94. The one I never sent
written in October, sending in December - skip if you don't like old news
Once again, I wrote a whole newsletter and just never sent it. Sending it in its draft-like glory, albeit months late…
What I’m up to
We are at the tail end of October break, and I am just now catching up on the monstrous amounts of grading I’ve let pile up. Nothing like teacher procrastination.
It’s been a really nice break, not least because we spent five days the week before in the Philippines. We were there to see family, but also to take Anna to see Hamilton, something she’s dreamt of since she was 8 years old. (It did not disappoint!)
What I’m reading
Currently reading: One More Thing by B.J. Novak on audio. This is so dumb, but I’ve avoided reading this because I hate Ryan from The Office. He is much less annoying (and funnier IMO) in his book.
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. I picked up this book when we went back to the Philippines a couple of weeks ago. I will read anything Groff writes (Fates and Furies is a masterpiece), but wow, this is a departure just like Matrix was a departure. It’s about a servant girl who escapes her plague-ravaged settlement and must survive in the wild. It’s not what I expected, but quite riveting despite (because of?) its brutality.
Ghost Lover by Lisa Taddeo. I have a loose policy of not trashing books online, but… this one was so difficult. I remember the cold realization that people are mean when I fell into a group of girls in college who relentlessly trashed other girls. It made me foolish for assuming the best of people. This book was even worse. Every character seemed to truly hate woman. I.e., upon discovering that a model died, a character thinks something like, “Oh yay, one fewer beautiful woman to compare myself to.” Ugh so gross.
Rewind by Lisa Graff. I read this for the library — it’s a fun, middle-grade version of Maurene Goo’s Throwback (which I loved). In this story, the protagonist gets sent back to the past to when her dad was also a middle schooler.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. After a spate of romance novels, I wanted something decidedly different. This fit the bill and, happily, I discovered after that it’s being developed into a show for Apple TV (starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly. It’s an early submission to what has become an obsession with the multiverse. It’s fast-paced and entertaining, and I quite like the ultimate takeaway.
Sourdough by Robin Sloan. I read this because BookTok says it’s got the same vibes as a Wes Anderson film. I can kind of see it. This is a weird one, weird but enjoyable.
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren. This is a sequel of sorts to The Soulmate Equation, which I quite liked. It was fun, but not my favorite (also, warning: it’s open-door). My favorite rom-com from this year is Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan, for the record).
The Light Pirate by Lily-Brooks-Dalton. This is objectively the best book on this list. It’s an alarmingly true-to-life dystopia set in the very near future. It starts off as an intimate family portrait and quickly becomes a survival story. I keep thinking about this book. Highly recommend.
What I’m thinking about
My sudden reading spurt is once again evidence of a truth I must remind myself of often: often all it takes to do something is just actually doing it. (Ha, I am so profound.)
This tells me, though, that I just need to start exercising again. Starting tomorrow.
What I’m learning
We are no better than those who came before us.
What I’m digging
My fellow teacher taught me how to grade by highlighting and it is life-changing.
And… I never finished this. Sending it anyway!