I’m writing this on Thursday - we’re still in Pennsylvania. The kids are playing a nonsensical version of hide-and-seek in our loft, where I’ve camped out on the couch as my office for the day. Thank goodness for noise-canceling headphones. Here’s how I hope we spend today (the Sunday of Labor Day weekend). I want to sip my coffee in bed while journaling and scrolling through my Instagram and Substack feeds, before getting in this Peloton ride. We’ll take the boys to karate and brunch, and I hope I can convince them to go for a long walk in the park before we return home for the evening. I’ll throw together our usual Sunday pasta while enjoying a spritz. Once the boys are in bed, we’ll watch an episode of The Bear - two, if we’re lucky. I plan to indulge in some revenge bedtime procrastination with a long bath and starting a new novel (even though I’m currently reading 2 other books), and put my Kindle away once the words begin to blur. It may not be my perfect reading day, but it feels like a perfect day nonetheless. As we transition to the fall, this is how I want to end the year:
I’ve rounded up all of August’s things - books, recommendations, and answers to your questions.
Marriage & Mastiby Nisha Sharma Nisha’s Shakespeare Aunties series is one of my all-time favorite series, and I had high hopes for Veera + Deepak’s story even before I knew it would be based on Twelfth Night (my favorite Shakespeare play). Nisha, as usual, exceeded my already high hopes and delivered a book that I’ve now read over 7 times since I received the advance copy earlier this spring. It’s sexy and emotional and brilliantly funny (as is the whole series). If you haven’t read this series (or any of her books), you must. All of her books are my comfort re-reads, and this series in particular. You can find my 2024 reads here, and my August reads here. Moving Bags ($50)I spent the week doing laundry and packing up our things in these lifesaving bags - the boys’ clothes and school supplies, the clothes we’re taking back to the city, home gym equipment, work gear, and some of the books/craft projects I had every intention of reading/doing this summer and never did. They’re perfect for storing off-weather clothing, for dropping off donations, and for seasonal moves. I can’t recommend them more. Find all my Amazon favorites here.  I’ve known John Jannuzzi for over 10 (!!) years now, since my earliest blogging days. I’ve long been a fan of his work (from writing to cookies), and there are few better to opine on the rapidly changing landscape of media, creative work, and influence vs. influencers. This essay is his response to the now viral story by Emily Sundberg (which I recommend reading), and his brief mention of my work was a spark of joy when I’ve been otherwise down and lost about my writing career. I share smart & fun reads, cheap (and useful thrills), and outfits on Instagram, and random musings on Threads. If that’s your thing, please hang out with me over there! You can come join us in the Substack chat to ask questions or share smart reads and little joys.
Sharing
These are my most popular recommendations. Makinga mess as I unpack our lives from the past 2 months. Answeringthe same 3 complaints from my kids:
Reading
Trying
If you enjoyed this weekend’s letter, please consider:
Wishing you a wonderful Sunday. xo,
|
just the hits #4
04:02
0
