This Week In My Library: 8.15.23

sexting, fake bands, and no more white shorts

Bookman:

1. a person who has a love of books and especially of reading. 2. a person who is involved in the writing, publishing, or selling of books. Oh, hi thats me!!

What I still think about: Sometimes a book can leave images in my head for years. Rose Code by Kate Quinn is one of those books I can't shake, even two years after reading it. I'm a sucker for historical fiction and went through a major WWII reading phase. And Rose Code slots right into everything wonderful that I love: complex women, female friendships, a little bit of mystery, a dash of romance and even a sprinkle of the royals...but via a beast of historical fiction kind of way. If you liked Alice Network (and if you're just now hearing of this book go, go, go), you'll dig Quinn's follow-up (but totally different) read Rose Code.

What I'll be SHOUTING about next week: Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men over Motherhood by Allison Yarrow. It saved me yesterday during epic flight delays because I was so aghast by what I was reading that I didn't have time to worry about airplane mechanical failures and the possibility of not ever getting home. And I'm only halfway through. I'm telling you now to prepare for what might be an entire email drop about this book alone. Holy absolute shit is all I can say.

What I'm writing: Sex scenes baby!!! You heard it here first, That Novel is getting a whole lot steamier this week. In my first drafts of the manuscript last year, the romance scenes weren't really in there and the beta readers caught that glaring miss. So, I wrote them in and had a lot of ..um...fun?...doing so. But in my call with writing coach Julie last week, she gave me permission to take up more pages and really go for it. On one hand this is like all my refined sexting skills culminating for the world to see. But on the other hand I have to block out the idea of family members reading these scenes because Victorian Era sex isn't me and I am not it. But all I can say is that if you need some help getting all hot and bothered, read some romance and let your mind go wild. Or write it yourself which is even sexier?? Texting counts.

Women’s Studies

What gets passed down becomes our history. A few for the canon: Bye, bye white shorts! From the Women's World Cup to Wimbledon, a Victory Everyone Can Share by Vanessa Friedman for The New York Times...athletes winning the right to dress how they want! I loved this deep dive into the changing landscape of women's uniforms. As the articles goes, “It's not just about clothes. It's about choice.” Thirteen years ago I was a freshman playing DI volleyball in 1.5-inch inseam spandex shorts. ONE POINT FIVE INCHES. My behind needs way, way, way more coverage than that. We fought to get longer shorts so we weren't having to dive for a ball with fear (but honestly just the reality) that our butt cheeks had popped out. I can still feel the breeze on my glutes when I think about those itty-bitty ridiculous poop brown shorts. Change is here. And I'm here for it.

Pass it on

Stories are heirlooms. Here's one of mine: I'm in a fake band called Maple Hall, which dreams of being a real band once we learn our instruments. Every year our will-become-real-one-day band takes an annual pilgrimage to Red Rocks (the best ever concert venue located just outside of Golden, CO). Last week, we saw Maggie Rogers (who if you're not already listening to her you need to already be listening to her). On this trip our band made a new goal: take a couple months off to go to band camp, learn the shit out of our instruments and master one set of songs together so we can rent out the Rickshaw in San Francisco and treat everyone we know to a single night they'll never forget. Or be able to unhear. It's happening. As my brother reminded me last week, “You can be anywhere you want to be in 5 years.” Maple Hall, live from the Rickshaw. Tickets dropping in 2028.

xx