Julia Tannenbaum's Blog, page 3

The Best LGBTQ+ Books I Have Read (So Far)

Happy Pride Month! In my quest to return to the avid reader I was in my youth, I’ve poured through dozens of books over the past year. Many were queer-themed, and many of those (though certainly not all) were quite good. If you’re anything like me and love a good queer storyline and character(s), then the following list of my favorite LGBTQ+ reads (in no particular order) might just be for you.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

In Alice Walker’s 1982 classic, the protagonist’s journey of understa...

There’s Nothing Natural About This

I am in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. It’s a beautiful, high-sixties-degree day in late June with luminous rays of sunlight gleaming through my bedside window and a gentle breeze rustling the flourishing flora outside. I’m lying on my bed, on the final full day of my first vacation in what feels like forever, reading Susan Cain’s Quiet to the pleasant ambiance of chirping birds. This is how I remember the Vineyard, from the many summers in my childhood when my family and I vacationed here. Peace...

The Reality of Eating Disorder Recovery

It’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and to honor my journey and the journey of the millions of other brave warriors who are currently battling or have battled an eating disorder, I want to write about a part of that journey that’s often overlooked: recovery. I find it rather shortsighted that in media portrayals, literature, and even treatment, recovery is rarely given the attention and recognition it deserves. It’s arguably the most important—and, in my experience, certainly the most ...

The Best Books I Read in 2021

A lot happened in 2021. Some of it was good. Most of it was not. For me, one of the best things that came out of this whirlwind of a year was that I rediscovered my love of reading. Until high school, I loved reading. I was the kid who’d go through three, sometimes four books a week and was always on the lookout for a new story to sink my teeth into. I’m convinced that the abundance of books I read in my youth fostered both my creativity and love of writing.

When I began to write seriously, howe...

Food for Thought: Thanksgiving

For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been my least favorite holiday. While those around me would eagerly anticipate the time spent with loved ones and the copious amounts of festive food, I’d secretly (and sometimes not-so-secretly) dread both. It’s not that I don’t love my extended family—I do very much—or that I hate food; contrary to popular belief, even at the height of my anorexia, I still liked food. I just found the whole ordeal overwhelming, overhyped, and, especially in recen...

Volunteering at a Farm Animal Sanctuary

For the past month or so, I’ve been volunteering once a week at JP Farm Animal Sanctuary, an amazing place that provides a permanent home for rescued farm animals about an hour west of where I live. I discovered JP through social media, and, despite having no experience with farm animals, decided to reach out to see if they could use my help. I was genuinely interested in socializing with and learning more about the animals too, especially after reading their stories of how they came to the farm...

How to Cope with Writer’s Block

Writer’s block. It’s arguably the most infuriating aspect of being a writer, and yet we’ve all had to deal with it at some point, likely more than once. There are few things quite as aggravating for a writer as staring at a blinking cursor, just waiting for thoughts and ideas that clearly aren’t going to come, and wondering how long you’ll have to endure this creative slump. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, it will last for only a few days; other times, the stuckness will persist for weeks or even mo...

Incredible Mental Health Benefits of Being in Nature

Growing up, I loved to be outdoors. I was the type of kid who could spend hours exploring nature, climbing trees, playing with rocks, swimming in lakes—you name it. Then, when I was in middle school, I slipped into a deep depression, and any desire I had to be outdoors disappeared from my life. For years, the extent of my outdoor activity was a periodic walk through my neighborhood; aside from that, I spent the vast majority of my time holed up in my bedroom.

As I’ve progressed in recovery, I’ve...