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This July, I tried to go to my neighborhood pool with just one book. It's my habit to throw at least three books into a tote bag whenever I leave the house. At some point over the summer while walking from the car to the pool as I carried snacks, sunscreen, water, towels, extra clothing, pool toys, and held the hands of my two kids under seven, I began to question the need for a heavy tote of books. The behavior had begun to feel excessive and more than a little compulsive. Why did I do this to myself? Were books my safety blanket? Please, don't answer that question. 

But seriously, did I really think that there would be an occasion in the company of my kids in which I could complete two books, read all the news on my phone, ignore email and Instagram, then begin a third novel? No, the truth is that I am picky and I will put down a book that I do not like. I also don't like being without something I'm excited to read. 

The older I get the less likely I am to complete a book that doesn't meet my expectations or stretch my mind. At the same time, my need for excellent, vigorous, engaging books has only increased. I actively seek out recommendations and love to know what people really think of books. Which books actually keep you up all night or make you miss your subway stop? That's what I genuinely want to know. 

Several years ago, in order to be transparent about the books that I finish reading cover to cover, I started logging everything I completed on Instagram. This also gave me an opportunity to capture my immediate thoughts about the book. It became more than a place to collect my impressions; it was also for me an exercise in writing quickly and latching onto the book's strongest elements. Doing so made me a more confident and nimble critic. It also sparked a lot of great conversation. Some of it with many of you.

But Instagram is a platform for images not words. It's my hope to migrate my musings and observations into this newsletter. This space will also give me an opportunity to write at length about connections between books as well as themes and subjects that I want to explore more at length. I'm looking forward to reading backlist titles that deserve more attention and rereading books that have held my imagination for decades.

Newsletters work like physical correspondence. They lack the dynamic of a conversation. However, they also provide you with greater freedom to collect your thoughts without distraction or self-awareness. Twitter always felt like a performance to me. It was the equivalent of arriving late to a cocktail party with everyone else two to three drinks in, deep in conversation. If I arrived at a party like this, I'd often gravitate to the host's bookshelves. I've forged lifelong friendships this way, thus affirming my tendency to avoid overheated banter. Yes, I'm much more of a pen pal or a coffee companion. Please write to me and let me know what you think. I'm hoping that this becomes a bi-monthly newsletter. It's free for now because I'm just casting the net to see what shape this takes. I'm grateful you're reading my words and want to know what books you're dragging around with you. Please write to me and let me know. I want this to be as much a conversation as possible. 

As it happened, I regretted the decision to bring one novel with me because within two pages, I was disappointed. I ended up texting a friend to see what she was reading before hopping into the kiddie pool with my girls. That night, I took my mother's advice and started Elizabeth Strout's LUCY BY THE SEA. The fact that I hadn't read the three prior Lucy Barton books was inconsequential. My mom, who had borrowed my galley, couldn't put it down. She said it was cathartic. That was enough of a recommendation for me. I guess there are instances where I don't mind jumping into the middle of a conversation. It helps when you do so with the encouragement of a trusted reader. Let me be that reader for you, too.