Lindsay Emory's Blog, page 7
April 9, 2019
Best Books to Read Now - April 2019
Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!
Welcome to the Best Books to Read Now Book Club! My (hopefully) monthly blog featuring my reading list, my TBR pile and the books I think you and your best friends should be reading.
If you’re not sure whether you’ll agree with my recommendations, check out my blog post on My Reader Wheels and my podcast, Women With Books . Those should help you decide if you’re going to be into my recommendations.
The best book club recommendations for you and your friends!
There’s a bit more variety in my fiction choices this month - a contemporary rom com even made the list!
Gimme Some Sugar - Molly Harper
Amazon || Apple Books
I think I’ve read all of Molly Harper’s Southern Eclectic series now and I have to say, I just love Lake Sackett, Georgia. This one features a best friends to lovers storyline and deep fried red velvet cake balls. It’s perfect to satisfy your cravings for small town romance AND sweets.
When We Left Cuba - Chanel Cleeton
Amazon || Apple Books
I featured Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year in Havana last year (and it was a Reese Witherspoon book club pick) and I chatted with Chanel on the Women With Books podcast here.
This continues the story of the Perez family and the Cuban Revolution and focuses on Beatriz. It’s hard for me to say if this is a standalone story, since I read the first one and I think reading the first one really enriches this story because it gives you the whole background of the family in Cuba. So get both books and immerse yourself in 1960 Cuba & Florida!
Too Wilde to Wed - Eloisa James
Amazon || Apple Books
I read the first in this series and really couldn’t wait to see how Eloisa turned a frippy fop with a wig and high heeled shoes into a hero that we could all swoon over and Ms. James totally delivered! I love the Wilde family!
What the Wind Knows - Amy Harmon
Amazon || Apple Books
I devoured this book over road trip to Colorado during Spring Break. I saw it described as “perfect for fans of Outlander” so I knew I had to at least give it a shot. There were some similarities between it and Outlander - this story also involves time travel to the British Isles (Ireland in this case). But there was a unique family twist to this story that made it a little different and the history was much more recent. I turned the pages very quickly trying to find out exactly how Ms. Harmon was going to tie up the huge dangling mystery in this middle of this book.
Agnes Moor’s Wild Knight - Alyssa Cole
Amazon || Apple Books
I’ve had this book for FOREVER and I’ve been saving it for a rainy day. And, well. A gloomy Spring day finally came that could only be cured with an Alyssa Cole book. I have a soft spot in my heart for medieval romances and this is a novella by an author that I know handles lesser trod time periods with graceful prose and well-researched details. The only thing that disappointed me was that now I don’t have another Alyssa Cole medieval romance novella to look forward to.
And yes, there were some books I did not love this month…. I’ll be talking more about those and why I think they didn’t connect with me in my newsletter this month.
Do you like books on sale?
Make sure you’re following me on Facebook because that’s where I post great books on sale!
And what about you?
I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately or what you’re looking forward to reading next! If you want these book recommendations (and a sneak peek at my TBR list and advanced reading copies) sent straight to your inbox, remember to sign up for my newsletter where I’ll be including all the best book club recommendations throughout 2019!
March 26, 2019
A Planner Review!
Who buys a new planner in March?! Three months after the new year has already started?
Well, I guess that would be me.
Why did I do this? I am (still) very happy with my current planner set up (as I showed it here) and, in fact, I would even say I have reached that elusive #plannerpeace.
But. I have seen this planner… somewhere… for a while and when someone in one of my planner groups posted that it was on sale, i decided to grab it and see what aspects of it I could use.
It’s the Dragontree Apothecary Rituals for Living Dreambook + Planner and it’s now out of stock on their site but still available - marked down - on Amazon.
I’ve been intrigued with this planner because of one word: Ritual.
What a great word, right? It’s a planner-y and organizational word but it’s also embued with a weight, a sort of spiritual meaning that is popular in the woo-woo community right now.
Basically, I wanted to know how to incorporate ritual into my planning.
After I got the planner in the mail, I took it with me to Starbucks - a latte while the kid is at tennis is a deeply satisfying ritual for me so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to review and inspect this new addition to my planning lineup.
The Dragontree Apothecary Rituals for Living Dreambook + Planner
The first thing that I liked about the planner is that stark white cover with the embossed mandala design. The book is thick and sturdy and has a spiral binding.
I mean, it’s totally impractical for carting around and day to day life but if you’re the type of person that leaves her planner on her desk all the time, it would work great for you.
This “dreambook” takes you through a whole system of evaluating your dreams, values, life purpose, etc. It’s really thorough and, honestly, more than I want to do in March. BUT. Will I really enjoy this process next December or January? Probably!
I also really enjoy having annual, quarterly, and weekly pages. One of the things I love about the Hobonichi Cousin Techo is the annual, monthly, weekly and daily so the focus on quarterly is nice to have, especially when I have been incorporating Sarra Cannon’s HB90 planning method which is quarterly. If you haven’t heard of this before, check it out in this video:
I was really excited when I turned the page and saw this drawing (they provide filled out sample pages - these are NOT my lifetime goals!). I’ve been drawing diagrams like this since studying for exams in college. It always helped me draw connections between dates and events in my history and political science courses so I instantly connected with these pages.
The book gives you ample space to draw and dream - which I love - AND encourages you to dream up 1 year, three year, and ten year goals! I LOVE LONG TERM DREAMING.
This is where I started thinking about going to find a photocopier and making myself 50 copies of these pages. I could do this all day, folks.
*** Also not my drawings. Not my goals. ***
There’s space every week to draw and brain dump and set more goals, which you don’t find in every planner. And this is where the rituals come in. They have a list of suggested rituals and a different suggested weekly practice. I flipped through the book and saw that there were lots of variations - things I would do, things I maybe wouldn’t.
I had to laugh at this “sample” daily schedule. “NOT TOO MUCH PIZZA. MAYBE SALAD.” Can they read inside my head???
In sum, I’m glad I got this planner. I’m not sure how I’ll work it into my system yet because I already have a system I really love. But we’re about to boot up the second quarter of 2019 and maybe I’ll try to incorporate my own unique rituals into my planning time. Like more meditation or more music. Or more lattes.
If you love paper planning too, make sure you’re following me on Instagram. I’m trying to post more photos of my planning process there and of course I co-host the annual #readwriteplan Instagram challenge. Follow the hashtag #readwriteplan so you can be up-to-date on all our annoucements!
March 19, 2019
Best Books to Read Now - March 2019
Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!
Welcome to the Best Books to Read Now Book Club! My (hopefully) monthly blog featuring my reading list, my TBR pile and the books I think you and your best friends should be reading.
If you’re not sure whether you’ll agree with my recommendations, check out my blog post on My Reader Wheels and my podcast, Women With Books . Those should help you decide if you’re going to be into my recommendations.
The best book club recommendations for you and your friends!
I just realized that all four of these books are (mostly) historical fiction. Huh. Weird how the subconscious book picker works, right? Let’s see what I read this month!
A Wicked Kind of Husband - Mia Vincy
Amazon
Do you love historical romance? Do you love a marriage of convenience, sharp characters, smart, funny banter and sobbing your guts out at the end of a book? If yes, then you absolutely have to read this DEBUT book from Mia Vincy. You won’t believe it’s her first novel.
Daisy Jones and the Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid
Amazon || Apple Books
This book is everywhere so I’m not the only one shouting about it from the rooftops but I cannot stop thinking about this book. I got an ARC and I’ve been harassing everyone on social media who has a copy because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK. Get it, read it and then let’s chat.
The Shell Seekers- Rosamunde Pilcher
Amazon || Apple Books
I first read this book… a long time ago. Let’s just say I was in my formative years. I’m sure I re-read it several times, each time swept away by this multi-generational family saga. Recently, the author, Rosamunde Pilcher, passed away and when I heard the news, I immediately went to Amazon and picked up the digital copy of this book because I’m sure the paperback version in my family was falling apart. Sometimes these types of books don’t age well but I can report that The Shell Seekers still is a wonderful read, and if it were repackaged as the WWII books are today, with ladies in hats looking up at the spitfires in the sky, it would fit right in. If you’re loving the recent trend in historical fiction, do yourself a favor and pick this one up again - or for the first time.
The Lieutenant’s Nurse - Sara Ackerman
Amazon || Apple Books
Speaking of women in 1940’s clothing looking up at the sky (LOL at myself), I LOVED this book, the second historical fiction novel by Sara Ackerman. It’s the story of Pearl Harbor, seen through the eyes of a recent arrival to Hawaii and yes, I was SO WORRIED about what was going to happen! If you want to hear all the details about this book, check out my Women With Books podcast episode with Sara Ackerman here.
And yes, there were some books I did not love this month…. I’ll be talking more about those and why I think they didn’t connect with me in my newsletter this month.
Do you like books on sale?
Make sure you’re following me on Facebook because that’s where I post great books on sale!
And what about you?
I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately or what you’re looking forward to reading next! If you want these book recommendations (and a sneak peek at my TBR list and advanced reading copies) sent straight to your inbox, remember to sign up for my newsletter where I’ll be including all the best book club recommendations throughout 2019!
February 19, 2019
Best Books to Read Now - February 2019
Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!
Welcome to the Best Books to Read Now Book Club! My (hopefully) monthly blog featuring my reading list, my TBR pile and the books I think you and your best friends should be reading.
If you’re not sure whether you’ll agree with my recommendations, check out my blog post on My Reader Wheels and my podcast, Women With Books . Those should help you decide if you’re going to be into my recommendations.
I have fewer books this month that I can talk about because I had to finish up my Rita judging books - and those I cannot talk about! But these are all soooooo good! I can’t wait for you all to snatch them up!
The Woman in the Lake - Nicola Cornick
Amazon || Apple Books
I listed Nicola Cornick’s last book, The Phantom Tree, as one of my favorite books of 2018 and this one also just knocks it out of the park. Something about her writing and her creative genre-blending of English historical fiction, time-traveling mystery and romance seduces me. I’ve been haunted by this book much like The Phantom Tree and I can’t wait to dig deeper into her backlist.
The Psychology of Time Travel - Kate Mascarenhas
Amazon || Apple Books
I saw this book on Netgalley and requested it as soon as I read “Hidden Figures-type story about the female pioneers in time-travel.” UM, YES. And that was a good description but also it was so much more. When I tell you this is a twisty time-travel mystery, it IS but that’s also not doing it justice. There are diverse characters, multiple POVs, multiple time-periods, deeper themes and an exploration of mental illness all smushed together in a page-turning well-written speculative fiction whodunit. Which is ALL my catnip. If you read it, I’d love to know what you think!
For the Duke’s Eyes Only - Lenora Bell
Amazon || Apple Books
I picked this one up when I saw Jenny from Wicked Wallflowers posting about it on Instagram. I’ll just quote her - see if you can tell why I instantly one-clicked: “Enemies to lovers, a badass lady archaeologist and witter banter for days.”
…Right?
It was the best historical that I’ve picked up in a while. LOVED it.
Dear Writer, You Need to Quit - Becca Syme
Amazon || Apple Books
Now I know this nonfiction book might not be a book that a lot of you want to read, but if you are a working author, you definitely want to take a look at this. I’ve taken three courses with Becca and I can attest that she’s a fantastic coach with career advice that is down-to-earth yet also inspiring. (Listen to me interview Becca on the Women With Books podcast here.) If you’re interested in other recommendations of books that are about writing / creativity check out my list here: HBIC Creativity Books.
What I’m Reading Next: My real-life book club picked Pretend I’m Dead by Jen Beagin for our next book. I don’t know anything about this and I have no idea if I’ll like it (or if you’ll like it.) But the good thing about book clubs is it exposes us to new things, right?
Do you like books on sale?
Make sure you’re following me on Facebook because that’s where I post great books on sale!
And what about you?
I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately or what you’re looking forward to reading next! If you want these book recommendations (and a sneak peek at my TBR list and advanced reading copies) sent straight to your inbox, remember to sign up for my newsletter where I’ll be including all the best book club recommendations throughout 2019!
February 12, 2019
Best Swoony Historical Romance Books!
In honor of V-Day, I am bound by the ancient romance author code to recommend romance books. Of course, it’s hard to narrow that down. Romance is a huge genre and has been around since Helen of Troy’s face inspired a slightly emo love triangle.
So I sat down and really thought about what I would like to read on a day devoted to eternal passion and devotion (and chocolate hearts!) and the answers came rather quickly. Passionate, swoony historical romances! It’s one of my favorite sub-genres and I have re-read all of these at least three or four times.
Almost a Scandal – Elizabeth Essex
All of Elizabeth’s heroines are intrepid and all of her heroes are masculine yet not jackhole-y so you could start anywhere in her backlist but this is the one that I got started with and the one that I recommend to anyone who likes a bit of spying, naval warfare and adventure on the high seas with their swoons.
As You Desire – Connie Brockway
It looks like this one might not be available in digital anymore? Which means you need to grab the paperback just in case it’s disappearing. This book gets my heart every time but there’s also an Egyptian archaeology sub-plot that will scratch your adventure/ The Mummy itch.
If you’re young and haven’t seen The Mummy yet, it’s on Netflix and why haven’t you?!?
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished – Sarah MacLean
Amazon || Apple Books
Everyone has a favorite Sarah MacLean and this one must be mine because I’ve re-read it several times (and not just because of the ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) If you’re new to the series, please start with the 1st (A Rogue by Any Other Name) and then work your way to this one, the third. TRUST ME. I know that’s mean of me to suggest the 3rd book and then tell you to start two books back, but… it’s Valentine’s Day. Treat yourself. (Check out my interview with Sarah on the Women With Books podcast here.)
Treat yo self to 3 (or 4) Sarah MacLean novels!
A Lady by Midnight – Tessa Dare
Amazon || Apple Books
I have lots of favorite Tessa Dare books too, but this one is the most swoony IMO. Take a grumpy war veteran with PTSD, a sweet puppy, a quirky cast of characters in Spindle Cove and you have a perfect chocolate box of romance. (Check out my interview with Tessa on the Women With Books podcast here.)
Ignore the improbably bold naked chest pose and look at Diana Gabaldon’s cover quote! She is RIGHT about this book (and all things, probably.)
The Spymaster’s Lady – Joanna Bourne
This is the only book on the list that I have NOT re-read, which I just realized makes me a liar but I couldn’t NOT include one of the best historical romances I read last year. Yes, I just got to this classic last year but OMG. It sent me into a bit of a depression, honestly, because I wasn’t sure if I could ever write a love story like this. It’s got an unforgettable voice, twists, a lot of spying and a heroine who is lovably stubborn and imperfect and who has to be dragged kicking and screaming (literally – but for good reasons) into love. (And it’s pretty obvious by now I like spying in my books…isn’t it?)
Outlander – Diana Gabaldon
Amazon || Apple Books
The first book in this series fits as a historical romance, IMO, even if Ms. Gabaldon doesn’t agree. If you’ve been living blindfolded under a rock in the middle of a desert island and have not read this book and if you like time travel, hot Scottish men and plucky modern heroines… well… Happy Valentine’s Day.
I have to ask - what’s your favorite swoony romance novel? What are you reading this Valentine’s Day? And I’m making a list of my favorite romance heroes for next month - so feel free to chime in with your opinions!
January 30, 2019
Best Books to Read Now - January 2019
Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!
Welcome to the Best Books to Read Now Book Club! My (hopefully) monthly blog featuring my reading list, my TBR pile and the books I think you and your best friends should be reading.
If you’re not sure whether you’ll agree with my recommendations, check out my blog post on My Reader Wheels and my podcast, Women With Books . Those should help you decide if we’re simpatico con los libros.
Scandal Above Stairs - Jennifer Ashley
The second book in the Kat Holloway historical mystery series (or 3rd if you count the prequel novella?). I enjoyed going back to the world of Victorian London cook Mrs. Holloway and following along as she helped solve another mystery - this one involving stolen artifacts.
If you’ve ever day-dreamed about being part of the former FLOTUS’ #girlsquad, this book might be closest you’ll ever come but Mrs. O lets you in to her world, her life and her experiences. The book sounds like one of her speeches, smart, affirming, disarming and no BS. I was thoroughly charmed (and also still a little disturbed by a description of one of her girls’ weekends at Camp David. Morning workouts? Really? I mean, yes Mrs. O. Anything you say! )
99 Percent Mine - Sally Thorne
I had an ARC of this and I’m so excited that it’s finally out in the world and I can talk to people about it! A “warning” to romance readers: Ms. Thorne does NOT follow the typical romance structures. This book - even though it’s romantic - is so much more than that. It’s a story of a friendship, of a family (birth and chosen) and a woman who finally discovers the life she should have been leading. And yes, I’ve mentioned it on the podcast but I cried - HARD - at the end. And I usually avoid books that make me cry.
Summoned to 13th Grave - Darynda Jones
Speaking of crying, don’t cry ‘cause it’s over. The final installment in the Charley Davidson series is hopeful, powerful and leaves LOTS of room for Ms. Jones to continue following the ABQ supe crew as they protect the savior of the world. This is one of the few long-running series that I’ve ever finished all the way through so I feel like I need to get a medal or something.
The Light Over London - Julia Kelly
Another one I read last year and is FINALLY out there!!! Yes, Julia Kelly is a dear friend (and she’s been on my podcast HERE and HERE ) but this book is so good. It’s a dual timeline story and follows Cara in the present day as she unravels the history behind a WWII era journal that she discovers. If you want to hear more about it, please listen to the podcast episode and also READ THE BOOK.
What I’m Reading Next: RITA books! As part of my membership in RWA, I volunteer to judge the books for the Rita awards. So YAY! Free books! The downside? As part of the judging process, I promise to not talk about the books. Boo. That doesn’t mean I don’t sneak them into recommendations at other times throughout the year though…. Wink wink. So keep reading the blog and hopefully they’ll all be so good I can slip them in and it will be our little secret, okay?
I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately or what you’re looking forward to reading next! If you want these book recommendations (and a sneak peek at my TBR list and advanced reading copies) sent straight to your inbox, remember to sign up for my newsletter where I’ll be including all the best book club recommendations throughout 2019!
January 22, 2019
My Favorite Book Ingredients: My Reader (and Author) Wheels
In two of my most recent Women With Books podcast episodes (with Becca Syme and Roni Loren), I discussed the concept of reader wheels. Basically, it’s what readers of a certain type of genre or sub-genre expect when they approach that sort of book.
A corollary to a reader wheel is an author wheel – that is, what an author brings to every book. This might also be known as an author’s “core story.” Ideally, an author can eventually make a promise to a reader – that X, Y and Z will be found in every book written by that author. (I can hear some writers grumbling or protesting now, but that’s a debate for another time… with alcohol involved.)
Because she’s on top of things like this, Roni Loren wrote a blog post outlining what she likes reading and the aspects she hopes is also in her books here.
Of course that got me thinking about what I like to read the most and sure enough, I realized that it’s also the same things that I *hope* are in my books.
1. “Voice” / humor / banter.
Voice is that indefinable quality that writers and readers can recognize in an instant – a Susan Elizabeth Phillips book *sounds* different from a Sarah MacLean book which *sounds* different from an Ilona Andrews book. Once I find an author with a voice that I click with, I’m basically their servant for life.
For me, a good author “voice” is almost synonymous with an inherent humor, but it doesn’t have to be. I also think snappy banter/ dialogue is very entwined with an appealing voice but again, that’s probably my preference.
And I’ve been told my books are funny (even when I’m trying to be serious!) and have *my* voice (even when I’m trying to sound different!) so if you like *my* voice then maybe you’ll like the books I love and recommend, too!
2. Romance/ sexual tension/ romantic interest
I don’t always read romance, but I do always like to read *something* with a romantic interest or some sexual tension. It just makes the whole thing much more satisfying (that’s what she said.)
Similarly, I don’t really write straight up romance but even if I write a mystery novel, you know there’s going to be a hot cop. Or a hot private investigator. Or a hot… accountant. That’s my solemn vow as an author.
3. Mystery/ magic/ quest/ twist
I think this is the wheel where genres start getting blurred around here. I will read romance… but my favorite-est romances are those where there’s a twist or some sub-plot with a mystery to solve. I love a vaguely paranormal aspect to plots, too, or just straight up paranormal/ time-travel, etc.
You see this in my books because I love putting in a psychic or a tarot card in the middle of a royal adventure. I really adore writing mysteries and I think I keep things fairly twisty in any of my stories. (A twist even popped up in Resisting Santa – where I was trying to write a straight-forward, simple, trope-y romance!)
4. Female focused.
I prefer reading about the female experience, written by female authors, about feminist topics. I really have to have A LOT of recommendations to get me to any book that’s about a dude written by a dude. I know a lot of people could call that reverse sexism but… I don’t know. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. As I taught my kids, “don’t yuck someone else’s yum.”
And as I mentioned recently in my blog post about Queens and the Patriarchy, exploring female power and friendships is a theme that keeps popping up in my books – so I guess my subconscious has something to say about it!
5. Good writing!
This is sooooo subjective. It’s a lot like pornography. You know it when you see it. And everyone’s opinion is different – and valid! What clicks for one person might not click for another and the books I recommend might not click for you. But I promise that ANY book I recommend will be edited, contain good grammar, spelling, etc. And my books? I don’t give my AGENT a manuscript with mistakes, I definitely wouldn’t sell one to a reader!
So those are my wheels. If they sound like yours, then you should follow my blog or sign up for my newsletters for lots of awesome book recommendations. Also, I have books for sale, if you want to check them out, because most of them are like ^^^^.
But if you like your books with paragraphs of detailed description, tons of angst, loads and loads of sexy times, or lots of dudes and their dude-ish stories, my recommendations might not be for you. Which is cool. Because out of all the promises I make as an author, I promise to never yuck your yum.
January 4, 2019
My 2019 Planners... as currently planned...
Alright FINE!
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know. I’m a planner ‘ho.
Well… not really.
More like a high class planner escort.
I know what I like and I’m really good at what I do and it’s worth every penny.
….This is getting weird.
All I wanted to do was share my planner system for 2019. Or, what I have planned to be my planner system for 2019.
This is pretty special, you know. It might be the first time I’ve ever shared the whole kit and kaboodle. I don’t think I went through all this in September for #ReadWritePlan. (Oh – you don’t know about that? It’s my annual Instagram challenge that I co-host with Alexandra Haughton. You can search the hashtag on Instagram and make plans to join us this year, won’t you?)
Here goes.
I’m purposely keeping things as simple as possible this year. I can have my eye turned very quickly by pretty notebooks and cleverly designed planners. And I’m a member of a Facebook group populated by other writers and publishing people obsessed with paper planning. I see things all the time. Expensive, adorable things.
But yet. I resist.
Because I know what works for me:
A 2019 Hobonichi Techo Cousin is my main planner. I love the paper. The grids. The Japanese. I love having monthly, weekly and daily all in one A5 sized package. I had done morning pages for several years in a Moleskine before I started using a Hobonichi. Now I use the daily pages as my morning pages and it makes it so simple and portable. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
I also use a spiral bound Fabriano grid notebook. You can get it on Amazon. I also love the size and simplicity of it. What do I use the notebook for? Everything that comes up that I want to keep track of. The habit goes back to law school when my ethics professor advised always using the same system to record conversations, etc. I did it throughout my legal career and still do it now for calls with my agent, editor, etc. I take notes at conferences, brainstorm, make lists, etc. It’s basically a lot of et cetera in there. But it’s my system and it works for me.
Finally, I’m using my medium sized Louis Vuitton ring planner as a social media/ blog planner this year. I’ve used different things for this purpose in the past but I decided to buy some fresh inserts on Black Friday and see if I could make it work this year.
Can’t resist a fold out calendar. I don’t know why a year at a glance is so tempting but it is. Not sure how I’m using this one yet…
I thought I’d list some social media/ website goals and tasks each month on these.
A homemade divider with a photo of a creative person to inspire me.
One thing I love about the Hobonichi is there are extra pages that you can do all sorts of things with. Here I turned the December 2018 month into my 2019 Reading Log. You can see where I incorporated Roni Loren’s reading challenge and Robin Covington’s reading challenges there on the left. I’ll just cross them off with my favorite gray mildliner when I’m done.
But I’m not sure how I should use some of the pages. They’re so tempting and blank right now but I just can’t think of something good for them. What do you think? How would you use them? What do you track? I need some ideas! Shocking, I know, but a planner never stops planning!
December 27, 2018
Queens and the F*cking Patriarchy
I had the good taste of seeing two grown ass woman movies during the holidays; The Favourite and Mary, Queen of Scots.
I do not often get this opportunity. As I told Suzanne Baltsar in our conversation on my Women With Books podcast , since I had kids, the only movies I see at the theater contain explosions and/or Disney characters.
But hey – I wrote a royal book this year and released one and I knew I needed to see these movies, made by talented women about three women who have been British queens; Queen Anne, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I.
Watching these two movies within a week gave me lots of thoughts and lots of feelings which I will now attempt to break down. Lucky you.
If you want real, professional reviews of these films check out Time Magazine or the New York Times. They hit on some of these same points, too.
WHAT I LIKED:
1. The costumes! The accents! The beautiful sets and scenery!
2. The performances of Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Saorise Ronan and Margot Robbie. It’s almost embarrassing how much talent there is in that list and they all did a mesmerizing job.
3. The inclusion of minority actors and, for lack of a better word, queerness in both movies. The two movies handle this to varying degrees of success but all steps forward are um, forward and welcomed.
4. Obviously, the examination of historical women’s stories, especially women exerting and exploring their power. This is one of my favorite themes to read and write about and we so rarely get to see it in cinema. However, this brings me to…
WHAT DROVE ME UP A WALL:
THE FLIPPING PATRIARCHY.
I mean, you cannot watch these movies and not see the greasy, pudgy fingerprints of the patriarchy all over these women’s lives. The church called Queen Mary a harlot when all she did was marry men that she was told to. Queen Elizabeth gave up marriage and motherhood because she feared that any man she married would eventually betray her and steal her throne. Queen Anne was batted around between the MEN of Parliament in order to further their political gains.
UGH.
Of the two movies, Mary, Queen of Scots infuriated me the most on this score. The themes of fertility and motherhood were pounded into the frozen Scottish peat and it stuck a pinkie toe into gender – comparing Elizabeth’s rejection of femininity to Mary’s embrace of it – and then having Mary’s choices of husband/motherhood essentially being her downfall.
I mean, none of this is news. It all happened 500 years ago so I shouldn’t get pissed off but I AM.
Because if any of these women – Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary or Lady Marlborough and Abigail Masham – had just flipped the patriarchy the bird and decided to join causes rather than fight each other maybe history would have turned out a bit differently.
If they had just rejected the patriarchy’s definition of “power” maybe Queen Mary wouldn’t have been beheaded. (It happened 500 years ago. I’m not putting a spoiler alert on this, y’all.)
If they had just formed a consensual polyamorous commune, maybe Queen Anne could have loved both her best friend and her new friend and not been completely miserable.
Maybe that’s going too far?
Maybe not.
WHAT I’M CONTEMPLATING:
So yes, obviously these stories have me thinking about women, power, and history. It’s something that comes up in my books as well. Most recently, I really explored these themes in THE ROYAL RUNAWAY. Princess Theodora is inspired by her royal female ancestors – how they dared to conquer navies and divorce deadbeat husbands.
And in my Sorority Sisters Mysteries, Margot Blythe is inspired by the founders of Delta Beta sorority. How they formed a sisterhood that would inspire and educate women in a world that didn’t share their values.
It’s one of my wheels, I guess. (Reader wheels is a concept I talked about in this episode of Women With Books: Chapter 36 with Becca Syme.)
And I can’t get the thought out of my head – what would have happened if Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary had met in person. What world would these two women have created, if they’d been allowed or even encouraged to FULLY own their power, without manipulative, greasy dudes trying to ruin everything.
But that would have been an alternate history. And a totally different movie.
And maybe a really good book? *evil grin*
What did you think about these movies? Were you as frustrated with the patriarchy as I was? Or did you just enjoy them as winter Oscar bait movies? Comment below or hit me up on Facebook or Instagram to discuss further!
November 26, 2018
Perfect Holiday Gifts for Everyone
Back for 2018! I’ve compiled a list of all my favorite things (kind of like Oprah, really) from this year that would make great gifts for everyone on your list - young, old, tall, short, etc.
Ready?
Let’s begin.
My favorite purse hook! I recommended it here, this little baby stays on your bag, is discreet yet mighty. – Clipa on Amazon.
2. The holidays means time with family and friends and I can only stand the constant roar of sportsball for so long. Also tweens and teens need a reason to get off their phones. Enter the family board game.
Two of our family favorites are this domino game (apologies for the name. There needs to be a new name for this, right? Like Crooked Train?) and my favorite card/ board game, Sequence.
3. Everyone needs cordless bluetooth headphones. I mean, it’s almost 2019!
I’ve bought 3 pairs of these. I use them until they fall apart and then buy another set. For $25, the value can’t be beat.
But if you want to upgrade someone’s listening experience, you can go with some noise canceling ones. My husband got these Bose headphones as a present to himself for business travel and they’re like a spa for your ears.
My cheaper favorite headphones seen out in the wild.
4. Great notebook & pens! Basic? Yes. But a lot of us planner nerds always appreciate a good writing pen and paper. A lot of people I know love a Rhodia Graph notebook. I’m going to ask Santa for a new Ecoqua grid notebook as I’m almost done with my old one.
Seen - the inside of my Ecoqua notebook.
And of course, you already know I’m recommending my favorite Micron Pens.
5. I took a felt message board to a gift swap last year and I think it would still be a hit this year too!
Handy even when one does not have a book that’s been out for one month….
6. Okay, this is the one gift suggestion that I don’t have YET. But I know a lot of people LOVE theirs and I’m definitely asking Santa for an air fryer too.
7. My whole family loves their Swell / Yeti/ Corksicle bottles and tumblers.
My favorite corksicle tumbler with a limited edition HBIC Nation sticker on it!
If you know someone who likes to keep their cold drinks cold and their hot drinks hot, here are a few stainless steel vessels I thought were stylish and practical.
A Corksicle wood “carafe.”
And then this special edition Swell bottle is pretty extra but in a sophisticated way.
Swell MCM:
8. Packing Cubes! The gift that no one knows they need until they get them!
Of course there are the utilitarian ones. Perfectly functional and a great gift.
And the fancy princess ones. You decide who is getting them and how much you love them.
I’d love to hear if you also love these gifts or what your go-to gift for people is this year! ‘Tis the season for sharing all the helpful tips!
