Weekly Roundup: December 4, 2020

Quote of the week:
“When something important in your life ends, it’s like a monument has burned. Stop sifting: there’s no reconstructing it from ash. Stand in the space and see it — burnt black as it may be — as a site for building. There’s room for something else now — what? You decide. Keep moving.” —Maggie Smith

What I’m reading:
NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman

What I’m listening to:
Father of the Rain by Lily King

What I’m watching:
“The Undoing” (HBO) — On episode 3; liking it

Writing news:
I’m excited to share the cover for the re-release of my first book, People Who Knew Me. This will be the first time you can get the book in paperback–yay! By popular demand, I’ve added a bonus chapter to the new edition.

Two other reminders:

• All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss is out on March 23 
• My new novel, No Hiding in Boise, will release on June 15

What I’m talking about:

• Governor Newsom’s announcement that regions of California will go into lockdown again once the ICU capacity is below 15%. The ICU capacity where I live is 20%
• Penguin Random House’s plan to buy Simon & Schuster. I’m very much against this. We need more publishers representing a variety of voices and stories. This megapublisher model just means we are going to see the same bestselling brand-name authors, with the occasional “new shiny object”
• People who still refuse to accept the election results (which will be considered final on Tuesday). Continuing to challenge the election is a threat to democracy itself. Are we going to do this with every election now? It casts a cloud over the entire election process which is the very foundation of democracy. It’s frustrating to me that people challenging the results think they are fighting for democracy. So much of the world is so backwards right now. Also, Trump raised more than $150 million appealing to false election claims. Do people think he’s going to use this money for anything but his own interests? At this point, I have one response: LOL
• Stephen Colbert‘s 2-part special with Obama. They are two of my favorite men alive
• Jessica Valenti’s assertion that the US should be paying parents to stay home (not just during a pandemic, but always) (read here)
• All the grief that comes with 2020 (read here) 

Weirdest thing I googled this week: 
The history of model cars.

What I’m grateful for:
The holiday season. Despite all the upsetting things going on in the world, it’s impossible (for me) not to feel a little bit of joy this time of year. It’s especially fun because my daughter is 3 years old and thinks Christmas is magical. Whenever she sees lights, she gasps and says, “Oh. My. Gosh.” My husband went all out with decorating our house. We are “those people.”