Bullet Points, January/February 2024
Every month, I round up what I’m reading, buying and vibing with to bring to you (whoever you might be). Just for funsies!
See you next month!
Reading:
The entire Percy Jackson and the Olympians series: I somehow missed them when I was young enough to read the series, but with the show airing, my interest was piqued and these books are so good. Greek mythology! The slowest burn love story in all of history! A protagonist with a bad attitude! From a writing perspective, I have a lot of respect for middle grade/juvenile authors because they ride the line of not talking down to their readers, while also ensuring the content can be understood by younger age groups.
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi: Wow, what a beautifully done little book. I’m reading the prequel, Bitter, now, which is a little darker in tone. I think this would read well in tandem with Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild Built, to get us thinking about what a “utopian” future might look like.
The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy: A Palestinian author writing historical romance that touches on culture and race, while still being steamy and giggling, kicking-your-feet romantic.
What Turned Crossword Constructing into a Boys Club (The New Yorker). An interesting read that really made me resentful– as a girl who loves doing the crossword, I hate repetitive puzzles and I love when they include pop culture references and different terms. Also I’m so bitter that it turns into a boys’ club the second it gets as easy as plugging terms into a generator, but women did the grunt work for years without any recognition.
Rereading 2 masterful rom-coms: The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan, which never fails to be tender and hot and beautifully written all at once, and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry— I took issue with how many people have said it’s their least favorite EmHen, but upon rereading, I realize they might be right and it doesn’t quite hold up after multiple reads the way Beach Read does.
My Libby loan expired before I could finish it, because I’m bad at nonfiction, but I got almost halfway through The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance by Rashid I. Khalidi, and though it’s dense, it’s really important and just reminds me how ethnocentric the US’s education system is. (Don’t worry, I have a hold on it so I should be able to finish it eventually).
Buying:
Olive & June’s nail polishes & press-ons are truly out of this world. My Valentine’s Day manicure lasted over a week (from a Sunday to the following Wednesday) with minimal chippage.
Baby’s first Baggu! I didn’t buy this (it was a surprise treat from my husband) but I’m happy to finally be part of the club. I will say, no one ever mentions how crinkly the material is?? And the strap isn’t necessarily designed for bigger girlies.
Fancy prebiotic sodas with aesthetically pleasing cans. I don’t drink anymore so I bought a selection to take with me for my friend’s birthday weekend, and now they’re just my fun little drink of choice. I’m partial to Poppi’s rasberry rose, and to Olipop’s grape flavor.
Vibing:
There’s so much great new music: Kacey Musgrave’s Deeper Well is beautiful and hits the nail on the head in regards to Saturn Return growing pains; Beyonce’s country era, specifically Texas Hold ‘Em, makes me want to go line dancing (which I have never done); and we’re entering a new Maggie Rogers era with Don’t Forget Me.
Manifesting via friendship bracelets. I made myself one that says “author era,” and one for my best friend that say “homeowner era.”
Small acts of bravery. I’m going to write more about this, but so far I’ve joined a writing critique group, gone to a coffee shop alone, and attended my first solo in-person yoga class. I’m celebrating the little victories!
The Bachelor! I can’t believe it either, but I’ve re-entered my Bachelor era, and I’ve already talked about it ad nauseum so if you’re interested:
New hobby unlocked: painting with gouache paint that I got for Christmas. All it’s culminated in so far has been a mediocre birthday card for my friend, featuring my infamous stuffed dog.