These books will provide you with a much needed escape from too much screen time. If you are one scroll away from a total meltdown, it may be time for some distance from social media and screens in general.
Whether you want to take a break from social media, breaking news or other digital connections, give yourself permission to pick up a beautiful book. If you are suffering from too much screen time, leave your phone at home and carry a book around. Reading fiction is an essential part of my evening routine.
10 Books That Feel Like a Cozy Cup of Tea After Too Much Screen Time
When you’ve lost hours of your life to too much screen time almost any book feels like a cozy cup of tea (or coffee or hot chocolate). These are 10 of the most beautiful books I’ve read or am about to read (plus one that I wrote). The synopsis for each book comes from StoryGraph (the app I use to track my reading). Use these books to inspire creativity, get lost in a beautiful story and get relief from too much screen time.
1. Gentle, Rest More, Stress Less and Live the Life You Actually Want by Courtney Carver (currently 50% off)
I wrote this book! It was published earlier this year and it’s such a joy to be able to share this with you.
Written by minimalism expert and celebrated author Courtney Carver, Gentle is the “don’t do it all” self-help book you need to live with less stress and more ease, less overwhelm and more joy by uncovering the Gentle You. Grounded in self-compassion and a fierce commitment to less, becoming the Gentle You isn’t about taking the easy road. It’s a practice of real self-care that, over time, will soothe your nervous system and strengthen your relationships. Organized into three parts–Rest, Less, and Rise–30 challenges and simple practices will help readers radically and (yes) gently shift their pace, headspace, and heart. All purchase options.
2. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
I read this book when it first came out and I’m currently listening to it. You can read it cover to cover or dip in wherever you’d like for creative inspiration.
Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities. The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments—and lifetimes—of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
3. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad
This book is bringing new life to my journaling practice. I’m a little obsessed and look forward to digging in every morning.
The Book of Alchemy is based on the premise that journaling is an essential tool for navigating the challenges of modern life. We live in a world where we’re not only forced to grapple with personal peaks and valleys but also global upheavals far beyond our control—political, social, economic, technological, environmental. More than ever, we need a space for puzzling through. Designed to be a companion through challenging times, The Book of Alchemy will explore the art of journaling, offering encouragement, direction, and support to those looking for a way to navigate the in-between. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
4. Living Untethered by Michael A. Singer
I read or listen to this book whenever I’m increasingly bothered by the world around me. It’s a mind reset that always works wonders. It’s a little “woo” but so much common sense too.
On each page, you’ll discover a deeper understanding of where your thoughts and emotions come from, and how they affect your natural energy flow. Now more than ever, we’re all looking to feel more joy, happiness, and deeper meaning in our lives. But are we looking in all the wrong places? When our sense of wholeness depends on things or people outside ourselves–whether it’s a coveted job, a new house, a lavish vacation, or even a new relationship–sooner or later we’re bound to feel unsatisfied. That’s why we must look inside for real freedom, love, and inspiration. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
5. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue opened the door to The Ten Thousand Doors of January for me. I was hooked from the beginning and invested in January’s journey all the way through
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
6. What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
Wow, what an incredible book. This is a novel but while listening, I’d forget and think it was a memoir. It was that real.
A teenage girl breaks free from her father’s world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie. In this sweeping, suspenseful novel from bestselling author Janelle Brown, we see a young woman on a quest to understand how we come to know ourselves. It is a bold and unforgettable story about parents and children; nature and technology; innocence and knowledge; the losses of our past and our dreams for the future. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
7. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
This book was unputdownable.
Beth and her gentle and kind husband Frank are happily married, but they have their fair share of secrets, and their relationship relies on the past staying buried. And when the truth begins to come out, events spiral out of control, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice—between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.
A sweeping, sexy love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
8. The Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
I haven’t read this one yet, but every morning my daughter tells me how much I am going to love it. And she knows me.
Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart. With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
9. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
You had me at magic pastries. This sounds like a beautiful book for this time of year and I’ll be reading it soon!
Nestled among the cobblestone streets of Compiègne, there existed a bakery unlike any other. Rumors were whispered through the town that its pastries offered a taste of magic, chasing away the darkest of sorrows. Just one bite of a croissant might bring luck, unlock a precious memory or reveal hidden longings. But dark clouds were looming on the horizon… For Edie Lane, a recipe for disaster doesn’t require that many ingredients. Take an unhealthy amount of wishful thinking and a sprinkle of desperation and that’s how Edie left everything behind in Ireland for her dream job at a bakery in Paris. Except the bakery isn’t in Paris – and neither is Edie.This might not be where Edie intended to be but she soon realizes it’s exactly where she needs to be. Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
10. I’ll be home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Reading a new Jenny Bayliss Christmas book has become one of my favorite holiday traditions.
When Frederika returns to her small hometown, Pine Bluff she insists she’s not back for good. She’s only here for the holidays in need of some fresh Scottish air after parting with her job, home and boyfriend. And she’s not the only one who’s returned home. So has Ryan, the boy she was inseparable from until the day she tried to kiss him. Swiftly the two return to old ways, but Frederika can’t forget the humiliation of their past. No one wants to see her leave, instead, they want her to join the family business making hand crafted Christmas crackers. But Frederika wants more than that. Doesn’t she? Should she return to London, like she always planned? Or is her heart – and her future – in Pine Bluff? Amazon | Libro.fm | Bookshop.org
How I choose books over too much screen time.
I read books I can hold in my hand, read some books on Kindle and listen to audiobooks from Libby or Libro.fm. I listen to audiobooks with Libro.fm instead of Audible for a few reasons.
For starters, you get a couple of free audiobooks when you sign up with Libro.fm. Next, you can choose a local bookstore to support with each order. And, Libro.fm allows you to download your books, unlike Audible where you have to listen to them on the platform. Because you can download your audiobooks, you can share them with friends. When friends share their audiobooks with me, I listen with an app called Book Player. I’m sure there are other options!
Even if you aren’t overwhelmed from too much screen time, read these beautiful books. Your heart will thank you.
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