As a mom of two Gen Z young men, I have been blown away by how my sons and their friends say I love you to each other and basically can’t do anything without one another. Facetime in the bathroom. Constant communication. Their abundant and very public affection gives me hope.

Brilliant.

Thanks, Marian. We just lost his brother in December so this one is a gobsmack on top of a gobsmack. Pets aren’t people but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.

I’m glad you have him. Hold him close.

I’m looking forward to reading these next (but must finish Yiyun Li’s Dear Friend first).

memoir rec list on a separate spreadsheet. It helps to have a list when I’m in a bookstore. My last trip was to Half Off Books in Fullerton where I found one on my list, Ann Patchett’s Truth and Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy. Nearby on a shelf? Lucy Grealy’s memoir.

I’ve been sticking with the audiobook and am into it now, about halfway through. I’ve had to let go of completely following every detail and instead am just letting it flow. It will be interesting to “read” it in hard copy too. There are definite pros and cons to each mode of consumption.

Yes! Mood plays a role.

Ordered! 😍

I do not have a copy! I will look for that one.

I was wondering. I will try that. Thanks, Jessica!

(con’t) so I want to cut myself some slack, but I also wonder if I’m giving up too soon.

How do you all know when to push through a book and when to throw it back? Do you force yourself to finish everything?

Will I end up loving Mrs. Dalloway if I pick it up in hard copy instead?

(con’t) right now, and then I thought I should finally read Virginia Woolf so checked out Mrs. Dalloway, which I really wanted to love but am having trouble following.

All of this to say I’ve read 54 books this year: 18 physical books, 8 e-books, and the rest audiobooks. And some have been intense