Nothing Much Happens

Cozy and Calming Stories to Soothe Your Mind and Help You Sleep

By: Kathryn Nicolai

Narrated by: Kathryn Nicolai

Based on the popular podcast, soothing stories to carry you off to deep, restful sleep

Busy minds need a place to rest. Whether you find yourself struggling to sleep, awake in the middle of the night, or even just anxious as you move through the day, in Nothing Much Happens, Kathryn Nicolai offers a healthy way to ease the mind before bed: through the timeless appeal of classic bedtime stories.

Already beloved by millions of podcast listeners, the stories in Nothing Much Happens explore and expose small sweet moments of joy and relaxation: Sneaking lilacs from an abandoned farm in the spring. Watching fireflies from the deck in the summer. Visiting the local cider mill in the autumn. Watching the tree lighting in the park with friends in the winter.

You'll also find sixteen new stories never before featured on the podcast, along with whimsical illustrations, recipes, and meditations. Using her decades of experience as a meditation and yoga teacher, Kathryn Nicolai creates a world for you to slip into, one rich in sensory experience that quietly teaches mindfulness and self-compassion, soothes frayed nerves, and builds solid habits for nurturing sleep.

A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE

*This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF that contains illustrations, recipes, and crafts from the book.

Critic reviews

“A charming collection of short almost-stories intended as an antidote to insomnia and restlessness. . . . Nicolai accomplishes what no other author would want to hear: these stories can put people to sleep.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This collection of very short stories is designed to help readers fall and stay asleep. The stories follow the seasons, starting with winter, and rely heavily on the senses; there are a lot of lovely smells, soft and comfy things, and delicious foods, all described in detail and often accompanied by illustrations in muted tones. Peppered throughout are recipes, meditations, and other relaxation techniques. . . . The stories do succeed in their goal of helping readers sleep better, and couldn’t we all use more of that?”
—Booklist

It's the podcast but better...

I have been a fan of Kathryn Nicolai's podcast of the same name for a while now. I listen to her soothing voice reading her calming stories nearly every night. For someone with sleep issues stemming back to childhood trauma to be able to say her work and voice makes me feel safe says a lot.

The podcast is great but I'd sometimes be awake for the next story, or simply want to listen to several as I rest during the day without actually trying to sleep, and have to listen to the intro to the next story which was frustrating. With this book, there's no intro interrupting between stories.

I also must say that these are some of her absolute best. They're perfect. They're pure, calming, delicate, soothing, comforting, and warm.

Thank you for writing and reading this book, Kathryn.

Excellent Stories

I listen to this almost every night. I love that it's written almost like "In a Year" sort of style. As much as I love her podcasts this is my favorite. I keep hoping for a part 2!

Wonderful!

I love Kathryn’s stories and her voice. Her kind stories inspire me and remind me to find the beauty and joy in each and every day.

Sweet Dreams

I’m already a fan of the podcast Nothing Much Happens, so it’s no surprise that I love the audiobook as well! The authors voice is perfect for settling me down to sleep, and the stories are all sweet little vignettes full of simple pleasures.

Please make another one!

This was great! Helped me sleep and reset my mindset so I’ve been walking up in a better space. I hope there are sequels planned.