Tis the season for everyone to start lamenting the loss of daylight, which for those of us in the North means it gets dark before 4:30pm. Most people really do not like when daylight saving time switches over to standard time (and the clocks go back an hour as they did on Sunday morning). So much in fact, that there is a proposed federal law, The Sunshine Protection Act, aimed at making daylight saving time permanent.

The thing is, I really love when we go back to standard time. I don’t actually mind that it gets darker earlier. I looked this up because I was curious about the two, and it turns out, research suggests daylight saving time is actually worse for your body and health. The early-morning sunlight during standard time helps maintain our circadian rhythms, sleep-wake cycles and overall health. Maybe this doesn’t apply to night owls, but as a morning person, I feel like myself again when we switch back to standard time.

More light in the early morning and less light in the evening is generally better for our circadian clock. And if you’re wondering where I’m going with this, I find it’s also better for reading. Is there anything better than curling up with a book and an extra hour to read because it’s dark out anyway? Before you know it, it will be winter solstice, and the days will be getting longer again. But now is the perfect opportunity to savor a little extra time to curl up with a book, and let nature guide your circadian alignment, or something like that.

This month’s Book Thread is a good one! I read nine novels (over two months) and have four fabulous books on my radar. Read on for my honest thoughts on the bestsellers, back listed titles, and children’s picture books I’ve read. Plus my secret hack for getting new releases from the library when they first come out.