Natalie Nava, who experienced burnout, talks with Anne about reading as it relates to wintering and recovery. They discuss techniques for recovering from burnout and Anne suggests winter reading titles. They explore books with traumatic backstories, societal routines, complex relationships, and time travel.
Reading can be a valuable tool for recovering from burnout and finding a sense of renewal.
Exploring different genres and expanding your reading repertoire can be an exciting way to approach the new year.
Deep dives
Olga Dies Dreaming by Zochiel Gonzalez
Olga Acevedo, a Brooklyn wedding planner, must confront her past and her Puerto Rican roots as she navigates familial relationships and grapples with her own identity and sense of belonging.
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
Cassie, a bookstore employee, inherits the Book of Doors, a mysterious book that allows her to travel through time and space. As she discovers its power, she becomes entangled in a dangerous adventure involving powerful adversaries who also seek the book's abilities.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Amina, a renegade pirate captain, reluctantly takes on a mission to rescue a kidnapped girl and finds herself pulled back into a world of high stakes and dangerous adventures. Set in 12th century on the seas of the Indian Ocean, this historical fantasy explores themes of identity, belonging, and gender.
Potential Next Read
Natalie plans to read The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi by Shannon Chakraborty next.
Natalie Nava's guest submission caught our team's eye as a particularly timely topic for January: she was eager to talk to Anne about reading as it relates to wintering, burnout, and recovery.
After a decade of working in social advocacy, Natalie realized back in 2020 that she was dealing with serious burnout. One of the clues that something needed to change was Natalie's realization that, despite being an avid reader, she'd barely read any books in a few years.
Natalie decided it was time to act: she quit her job and moved to Portland, and since then, she's reclaimed reading as one of her favorite pastimes.
We know many readers might see themselves in Natalie's story, and today she and Anne are talking about the techniques that Natalie used to recover from her serious burnout. Anne also adds titles to Natalie's winter reading queue, including suggestions for the genres Natalie's excited to explore in the year ahead.
Find the full list of titles mentioned today and connect with Natalie on Goodreads. We have all of those links on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/415, where we'd love to see your recommendations for Natalie in our comments section.