it is: my summer reading list. Think of it as a long, soul-filled love letter—packed with book reflections, grounding rituals, journal prompts, body cues, quotes I’ve underlined, and emotional check-ins.
Get cozy. Light a candle. Let this email feel like sitting together on a screened-in porch, with the breeze moving through our words.
📚 THE BOOK STACK
Books that feel like wellness in paper form
Here’s what’s on my summer stack—and what each book is actually doing for my heart and nervous system. This isn’t about just reading. This is about how I’m healing with books.
🌿 1. The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell (2024)
What it gave me: A toolkit for naming the mental spirals and lovingly stepping outside of them.Try this: Highlight every sentence that feels like it was written by your inner critic. Then write your own note beside it, in your truest voice.
🌿 2. Glow in the Fcking Dark* by Tara Schuster (2023)
What it gave me: Laughter in the middle of emotional chaos. A reminder that healing can be hot mess + holy work.
Favorite quote:
“I didn’t need to be fixed. I needed to feel.”
Journal Prompt: What have I been trying to fix that just wants to be felt?
🌿 3. Real Self-Care by Pooja Lakshmin, MD (2023)
What it gave me: A deeper sense of what boundaries actually feel like in my body.
Read if you’ve ever said: “I’m fine” when your soul was screaming.
My ritual: After every chapter, I do a full-body scan and ask: Where am I abandoning myself to keep the peace?
🌿 4. On Our Best Behavior by Elise Loehnen (2023)
What it gave me: A mirror. A challenge. A deep ache that felt like growth.
Inner work it inspired: Rewriting my internal rules about success, sacrifice, and “good girl” behavior.
Prompt: What rules am I silently obeying that no longer fit my healed self?
✍️ JOURNALING SPACE
Let’s go deeper, together.
Here are 3 layered prompts I’m using this summer—stretch them out, come back to them, or voice note your way through them:
What do I keep trying to heal alone?
(And who could gently witness it with me?)When I think of “summer softness,” what images come to mind?
(Try turning these into a moodboard or vision collage.)Where do I confuse peace with control?
(This one gets me every time.)
🌞 BODY RITUALS TO PAIR WITH READING
Books are medicine—but your body has to be part of the ritual. Here’s how I’m bringing the physical into my reading time:
Before reading: Put one hand on your belly, one on your heart. Take 3 deep breaths. Ask yourself, “What do I need to hear right now?”
While reading: Let your body tell you when to pause. If you start tensing or zoning out—close the book and walk around barefoot. Re-center.
After reading: Stretch. Dance. Shake it out. Let the emotions move through your entire being.
🕯️ MY SUMMER READING ALTAR
Yes, I made a tiny altar for my books. Here's what’s on it:
A beeswax candle
Lavender + rose incense
A glass of water (for clarity + energy)
My journal
A crystal for each reading mood: amethyst for insight, carnelian for emotional release, selenite for calm
Try this: Make your reading space sacred. Let it feel like a ritual, not a task.
📣 YOUR TURN: REFLECTION + SHARE
I’d love to feature your summer reading rituals, book recommendations, or healing insights in next month’s paid newsletter.
Just reply to this email with:
Your current favorite book
A line that stuck with you
How you’re reading differently this summer
I'll share a few in our next “Readers Speak” section.