What’s On Your Nightstand?

A major bookworm problem, as many will (grudgingly) agree with me, is our ever growing list of TBR.

One way, personally, I have learnt to tackle this is to divide my reading time between different books depending on the time of the day.

Case in point, as I have admitted in the past here, reading horror at bedtime is probably never going to be a good idea for me. The sweet spot for me lies with books that that are gentle, healing, sublime, books that make me want to snuggle in deeper under the covers, or pull away the curtains and look at the starry skies as I drift off to sleep.

After much deliberation, many additions and omissions, I curated a selective list of books, covering 4 themes – Poetry, Romance, Magic and Feel Good that currently have a space on my nightstand. These are the books I turn to, when my tired soul needs some soothing.

1. Your Soul is a River – Nikita Gill

“What if I told you

for this moment between us,

the whole universe

had to be created?”

Covering elements that form the universe, Nikita Gills weaves a magical web with her words, some compositions as short as 2 lines. I assure you though, that even the shortest of her poems will have you sighing wistfully, staring at the full moon, and feeling healed.

2. The Fault in our Stars

For the longest time, I did not pick up this book as I had a faint idea of the storyline and did not want to dive deep into this emotional roller coaster. How wrong (and right) I was, as it was just the kind of book I needed to sink into after a long day at work.

I mean, are you even normal if you haven’t crushed on Augustus Waters?

3. Stardust – Neil Gaiman

“Are we human because we gaze at the stars,

or do we gaze at them because we are human?’’

At the heart of this magical fable, lies the story of a young man who leaves the comforts of his home to seek an adventure. Visit Faerie with Tristran who longs to win the heart of his beloved and in the journey learns so much more, and learns to value that what is most important. I first read this book on my kindle, but later went and bought the illustrated edition and re-immerse myself in that experience.

I truly love Neil Gaiman’s writing so much – it is magical, subtle, hilarious and makes you want to take notes as you’re reading.

Stardust really is one of those few books that will see you off into sweet magical dreams ❤

4. Humans – Matt Haig

What does it mean to be a Human? Matt Haig tackles this all important question in a humorous but thought provoking manner, in his first published book, The Humans. An Alien is sent to planet Earth to destroy evidence that proves interstellar travel is possible. The Alien however has to blend in with the humans as he goes about fulfilling his mission. What happens next covers the most basic elements of what it means to be a human, living on our weird, over crowded, but endearing planet earth!

Have you read any of these and what would be your recommendations for your nightstand reads?