"Books don’t vanish in 48 hours. They wait. You can pick up a novel from 20 years ago and find it breathing. A poem from a dead century can feel more alive than whatever just went viral. That’s because art doesn’t chase attention like content does. It creates space. It gives you something to return to." 🌼❤ This entire paragraph!
I don´t think this is serious for you, relax: Sorry to intrude, again, and again, inappropriately off topic, but this involved you and I think you need to know, and need a chance to clarify, respond, etc.:
Hi Federico, a similar incident occurred a couple of months ago when someone created a different Substack handle using my profile photo and publication name. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the comments from that account because they had blocked me. Fortunately, some readers emailed me about it and reported the account, which Substack then blocked. Are you still able to see those comments?
I read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius often and although I'm not quite there yet I'd like to read it at least once a year. There's so much knowledge in there and so many times I resonated deeply with the words on the page. Great book, highly recommended, if you haven't read it already. Thank you for a lovely letter Tuğba.
Hi Simon, finally getting around to replying :) It’s been an intense couple of weeks.
I keep seeing your posts pop up on my feed lately, and it honestly makes me so happy to read your thoughts. Funny enough, I finally bought Meditations too—after hearing so many people call it their favorite book. It’s sitting on my shelf now, waiting for me to dive in soon.
Hi Tuğba, great to hear from you! Thank you for always reading and sending lovely subscribers my way. I still get plenty of people finding me through your writing; thank you!
I'm glad to hear you got Meditations. It's an deeply profound read. I must admit I found it a bit confusing at first and didn't really understand what he was saying or what was going on, but there's a point where it all just starts to click and every line he wrote becomes so powerfully resonant..
Which language are you reading it in by the way? Hopefully it's a good translation 🙏 the Gregory Hays translation in English is so so good and is often considered the best translation in English.
I also thoroughly enjoyed The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. This is the book that made me aware of my own thoughts and how negatively they could affect me. He blew that idea open wide for me at a time when I really needed it and I never thought about it at all before reading his writing. Please give it a shot.
When I visited Seoul last year I found a copy of The Untethered Soul at a market and was explaining to my friend how much I loved it and what it was all about and an older Korean gentleman with a lovely long white beard, who could clearly speak very good English, picked it up, looked at us both and said something along the lines of "Thank you, I'll give it a read!" It was such a sweet moment.
I think I have the Gregory Hays version—pretty sure it's the one Ryan Holiday recommended! Do you have The Daily Stoic? I love it. You should definitely get it if you don’t have it yet.
I loved The Untethered Soul—it’s one of those books I keep as a favorite and try to reread every year. Same with Eckhart Tolle’s work.
Aww, I love that you found a copy at the market. The roommate analogy really stayed with me too. I actually read it right after a meditation retreat, and wow... it hit so deep. I’m doing another one in August, and I might reread it again afterward.
Have you ever done a retreat? Like a Vipassana or any kind of meditation retreat? I think you’d really love it—it’s intense, but incredibly transformative.
Yess exactly! Ryan is who I found Meditations through all the way back in like 2014 or 2013 when he started raving about it on his blog. I have massive respect for him and hope to visit his bookshop one day!
I actually haven't read The Daily Stoic yet, is it the kind of book to just always keep around on your desk?
I've actually never done a retreat because I'm afraid of sitting in silence for that long but I knooooow that on the other side of it would be true transformation.. I only worry because I went to a zazen class once at a Japanese temple and it was only 20 minutes of sitting on my knees and I kid you not I was in so much pain lol! Are there usually rules like how you must sit at Vipassana retreats or is it a bit more flexible?
I love what you say here. It's hit me that I have many books I've read before which I'd like to get to again, and have also bought a lot of books I keep telling myself I'll get round to, which have still not been opened, yet I buy more! And there are the so-called classics which have hung around and not been touched, which I really, really need to read (I'm looking at you Jane Austin and Leo Tolstoy).
Thank you for this reminder, and I love your intention not to buy any new books. I perused my own shelves and have so much to explore - both for the first time, and on repeat! So I'm now going to take a leaf out of your book (so to speak!) and try to stop myself from buying any more stuff, and read what's already there.
Thank you!
P.S. Leyla Kazim's 'Pathways' books will be arriving soon, and if she ever writes anything else you can be sure I'll be buying that IMMEDIATELY!
OMG Sally, I got Leyla’s book in the mail yesterday!
It’s signed (!!) and I’m honestly so excited—I’m such a big fan of her work.
Now, let’s be clear: not buying new books is never truly an option for me, haha. I love them too much.
But I am trying to make more of an effort to actually read the beautiful ones already sitting on my shelves.
One shift I’ve made is to stop buying new books for my Kindle. I still have so many unread ones on there, so I’ll keep using it—but no more new purchases. Partly because I just don’t want to support Bezos anymore, and they’ve made it nearly impossible to switch to another e-reader.
I might be moving back to London soon, so fingers crossed I’ll finally get a proper library card. I have one here in Berlin too, but finding English books is always a bit tricky.
Lately I’ve been buying second-hand books on World of Books instead—have you used it? I love the feeling of reading something that’s had a life before mine.
Leyla's book is fantastic. I got a signed version too.
Did you see you are quoted in the second book as well? And so am I!
Oh yes you're right. I've already bought another book, and I have two more pre-ordered and on the way, so yeah... not really able to keep to that one myself!
And thank you for the tip on World of Books. I will definitely look that up!
OMG WHATTT?? I hadn’t seen that yet—that’s so cute!
And no worries at all :) Honestly, just being a bit more aware and intentional is already a great first step when it comes to mindful book buying.
Books bring me so much joy—I genuinely couldn’t live without them. They’re the most precious things I own. And to be honest, not all of them are meant to be read cover-to-cover. Some are more for inspiration. I collect art books, and whenever I need a creative boost, I just flick through them.
What were the other two books you ordered? I’m curious!
Ah, you'll get to your quote soon in Leyla's book!
Well, I pre-ordered a new novel called 'One Summer in Provence' which will arrive in July. I'm heading to Provence in August so thought I'd take a slice of that with me.
And I also pre-ordered a new beans cookbook. Leyla put me onto Bold Beans. I bought their first cookbook, and I've been cooking some wonderful bean recipes. The second book 'Full of Beans' comes out in October. More beany recipes to come!
I definitely need to check out that cookbook! Over the past year, I’ve really rediscovered meal prepping for myself as a way to eat healthier. I’m planning to start pulling together meals from my cookbooks soon. The beany one sounds amazing—and One Summer in Provence too!
I actually love reading books that are set in the places I’m traveling to. It makes the experience feel so much richer.
Also—omg—I found that quote! I don’t even remember writing it, but it 100% sounds like me haha Now I need to go find yours too!
Thank you for your insights, that felt alive and with interest. Although I am not a voracious reader, I felt the joy and motivation intended within. The article gave me pause, yet still afforded my itchy fingers the want to be creative or simply return and relive other previously written pieces.
Aww thank you so much, Depswah, for taking the time out of your busy day to read my piece—and even leave a comment. Honestly, in this fast-paced world, that kind of attention means more than ever.
Curious—are you more of a Substack reader these days, or still into books too?
Hello - My pleasure. I love a well written story. No, I am no longer into reading books - Not since my collegiate days. I prefer to write, it's and great pressure release and helps others to imagine and smile.
Excellent idea ! No need to chase the new thing every day... because there are treasures already there ! I'm rereading Truman Capote's Music for Chameleons for the tenth time, and I'm not ashamed: I might enjoy it even more !
For my birthday this year, I bought a printed copy of a book I loved reading last year. I originally read it on my Kindle, but it was so funny I felt it deserved a proper re-read in print. The author did such a great job, I’m more than happy to pay twice. Totally worth it!
Yesss! I’m deep in research for my own book right now, so I’ve got a whole pile of reading to get through—but I promise once that’s done, I’m only rereading my old favorites 😂📚
I love rereading. Ursula K Le Guin is my favourite for this. The Dispossessed in particular, but anything by her really. I have also reread Donna Tartt's The Secret History many times... The Persian Boy by Mary Renault... Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang... I'm fascinated by how certain books are infinitely rereadable. It's hard to say what it is that makes them that way.
OMG, I definitely need to read some of Ursula's work. I actually quoted her in one of my posts before, and I still think about that quote often. Thanks for the recommendation!
And that’s such a good question—something I’ve never really thought about. Maybe it’s not just the books themselves that make them feel infinitely rereadable, but the way we see books.
With anything online, maybe we unconsciously treat it as more disposable or fleeting? Not sure if I’m making total sense 😄 Thank you so much for taking the time to read and support my work, Rosie! Sorry I'm only catching up with comments now but I really appreciate it 💛
One thing I have noticed is that most of my comfort reads are written by women-- I find that interesting.
If you want to get into Le Guin I have so many recommendations! Actually anything is good! I love The Left Hand of Darkness & The Dispossessed of course, but her late young adult trilogy Gifts, Voices, Powers is excellent, & the short story collection The Birthday of the World... You can get all her short stories in one huge book, & all her novellas in one huge book, both of those are amazing cross-sections of her work over time. Also her non-fiction is worth reading, she's an excellent essayist. But really anything!
"Books don’t vanish in 48 hours. They wait. You can pick up a novel from 20 years ago and find it breathing. A poem from a dead century can feel more alive than whatever just went viral. That’s because art doesn’t chase attention like content does. It creates space. It gives you something to return to." 🌼❤ This entire paragraph!
I don´t think this is serious for you, relax: Sorry to intrude, again, and again, inappropriately off topic, but this involved you and I think you need to know, and need a chance to clarify, respond, etc.:
https://open.substack.com/pub/federicosotodelalba/p/i-was-temporarily-suspended-from?r=4up0lp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
This was my note https://substack.com/@tugbaavci/note/c-111477430?r=17c8x0&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Hi Federico, a similar incident occurred a couple of months ago when someone created a different Substack handle using my profile photo and publication name. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the comments from that account because they had blocked me. Fortunately, some readers emailed me about it and reported the account, which Substack then blocked. Are you still able to see those comments?
I read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius often and although I'm not quite there yet I'd like to read it at least once a year. There's so much knowledge in there and so many times I resonated deeply with the words on the page. Great book, highly recommended, if you haven't read it already. Thank you for a lovely letter Tuğba.
Hi Simon, finally getting around to replying :) It’s been an intense couple of weeks.
I keep seeing your posts pop up on my feed lately, and it honestly makes me so happy to read your thoughts. Funny enough, I finally bought Meditations too—after hearing so many people call it their favorite book. It’s sitting on my shelf now, waiting for me to dive in soon.
Do you have any other all-time favorites?
Wishing you a wonderful week!
Hi Tuğba, great to hear from you! Thank you for always reading and sending lovely subscribers my way. I still get plenty of people finding me through your writing; thank you!
I'm glad to hear you got Meditations. It's an deeply profound read. I must admit I found it a bit confusing at first and didn't really understand what he was saying or what was going on, but there's a point where it all just starts to click and every line he wrote becomes so powerfully resonant..
Which language are you reading it in by the way? Hopefully it's a good translation 🙏 the Gregory Hays translation in English is so so good and is often considered the best translation in English.
I also thoroughly enjoyed The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. This is the book that made me aware of my own thoughts and how negatively they could affect me. He blew that idea open wide for me at a time when I really needed it and I never thought about it at all before reading his writing. Please give it a shot.
When I visited Seoul last year I found a copy of The Untethered Soul at a market and was explaining to my friend how much I loved it and what it was all about and an older Korean gentleman with a lovely long white beard, who could clearly speak very good English, picked it up, looked at us both and said something along the lines of "Thank you, I'll give it a read!" It was such a sweet moment.
Have a great week ahead! 🍃
I think I have the Gregory Hays version—pretty sure it's the one Ryan Holiday recommended! Do you have The Daily Stoic? I love it. You should definitely get it if you don’t have it yet.
I loved The Untethered Soul—it’s one of those books I keep as a favorite and try to reread every year. Same with Eckhart Tolle’s work.
Aww, I love that you found a copy at the market. The roommate analogy really stayed with me too. I actually read it right after a meditation retreat, and wow... it hit so deep. I’m doing another one in August, and I might reread it again afterward.
Have you ever done a retreat? Like a Vipassana or any kind of meditation retreat? I think you’d really love it—it’s intense, but incredibly transformative.
Yess exactly! Ryan is who I found Meditations through all the way back in like 2014 or 2013 when he started raving about it on his blog. I have massive respect for him and hope to visit his bookshop one day!
I actually haven't read The Daily Stoic yet, is it the kind of book to just always keep around on your desk?
I've actually never done a retreat because I'm afraid of sitting in silence for that long but I knooooow that on the other side of it would be true transformation.. I only worry because I went to a zazen class once at a Japanese temple and it was only 20 minutes of sitting on my knees and I kid you not I was in so much pain lol! Are there usually rules like how you must sit at Vipassana retreats or is it a bit more flexible?
Hi Tuğba,
I love what you say here. It's hit me that I have many books I've read before which I'd like to get to again, and have also bought a lot of books I keep telling myself I'll get round to, which have still not been opened, yet I buy more! And there are the so-called classics which have hung around and not been touched, which I really, really need to read (I'm looking at you Jane Austin and Leo Tolstoy).
Thank you for this reminder, and I love your intention not to buy any new books. I perused my own shelves and have so much to explore - both for the first time, and on repeat! So I'm now going to take a leaf out of your book (so to speak!) and try to stop myself from buying any more stuff, and read what's already there.
Thank you!
P.S. Leyla Kazim's 'Pathways' books will be arriving soon, and if she ever writes anything else you can be sure I'll be buying that IMMEDIATELY!
OMG Sally, I got Leyla’s book in the mail yesterday!
It’s signed (!!) and I’m honestly so excited—I’m such a big fan of her work.
Now, let’s be clear: not buying new books is never truly an option for me, haha. I love them too much.
But I am trying to make more of an effort to actually read the beautiful ones already sitting on my shelves.
One shift I’ve made is to stop buying new books for my Kindle. I still have so many unread ones on there, so I’ll keep using it—but no more new purchases. Partly because I just don’t want to support Bezos anymore, and they’ve made it nearly impossible to switch to another e-reader.
I might be moving back to London soon, so fingers crossed I’ll finally get a proper library card. I have one here in Berlin too, but finding English books is always a bit tricky.
Lately I’ve been buying second-hand books on World of Books instead—have you used it? I love the feeling of reading something that’s had a life before mine.
Wishing you a wonderful week!
Leyla's book is fantastic. I got a signed version too.
Did you see you are quoted in the second book as well? And so am I!
Oh yes you're right. I've already bought another book, and I have two more pre-ordered and on the way, so yeah... not really able to keep to that one myself!
And thank you for the tip on World of Books. I will definitely look that up!
OMG WHATTT?? I hadn’t seen that yet—that’s so cute!
And no worries at all :) Honestly, just being a bit more aware and intentional is already a great first step when it comes to mindful book buying.
Books bring me so much joy—I genuinely couldn’t live without them. They’re the most precious things I own. And to be honest, not all of them are meant to be read cover-to-cover. Some are more for inspiration. I collect art books, and whenever I need a creative boost, I just flick through them.
What were the other two books you ordered? I’m curious!
Ah, you'll get to your quote soon in Leyla's book!
Well, I pre-ordered a new novel called 'One Summer in Provence' which will arrive in July. I'm heading to Provence in August so thought I'd take a slice of that with me.
And I also pre-ordered a new beans cookbook. Leyla put me onto Bold Beans. I bought their first cookbook, and I've been cooking some wonderful bean recipes. The second book 'Full of Beans' comes out in October. More beany recipes to come!
I definitely need to check out that cookbook! Over the past year, I’ve really rediscovered meal prepping for myself as a way to eat healthier. I’m planning to start pulling together meals from my cookbooks soon. The beany one sounds amazing—and One Summer in Provence too!
I actually love reading books that are set in the places I’m traveling to. It makes the experience feel so much richer.
Also—omg—I found that quote! I don’t even remember writing it, but it 100% sounds like me haha Now I need to go find yours too!
Thank you for your insights, that felt alive and with interest. Although I am not a voracious reader, I felt the joy and motivation intended within. The article gave me pause, yet still afforded my itchy fingers the want to be creative or simply return and relive other previously written pieces.
Blessings ~
Aww thank you so much, Depswah, for taking the time out of your busy day to read my piece—and even leave a comment. Honestly, in this fast-paced world, that kind of attention means more than ever.
Curious—are you more of a Substack reader these days, or still into books too?
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
Hello - My pleasure. I love a well written story. No, I am no longer into reading books - Not since my collegiate days. I prefer to write, it's and great pressure release and helps others to imagine and smile.
Blessings friend
Yesss, same here. Writing honestly feels like therapy—it helps me process things in a way nothing else really does.
Excellent idea ! No need to chase the new thing every day... because there are treasures already there ! I'm rereading Truman Capote's Music for Chameleons for the tenth time, and I'm not ashamed: I might enjoy it even more !
OMG, the tenth time?! LOVE that, Nelian!
For my birthday this year, I bought a printed copy of a book I loved reading last year. I originally read it on my Kindle, but it was so funny I felt it deserved a proper re-read in print. The author did such a great job, I’m more than happy to pay twice. Totally worth it!
Very much appreciate this post, your mission and a chance to dig into your archives. 🩷
Thank you so much, Shawn, for taking the time to read. I’m just now catching up on all the comments!
Wishing you a great rest of the week and an amazing weekend when it comes :)
100% agree
I reread a couple of Wilkie Collins’ every few years.
Yesss! I’m deep in research for my own book right now, so I’ve got a whole pile of reading to get through—but I promise once that’s done, I’m only rereading my old favorites 😂📚
I love rereading. Ursula K Le Guin is my favourite for this. The Dispossessed in particular, but anything by her really. I have also reread Donna Tartt's The Secret History many times... The Persian Boy by Mary Renault... Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang... I'm fascinated by how certain books are infinitely rereadable. It's hard to say what it is that makes them that way.
OMG, I definitely need to read some of Ursula's work. I actually quoted her in one of my posts before, and I still think about that quote often. Thanks for the recommendation!
And that’s such a good question—something I’ve never really thought about. Maybe it’s not just the books themselves that make them feel infinitely rereadable, but the way we see books.
With anything online, maybe we unconsciously treat it as more disposable or fleeting? Not sure if I’m making total sense 😄 Thank you so much for taking the time to read and support my work, Rosie! Sorry I'm only catching up with comments now but I really appreciate it 💛
One thing I have noticed is that most of my comfort reads are written by women-- I find that interesting.
If you want to get into Le Guin I have so many recommendations! Actually anything is good! I love The Left Hand of Darkness & The Dispossessed of course, but her late young adult trilogy Gifts, Voices, Powers is excellent, & the short story collection The Birthday of the World... You can get all her short stories in one huge book, & all her novellas in one huge book, both of those are amazing cross-sections of her work over time. Also her non-fiction is worth reading, she's an excellent essayist. But really anything!
Hahaha not sir, madam’ım 😄 Selamlar sana :) Memnun oldum!