✨let's talk thru: JUNE
geminis, unite (I truly know nothing about astrology)
If you are new or need a refresher, I am breaking down each month through categories. It helps me reflect & remember the things I learned, observed or wanted to document.
READ
LEDGER:
🔘 read on my nook
🎧 audiobook
📚 reread
🔖 library
📔 own
🔖Unmissing by Minka Kent
rating: liked it
What a ride. I will say, I did not predict the end of this thriller. I feel like it’s harder and harder to be original in this genre and Kent did a great job. Quick read, hard to figure out, but also has some content warnings.
📔Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman
rating: liked it
Not the best sophomore novel. I was kinder on instagram because I got this book from the publisher and let’s be honest, I would like another. I read this quickly, but can’t say it was stellar. I’m hoping for better for Sussman’s next. I loveddddddd Funny You Should Ask so I’m hopeful.
📔In Memoriam by Alice Winn
rating: loved it, loved it, loved it
I don’t even want to write a review, I just want you to write this book. Annie B. Jones recommended this to me when I was having a bad day and HAD TO buy books from Barnes & Noble to feel better.
It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. This and Still Life are making me rethink how liberal I am with “loved it” ratings. If those are “loved it,” a lot of others need to be demoted.
This book is tragic and hopeful and beautiful and devastating. If you can handle being sad, this book is worth every moment of it.
📔Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour
rating: really liked it
I bought this because a couple people on booksta loved it and I got it on sale at Target. It was so good! It packed a lot in it for a quick read- sexuality, friendship, family, lost careers, new careers, reshifting priorities, childhood wounds and friendships. It was a beautiful book truly and I’m glad I read it
📔Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes
rating: liked it
I bought this in the English language section of a bookstore in Nice. I’ve never read Barnes, before, but definitely want to read more. This book follows and adult student who becomes infatuated with his teacher. It feels mostly platonic, but he’s very invested in figuring who she is outside of the classroom. After the semester finishes, they remain friends. Years later, when she passes, he’s left some things. This begins to make him analyze his relationship to her.
This, to me, falls under a niche of mine which is “fiction, but feels academic.” It scratches the itch I have to be in school and learning. I enjoyed it, but know not a lot would.
📔Mrs Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler
rating: really liked it
Might have dethroned The Neighbor Favor as my favorite romance of the year. Millie is a former child star just trying to live normal. When her neighbor/woman she helped take care of passes away, she promised she would reunite her ashes with her long lost love. But when her flight gets cancelled, she’s forced to roadtrip with her ex’s MFA nemesis, Hollis.
You’ve got tropes galore- and every one of them works. Hollis swoony. Millie is relatable. They develop individually and together. This is Adler’s first work and I can’t wait to read more.
🔖Tuesday Nights in 1980 by Molly Prentiss
rating: liked it
I had higher hopes for this one. It was super sad. I did love the way it portrayed art and the artists’ lives. But also, most of the people kinda sucked. It was fun to be in a time period like the 1980s in such a strong way and niche perspective (artist and critics), but ultimately, I wanted more from this one.
REALIZE
(truly, too much to post. this section is probably going away and will be my monthly “expound” post)
ORGANIZE
Living in a 700sq ft apartment means that there are….quirks. What is really means is that space is limited are there are constantly areas that need adjusting. I love finding products that fix things that annoy me. Here are two this month I am happy about:
Hanging Jewelry Organizer
Before, my earrings, necklaces, etc were in a plastic organizing box that sat on top of other organizing bins. I found myself not using my jewelry because I couldn’t see it. This solves that. I can see each product and I love that it is double sided.
Space Saving Pant Organizer
Pants are another pain in my closet. There’s never been a good fix, and I’m not sure this it long, term, but it is good for now. It helps me, again, see everything I own which usually helps me be content.
BUY
The thing I bought the most this month was books. June is my birthday month therefore new books were necessary.
But other than books, this necklace was my favorite thing I bought. It’s fun and helps me continue my rediscovery of color in my wardrobe.
We also got this scent for our Pura and oh my gosh I comment on it every time I get home at the end of work.
I rebought Ilia Skin Tint & Fenty Cream Blush. I love both deeply.
I’ve been wanting a daily, go to purse for years and finally bought the Almost Perfect Shoulder Bag from Portland Leather and I LOVE it. The literal only bad thing is that it can’t fit a hardcover book without it peeking through.
Consistently the best purchase of my month is being a Patreon supporter of The Popcast. The laughs, joy, and levity it brings to my life is my favorite.
BUT I will be doing a LOW BUY JULY. My instagram will have more info
EAT & DRINK
The highlights for me this month food-wise weren’t so much the food, but where we have been eating sometimes. I bought a patio set at Target on Memorial Day weekend and eating meals outside has been nice. We usually watch in front of the TV (back to small apartment life) so is a good change of pace.
WEAR
I don’t think I had any new clothes purchases this month. I will say, I’ve been wearing the heck out of my Old Navy linen pants + shorts. I think they are just about sold out from last year, so I won’t share the link, but they are so comfy. It’s hot af in Nashville right now and these look a little elevated and save me from sweating.
WATCH
Month of movies! If you don’t follow me on Instagram you haven’t seen that I’m making my way through a list of old movies I created from friends, instagram & just like general culture.
Please note: most of these movies were watched when I was working on a 50+ page manual for work. Hits were- Casablance, To Sir, With Love, Woman of the Year, Adam’s Rib + Steel Magnolias.
LISTEN
PODCASTS
Currently listening:
Bad on Paper
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Over Under Achievers
The Popcast with Knox & Jamie
Sleep With Me
Scam Goddess
Normal Gossip (so sad this season is done already)
SCAMANDA (omg this woman sucks so hard)
Catching up:
Maintenance Phase
Added to queue:
None!
TRAVEL
Next up- Montana! Me, C + four friends are heading up to Glacier National Park in August. If you have any recs, please comment :)
MEMORIES
🏎 I went and saw Fast X by myself at 8:30am on a Saturday. I picked up Panera and sat by myself in a theater and it was glorious.
☕️ Grand Opened one of the coffee shops at work. One more to go!
🎁 June is my birthday month. Kept it low key this year by just exploring a little city south of us and buying books
🌮 Got dinner with a bunch of former coworkers for another’s bday and it was so lovely to be with so many women I love and respect.
🤱🏻 A friend of mine had a baby and I got to see him. They were on the journey of pregnancy for awhile so it was emotional to see the little guy.