Sunday Smatterings (The Kerr Edition)

Happy Sunday, one and all! Assistant Amy/The Kerr here (J.T. and the rest of the world call me The Kerr, so that's what I'll go by here).

How'd your week go? I don't know what happened, but mind kind of flew by. All of our Bradford pears are blooming now (!), which means spring isn't too far away! I'm excited. But not for humidity. Though I'm not going to focus on that for now.

If you've been under a rock and wondering Where is J.T.?!?!? don't worry, she's okay! She's just taking her annual social media sabbatical for Lent. And she's finishing up a book, which means she's super in the zone, which means you're stuck with me for the next six weeks. But if you've got an important message, let me know and I'll pass it along!

Alright—you're here for links, and I'm here to give you some. My format's a wee bit different than my boss's, so I hope you'll indulge me as I talk about my favorite things.

What I'm Eating

I am a lazy eater. I don't care. If I like something, I like it, and I don't mind eating the same thing over and over again. It's served me well throughout my life (especially as a broke college student—I miss you, college burritos . . . and college metabolism 🌯). 

Since I'm lazy, I usually make a big pot of something at the beginning of the week that becomes my work day lunches. This week, I'm all about this curry from Nom Nom Paleo (but I actually make it with this green curry paste—I like the heat!). I even double the amount of frozen veggies it calls for. It's an easy way to get tons of veggies quickly and easily. And as we know, I do like easy. 

What I'm Playing

I love a good quiz. I also love sitcoms. Ergo, I give you the "Can You Name These 25 Leading Ladies in Comedy since 1975?" quiz.

Sidenote: The Golden Girls is streaming on Hulu now, and I'm going back through the series. It's even funnier than I remembered as a kid . . . probably because I understand all the innuendos that whizzed over my head. 😂

What I'm Reading

Right now, I'm in the middle of Mario Puzo's The Godfather (yes—that Godfather).

Confession: I have a thing for mafia stories. I don't know why. Doesn't matter who they're about or where they're set—if there's some sort of "alternative economy" going on, I am all about it. The Sopranos, The Wire, Narcos: I love them all. I'm trying to savor my time between mafia TV shows, actually, so they last longer—I still have Boardwalk Empire and Ray Donovan on my lists.

I think what fascinates me the most about mafia groups is that the rules of engagement in these stories are super clear—there's a black-and-white world filled with loyalty and lines that you don't cross. Because when you cross them, you (or, at least, the viewer/reader) know exactly what's going to happen, and it's not going to end well. 

ANYWAY. The book is wonderfully written, shock, shock. I'm enjoying myself immensely.

What I'm Watching

You guys. Can we talk about This Is Us? 😭

This show. I haven't seen anything so wonderful on network television since Friday Night Lights. NBC really knows how to make a wonderfully written, emotionally complex drama, and This Is Us doesn't disappoint. There are so many different stories here, so many journeys represented onscreen. Ultimately, they all show us the importance of connection, how beautiful it is to know someone, how we can never really know another person fully, but what a gift it is to see in side their worlds. It shows what happens when we communicate well—and what happens when we don't. 

The details. This show is masterful at evoking emotion from the tiniest details, ones that seem mundane at first, like a split-second shot at cracker-jack-box toys. But in five minutes those toys have a story behind them that'll reduce you to a puddle of tears. Guaranteed.

AND! Perhaps the best thing about the show, perhaps the thing that demonstrates how wonderfully written and moving it is? Everybody is watching this show—and I do mean everybody. College kids. Young moms. PR executives. Hedge fund managers well into their seventies. And these are all people I've met personally. Old, young, male, female—this show resonates with all of them. And right now, I am thankful that there's something that crosses the gulf and unites us. It doesn't matter that it's "just a TV show"—this is the power of art at work, y'all. 

Okay, okay, I'll stop. It's clear I'm head over heels for this show. Give it a chance, just the first episode (the whole thing, mind you), and tell me what you think.
 

Dog of the Week

When it feels too good.. lol 😂

A post shared by Leo Greyhound (@leo.the.greyhound) on Feb 20, 2017 at 10:42am PST

I am a dog person through and though, and I have an especially soft heart for greyhounds. They're the sweetest, goofiest dogs, and I just think they're the bees knees. So this week I bring you one of my favorite InstaGreys, Leo! Someday, I wish I could be as relaxed as he is. 😂

Alright, kids, that's all I've got for you. Enjoy your week, go great The Devil's Triangle (which, as of this writing, is cheaper than the ebook on Amazon at $14.63!!!!), and I'll see you soon!

Warmly,
Amy/The Kerr

Sneak Peek: A WORD ON WORDS with Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

photo credit: Nashville Public Television

Does money cause problems, or does it throw a spotlight on problems that were already there?

A valid question, tackled by this week's A WORD ON WORDS guest Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, in her novel THE NEST. It's a super fun interview conducted by my divine co-host, Mary Laura Philpott (complete with mimosas!). Keep watching 'til the end—the last few seconds are hilarious. 😂

On Lent, and Doing Good Things for Ourselves and Others

It’s that time of year, when I give up social media for Lent. For the next six weeks, I will be turning inward, and stepping back from all things online.

I’ll still have blogs here, and since I have a release in two weeks (!) I will certainly pop up to say “Hey, buy mah book,” but otherwise, I will be silent.

Lent is just that for me, a time to reflect, to go silent. To look away from the world. It is incredibly difficult for me, which is why this is my Lenten abstinence of choice. I’ve given up Starbucks in the past, smoking, wine, chocolate, but none of those things (outside of smoking — that was a good one, it stuck) truly feel like a sacrifice.

Social media, on the other hand, does. I don’t like not having ready contact with people. I don’t like missing out on photos and news. I certainly don’t like not chatting with folks about books.

Which is why this is the right thing for me to give up. It really does affect me, puts me in a different mind space, where I can contemplate life and creativity and my spiritual nature. I was raised Episcopal, which is why I celebrate Lent in the first place, but over the years I’ve brought a number of tenets from various religions into my daily life, especially Buddhism. I’ve always felt everyone is right, and every religion and belief structure has something worth exploring.

So the weeks stretch ahead of me, unformed, open. There will be a lot of yoga, and meditation. And writing. Of course, there will be writing.

Whether you celebrate or not, may I offer this blessing for your next six weeks? That you have moments of quiet gratitude. That you are showered with kindness from strangers, and in turn have some to spare for others. We have all been put through the wringer over the past six months, and I can only hope that things calm down, that everyone feels less threatened and upset, and we can all work together to keep making our lives, and the lives of others, wonderful.

Blessed be!

Sunday Smatterings

Howdy, folks. It's been a rough week at Chez Ellison. Jameson and Jordan lost their cousins Miraj (on Saturday) and Jamocha (on Wednesday) so we've all been quite sad. There's nothing harder than saying goodbye to your beloveds. And strangely, our fifth anniversary of losing Jade was last Sunday. So there have been a lot of tears, and candles burnt, and donations to animal shelters made. Isn't it amazing how a creature who can't actually talk can become such a bosom buddy? I don't know that we're ever the same after such a loss. 

And then Mr. Ellison and I were felled by the flu. I don't know that I've have the real flu since my U.K. tour in 2010, and we picked up swine flu on the train to London. That was bad. This is about the same. I am a wreck. I am on Tamiflu, and Sudafed, and cough syrup with codeine, and hot toddys, and I'm still wrecked. (As you can tell, I do sick well. Wah!)

Suffice it to say, with all the grief and illness and other unmentionable insanities this week, there wasn't a lot of work done. But... Lent starts Wednesday, and that means I'll be sneaking off on my annual social media sabbatical. I even have a full-fledged writing retreat scheduled during this time, and I fully expect to report back April 13 that I have a finished manuscript. That's the goal, anyway.

So. Even sadly, we march ever onward. It's the only way we can function, yes? 

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:

Y'all know I'm a sucker for productivity tips. In honor of Presidents' Day, Lifehacker ran a special article with productivity tips from leaders who have sat in the Oval Office.

In "I'll take 'Sobering Thoughts' for $600, Alex": using the time you spend on social media each year, you could read 200 books instead. 😳

Watching HBO's adaptation of BIG LITTLE LIES? Maybe you're not into TV, just the actual novel (I get that). At any rate, here are 16 novels you'll love if you enjoyed/are enjoying BIG LITTLE LIES. (spoiler alert: along with some books from kickass writers like Megan Abbott and Clare Mackintosh, NO ONE KNOWS is on this list! 🙌🏻)

And speaking of adaptations: these are 10 things you'll relate to if you prefer the book to the movie.

And closer to home:

If you got the BookBub email this morning, you may already know this, but... THE FINAL CUT ebook is on sale for only $1.99! Get it while it's hot, y'all—this is the best time to start reading A Brit in the FBI if you haven't already, since #4 is coming out in a couple of weeks.

Newsflash: a wine-distributing purse exists, and it's amazing. We at The Wine Vixen aren't telling you how to use it or anything, but... it may help out during your next family reunion.

And if you're looking to expand your vino-horizons this year, here are four ways to make 2017 your best year of wine ever.

You like thrillers. I like thrillers. Here's a giveaway with 50+ thrillers up for grabs! Say hello to your next binge read... or fifty.

That's it from me. Y'all enjoy the first days of March (in like a lion, you know), hug your furry friends, and we'll talk again soon.

xo,
J.T.

Sneak Peek: A WORD ON WORDS with Alan Furst

photo credit: NPT

I had the great honor of interviewing Alan Furst for A WORD ON WORDS, and I can’t wait for you to see this one. I posed a question about our fascination with World War II, and Alan’s answer blew my mind and clarified everything about the genre. I’ll never look at it the same way again (and yes, it sparked an interest in the time period for me as well, which you may see in an upcoming book…)

Win-win interview, right?

Loved his book, loved meeting him. Great guy and lots of fun for y’all.