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 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!
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 !
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.
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! 🍃
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!
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
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 !
Very much appreciate this post, your mission and a chance to dig into your archives. 🩷
100% agree
I reread a couple of Wilkie Collins’ every few years.
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.
Thank you. Sir.