Happy Friday! I am rushing to get things done before heading to a concert at my daughter’s school, so let’s get to it.
Quote of the week:
“Happiness is in the quiet, ordinary things. A table, a chair, a book with a paper-knife stuck between the pages. And the petal falling from the rose, and the light flickering as we sit silent.” —Virginia Woolf
What I’m reading:
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. This is the second time-travel novel I’ve read recently. Very good book—witty and interesting.
What I’m listening to:
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad. This book is so powerful and sobering and timely. From the synopsis: “As an immigrant who came to the West, El Akkad believed that it promised freedom. A place of justice for all. But in the past twenty years, reporting on the War on Terror, Ferguson, climate change, Black Lives Matter protests, and more, and watching the unmitigated slaughter in Gaza, El Akkad has come to the conclusion that much of what the West promises is a lie. That there will always be entire groups of human beings it has never intended to treat as fully human—not just Arabs or Muslims or immigrants, but whoever falls outside the boundaries of privilege.”
What I’m watching:
Keeping up with Season 2 of The Last of Us on Max, and in the midst of Season 2 of Vikings on Netflix.
Writing news:
I’m booking some local events for the launch of Woman on the Verge. If you’re a local and you’re interested, message me! I’m also doing edits on my 2026 novel, which are due in about 10 days. It’s a very busy time.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Dogs were first domesticated from wild wolf populations around 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. Related: Cats were domesticated about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago
- Nearly 2 in 3 Americans think frugality is an attractive trait. Related: A majority of Americans (56%) said using a coupon on a date is perfectly acceptable
- Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour alone contributed over $5 billion to the U.S. economy—just in consumer spending
- The tourism industry expects the U.S. will lose about $12.5 BILLION in international travel spending this year because of a decline in foreign travelers
- ChatGPT uses 1-3 bottles of water for cooling for every query you put into it. ChatGPT also consumes 17,000 times more electricity than the average American home
- The “kin” in “napkin” means “little.” “Nap” comes from “nape,” which means “tablecloth.” So, napkin is a little tablecloth
- There’s a book club in Austin that has been reading the same book (Finnegans Wake by James Joyce) for 12 years. They read one page at a time because it’s such a notoriously dense and challenging book
What I’m grateful for:
- My daughter’s first karate tournament. I’m so proud of her for trying something new. She did great
- The aerial silk swing that’s now in our garage. I’m impressed with myself for putting it up
- Book clubs! My daughter and I had our fun Mom & Me book club last weekend, and I had my grown-up book club last night, which always fills my cup
- Visits from friends. I got to see a friend who was in town last weekend, and my other good friend is in town today
- Last week of homework at school #IYKYK
Snapshots:
From top to bottom: This cat is my soulmate, always and forever; the cross-species friendships are deepening; I blame her for today’s lack of productivity.
