Weekly Roundup

We welcome our feline overlords edition

I hope everyone had a very happy spooky day. I was catsitting at a friend’s house, so I hid from children and ate pumpkin bread for dinner. #lifegoals Anyways, we made it through the week, so as a reward I give you: the Friday Weekly Roundup. 

What I’m reading:

Image from Bookshop.org.

Look at that cover!! Absolutely gorgeous. Threads That Bind is a YA fantasy inspired by the Greek Gods. In Alante, a half sunken city beset by daily tides, people are descended from Greek Gods and inherit their powers. We follow Io, the youngest of three sisters who are descended from the Fates - meaning they draw, spin and cut the life threads that keep humans alive. I’m about halfway through and would love more imagery on this half sunken world, but do like the political intrigue and the conversation around consent that’s happening. Also, that cover!!!! The sequel, Hearts That Cut comes out sometime next year.

What I’m writing:

Syllabi, lesson plans, and course proposals oh my! Because it’s nearing the end of the year, obviously that means we have to look forward to next year right? I’m in full teaching mode right now, with two courses ongoing in addition to my weekly tutoring. I’m also in the process of pulling together a course proposal for First Year Writing in the Spring. I got some initial feedback, but other than that I haven’t heard anything so I hope it gets approved without issue.

I don’t have an appropriate writing picture, so instead here are the kitties I was sitting. With permission from their humans, of course. This is Caoimhe¹ and Scarlett and they are furry and ridiculous and have NEVER BEEN FED EVER.

God Created Man, or something.

What I’m listening to:

I’ve been doing a lot of somatic work recently, and this playlist came up as something to use alongside it. If you’re not familiar, somatic work is a way of releasing emotions that are stored within your body. While it may sound New Age-y, it’s a lot of muscle tension and release, and what can be considered light physical therapy movements.

Anyways, I decided to take the playlist, relaxing as it is, into my day-to-day life and use it as background noise while plodding away at my computer.

Bonus! What I’m watching:

I don’t generally watch TV, but ‘tis the season. The season for baking, that is! And no, I’m not talking about the Great British Bake Off. I’m talking about GBBO’s superior French younger sibling, Le Meilleur Patissier.² It is inherently better in that: 1) it’s in French, 2) it’s 2 hours long, and 3) I get to watch French people making desserts for 2 hours. What more could you ask for?³ 

Mug Moment of the Week:

Hydration is important.

Twining’s Lemon and Ginger Tea, steeping in a mug given to me by my friend Mary.⁴ It’s the perfect size - big enough for a good cuppa, but not too big that I just feel like I’m drinking water by the end. This mug of tea very auspiciously accompanied me during my meeting with my Writing Group.

And that’s all folks! Thanks for joining me. I hope you have fun weekend plans and that you stay warm if you’re in a part of the world that gets cold. What are you reading this weekend? Tell me in the comments!

1. Pronounced: KWEE-va. It’s Irish.

2. I SAID WHAT I SAID. DEAL WITH IT.

3. Important caveat: I watch this in French. I haven’t been able to find the show in English so proceed with caution. You’ve been forewarned.

4. I’m only just realizing now how many friends named Mary I have. The answer is three.