Tag: lori gottlieb

My 2020 in Books

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

2020 truly was a year for the books (don’t worry, I instantly regretted that pun). This is the year where I discovered that I’m obsessed with contemporary romance novels (think Berkley, not Harlequin). I was a super-avid reader as a child, but I found it harder to make time for it as an adult. Nothing like being stuck at home for nine months to catch up on old hobbies!

Here are a few of my favorite things from the year!

Favorite Fiction (in no particular order)

  1. The Bookshop of Second Chances – Jackie Fraser (to be released in 2021)
  2. Kindred – Octavia Butler
  3. Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
  4. Beach Read – Emily Henry
  5. Well Met – Jen DeLuca
  6. The Bright Side of Going Dark – Kelly Harms
  7. Normal People – Sally Rooney
  8. The Friend Zone – Abby Jimenez

Favorite Non-Fiction

So, technically all of the “non-fiction” I read this year was either presented in memoirs style (10% Happier) or to fictionalized to protect the identities of the innocent (Three Women, lol). So for this somewhat amorphous category, I’m picking The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West. Yes, technically they are humor essays. However, they are boldly political, analytical takes at culture at large rather than explicitly personal essays, very much a response to the evils of the Trump administration and the #MeToo-era reckoning of the sex pests. This book informs and challenges as it entertains, and for that, it has won the top slot in its category.

Favorite Memoirs

Open Book by Jessica Simpson – I loved this book so much that I listened to a 4-part podcast series about it after I was finished. I was shocked that I could be so invested in the story of an artist to whom I hadn’t previously given much thought. I listened to the audiobook (obtained through my local library!), and not only was Jessica’s performance incredible and emotional, her (literary) voice came through so clearly in her writing. Honorable mention: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

Favorite Essay Collection

This one feels like choosing between my own (currently non-existent) children. Humor essays are my all-time favorite genre of writing, so they comprise a significant portion of what I read in general. Although David Sedaris will likely always be my favorite humorist, this year it went to a tie between Wow, No Thank You and We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby. These two books had me wheezing from start to finish. I’ve actually never been so inspired to write before (although of course, I didn’t follow through because everything I produced was absolute garbage compared to the Word Science herself).

Best Audiobook Performance

While this book didn’t make it into one of my favorite slots, I had to shout out Rachel Bloom’s unbelievable performance of I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are. This was a joy start to finish, and she performs a literal musical in the middle. Rachel Bloom is a STAR.

In Progress

These are the books I’ve started (and enjoyed) this year but didn’t finish by midnight on the 31st:

Sunday Scaries [5.3.20]

Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

*extremely DJ Khaled voice* Another one!

enjoy this extremely styled photo…

Did I start this a week ago and then forget about it? Yes! What is time??? This week…sucked. I believe, by volume, I ingested more white wine than food. It took a month, but quarror (quar horror) finally caught up with me and I’m miserable. Going forward, I’m going to make a more concerted effort to get outside in the sunshine and take care of myself (i.e. eat a fruit, stop drinking, take more than 188 steps per day). What else can be done??

  1. ARE YOU WATCHING NORMAL PEOPLE??? I thought I’d gotten “Hide & Seek” by Imogen Heap out of my head 10 years ago but I guess not!
  2. Speaking of Imogen, I always preferred “Headlock.”
  3. I cannot recommend the book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb enough. I mean, I’m a BIG therapy-head, but even if you’re not obsessed with psychotherapy, it’s fascinating.
  4. And on that note, I just discovered Bookshop and I am so excited about it.
  5. We finally painted my bedroom! We used the color “Rainwater” by Behr for our accent wall, and even though it’s definitely a bigger statement than I intended, I get a jolt of joy every time I look at it.
  6. In light of my bedroom makeover, I bought an air purifier, which we’ve needed for ages! We have a cat, a girl with long hair (guilty), and two adults that hate dusting (double guilty). My husband has allergies, and when we redid our bedroom walls I learned that I am severely allergic to dust, so it’s about time we got proactive!
  7. I started watching Mrs. America on Hulu and I am loving it, even though it’s about one of history’s most terrible monsters who is single-handedly responsible for the failure of the Equal Rights Amendment (which could still be a thing if the remainder of the states would ratify it…haha jk…unless?)
  8. Grocery delivery is my new favorite thing. My grocery store finally has available time slots after the initial online order boom. Even though I know the gig economy is…problematic, I feel good about giving delivery drivers work and tips during a potentially financially unstable time! Obviously, though, we’re respecting Instacart strikes and not crossing picket lines!
  9. I need this item.
  10. I love these phone cases. I got this one for my husband and this one for me, since cases are BOGO right now. I may or may not have also accessorized mine with a matching card case & AirPod case…
  11. I finally got bored enough in quar that I started a sourdough starter. Wish me luck, I guess? Odd choice after I just learned I have a sensitivity to wheat but okay!

This song ends the first episode of Mrs. America and it cannot be overstated how much of a banger it it.

Until next week! Hopefully!

-c