Monday Miscellany: They befriend fire escape cats
Notes from October 7 - 13
And lo, the tenth month of the year settled solidly upon them, and the colors of the changing leaves shone round about them, and they were much delighted. And the crisp breeze whispered unto them, Happy Monday, and behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Anyway, hi! It’s really starting to feel like fall where I am. We’ve had a few days with temperatures maxing out in the upper 60s or low 70s, and some overnight lows in the low 50s. My toes are cold! I’m wearing sweaters! And, unrelated to weather but still very exciting, I got to pet a capybara a few days ago! All that to say: despite the heaviness of the world, there are some glimmers of joy around. I hope you’re finding some of those too and that your week is off to an okay start.
Currently reading
This week’s accidental book theme is RESIDENCES.
Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker is a novella from Tor Publishing that I picked up after hearing Sarah speak at Bookmarks Festival a few weeks ago. It’s about a haunted home renovation reality show, the titular Haunt Sweet Home, that’s basically a mashup of Ghost Hunters and Fixer Upper. The protagonist, Mara, is the host’s cousin and uses her family connection to get an entry-level production assistant spot on the show—her job is basically to do the haunting. Things get interesting when she starts receiving some unexpected help with her special effects. It’s a fun and spooky seasonal reading experience, with a bit of emotional depth to balance things out; the theme of wood carving comes into play (Pinsker explains the origins of this in her acknowledgments) as Mara slowly figures out her place as a new adult within her family and in the broader world.
Women’s Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery comes out tomorrow (October 15), but I was lucky enough to receive an early review copy from the publisher. I’ve loved Lavery’s previous work, especially his most recent, Something that May Shock and Discredit You, which is part cultural criticism, part humor, and part memoir about his gender identity and trans journey. This new one is quite different in subject—it’s a novel set in 1960s New York City that follows the residents of a fictional women’s hotel called The Beidermeier. If you’re a plot girlie, I’ll go ahead and tell you that not much happens. But also, everything does. People move in, they look for jobs, they secretly go to AA meetings, they get arrested and have to be bailed out of jail, they befriend fire escape cats, they riot when the Beidermeier stops serving daily breakfast, they get bad haircuts, they get married, they move away. The focus here is on relationships and group dynamics, and the writing is incredible. Lavery is SO smart and wryly funny. I would definitely recommend Women’s Hotel if you like the dry humor of Jane Austen, the ensemble cast of Girl, Interrupted, or the way The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel puts a fresh spin on a past era.
A legally-required heads-up: if you purchase a book through the bookshop.org affiliate links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. ♥︎
Currently listening
Regina Spektor is one of those artists whose work I got into at a very specific time in my life (in this case, early college, circa 2006) and then lost track of for no particular reason. I very much loved her album Begin to Hope, and to this day I associate the song “Samson” with young Jordan and me, just starting out in our relationship.
But I didn’t really keep up with her after that. Cut to a week ago, when Spotify decided to inform me of a new recording of “Samson,” released as the first single of an upcoming album called Songs (out November 29). Hello, flashback! Reader, turns out this song still makes me cry. It’s just something about the lyrics “you are my sweetest downfall,” and “I loved you first, I loved you first.”
It’s something about the unadorned piano accompaniment. And the way Regina’s voice goes from gentle, airy, and vulnerable, to something stronger with a raw edge to it, and back again. And, of course, “the history books forgot about us, and the Bible didn’t mention us, not even once.” It’s just a really lovely song. I’m happy it found me again.
This week I also got my hands on a benefit compilation called Cardinals at the Window, the proceeds of which are going to Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the western part of the state. It’s available on bandcamp for $10 or whatever you’d like to give, and I can’t say much about the contents yet, because my dudes, it contains ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX (136) tracks!! As of right now I’ve listened through the first ten. Stay tuned for more on this once I’ve had a while to sit with the rest and pick out some favorites.
And another thing
This week contained trips to both the fair (twice!) and the pumpkin patch, two of the most important items on my autumn master list—which has me thinking, maybe I should write a post where I check in on my progress? There are still a lot of boxes to be ticked, but I’d love to tell you about the seasonal books I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, and activities I’ve done so far. Y/N?
Speaking of which, there are already SO MANY books coming out right now that I’m interested in. But I still looked through Lit Hub’s Ultimate Fall 2024 Reading List (a compilation of various other lists from around the internet) and added a few more to my to-read pile. I am out of control.
In other autumn-related news: I’m a big fan of Kate McLeod lotion bars and use the Sleep Stone (lavender and chamomile) regularly, but I just found out that there are some new fall scents! Vanilla and vetiver, or black spruce and patchouli, are you kidding?? Give me all of that.
Finally, this vegetable pajeon (scallion pancake) recipe caught my eye this week. ‘Tis the season for everything savory and pan-fried! Amen!
Haiku round-up
Monday, October 7
Baboons know nothing of politics, hurricanes They just groom and play
Tuesday, October 8
Locate what matters, dedicate yourself to it, don’t apologize
Wednesday, October 9
Get yourself caught up, clear the decks so they can be filled up once again
Thursday, October 10
Guinea pig, but huge, with wiry coat, friendly snoot— Hi, capybara!
Friday, October 11
Morning at the fair: Children clamor, sun shines down on sugar-buzzed joy
Saturday, October 12
Stepping back in time, faces aged, yet familiar, we talk for hours
Sunday, October 13
You’ll see improvement with only an hour’s work— it’s within your reach!
Until next time
As I write this, the house is vibrating with the hum of an electrician’s drill—we are having an EV car charger installed so I can juice up our little electric smart car more quickly and reliably at home (I will save my rant about the scarcity of non-Tesla public chargers for another day). Louise is hiding in our room from the noise, Phoebe is in the open front window trying to catch a glimpse of what’s going on, and I’m feeling a wave of motivation and excitement for more improvement projects on the horizon (next: a very overdue new back deck). There’s almost nothing I love more than making positive changes to my living space.
See you next week, and until then, when you dump him, wear the fruit that he does not like!!
—Emily
If you have any feedback, or want to tell me what you’re reading or listening to, I’d love to hear it. You’re always welcome to leave a comment or reply directly to this email.