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July 24, 2025

Reading Rituals with Worms, curated by Clem MacLeod.

As the days slow their rhythm, we find comfort in rituals that calm the spirit and spark the mind.

We welcome writer, editor, and publisher Clem MacLeod, who invites us into her reading ritual and shares the four books currently resting by her bedside.

Clem, what is your current reading ritual?

Before bed is fiction time. At the moment I'm aiming to read one classic per month, so I'm currently reading 'The Age of Innocence' by Edith Wharton. I'm trying to squeeze in an hour of that every night before bed. Weekends and if I get a bit of time off during the day, is non-fiction time. I'm reading 'The Politics of Trauma' by Staci K Haines for my non-fiction fix right now. I do a lot of highlighting and note-taking, so I prefer doing this when my brain is a little more alert. The time I spend reading every day is my sacred time. No phones, no distractions. I was in New York last week and I got a candle from the East Village witch, so that accompanied me for a few days of reading too.

All About Love
By Bell Hooks

I've just finished reading this for the second time. I just think that hooks should be read by everyone, she should be taught in schools and sung from the rooftops!This book is less about love in the romantic sense and more about spirituality and the meaning of life. I'd recommend it to anyone seeking care, compassion, insight, and wisdom from a reading experience.

Losing Eden
By Lucy Jones

I read this book last year, and it changed the way 
I see the world.
 Lucy Jones is the kind of writer I dream of becoming.
 At its core, this book explores the profound and positive impact nature has on our mental health.
 It’s deeply researched and incredibly informative — yet written with such beauty and clarity that you almost don’t realise how much you’re learning.

Loving Corrections
By Adrienne Maree Brown

This is a beautiful collection of essays on how we can hold ourselves — and one another — accountable for our histories, and how we might work toward a more just and compassionate world.
 Adrienne Maree Brown invites us to recognise the conditioning behind our belief systems and shows us how to 'lovingly correct' these inherited ways of thinking. I’d recommend this to anyone navigating politically awkward relationships or simply trying to make sense of the current societal climate.
 Brown’s tenderness in addressing the reader offers a quiet, steady hope — a belief that love can, and will, heal the world.

Deliverywoman
By Eva Wyles

These short stories mark Eva Wyles’ debut collection — and I was so impressed by each one.
 Wyles has a remarkable ability to draw the reader into the consciousness of her characters, illustrating their 
inner worlds with striking precision. I found myself completely invested in every story.
 If you enjoy stories that read like a fabulous TV series, this one’s for you.