It was a whirlwind week for me, complete with (incomplete) house renovations and some exciting news (see below). I’m ready for a mellow-ish weekend. Happy Easter to all those who celebrate!
Quote:
“Solitude matters, and for some people, it’s the air they breathe.” –Susan Cain
What I’m reading:
I tore through My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin this week. It’s a beautifully-told coming-of-age story and I found myself really drawn to the main character, Isabel. I’m now reading Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It’s Different Than You Think) by Reshma Saujani, creator of the Marshall Plan for Moms (now known as Moms First).
What I’m listening to:
I just finished The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley. Such a cute story with some fun twists at the end. I’m now listening to Choosing to Run: A Memoir by Des Linden, winner of the Boston Marathon in 2018.
What I’m watching:
I started Bad Sisters on Apple TV. I adore Sharon Horgan and I’m loving this show so far.
Writing news:
BIG news this week! My first book, People Who Knew Me, is becoming a BBC Podcast starring Rosamund Pike and Hugh Laurie. This has been in the works for a while and I’m so excited it’s really happening. You can read the full announcement here. The trailer is now available and episode 1 drops May 23!
Final reminder: The Chirp Books sale on my audiobooks ends TOMORROW. They’re offering great deals, so check it out.
What I’m talking about:
- The indictment of Trump. 34 counts. It’s about time. People are starting to say that this is making him MORE popular with Republicans. If that’s not representative of the problems in this country, I don’t know what is
- The expulsion of two Democratic lawmakers from the Tennessee House of Representatives. This is in response to a gun control protest they led, which supposedly brought “disorder” to the House. I understand there are certain rules, but this is a slippery slope. I’m glad they protested. Every lawmaker should be appalled by these ongoing shootings
Interesting things I learned this week:
- The US Postal Service is starting a nationwide electric vehicle fleet
- It’s estimated that up to a billion birds die each year from window collisions
- According to a WSJ/NORC at University of Chicago poll, 78% of Americans said they lack confidence that life will be better for their children’s generation than for their own
- A study found that friends living within a mile of each other are 25% more likely to feel happy (read here)
- The average adult lives only 18 miles from their mother; 80% live less than a two-hour drive away
- In 1935, a girl died by suicide after she started menstruating and didn’t know why. This has been mentioned lately as more legislation is introduced banning discussion of menstruation in schools
- Significant changes in life occur, on average, every 18 months (I read this in Anne Helen Petersen’s newsletter, which is great, but I can’t remember the source of this info)
- In 2019, there were 695,616 Master’s degrees conferred in the US; 63% went to women
- According to a new study released by the WHO, infertility affects 1 in 6 people worldwide
- 90 million chocolate bunnies are made every year
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Whatamagump.” My daughter told me to look up “the whatamagump song” on YouTube. She said the dad of a girl in her class sings it. Lo and behold, there is a “whatamagump song” (this one) and there is a book too.
What I’m grateful for:
- The wonderful people behind the People Who Knew Me podcast. Seeing my story come to life in this way is immensely fulfilling
- Working with a writer-friend of mine on a fun project
- Beautiful weather and lots of greenery thanks to all the recent rain
Snapshots:
Congrats on the podcast. So exciting. I love love love todays cloud picture. The composition is great! Id print that and put it on my wall!