What I Read in June

 Hi friends!

June has been quite an interesting month, as I left my steady-eddy corporate role to venture into the world of independent contracting to create some more flexibility and more time to spend with little (and growing!) Maisie Lou. I knew I had quite a bit of vacation planned for July, so using June to get my wits about me and plant seeds in the right places to make this plan a reality.

I've also been trying to fight a bit of burnout and get my creative spark back, so have also been crafting and writing. I went to the library to try out their Cricut machine before committing to the storage space for it in my condo. I wrote a poem, and I've been working on my novel! I'm also trying to find a writers group to keep me motivated.

With that, I think I read a normal (?) amount of books this month. What is normal? Also I have realized I have gotten into the habit of counting my books so that even my relaxation is productivity (go, me!) so we will see if I can break the constant need for speed-read.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston: I had heard this book as one that helped other readers get out of book slumps, and very much enjoyed this book! Ashley Poston had written one of my favorite books I read in 2023, and I enjoyed the fantastic reality setting for this love story. I do think the Heroine got the better end of the bargain vs. the Hero. Would recommend!

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey: I had read the first in this series, Waiting for Tom Hanks, a while ago and really enjoyed the light-hearted story. It was long enough ago that I had forgotten the details, so this was still a relatively new and fun story to read! A likable main character who can't seem to get out of her own way. A fun read! Would recommend!

Call It What You Want by Alissa DeRogatis: I had started reading a historical fiction book that was very good but I just couldn't get into the setting, and I saw this on BookTok so took a break from the other and bought this one. I loved it! Definitely a bit light, but fun to read about college and just after years. I also love that the author self published and then got picked up by a publisher! I have been recommending to many of my friends, and would recommend!

Sea Wife by Amity Gaige: This one was a little more "serious" than the others I've been reading, but thoroughly enjoyed it as well! I thought her prose read like poetry, which was fitting given the main character's study of poetry. A sad story, but worth reading. Would recommend!

I've been inspired by Lyndsay Rush and others who have been posting poetry online, and have started to write some of my own. Maybe that's why I appreciated Sea Wife! I also recommend you pre-order Lyndsay's new book A Bit Much - I can't wait to read it when it comes out in September!

Here's a new poem I wrote, inspired by a line from one of my favorite podcasters/authors/influencers Kate Kennedy. When she said this line in a recent podcast with guest Emily Henry, she meant it quite literally, but I am running with the metaphorical interpretation.

Fountains Aren't Meant to be Seen Drained

I walk into a party and see many familiar-but-not-everday faces

As I make small talk, I'm aware of how frequently my go-to question revolved around work

And how I'm now consciously avoiding it

I called a timeout in my own life

Not on summer break, not on "official" leave

Stopping to make a turn, make a change, and head in a new direction

Taking a moment to PAUSE

And try (just try) to stop the inertia of life

To create space, to reprioritize, to move things around, to reignite a spark

But in the meantime, I feel a bit bare

Confident in my decision, but at least temporarily, a bit out of my skin

Fountains aren't meant to be seen drained

But am I drained, really?

Isn't that what this is all about?

Recognizing that my motion does not define me?

And while that's true, I know I'm called to bring water

Just in new ways than before

So I reframe:

Even the Trevi Fountain is cleaned twice a week