This is the monthly round-up of Stacks & Spoons, where I share the books, trends and headlines that caught my attention this month, plus snapshots from my daily life. If you enjoy it, make sure to subscribe here.
Before I get into the recap, I want to let you know about the Gaza Evacuation Fund Book Auction. The bookish community has come together to raise funds for Palestinians trying to reach safety. I donated 3 signed copies of Paige Not Found, and there are tons of great offerings by other authors and creators too. Check it out here.
Spring is here, and I’ve been a busy bee!
April began with a bittersweet goodbye to my Mum as she left New York after an amazing visit. Then it was back to work, jumping right into the launch of PAIGE NOT FOUND.
I did an IG Live, signed pre-orders at Books Are Magic, had a fun Sunday Storytime and signing at Taylor & Co. Books, and then hopped around signing books at Lofty Pigeon and The Bookmark Shoppe. I’ll also be signing books at Books Of Wonder in preparation for a virtual panel I’m doing with some cool Middle Grade authors on the 11th!
But just like all work and no play made Jack a dull boy in The Shining, it makes me an overstimulated, achey mess. My recurring shoulder pain is, well, recurring. Migraines are migraining. My body seems to be punishing me for the last 3 months of traveling in Australia, being my family’s tour guide around NYC, and diving into work without giving myself a moment to breathe.
You might notice from my April reads that I’m trying to make rest a priority going forward. It’s deeper than that, really – I’m working on reframing how I view rest. Capitalism taught me (and many of us) that rest is a reward for productivity, or a treatment for pain and burnout, but writers like Tricia Hersey and Jenny Odell are shifting that narrative.
I feel most rested when I’m creating, so I’m making time to do things I love but have neglected for years because I didn’t see it as ‘productive.’ I’ve been drawing for fun again. I’ve taken up pottery with an air-dried clay kit. And I’m writing something that doesn’t have a deadline or deal or anything restricting it.
Of course, I have work to do as well. I have an exciting writing project I’m working on (can’t talk about it yet – stay tuned!). But making time for creative activities that are just for me, not for anyone else’s approval, is so freeing and fun.
Something else I’m doing to reclaim my time and energy? I deleted social media apps from my phone. This is a Big Deal for someone as chronically online as I am, but it needed to be done and willpower, self-control, and app-blocking apps didn’t work. Now, I only check Instagram on my laptop, which is a lot less user-friendly, meaning I don’t spend hours scrolling mindlessly. I doubt this is a forever thing – I love memes too much. My next deadline is June 1st, so I’m determined to keep my phone social-media-free until then.
If you’re wondering if I’ve been writing more since I deleted social media from my phone, so far the answer is no. But I have repotted some plants, done some online shopping, rearranged furniture, and made a list of home projects to do over the summer.
APRIL WRAP UP
Stacks…
Books I read this month:
Saving Time by Jenny Odell (Libby audiobook)
I liked Odell’s How To Do Nothing, and Saving Time was just as insightful. Ironically, the audiobook was 11 hours, so not a quick read, but worth it. I’m really glad I read this with Rest Is Resistance, as they both dissect the perils of capitalism from different angles.
Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey (Libby audiobook)
I’ve been a fan of The Nap Ministry online for a while, so it was about time I read Hersey’s book. Rooted in Black liberation, Rest Is Resistance goes deep on the many toxic ways that capitalism and the patriarchy treat bodies as machines, and made me question everything I’ve been taught about rest. This book is one of the reasons I finally decided to take a break from social media.
How To Keep A House While Drowning by KC Davis (Libby audiobook)
I never thought I’d love a book about tidying up! I’m so used to feeling bad about myself after trying to follow the tips of organization experts, thinking I was just lazy or a slob, but this book is a great example of how different brains need different systems. Davis’ cleaning and organization methods are designed for neurodivergent folks because KC herself is neurodivergent. Davis emphasizes that disorganization is morally neutral, and meets the reader where they are at rather than preaching and patronizing.
Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy
I’d been waiting for this book since I finished the first in the series, Scorched Grace, which was a 2023 fave. Douaihy knows how to craft a mystery! I thought I knew what was coming but was surprised at every turn. I have so much love for Sister Holiday, she’s one of those brilliant characters I want to follow everywhere. I hope there’s a third book in our future!
Witches Of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse
A kids’ graphic novel about a girl who moves in with her aunts, only to find out they are witches! Loved the characters, loved the story, loved the illustrations.
Screen time…
What I’ve been watching:
I finally finished A Murder At The End of The World, and it went in directions I did not expect. I’m not sure about the ending, but it did a brilliant job of dissecting the benefits and (terrifying) consequences of embracing AI technology. (It was exciting to see how the show shared common themes with my YA thriller, This Is The Way The World Ends.)
Sidenote: my crush on Emma Corrin is stronger than ever.
Sound on…
What I’ve been listening to:
Ghost Of A Podcast: Me vs. Capitalism
A great episode about trying to live in a capitalist society when you want to burn it all down.
Audiobooks!
I noted in my book list which were read via audio on the Libby app. I’m noting it here because the ‘audiobooks aren’t real books’ discourse has reared its ugly head online again. It’s so dull to keep having the same debates over and over, but I’ll repeat: audiobooks are books. Listening to audiobooks counts as reading. Saying otherwise is ableist and also makes me wonder why *that’s* the hill you’re choosing to die on when so much real shit is going on in the world.
Chronic and iconic…
Reads from around the internet:
It Is Everyone's Responsibility To Help Save Gaza
“None of us can end it single-handedly, but we can all do something every day to help end it collectively. The machine is far too big and powerful for any one person to deal it a fatal blow, but we can all throw sand in its gears to make it harder and harder for it to continue.”
Everyone Watches Women's Sports
“Falling back in love with being a sports fan over the course of the last year has felt serendipitous in its timing, and I can’t help but be giddy over the fact that when my dad - who I watched the Badger basketball games with nearly a decade ago - texts me about basketball, the names we’re exchanging are Cardoso, Reese, Clark, and Bueckers.”
On Middle Grade and the Present Moment, a guest post by Anne Ursu
“These books are speaking to kids at this particular moment in time, connecting them with characters who are grappling with some of the same issues that they are, and who over the course of the story, build strength and find healing. And so, in the particular magical space created between reader and book, the reader can build strength and heal a little too.”
I really enjoyed Witches of Brooklyn (I’ve read the first two books). They have been a good break between more intense or adult themed books - and I still need to read the newer editions!