From the Editor:

My parents are always telling me that I need to slow down, stop doing so much, take better care of myself. I’m the first to admit that I do tend to run myself a bit ragged. There are bands to see, and author talks to attend. Writing groups, book clubs, dance-in-the-dark. Pilates, saunas, workouts in front of my TV. There are friends to visit, wine to drink; there are dinners out to enjoy. Oh, please, don’t feel sorry for me—it’s really not as bad as it sounds.

My folks do have a point, though. The introvert in me sometimes screams, “Let me rest!” And, after I’ve dragged him around town, so does my boyfriend. So, I decided to humor them both recently, and we spent an entire Sunday on the couch, reading. The dog curled into my side, we put a record on, and we kept our coffee mugs (and, later, our beer glasses) full. And we read. For hours.

I think you can all see where this is going. Reader, it was like I’d been raptured to literary heaven.

Music, snuggles, delicious beverages, and books. I’m revising my approach to life as we speak; I don’t think there’s anything wrong with blocking out time in your calendar that just says, “Reading.” In fact, it occurs to me that I don’t need those “Workout” blocks in my planner. Delete, replace.

If your schedule is busy, I hope you can find some book-shaped gaps in it. If you have already been planning your days around where and when you can fit in some quality book time, you don’t need to listen to me—you’ve got it all figured out already.

There’s a lot of great stuff in this issue, including love, poetry, time travel, bookshelf judgement, murder, belonging, self-reckoning, horror, transformation, and a whole lot more wonderfully bookish stuff. Perfect for a Sunday couch session!

Happy reading!

Gemma Peckham

Editor

Oh Reader