There’s no doubt about it that Christmas is one of the BEST times of the year, but it can also be one of the most hectic times too. Everyone is busy and running around like crazy trying to get last minute gifts or food prepped for family gatherings. Not to mention the said family or friends that can make it more stressful...you know what I’m talking about. As a way to decompress I’ve provided some nice ways to just be chillin’ like a villain during this holiday season and ways to cleanse your library!

BOOKISH CANDLES

You’ve probably heard this many times about how certain scents can help relax or soothe your soul. This is true on so many levels! Instead of recommending the usual regimen I’m going to suggest some bookish candles if you’re in the need for some - which are inspired by the worlds between the pages and literally books themselves.

• Frostbeard - this was the first bookish candle company I ever heard of so it’s been around for quite some time now and they have sooo many different scents!

• Wick and Fable - these candles usually come with a monthly or seasonal theme similar to book subscriptions (more on that later)

• Novelly Yours - another great option for novel inspired candles

DNF

Sometimes us book nerds have to save our sanity and just quit a book. This is something I’m still learning to overcome, but I keep telling myself this - if a book isn’t giving you joy or making you expand your thinking it’s time to put the book down for good. It’s okay to give up on a book. Accept that it’s not your cup of tea and move on with your life to reading another better book out there! Feel free to give it 50-100 pages though, just in case. You never know if a book will pick up after the beginning!

UNHAUL

I’m currently in the process of talking my husband into doing this. Do you have a lot of books on your shelves taking up space for no reason? Maybe you own some novels you enjoyed (and didn’t enjoy or are never going to get around to) and they’re just laying there never to be picked up again. I give you full permission to get rid of them! Surround yourself only with books that are going to continuously inspire you.

There are multiple ways to on how to get them out of your house and into other hands willing to read them. Just check out my previous post, The Season of Book Giving, to learn more ways to get into the spirit of the holidays.

CLEAR OUT TBR

This is pretty similar to unhauling your books. Clear out all the books on your TBR list that you’ll probably never end up reading. Focus on the books that you think you’ll enjoy the most and stop the self sabotage I beg of you! I’m currently working on emptying my own want to read shelf on Goodreads. I’m pretty sure last time I looked I had in the upper hundreds or possibly around 1,000? There is literally no way I’m going to read all those, especially with more amazing books coming out in the near future. It’s time to say buh-bye!

Need some encouragement? Check out the #DownTheTBRHole challenge by book blogger Lia via her blog Lost in a Story, where she began the book movement of clearing out your Goodreads TBR.

HAUL

Now fill up your personal library with some brand new shiny books! You may want to wait until after Christmas is over for this one. You might end up getting some cash or gift cards to use towards your haul! If you don’t want to wait, feel free to treat yourself!

FACE MASKS

Something super simple to do while you’re reading is to work some skincare magic on your face. You can either buy one from your local store for a few dollars or you can sign yourself up for a face mask subscription to try new ones (4-7 face masks) every month for about $9 through Facetory.

BATH BOMBS

These scentsy bombs of joy are perfect for a relaxing bath sesh. Bonus is to read while you're in there! Just be careful not to get your book wet although there's always the option of getting a bath tray to help solve that issue. There are quite a few bath bomb subscription boxes, but Fizzy Fairy Apothecary seems to have the most 5 star reviews. Go check them out for fandom inspired bath fizzies!

CURE FOR THE READING BLUES

If you’ve ever experienced a reading slump I’m sure you can agree with me that it’s one of the worst things a bookworm can go through. Not finding a good book to read can be a serious reading mood killer so instead of pouting about it give up your current read and move onto something else. When no book is sounding good to you then I think it’s time to get a refresher. Go get some recommendations from friends or when in doubt always return back to the book that got you into reading in the first place. For a lot of people it’s Harry Potter, but only you truly knows what book or series will do the trick. Dive back into the world that made you fall in love with reading and tell me you aren’t excited to read after that. It’s a total game changer.

When any of the above fails then it might be time to try something new and different. You could always try blackout poetry where you blackout words/phrases of a written work to create poetry out of the words remaining on the page. Another great idea is to try a book that’s outside of your normal or favorite genres to read from. Personally, I’m obsessed with YA Fantasy, but at times some of the books seem to get a little old and have stale plot lines. Lately I’ve been getting in a mood to read more classics which is a completely different genre for me. When you change your scenery it can give you many great benefits in the happiness of your reading life.

SCHEDULE IN SELF CARE TIME

I think we can all agree that a lot of us can feel under the weather randomly. Maybe you’re starting to get overwhelmed with work or school, that’s why it’s a perfect idea to pencil in some “me time” and/or good ole’ quality reading. Not only will it help you wind down during times of stress, but you’ll also have something to look forward to later in the week or month depending on how often you’re able to make it happen.

CLEANING & ORGANIZING

On top of the idea of hauling/unhauling those books I mentioned about earlier, it’s a good idea to clean your books and shelves and organize them  while you’re at it. You’ll feel so much better! To give you some ideas they could be separated by genre, author, color, read/to be read, etc.

Is there anything specific that you do to just chill with your books? Let me know down below so I can add it to my relaxation arsenal!

Other Related Article(s):

Your Self-Care Checklist for the Holiday Season | PureWow

Read my other posts in the #25DaysofBookmas series!

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