Is it Pisces season yet?
a.k.a. Bye Bye January
Photo by Alice Mourou on Unsplash
I’m happy to see the back of January. The weirdest month of the year, which drags on and on, can be disappointing for many. We often fall into the trap of setting unrealistic intentions - learn a new language, read 50 books AND commit to dry January, no thanks - so I’m relieved to see that the current trend involves giving ourselves permission to enter the new year at whatever pace we choose.
Setting goals can be a positive of course, and if you’ve picked yours for 2022, I just hope that you practice self-compassion when working towards them. Always easier said than done. I started the year with a chock a block work schedule (classic freelancer headache) so made a decision to lighten the load this next month. Moving from Goodreads to The Storygraph at the end of last year was another decision that felt nice and I’m delighted to see that some of you have also recently joined the platform. If you have no idea what I’m talking about then here’s an interview with the founder, Nadia Odunayo. And maybe see you there!
BOOK CLUB UPDATE
From February onwards, there will be a physical meet up and an online session. Unfortunately we can’t go back into Shakespeare and Company (yet), so I’m going to email both Bonjour Madame and Le Pavillon des Canaux this coming week. If you have another recommendation for a book club spot in Paris, I’m open to suggestions!
February’s book will be “All About Love” by bell hooks
(Thank you Lola for the suggestion)
March’s book will be “Against The Loveless World” by Susan Abulhawa
April’s book will be “Our Wives Under The Sea” by Julia Armfield
I’m always open to book club recommendations and love it when you message me about a book you love! Thank you Miho, who wrote to me recently about “My Remarkable Journey” by Katherine Johnson who you may know from the 2016 film “Hidden Fingers”.
READING LINKS
You Do Not Always Have To Say Yes (Nicole Chung for The Atlantic)
My Brush with the Black Manosphere (Nicole Young for Elle)
Reaching for bell hooks in the darkness (Dr. Brittney Cooper for The Cut)
Saying Farewell To Motherhood (Farrah Storr)
Zadie Smith talks us through the genius of Toni Morrison’s only short story in The New Yorker.
What happens when your partner becomes your carer (Hannah Turner for Refinery29)
“My boyfriend washes my hair, cooks my dinner, cleans our home and collects the post. He is not some kind of superhero; he is just doing the things I can’t, to keep us both happy and healthy. It wasn't always this way. We met hiking a mountain. We fell in love over bottles of red wine and late-night cinema visits. Almost everything has changed in the way we live now but we remain as happy as we were before I got sick.”
Until next time,
Lou