Finding Calm in the Dark: Books as Companions During Blackouts

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When the lights flicker out and the world falls silent, how do you find solace? Join me, Tanisha, as I share a personal story of navigating a power outage with nothing but the glow of a flashlight and the pages of "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross. The tranquility of reading in the dark can transform anxiety into calm, offering an escape where electricity cannot reach. Discover how books can be your steadfast companions during blackouts, engaging your imagination and keeping stress at bay. I'll also equip you with practical tips to stay prepared, ensuring your devices are charged and your books are within arm's reach when the next outage strikes.

Looking ahead, prepare for an exciting journey through upcoming episodes packed with intriguing book reviews. Mark your calendars for a full exploration of "Divine Rivals" next Wednesday, where the story of Iris Winnow, a reporter in a divine conflict, will unfold in all its mythical and complex glory. Following that, we'll continue the saga with "Ruthless Vows," diving deeper into this captivating narrative. This is not just about books; it’s about building a literary community where stories offer both adventure and solace. Share your current reads in the comments, as your recommendations might just be the next adventure we embark on together. Subscribe now and let’s journey into the pages together, even when the world outside is cloaked in darkness.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
all right.
So I thank you for yourpatience and thank you once
again to all of my returningmembers.
I say welcome back to my newpeople.
Hello and greetings andsalutations.
My name is tanisha.
This is wellness through reading.
So let me explain myself.
I had episode rates upload.
I was working on it last nightand then my power went out, so

(00:28):
I'm having to redo this again.
My power went out I think itwas what was it 10 o'clock last
night and it literally just cameback on, and so now I mean, I
waited for a couple hours tojust make sure it stayed on, and
so now I'm recording thisepisode.
So couple hours to just makesure it stayed on, and so now
I'm recording this episode.
So I'm sorry this got out to alittle bit late, but yes, so

(00:51):
guess what I was doing duringthat whole blackout?
I mean reading, of course.
I mean reading is the best wayto pass the time during a power
outage.
Reading definitely is a greatway to pass the time because it
doesn't require any electricity,go figure unless of course're
using a candle or something orlistening to an audiobook, and
it can be an immersive escape,whether you're diving into a

(01:12):
novel, catching up on a magazineor just enjoying a collection
of short stories, poems, etc.
Reading can make time fly by.
So if you have candles or aflashlight, it goes away to
spend the hours, or a flashlight, it goes away to spend the
hours.
So what I was reading duringthe blackout was divine rivals
by Rebecca Ross, and I was gonnaI'm just gonna hop on here real

(01:33):
quick and just say it was.
I finished all of it inliterally Wednesday.
I was halfway through and Ifinished the whole thing.
I was listening to theaudiobook while I was reading
through it.
It is an amazing read.
I talked about this on my tiktok.
You know literary love.
I had literary love.
Go follow me on there as welltoo.
And you know I got a mixedresponse.
Some people said theyabsolutely loved it, some people
said they absolutely hated itand, honestly though, I

(01:56):
understand the hate side of it,because if you're not a
mythology fan, it some of theconcepts might go over your head
a little bit.
There really isn't a lineartime limit, because you're
talking about mythology in aWorld War II type setting, but
the date is like in 1800.
So there's a lot of thingsgoing on.
There's a lot of classism, alot of sexism as well too.

(02:17):
I definitely feel like acentral theme of Divine Rivals
is the difference um the divinefeminine and the toxic masculine
, and I promise I will do a fullbook review on part one divine
rivals next week.
I'm currently working on thesequel, which is ruthless vows
is a sequel.
The series of letters ofenlightenment I'm a champion,

(02:41):
I'm a champion, america boss.
So more on that in the comingweeks.
So if you haven't already hitthat subscribe button, that way
you stay updated when thoseepisodes come up to date.
But today's episode, I reallywant to talk about all the
benefits of reading during theblackout, and obviously I
already went over one, which isum pass the time.
But reading is an excellent wayto pass the time during a

(03:01):
blackout for several reasons.
Number one no electricityneeded.
Unlike tv, playing a video game, reading doesn't require power,
making a reliable option whenthe highlights go out.
And number two, it engages yourimagination.
A good book can transport youto another world, allowing you
to escape the reality of theblackout and immerse yourself in
a story or new ideas not gonnalie.
At towards the end of theblackout I was starting to lose

(03:23):
a little hope because it's goingto get dark again, and when
there's no power hour it's dark,dark Like.
It's kind of scary.
So it was nice to have as astory to kind of lose myself
into and just take myself out ofmy current situation.
And which leads me to numberthree is soothing and calming.
Power hours can be veryunsettling and scary, especially
if they last for a very longtime.

(03:45):
Reading can provide a sense ofcalm, helping to reduce anxiety
or boredom Especially theanxiety part as well too.
There was a huge winter stormthat happened and literally half
a million people in my arealost power, and it was a huge
storm, scary for a while there.
Oh, also, for those of you whoare listening, if you hear dogs
barking in the background,please forgive me, those are my

(04:07):
neighbors dogs.
Those are not mine, but yeah,so definitely brought me a
little bit of a relief.
And number four it kept meproductive instead of feeling
unproductive during a blackout.
Reading keeps your mind activeand engaged.
It is an easy way to keeplearning and enjoying your hobby
.
It gives you something to do.
You know what I mean.
It was just nice.

(04:28):
It was, as I said, I wasrecently listening to the
audiobook as well too, followingalong with my book that I was
reading, and it was just a goodway to just kind of just stop
thinking about what I was goingthrough and just fully immerse
myself into this incredible read.
Also, no need for screens.
Well, if you have a physicalbook that's not on your screen,
but if you're using your kindle,then obviously you're using a

(04:48):
screen.
Blackouts can leave peoplefeeling disconnected due to a
lack of digital devices.
Reading a physical book offersa break from screen time and
lets you focus on something moreanalog.
Well, also, I was listening toit on my um tablet, which was my
kindle, where I put my kindleapp on, and also listening to it
via audiobook.
This is why I always have atleast one audiobook and one like

(05:10):
kindle book downloaded onto mytablet, in the case of like a
power outage as well, too.
So at least I have something toread.
And also I have bookseverywhere in my house, so
always something to read.
And also this is why I alwayssay always keep your devices
plugged in.
This is a little thing haveflashlights, have water, have,

(05:33):
you know, batteries.
Also get a power bank thoselittle things you can get on
Amazon.
That really helped keep my cellphone charged as well too.
So in case you ever, in case ofa blackout, and also for
reading grade for ages, whetheryou're reading with children,
love to yourself.
So the educational reading is aversatile option for any age
group.

(05:53):
And then number seven it isportable and flexible.
Books don't need to be pluggedin so you can read it anywhere,
by a candlelight or a cozycorner, even outdoors, if the
weather and the safety ispermitted.
Or a cozy corner, even outdoors, if the weather and the safety
permits it.
Oh goodness, that dog, that dog, that dog.
Forgive me if you hear it, itis a loud little mutt, but we're

(06:16):
going to put it on the board.
Okay, so books are portable andflexible.
Books don't need to be pluggedin so you can read them anywhere
.
Number eight improves focus andattention with fewer
distractions.
Books are portable and flexible.
Books don't need to be pluggedin so you can read them anywhere
.
Number eight improves focus andattention with fewer
distractions notifications on orbackground noises like a dog
barking.
Reading can improve yourconcentration and deepen your
focus.

(06:36):
It was kind of nice not going tolie Every now and then.
It's nice to just turn off allyour devices, all your TVs, and
just read.
I mean mean, it got kind ofcold in here, not gonna lie, but
it was just nice just had thattime to just dedicate myself to
a book, and also, it just makesthe time go by faster.
I will say I looked up I didn'teven realize it was three
o'clock already.
I was like, oh and when mypower went out two o'clock last

(06:59):
night, so obviously slept.
They woke up this morning, gotbreakfast read from nine o'clock
to three.
Sure story.
When you're engrossed in a goodbook, the hours just tend to
fly by.
You pass more quickly, makingthe blackout feel less prolonged
.
So, honestly, though, what wascrazy is that I literally
finished the book aboutenchantment, about the gods and

(07:20):
goddesses, about this wholeworld, and then boom, it's like
the gods knew what I needed.
Okay, so let's plug on.
Now she's ready.
And also just number 10, the10th reason why reading during a
blackout is so good.
It's a breakthrough technology.
A power outage offers a chanceto disconnect from the digital
world.
Reading can improve a healthyalternative to constant barges

(07:40):
of emails, texts and socialmedia.
So in a blackout, reading isn'tjust an activity.
It can be an enriching,enjoyable way to make the best
out of an awkward anduncomfortable and scary
situation.
So this week's episode is notgoing to be that long, because
this next week next two weeksactually is going to be even
longer.
I promise I'll make a longerone, but I just wanted to get

(08:03):
this out to you just to give youtips and tricks in case you're
going through it or just in casesomething like this comes up,
because blackout just do happen.
So just stay prepared, not onlyin terms of our reading, but
also make sure you have yourbatteries, everything,
everything, flashlights, makesure all that system is up to
date and ready to go, just incase you just never know.
So, going forward with thepodcast, so next week uh, here

(08:27):
in the united states we arecelebrating thanksgiving, so
there will be a podcast episodeon next wednesday, the 27th.
That episode I will be doing afull book review on the book
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross,and then the week after that
I'll do the sequel, which is theRuthless Vows.

(08:48):
So I'm telling you it is a goodone, this book.
I'm just going to give you alittle brief excerpt.
It's basically about a youngwoman by the name of iris winnow
.
She's a reporter.
I'm reporting about this warthat's been going on waging on
between these two gods that umhave been going to war with each
other for different reasons,and you do get to see both sides

(09:12):
of it, you start to realizethat these gods are not to be
trusted.
Most gods in mythology they arenot to be trusted.
They always have ulteriormotives and all that fun jazz.
So, like I said it's, there'sso many layers to it that you
really I need a full episode tojust break that down.
So I'm gonna do that next weekand also any other books that
you guys like to read orcurrently read right now.

(09:33):
Comment below what books you'rereading and you know I might
mention your note, comment yourcomments in the next episode and
then I might actually do a bookreview on it.
So we will see.