Happy Sunday! It’s been a FULL week, 6 days of people and honestly – this introverted girl is wiped out.
Don’t get me wrong… I love people, I love being out there, love my family/friend time, I love everything I do and wouldn’t change a thing… however, because of the way I am wired – even hanging out with people and not doing anything more than sitting and chatting, wipes out my energy. I need a day of alone time just doing what I want… things like this… blogging, cleaning, raking, walking the dogs, and recharging my batteries. Seriously. That’s how it works.
Always has.
By the end of today I will be firing on all cylinder’s again and planning out my week and itching to connect.
What. A. Weirdo. ;P
The best book I ever read (really listened to) about this was The Power of An Introvert by Susan Cain. Seriously, highly recommended to anyone who sometimes feels guilty because they just don’t want to, craves an evening or weekend of not leaving the house, or feels drained after meetings and group participations.
“Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. often feelings they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.”
“The highly sensitive [introverted] tend to be philosophical or spiritual in their orientation, rather than materialistic or hedonistic. They dislike small talk. They often describe themselves as creative or intuitive. They dream vividly, and can often recall their dreams the next day. They love music, nature, art, physical beauty. They feel exceptionally strong emotions–sometimes acute bouts of joy, but also sorrow, melancholy, and fear. Highly sensitive people also process information about their environments–both physical and emotional–unusually deeply. They tend to notice subtleties that others miss–another person’s shift in mood, say, or a lightbulb burning a touch too brightly.”
The books in the picture are those that graced my door step this weekend.
The Kristen Hannah books, Firefly Lane (I read so many years ago it was before I was writing reviews) and Fly Away the follow up book that I honestly may have read… and can not recall. Neither of these books were on my book shelves (until now). The renewed interest is of course due to the Netflix series, Firefly Lane that I recently watched and fell in love with the story line yet again. (I have this long ago memory of being on a bus in Honduras and crying as I finished what I recall as Firefly Lane… it may have been the sequel… )
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead: Promises to be an interesting and probably hard read about the true story of the horrors that happened in the 1960’s in Tallahassee at the reform school for boys, Nickel Academy. This is our Books Burgers and Brews ZOOM discussion on April 19th. Anyone is welcome to join in.
Wolf Kill by Cary Griffith: LOVE Cary Griffith! Gunflint Burning is a book I recommend for anyone who loves history, Minnesota history to be specific and the famous Gunflint Trail and the fire that destroyed so much. This new book I am very excited about as well. Thank you Cary for dropping that in the mail for me!
Have you read any of these? Have you read QUIET? What books are in your world this week?
Book Journey 
I am definitely an introvert who needs to recharge my batteries after time spent socializing with friends and family. The year of isolation has provided plenty of recharging time…and even now that I can go to activities and dining within the community, I often take a day off just to contemplate life and read.
I also loved the Netflix series, and hope there is another season!
I have The Nickel Boys, and hope to read it soon.
Hey Laurel, That is my plan for today… I really need two days to catch up on things around the house but today – I just want to write, vedge, and read. You should read the Nickel Boys and join up on April 19th for the discussion. You can always just listen in 🙂
Interesting insights on the life of an introvert. Relate to many of the characteristics. It’s interesting how the extrovert-introvert dynamics play out in family situations. My younger daughter, a major extrovert, can’t digest the idea of leaving me with a problem she needs helps with. She just likes to sit with me and talk through it. Took a while to get used to her style.
There are many great quotes from the book QUIET, and some really apply to me – I can lead a meeting, plan events, and put myself in almost any situation and you would never know that it zaps my energy. I do sense when someone’s tone or the energy changes around them and have always felt that i could read another person well. I am definitely emotional and hold on to memories tight but often do not let that side of me show so as not to make anyone uncomfortable.
I love the names on the list of famous people that are introverts:
Steven Spielberg
Bill Gates
Albert Einstein
Rosa Parks
Mark Zuckerburg
JK Rowling
Hillary Clinton
Meryl Streep
Barack Obama
I’ve read Firefly Lane but never the sequel and I’ve been wanting to read The Nickel Boys, in fact when it came off the mod at work I didn’t send it back with the others but kept it on my flex endcap just in case. I forgot it was your BB&B read. They’re probably gone now!
Yay for the author drop! I love Minnesota books. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks, Angie, you should see if the book is still around and join us for the discussion. I think it is going to be a good one.
Hey, thanks, Sheila. I hope you enjoy it, and all these other reads, as well.
Cary
Thanks, Cary!
LOVED Firefly Lane and Nickel Boys. The ending to Nickel Boys blew me away, and there is a Netflix series of Firefly Lane–very Hollywoodized, however.
OOH good to know about Nickel Boys!
I liked both Nickel Boys and Fire Fly Lane, but haven’t read Fly Away. I hope you enjoy them.
Nothing wrong with being an introvert; it’s great that you know that about yourself and ensure that you have enough alone time.
Hey Helen, I get a lot of people saying there is no way I am an introvert – but I certainly am – I am just one that can push myself out of my comfort zone tp get things done 😉
I am definitely an introvert. I just finished reading The Paris Library. Loved it, and learned something new about WW II. I had never heard about crow letters. Letters citizens of France sent to the police ratting out people. I get to read Kristin Hannah’s new book The Four Winds next. I have yet to read Firefly Lane and Fly Away. Your granddaughter is adorable btw!
Four Winds was very good! Enjoy!
It’s funny because to those around me I am an extrovert BIG time. It does come out in me when others are around but if you give me the choice between staying in or going out, I will 9 times out of 10 choose staying in. My friends laugh because I am always telling them that I do not love people. Haha. Obviously, they don’t believe this about me.
I haven’t read any of the books in your photo but you may remember me saying I’ve never read Hannah. I think I will soon but I get hung up on historical fiction. It’s not my fave genre.
I feel extroverted when I am around people I know, for sure. I don’t feel Firefly Lane is historical fiction, although Hannah does write that genre. Firefly Lane is more women’s friendships and the power of them. It really is a beautiful story.