Hi! I missed last week’s roundup because of travel and I’m barely getting to it today. I’m in the brain fog that is Covid. My symptoms are relatively mild, but I still feel like I’m in a waking dream. Apologies for any typos or things that make zero sense in this roundup.
Quote of the week:
“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” –Haruki Murakami (from Kafka on the Shore)
What I’m reading:
I just finished Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor and thought it was fascinating. Definitely worth the read. I’m starting The Sisters K by Maureen Sun today.
What I’m listening to:
Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza. It’s a Pulitzer Prize Winner and has been on my list for a while. I’m not very far into it, but I’m liking it so far.
What I’m watching:
Still watching Hacks—I’m into Season 3 now! My boyfriend has gotten me a little obsessed with Formula 1: Drive to Survive—currently watching the latest season. Also watched a creepy horror movie called Talk to Me.
Writing news:
Some exciting news: The People Who Knew Me podcast, based on my novel, is a nominee for the British Podcast Awards!
On the writing front, I’ll be diving into edits soon for my novel that comes out next year—I should be able to share a title (and cover!) for that one soon. I just got back from an amazing research trip in Seattle and Bainbridge Island for the novel that will come out in 2026—a few photos below.
Interesting things I learned recently:
- Researchers found that 13 sharks off the coast of Rio de Janeiro had high levels of cocaine in their systems
- Around 600,000 condoms have been distributed to the Paris Olympic Village. The packaging includes messages such as “On the field of love, play fair and ask for consent” and “No need to be a gold medalist to wear it”
- A stegosaurus fossil sold at a Sotheby’s auction for nearly $45 million
- Kamala Harris’s campaign set a one-day record for presidential fund-raising ($81 million!) after Biden withdrew from the race. About 60% of donors were making their first contribution to the 2024 election
- The majority of children tell their first lie by age 4
- Over a lifetime, people spend a total of two full days saying goodbye at parties. This is why I’m a fan of the good ol’ Irish goodbye
- By the law of averages, you will take 670 million breaths in your lifetime
- The blood coursing through our arteries and veins at any one time does a full circuit once a minute, an average of 2,000 gallons of blood a day
- Up to 80% of office workers suffer from something called continuous partial attention. “We’ll scan our email, write something down, check Twitter, and do it all over again, never really focusing on any specific task. In this state of perpetual distraction, breathing becomes shallow and erratic. Sometimes we won’t breathe at all for a half minute or longer.” This is also referred to as “email apnea” (Source: Breath)
- July 21 was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth
- By age 30, 95% of ALL men and women will never spring again for the rest of their life. Noooooo!
What I’m grateful for:
- My research trip in Washington. It was so beautiful up there and was just the most relaxing, inspiring trip
- My good friend who played Tooth Fairy while I was out of town. My daughter was at a sleepover when she lost her first tooth. Such a cute memory for her
- My daughter’s “Annie” theater camp. She LOVED it. She has been saying she wants to be a performer since she was 2. I did not have her confidence as a kid. It’s so fun to watch
- Mild Covid symptoms. I mean, it could be much worse. And now I’ll be immune for a while. My boyfriend has it too so at least we can share in the misery. I’ve also been the recipient of lots of pet cuddles. Thankfully, my daughter is negative and she’ll be with her dad until I’m well
