The photo above shows me with my husband, my Head of School, and the generous donor Mr. Dan Lufkin right after I gave my speech and accepted my Lufkin Award on May 12, 2023. Here’s a link to a video of the event, which includes a very kind introduction from my boss. Below is what…
“Why”…Wednesdays
228. Why TJR
I first became aware of Taylor Jenkins Reid through the awesome author Emma Brodie. (If you’re a newer subscriber, you can read my post about Emma’s novel here.) Emma lent me her copy of Daisy Jones & The Six, which I experienced as a literary This is Spinal Tap, a written mockumentary of a fictional band….
227. Why Crumple
[DepositPhotos.com has the above photo in their “business argument” search.] I’m starting to think that the infinitive “to butt heads” and the plural noun “buttheads” aren’t all that different. In my new role as a class dean, I have a lot more contact with constituents who have strong opinions than I did in my role…
NetGalley Review of The Sweetheart List
title: The Sweetheart List author: Jill Shalvis publisher: Avon publication date: June 13, 2023 pages: 352 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: dead parents, off page summary: Harper moves to Tahoe, the last place she remembers being truly happy, with the only male who’s ever been good to her, Ham the Bernese Mountain dog. She plans…
226. Why Love Venn
I had the idea for this post when I was listening to Kamala Harris’ guest appearance on We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle. The Vice President said, among other great lines, that she loves a good Venn diagram because it shows what we have in common. I stopped my stroll, sent myself the…
Book Review: Boyfriend Material
I am totally late to the party on this one, but I might as well write a quick review in case there are a few people out there who haven’t read it yet. title: Boyfriend Material author: Alexis Hall publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca publication date: July 7, 2020 pages: 432 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: can’t…
225. Why Different is Better
Once again, the photo doesn’t have anything to do with the post, but isn’t Tuukka a beautiful pup? I was listening to a podcast recently (Short Wave: Humans Want to Make Everything Better, Jan 13, 2023) that reported on two scientists who asked people versions of the question, how could X be different? Before you…
224. Why Maggie Banks
I’ve read a lot of M/F, M/M, F/F, and even throuple romance novels. Shauna Robinson’s The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks offers the first F/R book I can remember. Yes, there’s a M/F relationship that develops through the story. That relationship has a meet cute, shows the characters learning to trust each other, and fills other…
223. Why FAIL
As much as I’d like to think that my brain works as I want it to at all times, in fact, I spend a lot of my energy in reframing. My first thoughts, before I massage them, sometimes lean toward the negative. Then, I remind myself that I control the lens through which I view…
NetGalley Review of In the Case of Heartbreak
title: In the Case of Heartbreak author: Courtney Kae publisher: Kensington publication date: July 25, 2023 pages: 320 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: childhood trauma talked about a lot, drug use summary: narrator Ben runs a bakery that is competing, using a cinnamon roll recipe that mom adapted from absent/neglectful father’s recipe, on a baking…