Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 17
April 29, 2020
April 20, 2020
3 Found Items Helping me Corona Cope
I have friends throwing themselves into spring cleaning during these uncertain times–with sparkling results. Not me!
Chalk it up to laziness or sentimentalism, but I’m not scouring my home and tossing stuff away. Instead, I’ve lost and now found a few items, which are helping me cope during this pandemic.
Here are three found things that have proven useful so far:
1. Puzzles
I’m not really a jigsaw type of gal, but I’ve dusted off these boxes that used to be sitting on our shelf. They’re a great distraction to while away the time, and it does feel like some things in the world are orderly when you lock in the pieces.
2. Fabric
Who knew that extra cotton material could be so useful? I’d mended our ratty ottoman earlier this year laying a new covering on top. Now I’ve gotten a face mask out of the material as well! (Hey, if it’s cozy enough for me to prop my feet on, it should work for my face, right?)
3. Emojis
We have this squishy toy lying around. Not only is it good for stress release, but I love looking at all the facial expressions.
How am I feeling today? I can roll the die around to locate my emotion. Or maybe I’ll just toss it up in the air and change the feeling to something I like better…
What items (found or not) are helping you cope during this time?
April 13, 2020
Book Review: Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes
Books are my go-to pleasure these days. It’s really tough out there, and reading is my solace. One novel that helped me at the very beginning of this period is Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes.
5 stars
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Pros:
Immersive worldFull of heart and humor
Cons:
An incident at the end might be too dramatic for some readers
A compulsive read. I loved this book about the mamas and dramas happening in this particular high school. The teaching world felt really authentic in this novel. Liston Heights is a well-drawn community, and I particularly enjoyed swapping viewpoints of the different characters affected by the unfolding events. MINOR DRAMAS also highlights the positives–and negatives–of using technology and how it influences both adults and adolescents. I really admired West for depicting the intricacies of family relationships and providing a look into the self-awareness of youth today.
A fun but also thought-provoking read–excellent!
Find more of my book ratings and reviews here.
April 8, 2020
April 4, 2020
Foodie Friday: Choc Coco Cookie
(Oops! I’m a day late. Staying at home makes me lose track of time.)
Chocolate Coconut Cookie: thin wafer cookies made without eggs!
Recipe adapted from “Chocolate Bliss Squares” in the
Eat, Live, Thrive Diet
book.I wanted to satisfy my sweet tooth without needing to go to the grocery store. Since I had these ingredients already in my pantry, I threw together these cookies.
1 c extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 c maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 c dried shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 c cocoa powder
Directions:
The key is to melt the coconut oil until it’s extremely liquid. Then mix all the ingredients together. It should result in a very thin batter. Scoop and pour onto parchment-lined pan. (A cookie dough scoop works well.) Refrigerate for at least ten minutes. Enjoy!
Hope this little bit of sweetness (either through seeing the pic or making the recipe) adds some happiness to you during this time.
March 25, 2020
“Hope” is the Thing with Feathers
“Hope” is the thing with feathers—That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
-Emily Dickinson
March 16, 2020
Book Promotion during a Pandemic
“The coming month shall bring winds of change in your life.”
My book, Mimi Lee Gets a Clue, came out last Tuesday on March 10th. It squeezed in right before all the upheaval started. I’m grateful I still got the chance to do a joint book launch that evening.
Pretty soon after, everything turned upside-down. As of current count, I’ve had two events cancelled, two postponed, and one still up in the air. Who knows what will happen next?
However, I am grateful for the solid support of the writing and reading community. Here are a few examples of kindnesses that I’ve noticed:
-Madeline Dyer started #BookPartyChat, with authors doing a Q&A on Twitter
–Reading with Robin is running Facebook Live videos and talking to authors
–A Mighty Blaze is a new Facebook page where author videos with shout-outs to indies are posted
-Erika Dreifus compiled a list of emergency grants for writers
March 10, 2020
March 9, 2020
Book Comes out Tomorrow!
“You will be called upon to celebrate some good news.”
This is just a quick note to say that MIMI LEE GETS A CLUE officially releases tomorrow (March 10)! Hurrah!
Go ahead and purchase it here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/605896/mimi-lee-gets-a-clue-by-jennifer-j-chow/
