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Weekly Roundup: January 17, 2025

I will never forget today’s date—January 17, 1994 was when the Northridge earthquake happened and my family lived pretty much on the epicenter. To this day, when a big trucks drives by, causing the windows to rattle, I dive under the nearest table. Traumatized much? Today, I’m thinking a lot about everyone in Los Angeles, recovering from a completely different natural disaster. It’s all so much. Life can be so hard and so breathtakingly beautiful.

Quote of the week:
“I don’t know what it is like to not have deep emotions. Even when I feel nothing, I feel it completely.” —Sylvia Plath

What I’m reading:
I’m about to finish The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. It’s so good. I was intimidated by how long it is (650 pages!) but I’ve been so immersed in the story that I haven’t cared how long it’s taking to read.

What I’m listening to:
I got The Secret Language of the Body: Regulate Your Nervous System, Heal Your Body, Free Your Mind as an Audible deal and went in totally blind. Wow. This book is so good that I’m buying the hard copy to have on hand for future reference.

What I’m watching:
I just started No Good Deed on Netflix and I’m loving it.

Writing news:
The book cover is here and it’s a beauty. I can’t wait for this book to come out into the world. It’s going to generate some interesting conversations, I think. You can pre-order wherever you buy books. On Amazon, you can pre-order for just $3.99 on Kindle.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Some female chameleons can reproduce without a male present. My daughter is about to get a chameleon and what do you want to bet I end up with the self-reproducing kind?The French term L’esprit d’escaliar translates to “staircase wit” and refers to the moment on the stairs as you leave a building when you think of the thing you should have said while you were still inside at the partyHeliophilia is love of sunlight. I am a heliophiliacThe Japanese word komorebi refers to the kind of light you see in a forest. It literally translates to “sunlight leaking through trees.” So prettyThe largest bowling alley in the world is in Japan and has 116 lanes

What I’m grateful for:

Antibiotics. My daughter got strep AGAIN. For three years in a row now, she’s had back-to-back cases of strep like this. No fun. Thankful we have easy access to care and medicationAll the lovely feedback on the book cover. Publishing a book doesn’t feel real until there’s a cover. I’m getting excitedFinishing a draft of my 2026 novel and sending it off to my wonderful agent. I’m excited about this one, tooCalming winds in LA so firefighters can make more progress toward containmentA 13-mile run this morning that felt really good. I’m building toward a half marathon next month and the Boston Marathon in April

Snapshots:
From top to bottom: we value quality cat time in our household; the look of love; long run views

The post Weekly Roundup: January 17, 2025 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: January 10, 2025

Like many Californians, my heart is heavy today. I grew up in Los Angeles county and seeing the photos of the devastation there has been so difficult. My family had to evacuate on a couple occasions when I was growing up and I remember the panic and fear of that. I’m thinking of everyone who has lost so much. To the first responders and their families, thank you.

Quote of the week:
“In all our searching, the only thing we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other.” –Carl Sagan

What I’m reading:
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. I’ve heard from enough people that this book is amazing, so I’m finally checking it out. It will be a time commitment (it’s 650 pages!). So far, it’s great.

What I’m listening to:
I started Anne Lamott’s Almost Everything: Notes on Hope on my run this morning. It’s just what I needed. Her writing and her voice are so soothing.

What I’m watching:
I watched Nightbitch, based on the book by Rachel Yoder, and really liked it. Definitely some themes in common with my book that comes out in June. I also got sucked into Worst Ex Ever on Netflix—yikes. Oh, and my boyfriend and I watched Idiocracy because he’d never seen it. It came out back in 2006 and has proven to be quite predictive of today’s world—ha.

Writing news:
My publisher shared with me the cover for Woman on the Verge and I’m loving it. I’ll have the final file soon and will share then. Exciting! I’m making some small edits to my 2026 novel (title TBD) and sending to my agent soon. Things are moving along!

Interesting things I learned this week:

A group of foxes is called a skulkYour skin sheds 30,000 skin cells a minuteFlying fish fly at about 40 miles per hourIn 1900, the average life expectancy was 32 years. This is WILD to meThe average age of first marriage today is 31.4 in the US and 35 in the UKInsects make up about 40% of living species

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“shampoo word origin.” My daughter asked me, “Why is it called shampoo? It cleans hair but it has the word poo in it.” Fair question. Turns out the word shampoo in English is derived from Hindi chāmpo (चाँपो [tʃãːpoː]), and dates to 1762. The Hindi word referred to head massage, usually with some form of hair oil.

What I’m grateful for:

Safety from the fires. The winds have calmed and the skies are blue here. I feel very luckyGetting back to routine after the holiday break. On Monday, I felt like I’d been hit by a bus, but I’m back to normal nowA phone date with one of my best friends. The best therapyMy sweet daughter who is very into telling me how much she loves me latelyMy boyfriend, who is putting the finishing touches on a chameleon cage for my daughter. This house is about to have its first reptile

Snapshots:
I didn’t take many photos this week. Most of them are of my daughter (which I don’t share much publicly) and my cats (which I share too much publicly).

The post Weekly Roundup: January 10, 2025 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: January 3, 2025

Here we are in a brand-new year and I’m feeling the same ol’ sleepiness. School resumes on Monday and I’ll have my routine back. I am a creature of habit, an introverted one at that. Winter break has been a gauntlet of activity, which is the case every year, but I always seem to forget (#protectiveamnesia). Here’s to a peaceful year—a girl can dream.

Quote of the week:
“I am seized by two contradictory feelings: there is so much beauty in the world it is incredible that we are ever miserable for a moment; there is so much shit in the world that it is incredible we are ever happy for a moment.” –Zadie Smith

What I’m reading:
I’m just starting The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. She is one of my favorite contemporary writers and I was so excited to get an advance copy.

What I’m listening to:
Black Light, a collection of short stories by Kimberly King Parsons. I loved her book so decided to try this story collection. Good so far!

What I’m watching:
I finished Shrinking and Bad Sisters—loved both. I’m in the midst of Season 2 of Silo. I watched It Ends With Us on Netflix and it was haunting. It definitely should not be billed as some kind of romantic feel-good movie. I also watched the latest Nikki Glaser standup special and then promptly bought tickets to one of her live shows.

Writing news:
I did zero writing over winter break, which was the plan. I’ve been sending out some advance copies of Woman on the Verge and reviewing cover options. I should have the cover reveal next week! My 2026 novel (title TBD) is with my early readers and the response has been good so far—yay!

Interesting things I learned this week:

Penguins can dive to depths of at least 1800 feet. Why did I think they were just shallow swimmers?The percentage of teenagers abstaining from alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, or non-heroin opioids (like OxyContin) is the highest in half a century, according to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Study. The group has been conducting this research for 49 years and say they’ve never seen a change like thisCentral Park in New York City is larger than the entire country of MonacoThe International Space Station orbits Earth approximately every 90 minutesThere is enough clothing on the planet for the next six generations of people, according to the Fashion Transparency Index

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“keanu reeves age.” He’s 60?! What?!

What I’m grateful for:

Playdates! They are a necessity when you’re a single mom with an only childLots of fun holiday hangouts with friends and family and friends who are like familyAntibiotics. My daughter had strep but was back to her usual antics after 24 hours on the wonder gooA double-digit long run today. I’ve officially started training for the Boston Marathon in April. I’ll be doing a half marathon in February as part of my buildup. Everything is feeling good!

Snapshots:
From top to bottom: The Grinch play with my daughter; our winter break scene; the pets love me; run view; kitty disapproves of me returning to work.

The post Weekly Roundup: January 3, 2025 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Books I read in 2024

It’s time for one of my favorite posts of the year, the post where I get to count all the books I’ve read. This year, the grand total is 140. On average, I read about 12 books a month. It’s a pretty even mix of fiction and nonfiction. I tend to listen to nonfiction on audio and read fiction (hard copy or Kindle). I’ve selected my 15 favorite novels and 15 favorite nonfiction books. It’s very difficult to narrow it down to 15! The full list of books I read is below. I would love to hear your favorite reads of 2024.

Fiction:
The Limits — Nell Freudenberger
Time’s Mouth — Edan Lepucki
They’re Going to Love You — Meg Howrey
Margo’s Got Money Troubles — Rufi Thorpe
Still Born — Guadalupe Nettel (translated by Rosalind Harvey)
Dead in Long Beach, California — Venita Blackburn
Bandit Queens — Parini Shroff
Twenty-Seven Minutes — Ashley Tate
After Birth — Elisa Albert
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store — James McBride
Human Blues — Elisa Albert
The Nursery — Szilvia Molnar
What You Are Looking For Is In the Library — Michiko Aoyama
The Paper Palace — Miranda Cowley Heller
Dirty Laundry — Disha Bose
Nightwatching — Tracy Sierra
Behind You Is the Sea — Susan Muaddi Darraj
All the Little Bird-Hearts — Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow
None of This Is True — Lisa Jewell
The Lost Daughter — Elena Ferrante
Bear — Julia Phillips
Annie Bot — Sierra Greer
Again and Again — Jonathan Evison
The Garden — Clare Beams
Like Mother, Like Daughter — Kimberly McCreight
The End of Drum-Time — Hanna Pylväinen
Sleeping Giants — Rene Denfeld
Leaving — Roxana Robinson
Wrong Place Wrong Time — Gillian McAllister
Kink: Stories — Garth Greenwell and R.O. Kwon (editors)
The Bird’s Nest — Shirley Jackson
Good Material — Dolly Alderton
First Lie Wins — Ashley Elston
Days of Wonder — Caroline Leavitt
The Red Grove — Tessa Fontaine
The Husbands — Holly Gramazio
All the Broken Places — John Boyne
The Sicilian Inheritance — Jo Piazza
All Fours — Miranda July
The Three Lives of Cate Kay — Kate Fagan
I’m Thinking of Ending Things — Iain Reid
Women! In! Peril! — Jessie Ren Marshall
The Sisters K — Maureen Sun
Liars — Sarah Manguso
Heartburn — Nora Ephron
Exhibit — R.O. Kwon
The God of the Woods — Liz Moore
A Good Enough Mother — Catherine Dunne
The Wedding People — Alison Espach
Long Island Compromise — Taffy Brodesser-Akner
The Hypocrite — Jo Hamya
Martyr! — Kaveh Akbar
Madwoman — Chelsea Bieker
Unsheltered — Barbara Kingsolver
The Bright Years — Sarah Damoff
Heartbreaker — Claudia Dey
A Frozen Woman — Annie Ernaux
Sky Full of Elephants — Cebo Campbell
Sandwich — Catherine Newman
Same as It Ever Was — Claire Lombardo
The Unseen World — Liz Moore
Here One Moment — Liane Moriarty
How the Light Gets In — Joyce Maynard
You’re Safe Here — Leslie Stephens
A Woman’s Story — Annie Ernaux
Simple Passion — Annie Ernaux
We Were the Universe — Kimberly King Parsons
Orbital — Samantha Harvey
If You Love It, Let It Kill You — Hannah Pittard
After Hope — Heather Frimmer
Dirty Diana — Jen Besser and Shana Feste
Don’t Be a Stranger — Susan Minot
Greta & Valdin — Rebecca K. Reilly
A Reason to See You Again — Jami Attenberg
Shred Sisters — Betsy Lerner

Nonfiction:
Everyone But Myself: A Memoir — Julie Chavez
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative — Florence Williams
Brutalities: A Love Story — Margo Steines
Through the Groves: A Memoir — Anne Hull
More: A Memoir of Open Marriage — Molly Roden Winter
Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) — Pooja Lakshmin
The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self — Michael Easter
The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self — Martha Beck
The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America — Virginia Sole-Smith
100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships, and Success — Liz Moody
Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World — Naomi Klein
Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story — Leslie Jamison
This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life — Lyz Lenz
How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships — Nicole Lepera
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution — Cat Bohannon
I Am Yours: A Shared Memoir — Reema Zaman
Things I Learned From Falling: A Memoir — Claire Nelson
Night Vision: Seeing Ourselves Through Dark Moods — Mariana Alessandri
While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence — Meg Kissinger
Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving — Caitlyn Collins
Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against the Apocalypse — Emily Raboteau
Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward — Gemma Hartley
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality — Amanda Montell
Sociopath: A Memoir — Patric Gagne
Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear — Kim Brooks
Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning — Claire Dederer
Committed: On Meaning and Madwomen — Suzanne Scanlon
Ambition Monster: A Memoir — Jennifer Romolini
Releasing the Mother Load: How to Carry Less and Enjoy Motherhood More — Erica Djossa
Love Is A Burning Thing: A Memoir — Nina St. Pierre
Grief is for People — Sloane Crosley
How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes: Science-Based Strategies for Better Parenting—From Tots to Teens — Melinda Wenner Moyer
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art — James Nestor
Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice — Cristina Rivera Garza
Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir — Dolly Alderton
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape From Christian Patriarchy — Tia Levings
Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes — Christine Yu
Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir — Anna Marie Tendler
All of This: A Memoir of Death and Desire — Rebecca Woolf
Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet — Hannah Ritchie
Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women — Maggie Mertens
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth — Zoë Schlanger
Mother Hunger: How Adult Daughters Can Understand and Heal from Lost Nurturance, Protection, an D Guidance — Kelly McDaniel
Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life — Brigid Schulte
Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma — Mariel Buqué
Mad Wife: A Memoir — Kate Hamilton
The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery — Barbara K. Lipska
I Will Do Better: A Father’s Memoir of Heartbreak, Parenting, and Love — Charles Bock
Did I Ever Tell You?: A Memoir — Genevieve Kingston
Consent: A Memoir — Jill Ciment
Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down — Corey Keyes
Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, A Daughter’s Story — Kristine S. Ervin
Lifeform — Jenny Slate
Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau — Ben Shattuck
Somehow: Thoughts on Love — Anne Lamott
How Do You Feel?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine — Jessi Gold
Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways — Dorcas Cheng-Tozun

Poetry, plays, and other stuff:
Good Grief — Brianna Pastor
Daughter Drink This Water: A Book of Sacred Love — Jaiya John
Lucky Wreck: Poems – Ada Limón
The Emergency Poet: An Anti-Stress Poetry Anthology — Deborah Alma (editor)
Stars At Last: Poems — Jessica Jocelyn
You Better Be Lightning — Andrea Gibson

The post Books I read in 2024 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: December 20, 2024

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all the mothers of young children were losing their minds… This will be a quick roundup because I am, in fact, losing my mind. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate. I hope you sneak in some relaxation in the midst of the craziness. I’ll see you in 2025. Here’s the roundup!

Quote of the week:
“We are all so desperate to be understood, we forget to be understanding.” –Beau Taplin, Buried Light

What I’m reading:
Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly. So funny and charming.

What I’m listening to:
How Do You Feel?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine by Jessi Gold. If you’re new to psych-lit, this is a good one. If you’ve been around that block several times, this will seem kind of basic.

What I’m watching:
I took my daughter to see “Wicked” and it was SO FANTASTIC. I can’t wait for Part 2. As far as shows, I’m still in the midst of Shrinking and Bad Sisters. I’ve also gotten very into Silo.

Writing news:
We are officially less than six months away from the release of Woman on the Verge. Cover is coming soon! I just sent the first draft of my 2026 novel (title TBD) to my early readers. I feel good about it!

Interesting things I learned this week:
Honestly, my brain is completely fried. The only interesting thing I’m recalling is that the murder hornet has been eradicated from the U.S. Hallelujah?

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“drones new jersey.” If you haven’t fallen down this rabbit hole, I recommend doing so.

What I’m grateful for:

Winter break! My daughter has a TON of energy so entertaining her for two weeks will be a challenge, but I’m also planning lots of fun for us. It will be nice just to have a break from the rushing routine of weekday morningsSeeing “Wicked” with my daughter and a local “Nutcracker” performance too. I love doing theater-y things with herAll the fun holiday activities at school, finishing with yesterday’s holiday breakfast. The kids sang some songs and it was so cute!Sending off this first draft of my 2026 novel. This was a challenging writing process for me, sneaking in small blocks of writing time while very busy with my day job and motherhoodEnjoying my runs lately. I’m doing some base building training before kicking off official training for the Boston Marathon. Everything is feeling great

Pet snapshots of the week:

The post Weekly Roundup: December 20, 2024 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: December 13, 2024

Friday the 13th—cue spooky music. Let’s hope there’s nothing spooky today. I am at capacity. Here’s the roundup!

Quote of the week:
“There is too much bad news to justify complacency. There is too much good news to justify despair.” —Donella Meadows

What I’m reading:
Don’t Be a Stranger by Susan Minot. I can’t remember how this one ended up on my to-read list, but I’m glad it did. Enjoying it so far.

What I’m listening to:
Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck. I just listened to Jenny Slate’s latest and decided to check out her husband’s writing too. I went into this book completely blind and it’s been delightful.

What I’m watching:
Finished up season 2 Shrinking and am in the middle of season 2 of Bad Sisters—so good. Seeing “Wicked” in the theater is on the agenda this weekend.

Writing news:
Just about six months away from the release of Woman on the Verge. My publisher and I are finalizing the cover and I can’t wait to share. I’ve just wrapped up some self-editing for my 2026 novel and will be sharing that with my early readers NEXT WEEK (ah!).

Interesting things I learned this week:

The ocean is, on average, 2 miles deepThe ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” were sold for $28 million at auctionTaylor Swift gave $197 million in bonuses to Eras Tour performers, crew on top of their salariesSotheby’s is selling a stone version of the Ten Commandments that it says is the world’s oldest, dating to A.D. 300-800. Some experts question the stone’s authenticityBecause they don’t have to expend resources secreting colored pigments to be visible to insects at night, night blooming flowers are usually white. The white color refracts light, making them visible for pollination

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“men versus women lightning strikes.” I read in a book that men account for 80% of lightning strike deaths and I couldn’t believe it so had to google. Yep, it’s true! In the US, males account for about 85 percent of lightning-strike fatalities and females only 15 percent.

What I’m grateful for:

I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping. Is it just me, or are the holidays like a part-time job?Volunteering in my daughter’s class—always a good time to hang with the kidsPet cuddles… they will always make my gratitude listGetting back to running after some time off after my Thanksgiving 10K

Pet snapshots of the week:

The post Weekly Roundup: December 13, 2024 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: December 6, 2024

Howdy! I missed last week due to Thanksgiving festivities so this is a bi-weekly roundup. I’m still in denial that it’s December, despite all the holiday things going on around us. Can we just pause a sec? I have not even begun Christmas shopping. I seem to forget every year how stressful the holidays are—protective amnesia? Anyway, here’s the roundup!

Quote of the week:
“Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, ‘This is what I need.’ It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment — not discouragement — you will find the strength is there. Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life… Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage were the incidents that shaped the life you have now.” —Joseph Campbell, Reflections on the Art of Living

What I’m reading:
Dirty Diana by Jen Besser and Shana Feste. I’m intrigued that this book started as a very popular fiction podcast. So far, so good. Definitely spicy and fun.

What I’m listening to:
Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, A Daughter’s Story by Kristine S. Ervin. It’s kind of a mix of true crime and a memoir of a motherless daughter. It’ll stay with me.

What I’m watching:
Still in the midst of season 2 of Shrinking and season 2 of Bad Sisters—loving both. I took my daughter to see “Moana 2” in the theater. Cute.

Writing news:
Just about six months away from the release of Woman on the Verge. I’m almost wrapping up self-editing the first draft of my 2026 novel and will send it out to my trusted early readers soon.

Interesting things I’ve learned lately:

Oxford named its 2024 word of the year: brain rot. According to Oxford, its earliest known appearance was in 1854, in “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau: “While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot,” Thoreau lamented, “will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”A nationwide survey of grocery prices found that the cost of Thanksgiving dinner was the lowest it’s been since 1984, adjusted for inflationAbout 20% of Americans (and 37% of Americans under 30) get their news from social media influencers, according to a Pew report. Note: Most influencers are men and self-identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Trump. Also note: More than three-quarters of influencers have no news backgroundScientists are studying hummingbirds to improve the flying abilities of combat dronesMen spend more than women: Last year, men spent 38.6% more, and a study from 2016 found that they spent 51% more! Interestingly, that’s not necessarily because men shop more — instead, it seems like men generally buy more expensive thingsUS consumers will spend a little under $1 trillion across the entire holiday seasonAustralia has barred everyone under 16 from social mediaSince 2003, unauthorized immigrants have made up 4.4% to 5.4% of all US workers. And, yes, they pay taxes: In 2022 alone, undocumented immigrant households paid $46.8 billion in federal taxes and $29.3 billion in state and local taxesDecember 1st was the busiest air travel day EVER, with >3 million air travelers, according to TSA

What I’m grateful for:
So many things that I’m just going to do a running list: Thanksgiving with family, a successful Turkey Trot 10K (42:52, 2nd in my age group!), best friends in town, yoga class, Social Distortion concert, neighborhood park tree lighting, Santa encounters (3 already haha), tooth losses (my daughter lost one on Thanksgiving and one at school today!), Christmas decorations (my house is so cozy right now), cookie decorating at school, a super-cool 5th grader helping my girl with homework, my daughter’s new love for karate (I might try it myself).

Snapshots:
From top to bottom: Splatter painting class with my bestie, my daughter, and my guy; pre-10K selfie; the most gorgeous time of year here (in my opinion); post-rain magic; the best snuggler; puppy’s favorite spot.

The post Weekly Roundup: December 6, 2024 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: November 22, 2024

Every year, I’m surprised at how the holidays sneak up on me. I hope you and yours have a Happy Thanksgiving. Here’s the roundup.

Quote of the week:
“Those who build walls are their own prisoners. I’m going to go fulfill my proper function in the social organism. I’m going to go unbuild walls.” —Ursula Le Guin, The Dispossessed

What I’m reading:
I finished We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons and LOVED it. It has very similar themes (motherhood, identity, grief and loss) to my book that comes out in June, Woman on the Verge. I’m now reading Orbital by Samantha Harvey, which recently won the Booker Prize. I need to find out how she gathered so much information about space in order to write this. It’s fascinating. Oh, I also finished a beautiful book of poetry this week—You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson.

What I’m listening to:
Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World that Wears Us Down by Corey Keyes. I think many of us are languishing right now. There are no mind-blowing epiphanies for me in this book, but it has been helpful.

What I’m watching:
I’m still enjoying season 2 of Shrinking (why must they release just one episode per week?!) and I just started Season 2 of Bad Sisters—loving it.

Writing news:
I’m still waiting on a cover reveal for Woman on the Verge—releases June 17! In the meantime, I’m working away on my 2026 novel, going through my first round of self edits on the first draft. It’s coming along.

Interesting things I learned this week:

An Italian village is offering $1 homes to Americans upset by the election resultOngoing popular vote counting has shown that Trump earned less than 50% of the popular vote…againKakistocracy refers to a state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or more unscrupulous citizensAccording to a new study from Australia, every hour you walk could add up to 6 hours to your lifespan. By emulating the most active 25% of Americans — who do about 160 minutes of normal-paced walking (or the equivalent in other forms of exercise) every day — the average American over the age of 40 could add 5 years to their life. The least active 25% of Americans could add a hefty 11 years!The oldest living land animal on earth is a 192-year-old tortoise named Jonathan90% of the world’s population lives in the Northern HemisphereHumans are using about 1.7 times the resources that nature can sustainably renew each yearMost U.S. states have smaller populations than Los Angeles County. The only states that do NOT have smaller populations than LA County are Texas, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New YorkWarner Brothers is selling 10 functional Batmobiles for $3M eachResearchers in Japan discovered that dogs were more interested in humans who performed better at certain tasks vs those who struggled. Female dogs proved to be the most judgmental, much preferring the competent humans

What I’m grateful for:

A mother-daughter haircut—what a treat. My daughter was stoked to go to the regular salon and have some pampering (and her haircut is adorable)Celebrating my oldest nephew’s birthday with a fun family dinner. I can’t believe he’s 14! My daughter in her “Moana” performance at her school. I haven’t smiled so big in a long time. I’m grateful our school is doing more arts programs and I hope it stays that wayHelping at the first grade Thanksgiving feast. I never thought I was a kid person until I had my own kid and then got to know her friends. I love little people. I volunteered in her classroom today too and helped the kids with their holiday calendarsAlways running into (literally) someone I know on my morning runs. My community feels so small and comfortingTime with one of my soul mate friends this weekend. She’s in town from Paraguay and I’m so excited!

Snapshots:
Top to bottom: My aforementioned friend sent me this “Books are magic” hat and I realized that I was wearing the sweatshirt she had bought for me previously—ha, she knows me well; doggie has made a bed out of the giant teddy bear my nephew gave my daughter; pets continue to comfort me on a daily basis.

The post Weekly Roundup: November 22, 2024 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: November 15, 2024

Well, it’s been a week. Going online and reading news headlines about Trump administration appointments feels like death by a thousand cuts. It’s a lot to take in. I’m not sure where to go from here. For now, I’m just trying to stay close to my values and to the people I love. That’s all we can really do. Here’s the roundup:

Quote of the week:
“I don’t know if I’m extremely sensitive or life is unbearable.” —Vincent Van Gogh

What I’m reading:
I read You’re Safe Here by Leslie Stephens this week—interesting futuristic fiction. I’m now getting into We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons.

What I’m listening to:
I’ve been on an Annie Ernaux kick. This week, I listened to Simple Passion and A Woman’s Story. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2022. My favorite of hers is A Frozen Woman.

What I’m watching:
I’m still enjoying season 2 of Shrinking and I have 2 episodes left of The Terror. I also watched the Martha Stewart documentary this week and it was so good. She’s fascinating.

Writing news:
The cover for my new book, Woman on the Verge, is coming soon! It releases on June 17!
Just yesterday, I finished a draft of my 2026 novel. It’s way too long and needs lots of editing, but I’m happy to have a draft.

Interesting things I learned this week:

US internet searches for how to move abroad went up more than 1000% after the electionThe Handmaid’s Tale has risen more than 400 places on bestseller charts since the election (if you haven’t read it, you MUST). Other dystopian novels have also seen increased salesA survey by Ipsos shows that voters who relied on Fox News, conservative media outlets and social media platforms for their news, were more likely to answer objective questions about crime and inflation incorrectly. They were also far more likely to vote for TrumpSome good news: For the first time ever, two Black women will serve in the Senate, after Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware won their respective racesMattel’s latest dolls for the movie “Wicked” mistakenly listed a porn website on its packaging instead of a similar URL promoting the filmCrows can remember threats and hold onto grudges for up to 17 years, according to research from the University of WashingtonCurrently, only 4% of healthcare research and development funding is reserved for women’s healthFor the first time in history, no men were nominated for “Best Pop Vocal Album” at the Grammys

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“longest cat whiskers.” An inquiry from my daughter. There is actually a Guinness Record for this and it’s 7.5 inches. Whoa. This google search led us to also googling “longest cat tail” and that is 16 inches. Whoa again. Along this journey, we also discovered that the loudest cat purr is 54.6 decibels. You can hear this purr here.

What I’m grateful for:

Comedy. Stephen Colbert is saving me lately. Also, my boyfriend and I saw Tom Segura perform in San Diego last weekend and that was a very necessary mood lifterPet cuddles. I’ve been needing them so much this weekNature. Getting outside has helped my mental state a lot. The trees and the sky don’t care about the election. They go on doing their thingCommunity organizing. A mom-friend of mine and I are forming a group to talk about local issues affecting us since the election. It feels good to do somethingGood ol’ phone calls. I talked to one of my best friends last night and my sister this morning. It’s amazing how a half-hour of rich conversation can shift everythingFriends visiting! Two of my best friends are coming into town next week and I can’t wait to hug them

Snapshots:
Top: Felines for female rights, baby. Sweatshirt from my sister’s company, The Bee & the Fox.
Bottom: Nature, giver of perspective.

The post Weekly Roundup: November 15, 2024 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: November 8, 2024

Welp, America elected the felon. I am beside myself. I really thought the majority of Americans would be turned off by how vile this man is. Let’s see… 34 felonies, convicted of rape, known sexual predator, six bankruptcies, a slew of deeply offensive remarks about women, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, basically any minority. He is decidedly un-Christian in his values—and that’s not based on “the liberal media,” it’s based on HIS OWN STATEMENTS. His 40 cabinet members THAT HE APPOINTED last time (remember guys, we already did one round of this… was life better then?) have all said, “Don’t vote for this person.” Leading economists say his plans will be terrible for our country. Abortion bans have already shown to be killing MORE women and babies (which should negate the “pro-life” argument). I don’t get it. Honestly. I am trying hard to understand because, clearly, I am missing something significant here. My daughter is upset. She is only 7. She said before the election, “Donald Trump does not seem kind and I think the President should be kind.” Her sadness and confusion breaks my heart. I don’t know what else to say.

Quote of the week:
“If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you are a human being.” —Leo Tolstoy

What I’m reading:
How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard. It’s the follow-up to Count the Ways, which is such a beautiful book. This one is equally beautiful, and I don’t usually say that about sequels. There is so much in it that’s very timely. It never ceases to amaze me how I tend to pick exactly the book I need when I need it.

I am also reading a couple poems a day from You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson, a birthday gift from my dear friend. It has been a true comfort lately.

What I’m listening to:
I just started Did I Ever Tell You?, a memoir by Genevieve Kingston that has been on my list for a while.

What I’m watching:
Season 2 of Shrinking. It’s so good, a real comfort show. I’m also in the middle of Season 1 of The Terror. Oh, and I watched the new episodes of Simone Biles Rising.

Writing news:
The People Who Knew Me podcast won a Lovie Award! Yay!
My next book, Woman on the Verge, has a release date of June 17! I can’t wait to share the cover soon. The cover makes it feel real.
I am a couple short chapters away from finishing a first (and very messy) draft of my novel that will come out in 2026. Woot.

Interesting things I learned this week:

The word recrudescence means “the return of something terrible after a time of reprieve.” Appropriate this week…An NPR survey found that about 1 in 4 people have ended a friendship over political differences English has the largest vocabulary of any languageA new report from PEN America covering the full 2023-2024 school year shows a 200% increase—that’s a tripling—in school book bans. The report analyzes 10,046 bans nationwide that sought to pull more than 4,000 unique titles from school shelvesLast weekend’s NYC Marathon was the largest marathon in history with 55,646 finishersBlood donors in Sweden receive a thank-you text message when their blood is usedIn 2021, 52% of women in the United States were unmarried or separated, which is a record highThroughout the four years that Trump was previously in office, California sued his administration more than 120 times

What I’m grateful for:

Living in California. I feel so privileged to be in a state where the legislators care about things like the social justice, the environment, and women’s rightsCommunity. As I type this, I am on a call with tens of thousands of people via weareworthfightingfor.org. I have been connecting with lots of friends and loved ones about how to support each other as we face whatever is next. I live in a red area in a blue state… I’m clinging to the people who share my valuesMy daughter and her sweet heart. I don’t have much control over the next four years, but I have control over raising a decent human being

Snapshot:
Just one this week. This was my daughter on election night. She asked me to print out Kamala coloring pages. We are saving them despite how things turned out.

The post Weekly Roundup: November 8, 2024 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.