Pink Lifestyle: Simplifying Life with Books

Minimalism is a fantastic word, but unfortunately it doesn't have the glowing, happy ring to it that I want to hear. So, I'm referring to a minimalistic lifestyle as 'pink' from now on. :)

Do your thoughts ever weigh you down like mine? Do they ever wear out your whole body, and cast a shadow over your life?

Often I find I have too many thoughts. My mind spins at an extraordinary pace, jumping from thought train to thought train. If I had not found a way to slow them down, I wouldn't have made it in life. I think the concept of minimalism can apply even here. I really define a 'pink' lifestyle as one that has been made simple, and as a result, simplifying my thoughts has also been on my priority list.
Books are my go-to solution. Books relax me, and they take me away from the things that I haven't otherwise been able to really let go of, those worries that I can't shake, those problems I can't solve. No, it's not cowardly running away from life, it's taking the control away from life, and setting life aside for a moment, so that you can deal with it better when you pick it back up. It's saying: "I need a few minutes to calm down, to re-set, and then I can tackle it."

I learned something super interesting as I was scrolling through Modern Mrs. Darcy the other day, something about relaxing the brain with a good novel. In short, she explains how easy it is to take what she calls "fake breaks". It may be a break from work, but is it really recharging you? How many breaks are really just wasting your time and not preparing you for productivity? You've got to unplug, in every sense. Even just for a few minutes.

 I have recently discovered that the a "real break" for me is to take a 15 minute lie-down-on-my-bed-and-close-my-eyes-but-not-sleep...would you still call it a nap? Afterwards I feel so refreshed! And according to this article, books check out in the "real break" category. Check out the rest of her post here for the specifics of "fake breaks" and motivation to raid the library this summer. Now that I have explained just how ESSENTIAL it is to read, let me give you a few ideas to get started.

                                                          #1 The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

        Time travel, fantasy, adventure, paradise, and pirate ships;it may seem like a typical Young Adult fantasy novel, but Heidi crafts her sentences beautifully, and adds many thought-provoking lines about life and love, leaving and arriving. Unfortunately I can't give it exactly 10 out of 10 because of the salty sailor talk, but it gets as close to perfect as it can otherwise.

 #2 The Moonraker's Bride by Madeleine Brent

         

Treasure maps, culture clashes, survival; China meets Victorian England. This little adventure contains a hilarious satiric tone, criticizing the rigid rules of society in England, and weaves a story with a feel of reality. It's the basic story that everyone knows disguised by cross-cultural mishaps and realistic characters. It's the tale of the Moonraker's Bride.

#3 The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

     Only after reading the true Sherlock Holmes did I fully appreciate the impressive skill of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I don't believe that I have ever been closer to believing in the superstitions of the common folk of a story than at 95% of the way through this book. Some mysteries I can solve on my own, most I solve mostly, but this one I had given up entirely, sure that even Mr. Holmes could not figure this one out. But he did. The only other mystery to rival it is And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie.

#4 Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

     This is my number one, top-of-the-list, favorite story ever. A mystery full of mistaken, as well as lost identity, ghosts of the past, and yet the hope of something new and beautiful. Beautiful imagery, and character development, mixed with the haunting eeriness of the past and surprises at every corner.

Happy reading! 

-Kae-