Chapter One

Welcome to Read Yourself Happy!

My entire life has been heavily influenced by books.

Both of my parents were avid readers. My mom preferred romance novels and popular contemporary fiction, while my father exclusively reads historical non-fiction, biographies, and memoirs. My brother is a huge Ernest Hemingway fan and got me hooked on his writing as well. Almost all of my friends are bookish, and my boyfriend and I bond frequently over our mutual adoration of all things comic book related.

35049213_10160495482665252_3312783183929409536_n — My attempts at organizing our comic book collections when Ian and I move in together

Some of my favorite places in the world are libraries and bookstores. I spent all of my twenties living in Asheville, NC, where I could walk to Malaprop’s Bookstore, Downtown Books and News, and even Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar, where you can sip on a glass of wine or a latte while tucked away amongst stacks of books.

Sipping on champagne at Battery Park on my last day in Asheville

While science fiction is my genre of choice, I read everything. I alternate fiction with non-fiction and am always reading a book of poetry and listening to audiobooks on the side. I love all the books, and I want to share that love with everyone around me.

My goals for this blog are simple. I want to influence others to pick up books, I want a space where I can share my thoughts about every book I read, and I want to help people be happier.

I was influenced to start this blog after reading an article about how reading makes us happier, less anxious, and smarter. If you are dedicated to a life of wellness, I recommend making daily reading a part of that.

While this blog will primarily focus on books, I’m also going to occasionally include other things that make me happy, such as journaling, trips to bookish places, crafts, wellness and lifestyle tips, and probably pictures of my cat (although I promise to keep it at a minimum! She’s just so darn cute!).