> It helps when I remember I can read it in small bits and pieces around fiction and fanfic

Yes, exactly!!

Some people who work on straight-up nonfiction history are extremely engaging and compelling writers, but a lot of people aren't. Which is fine, of course! Still, as I gradually tear myself away from the cult of academia, I've been trying to keep in mind that research (and nonfiction reading in general) should be a treat, not a chore.

It took me a while to figure this out, and I was so happy once I did.