Two books from online recommendations, a set of writing prompts from Oprah, my one word of the month and websites you’ve never seen to jumpstart your holiday shopping. It’s all inside!

What I'm Reading:

Both of my books this week come from online recommendations: one from the new Netflix book club and one from a bookish podcast online called The Currently Reading Podcast. And I loved them both. Oh, how I love online bookish recommendations. 

Passing by Nella Larsen

Passing by Nella Larsen was a powerful little book. Though short in stature and length, this book was anything but small. Larsen introduces us to Irene and Clare, estranged childhood friends who chose very different life paths that immediately become tangled together after a chance encounter. While Irene has chosen to live life fully as a black woman, Clare has chosen to ‘pass’ as a white woman, unbeknownst to her family. Caught between two worlds, we learn the inner workings of each character and the fall that brings everything to light. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading to Netflix to watch this book in action. 

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson is a must read. I love books that take me on a journey and this book did exactly that. I traveled from the deep south in the early 1900’s to present day South Carolina, following Candice and Brandon as they worked to solve the mystery Candice’s grandmother unsuccessfully attempted to solve so long ago. In between finding clues and putting the puzzle pieces together, they learn about themselves, about friendship and injustice, about family and the ties that bind us all together. I highly recommend this book.

What I'm Writing:

Oprah came to my writing rescue this week with these two-minute journal prompts to inspire real change. Based on Your Life is a Book by Brenda Peterson & Sarah Jane Freymann, each prompt is presented as a fill-in-the-blank sentence starter. A POWERFUL sentence starter. You’ll want to bookmark these for later. 

What I'm Learning:

Do you know what my word of the month is for November? It’s recipe. You can find the backstory on how and why I chose that word here and it’s not why you think: absolutely no food or cooking is involved. Just writing. But, I’ve been diving into the recipe books I have here at home to study the craft of a recipe. And you know what? I’m fascinated by this genre! I don’t cook, but I truly appreciate the art of creating a written recipe to not only represent the food, but the experience, too. Who knew?! And now, this book is on my TBR: Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard.

What I'm Loving:

I’ve been hearing warnings to begin holiday shopping even earlier given the supply chain issues we are experiencing. And while I don’t think November is early to start shopping at all, it HAS given me an excuse to spend more intentional time online shopping, which is always fun. I’ve gone off the beaten path and found some great finds you might like, too!

  • Oh, this is a fun one: Always Fits. This is a deliciously fun website with colorful (and I don’t mean crayons) cards and gifts to truly make you giggle and do a double-take. 
  • Next up? Been There Done That. This is such a unique site! They create scratch-off posters so you can celebrate the books you’ve read, places you’ve visited, drinks you’ve made and more. You can bet I’ll be buying myself a treat this holiday season. 
  • Lastly, Uncommon Goods. I’ve shared items from this site before, but they’re really ramped up their game this holiday season. The mini gingerbread houses to adorn my hot chocolate cup are ALL MINE and the Cookie Pie Cooking Class is on my wish list. 

Warning: Before you click on any of these links, be prepared to stay awhile!

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?