There are some months where one book is enough.
And then there are months like this one…
where your soul needs more than one story to hold you.
This month, my self-care didn’t look like doing more.
It looked like slowing down, being honest about what I needed, and allowing myself to be supported—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
And somehow, two books met me exactly where I was.
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen
This book felt like truth.
The kind of truth that gently calls you out… and then wraps you in grace.
It reminded me how easy it is—especially as a Black woman—to carry everything.
To be strong, capable, dependable… even when we’re completely exhausted.
Reading this felt like permission.
Permission to:
- rest without guilt
- release the pressure to be everything to everyone
- choose myself, even when it feels uncomfortable
This wasn’t just a story—it was a mirror.
And in that reflection, I saw a version of myself that deserved softness.
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
If the first book held my life…
this one held my heart.
This story is soft in a way that sneaks up on you.
It doesn’t force healing - it invites it.
It reminded me that grief isn’t something you rush through.
That love doesn’t end - it transforms.
And that new beginnings can quietly grow from the most painful endings.
Reading this felt like sitting with my emotions instead of running from them.
It gave me space to:
- feel deeply without judgment
- reflect on love, loss, and memory
- believe that something beautiful can still come next
It was gentle.
And sometimes, gentle is exactly what we need.
Why I Needed Both
One book helped me release the pressure.
The other helped me process the feelings.
One grounded me in my reality.
The other allowed me to soften inside of it.
And that’s what I’m learning about self-care:
It’s not one-size-fits-all.
It’s layered.
It’s emotional.
It’s evolving.
Some days you need truth.
Some days you need tenderness.
And some days—you need both.
The Cozy Bookish Life & Self-Care
This is what my self-care looks like now:
- slowing down without guilt
- choosing books that nourish me, not just entertain me
- allowing stories to help me process what I don’t always have words for
These two books reminded me that healing doesn’t have to be rushed.
It can be soft.
It can be quiet.
It can happen one page at a time.
Final Reflection
This month, I didn’t just read books.
I allowed myself to be held by them.
And in that space, I found something I didn’t realize I needed:
Rest, Reflection, and The Permission to Begin Again.