There’s a quiet temptation at the start of a new year to rush.
New reading goals. New lists. New stacks waiting to be conquered. And while there’s nothing wrong with excitement, I’ve been noticing how easily it can pull me past something important: the space after a story ends.
THE LINGERING.
When Finishing Isn’t the End
For a long time, I treated finishing a book as a finish line. Close the cover, mark it complete, move on to the next one waiting patiently nearby.
But some stories don’t end when the last page is turned.
They echo.
They ask questions.
They settle into your thoughts in unexpected moments – while making coffee, folding laundry, or lying awake long after the house has gone quiet.
THESE ARE THE STORIES THAT DESERVE TO LINGER.
The Gift of Sitting With a Story
Letting a story linger doesn’t mean overanalyzing it or dissecting every detail. It simply means allowing yourself to stay with how it made you feel.
Did it leave you hopeful?
Unsettled?
Comforted?
Thoughtful?
Sometimes the most meaningful part of reading isn’t what happened in the story – it’s what stirred inside us because of it.
AND THAT KIND OF REFLECTION DOESN’T HAPPEN WHEN WE RUSH STRAIGHT INTO THE NEXT BOOK.
Why January Is the Perfect Time to Slow Down
January already carries a quieter energy. The decorations come down. The calendar feels open. The world seems to exhale after the busyness of the holidays.
It’s a perfect time to read – and reflect – more slowly.
Instead of asking, What’s next?
I’ve been asking, What stayed?
What line won’t let go of me?
What character still feels real?
What truth quietly followed me out of the story and into my own life?
Reading as a Practice, Not a Race
Letting stories linger has changed the way I read.
I pause more often.
I reread paragraphs.
I sit with quotes instead of skimming past them.
Reading becomes less about momentum and more about presence. Less about progress and more about connection.
AND IN A SEASON THAT’S ALREADY ENCOURAGING US TO SLOW DOWN, THAT FEELS LIKE A GIFT RATHER THAN A LOSS.
Making Space for the Quiet Work
Not every story is meant to be consumed quickly. Some are meant to be held gently – revisited in memory, returned to in thought, and allowed to do their quiet work over time.
This month, I’m intentionally giving stories that space.
I’M LETTING THEM LINGER.
There’s no rush. Some stories – and some seasons – unfold best when we let them stay.
Join the Conversation
Is there a book you’ve read recently that still lives in your thoughts — one you haven’t fully moved on from yet?
Sometimes the stories that stay with us the longest are the ones shaping us the most.
Share your thoughts below or join me on Instagram @adventurenlit !
Looking for book recs…
Adventures in Literature 
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