At 22, I met myself for the first time.
After stepping away from a strict religious upbringing, I found myself disoriented, raw, and unsure of how the “real world” actually worked. I didn’t have a blueprint. I didn’t even know where to begin.
But I had books.
They became my lifeline, my quiet teachers, bold mentors, and constant escape. Books showed me who I was and hinted at who I could become over time. Every page felt like a hopeful future.
And there was.
At 37, as I stepped into entrepreneurship and started building my business, I returned to books again. This time, I read for courage. I read for wisdom. I read to remind myself that we are never done growing, evolving, or becoming and that other amazing woman had become successful and that I can do it too.
Then, this year at 43, I lost my dad.
He passed away on June 13, 2025, and since then, there has been a clear dividing line in my life: before loss and after.
Grief has a way of reshaping everything. It made me question what matters. It made me long for grounding, for meaning, for a way to reconnect with myself when everything else felt unfamiliar. Once again, I turned to books, not to escape this time, but to heal.
Now, I’ve created The Literary Assistant Book Club because I want to share this space with you.
This is for the women who are ready to grow, learn, and evolve but want to do it with heart. This club isn’t just about turning pages. It’s about turning inward. It’s a space where we’ll explore books that challenge us to think differently, to feel deeper, and to take action toward the lives we want.
Some of the books we’ll read will offer us mindset shifts. Others will give us tools to break patterns and build something new. All of them will offer us the gift of connection—to ourselves, to our purpose, and to a community of like-minded women who are walking the same road.
And I get it. You’re busy. I’m busy.
That’s why this book club is built to meet you where you are. You’ll get morning motivations to start your day with intention and energy in the chat. Each week, I’ll share a summary of the key takeaways from the book, so even if you don’t have time to read cover to cover, you’ll still absorb the inspiration and the lessons.
No pressure. No guilt. Just growth.
And all of it for the cost of a cup of coffee.
Because investing in yourself should feel simple, supportive, and powerful.
If you’ve been craving something more… a new rhythm, a fresh perspective, a nudge toward your next chapter… consider this your invitation.
Are you ready to turn some pages and step into a new version of you?
Here’s what we’re reading to kick things off the next three months:
August 1st: Attitudes of Gratitude by M. J. Ryan
September 1st: The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
October 1st: The Kindness Method by Shahroo Izadi
All of my reading reflections/recommendations and interviews will remain free and accessible to everyone. The only reason the book club portion requires a subscription is to create a safe and intentional space. When I tried to open the chat previously, the discussion area was flooded with spam and unpleasant comments. I truly want this to be a place for growth, reflection, and community—where those who join do so with intention and heart.
Join me right here on Substack as we begin this journey together. All the conversations, encouragement, and reflections will happen right in your inbox.
Let’s grow together, one page at a time.
We start today, August 1st!
As a community we have now donated 16 books to women who need them.💝
For every membership upgraded to $5, we donate a historical fiction or romance book to a local women’s shelter.
Affiliate links are used at no extra cost to you, but they help me earn a small amount—just enough to grab a tea and keep writing! ☕
Love this! Good for you. Thanks for being so extra vulnerable lately.
Thank you for this beautiful piece. It resonated deeply — especially the way you wrote about grief not as a single event but as something that reshapes time, memory, even language.
I'm currently working on my first novel, which also centres on grief — its quiet, disorienting aftermath, and how it weaves itself into the fabric of everyday life. Writing through it has been a way of learning how to carry it, how to keep moving while holding something that never fully leaves.
Reading this reminded me why we write in the first place. To say: I was here. This mattered. Thank you again for sharing your words.