Well, this month has been a doozy on a global scale. It is very hard to stay focused on day-to-day life when there are so many BIG things going on in the world. We’re past the one-month mark with the war in Iran and, like many Americans, I’m just hoping things de-escalate. I truly believe most people are good. It’s wild to me that so many greedy, corrupt, careless people are in charge of the rest of us… Anyway, on to the roundup.
Quotes I’ve loved this month:
“All really great things are happening in slow and inconspicuous ways.” — Leo Tolstoy
“Make no mistake: Creativity is, at its core, hunger. It is an ongoing thirst—a need for material, an urgency to speak, a longing to make a record of our true existence.” — Savala Nolan
“Rather than feel impotent and useless, you must come to terms with the fact that as a human being you are infinitely powerful, and take responsibility for this tremendous power. Even our smallest actions have potential for great change, positively or negatively, and the way in which we all conduct ourselves within the world means something. You are anything but impotent, you are, in fact, exquisitely and frighteningly dynamic, as are we all, and with all respect you have an obligation to stand up and take responsibility for that potential. It is your most ordinary and urgent duty.” — Nick Cave
“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, and those who do not see.” — Leonardo da Vinci (he said this about perception of art, but I’ve been thinking about it with social and political issues)
Books I read:
This month was an even split of fiction and nonfiction and I really enjoyed most of these.
Top fiction:
My Friends. I was wary about reading this because I was not a fan of A Man Called Ove or Britt-Marie Was Here (I know, I know, come at me). BUT this book was fantastic. I loved it.
Nobody Knows You’re Here. I’ve loved all her books and this one didn’t disappoint. She’s great at creating atmosphere. The subject matter in this book is suuuuper dark (kidnapped children and young adults being held captive together), but I couldn’t stop reading and that’s the sign of a good book for me.
More Than You’ll Ever Know. When I saw that this book is about a woman living a double life, married to two men, I had to read it. I had an idea to write a novel like this but couldn’t figure out how to pull it off. I’m happy to see it done so well.
Top nonfiction:
Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed. I knew the Kennedys were not the wholesome royal family they are often portrayed to be, but I did not know just how dark things really were/are. Wow. Highly recommend. A case study in the dangers of power, wealth, and entitlement.
Good Woman: A Reckoning. Savala Nolan is an amazing writer and I highlighted many, many passages in this book.
Raising Hare. It was not on my bingo card to enjoy a book about a woman raising a wild hare, but here we are.
Overinvested: The Emotional Economy of Modern Parenting. If you’re wondering why parenting feels so difficult these days, this book explains it perfectly.
What I’ve been watching:
Love Story: John F. Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette. Not something I’d usually watch, but reading Ask Not made me want to watch. Well done, IMO.
Drive to Survive. The latest season about last year’s F1 races. Fun to watch alongside the new season of racing (go Kimi! IYKYK)
Vladimir. I watched this after reading the book and really enjoyed it. You can tell the author of the book also wrote the series.
The Price of Everything. A documentary about the insane world of art auctions, where pieces go for millions of dollars.
The Dinosaurs. A docuseries about…dinosaurs. I cried when the asteroid hit—was not expecting that (the tears, I mean. I expected the asteroid).
Mark Normand’s comedy special “None Too Pleased.” The whole set was hilarious. Considering going to one of his live shows soon.
Love, Money, and Murder: The Kouri Richins Trial. This is about the woman who wrote a grief book for kids after her husband died… only to be found guilty of killing him.
Writing news:
I have a draft of a new novel with my agent right now (hoping she likes it…eeek). And just this past week, I thought of an idea for another book. It’s marinating.
Interesting things I learned this month:
- The asteroid that hit the Earth and killed off the dinosaurs was equivalent to 1 BILLION atomic bombs
- Mozart’s older sister, Maria Anna Mozart (known as Nannerl) was a musical prodigy in her own right. She toured across Europe before her father cut her career short, wanting her to prioritize marriage (sigh)
- In the U.S., women are 73% more likely to be severely injured in vehicle crashes than men, and 17% more likely to die. This is due to the fact that car safety measures are based on the average-sized man
- U.S. cigarette smoking hit an all-time low in 2024
- Trump has directed the U.S. Mint to remove the olive branch from the dime. The eagle on the tails side is now only depicted clutching arrows
- On average, brand-name drugs in the U.S. are 3x as expensive as those in other wealthy countries
- Superfetation is when an animal can get pregnant while already pregnant. It happens in hares, badgers, and some rodents
- Pregnant women in Missouri now have the right to divorce. You read that right. It took until 2026 for this to happen
- Henry VIII’s last/sixth wife, Catherine Parr was the first woman in England to publish books under her own name and in English
- For the first time in history, more than 100,000 women and girls are registered to play hockey with USA Hockey
- Dr. Phil McGraw was only a licensed medical professional for 4 of his 21 years hosting his talk show
- Scientists in Japan studied why cats always land on their feet and learned that the upper part of a cat’s spine can twist an astounding 360 degrees, which allows a cat to orient its front legs and head toward the ground in an instant
- 82 million Americans, a third of all adults in the country, say they are making sacrifices, including skipping meals or driving less, to pay for health care
- Decades of research has found that people with pets, especially dogs, tend to be healthier than people without them. They have lower blood pressure, a reduced risk of heart disease and, according to one analysis, a 24% lower risk of dying from all causes over the course of 10 years
- According to a 2022 study, 66% of parents report being burned out
- Related to above: In a UNICEF report, the U.S. was ranked second to last—40th out of 41 countries—on family-friendly policies, including paid leave and access to affordable quality childcare
- Chinese retail chain Pang Dong Lai introduced “unhappy leave,” allowing employees to take up to 10 days of additional leave annually when feeling low
- About 65% of dating app users are actually already in a relationship or married
- Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games and the creator of Fortnite, is using his fortune to become one of the largest private land conservationists in the U.S. He’s purchased over 50,000 acres of wilderness in North Carolina to keep it permanently wild
- Switzerland has built enough nuclear bunkers to shelter its entire population
- Chinstrap penguins take thousands of 4-second naps throughout the day to maintain cumulative rest
- It wasn’t until 2018 that all 50 U.S. states made it legal for women to breastfeed in public
What I’m grateful for:
- A successful and safe No Kings protest! They say 1 in 50 Americans attended a protest, totaling about 8 million people. That’s the largest single protest day since the first Earth Day in 1970. AMAZING!
- Thirteen years with my kitties. March is their birth month
- A healthy household after a bout of Flu B and strep for my daughter. Also, shoutout to antibiotics for always saving the day
- All the sports: We wrapped up our first season of flag football (and my daughter wants to play again–yay!), we’re in the midst of softball season (just did a hilarious and fun wiffle ball tournament at the beach), and my daughter got her blue belt in karate this month
- Seeing Brian Regan perform in Long Beach with my boyfriend. Always a good time (the comedian and the boyfriend)
- Seeing the musical “Six” with my mom and daughter. What an imaginative show
- Mom & Me book club, constructing the best leprechaun trap, school open house, first use of the pool in a looong time — so many fun things with my girl
Some favorite snapshots:
From top to bottom: Nature showing off again; beach shadows with my daughter; sleepy pups; love is all around; bday kitties; photo taken by boyfriend; NO KINGS!
