Hi! I try to avoid checking my stats very often so I don’t get obsessive about them, but this week, I hit 800 subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here! I appreciate all of you who share and send my work along, those of you who are paid supporters, and those of you who are here, reading along. I am grateful for you.
Reading
I am in a reading slump, y’all. I’m right on track with my “numbers” to meet my goal of reading 75+ books this year, but I am trying to find some new books to get into. I’ve been reading some nonfiction, self-helpish stuff (currently, The Book of Boundaries, by Melissa Urban, which I’m likely going to put down, not because it’s not good, but because I have been in therapy for long enough that her scripts are not what I’m seeking. That said, if you need boundaries help, this is a great tool!). The last THREE fiction books I’ve read have had such irritating endings that I’ve been angry for days after finishing.
WHAT SHOULD I READ?!
Here are my dream book parameters:
I’m looking for some great fiction. I read a ton of nonfiction, and I’m studying short fiction this semester.
Backlist is excellent, as I prefer to read this kind of book on my Kindle and borrow it from the library and I am deeply impatient.
I like character-driven stories more than plot-driven stories. The last books that I loved and couldn’t stop thinking about were Tom Lake and Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, and We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman.
Authors I don’t miss work by include Jhumpa Lahiri, Lisa Taddeo, and Chelsea Bieker.
I feel like romance (or smut!) and fantasy are both big right now, and unfortunately, I don’t really enjoy those genres — absolutely zero judgement, but I will never read the ACOTAR series or anything adjacent to it, sorry.
If I open a book and see a map on the inside cover, I close it.
I have a policy against sharing specific authors/books I don’t enjoy, but I don’t enjoy many of the mainstream authors that are big right now (for example, one who shares a last name with a vacuum brand).
I like books that make me feel things, but not ones that are not gratuitously sad or violent — the heartbreaking stuff is great, but maybe I could laugh a little, too?
I’m not a snob, per se (about books), but I tend to lean more literary than commercial fiction.
Please, leave me your book recommendations in the comments!
Also, a bonus question: how do you find your books? I follow a lot of book people, and I read a lot of reviews, but I feel like I’m missing some great sources of books. I’ve read many excellent books that are forthcoming, but I feel like my social media is dominated by people reading romance (again, no judgment, but not for me!). Help!
Writing
I can’t stop thinking about this beautiful piece that Chelsea Bieker wrote this week, Don’t Quit Before The Miracle. Eloquent, wise, and encouraging.
Ranting
I turned 41 this past weekend, which feels OLD AS HELL, but also, why are birthdays are so weird?!
Last year, my wife and my friends threw me the most beautiful party, and it was amazing and one of the happiest days of my life.
This year, I didn’t do anything, and felt sort of meh the whole day. I don’t know what I wanted — My wife very thoughtfully offered to do anything I wanted to do! My parents took us out for a lovely lunch! My dear friends came over for a delicious dinner! I got texts and flowers and felt very loved! — but I have yet to figure out the magical birthday formula for a perfect day.
I have always been averse to the idea of being a Birthday Person: the sort who count down on Facebook or demand a big party every year or (god forbid) celebrate Birthday Month. And yet, it’s hard to not feel weird about what my friend Jess calls “The Birthday Industrial Complex” where it seems like some people get endless Instagram posts and flowers and gifts and others get…nothing?
I know I’m not alone in having birthdays bring up feelings — in fact, I found it very comforting to hear from friends that they, too, suffer from Weird Birthday Feelings Syndrome, but if you’ve figured out how to make birthdays feel good, please enlighten the rest of us, I BEG YOU!
Recommending
Can I suggest taking a writing class? Perhaps one taught by me? I’m teaching two this summer.
First, Writing In 5-Minute Sprints! If you’re feeling stuck, this is the perfect class to take to shake some ideas loose, to generate some new material, to try something new, and to learn a technique you can take with you. Plus, it’s a quick two-hour class, so it’s a quick injection of writing joy!
Next, if you’ve ever wanted to explore tarot and how it might support your creative practice, I’m teaching a class about that, too! It’s another short, two-hour class. Bring your own deck, your own thoughts and questions, and an open mind! It will be a creative, spiritual afternoon!
If you register for either before May 6, you can use the code EARLYBIRD for 10% off! Hope to see you there!
I have been getting a lot of my book recommendations from the Substack “It’s Always Something” (by Jen Lancaster and Karyn Bosnak). Jen and Karyn always have great recs. Also it seems like the more I read, the more recommendations are falling into my lap (people will DM to ask me about books I post on IG and then they end up recommending something else to me, while adding my book to their list). I’m starting to get overwhelmed by my TBR pile at home and my “want to read” list on Goodreads.
I totally feel you in the birthday thing too. I turned 43 in March and did nothing. I just wasn’t feeling it at all this year.
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, you might like Maame by Jessica George, did you read Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson?