What’s On Your Nightstand?

Welcome to another edition of The Nightstand Series! Kristina got us kicked off again last week and today I have another book-loving friend sharing her reading list and book recommendations!

Today I am excited to introduce you to my friend Julia!

Julia and I met on #bookstagram and right away we connected over our love of the same books! When she started her own book feed, I was super excited to follow along! She has great taste in books and always has such thoughtful comments with her reading recaps.

I love that we have very similar reactions to books and also that she reads “ahead”. She is a book reviewer too so she is often reading ARCs too and is able to discuss them with me before the actual publication dates! I love that reading is an escape for her too and I am super impressed that she prioritizes it while also being IN school.

I hope you enjoy getting to know a little about Julia today!

Nightstand Series Introduction:

Hi, I’m Julia! I’m from Michigan but am currently living in Lincoln, Nebraska with my boyfriend of 3 years. I’m a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and I conduct aging/Alzheimer’s research. Back home in Michigan, I have 2 dogs and 1 cat who I miss very much!

Hopefully next year or the year after, my boyfriend and I will move into a house that allows pets and get a cat. When I’m not reading or doing research, I really love to bake! I show some of my baked goods (and of course, lots of books) on my #bookstagram at @booksbitesbeaches.

What Kind of Reader Are You?

I grew up in a family of readers. My brother loves fantasy and science fiction, my mom loves general adult fiction and self-help books, and my dad was always reading the newspaper so it only felt natural to me to start reading at a young age.

The first books I can remember loving were in middle school when I read the A-List series and Gossip Girl. From there, I moved onto Sarah Dessen and my love for reading only grew throughout grade-school.

I fell off the reading train a bit with undergrad because other things seemed to take priority. That all changed about a year ago, actually! I was in the process of applying to graduate school and had been dealt with my first school rejection and I turned to a book to escape.

I read The Next Person You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom in one sitting and for 2019, it was my New Years Resolution to read more! I started with a small goal – 25 books. I quickly met that and upped my goal to 50. Right now, I’m starting my 64th book and plan to set my goal for 75 next year.

What Time of Day do You do Most of Your Reading?

I do most of my reading in the early morning before I have to get out of bed with a coffee mug on my nightstand and then again at night when I’m winding down. I really love my quiet mornings and it’s a nice way to wind down in the evening.

What Books Are You Currently Reading?

I just recently read Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid and really loved it! Genevieve and I both talked about how we didn’t love the ending, but I still think it’ll be a very talked-about book of 2020! Same with A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler. They’re both quite timely and I think they’d both be really great book club picks.

What Are You Reading Next?

My most anticipated book of 2020 is In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. The Dinner List was one of my favorite books of the year so I have high hopes for In Five Years.

I’m also excited for Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s newest, You Are Not Alone because they’re a favorite writing pair. (*For reference, their 2018 book is The Wife Between Us and their 2019 book is An Anonymous Girl)

Are There Any Books You Read and Didn’t Love?

I was recently disappointed by Not the Girl You Marry by Andie Christopher. It was essentially How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days but role reversal and in a book. It was lacking creativity and I need creativity in books! I don’t like to guess the ending 15 pages in, but sometimes a predictable romance is just what you need… it just wasn’t what I needed at the time.

What Are You Listening to?

I have never listened to an audiobook! It wasn’t until a few months ago that I finally started listening to podcasts because there’s just something about listening to other people’s voices through my headphones that can bother me.

The only podcast I consistently listen to is My Favorite Murder! I should probably read some true-crime stories given how much I love that podcast.

What Else is on Your Nightstand?

On my nightstand, I have all my essentials! I always have my Yeti water bottle with me. It keeps my water so nice and cold and I love it so much that I even have a Yeti coffee mug. I don’t usually care much about being brand loyal but they’re great products and I’ve dropped the water bottle multiple times and it’s still in great condition.

Even though I have multiple lip balms pictured, vaseline is still my go-to. It always cures my dry lips and knuckles in the winter and it’s so cost-effective! For on the go, I like Grove Collaborative’s Mint & Argan Lip Balm and then for going out, I like using Burt’s Bees colored balms.

My favorite skincare brand is Mario Badescu and this lotion is one of my favorites. I have one on my nightstand AND at my desk at work – that’s how good it is. It smells lovely and isn’t too expensive, which is important to me. I really like his products because most of them are vegan and cruelty-free and as far as skin-care goes, they’re pretty cheap!

I also have this journal, An Inspired Life, which includes prompts to reflect. It helps me reframe when I get stressed out and writing is one of my favorite forms of self-care, therefore, having this notebook close by helps me unwind in bed at night!

Lastly, an Anthropologie candle!! I try to get one of these for Christmas each year, and then treat myself once or twice throughout the year with one of these because they are the best candles out there. The volcano scents are my favorite and Nordstrom usually has them on sale.

Thank you so much for sharing today, Julia!!

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!