End of January | 2024
A roundup of mundane magic, links I loved, and books I finished this month
**Hi friends! If you're reading this in the email, it might cut off due to length. Viewing in the browser or on the app can fix this.
Today's post has a quick note and poll, followed by the end-of-the-month roundup of mundane magic moments, links I loved, and books I finished. The sections are clearly marked, so feel free to jump ahead (but please be sure to vote in the poll!).
Also, posts like this take a lot of time and energy. I especially love sharing others' work with you, but I also value my own. So, if you value this work, please consider supporting me with a paid subscription.
Today's roundup is a long one, so I will try to keep this short:
First, as you can probably tell, I do a lot of reading, both on and off of Substack. I've therefore decided to only list books that I really enjoyed each month (which I have already been doing, for the most part) - I don't see the sense in writing half-hearted reviews when I know many of you view these as recommendations.
It also occurred to me (this month, especially) that the length of these posts - specifically, the amount of links - may be a bit overwhelming to receive all at once (they can be overwhelming to compile all at once, too).
I've been tweaking the format and trying to categorize them so that they don't all blend together, but they take up more space this way, and when I have so many that feel worth sharing, it's… a lot. And, believe it or not, I did cut a few. I'm worried that people will glaze over (and possibly skip the section entirely - or the book recs - which feels tragic).
So, a quick poll:
✨️ Mundane Magics ✨️
We went on an Omen walk1 at the end of December. It was chilly and there was a fine misty rain, but I felt like all the signs I saw pointed to abundance, and it felt so refreshing.
Watching my daughter Sybil (5) engaging in joyful movement. She discovered some movement videos on her school tablet and was dancing and running jumping, and having so much fun.
Oren (2) shoving toys and utensils into his diaper like Tommy Pickles (IYKYK).
Joining 's 100 Poems community. I love writing in community - especially poetry. This opportunity to write and share a poem twice a week in community with others feels like it was made for me. Everyone is so generous and supportive in their comments, and all of the prompts and poems are so unique and special.
Oren tapping his chin and saying "hmmm..." then holding his finger up and saying (more or less) "I got an idea!"
Sybil and Oren absolutely losing it laughing over the scene in The Mitchells vs. the Machines2 where the dog licks the dad in the mouth a bunch of times in a row. We're talking deep belly laughs.
Oren dancing to any music playing.
Links I Loved
Posts for the new year about easing in, gentle intentions and rituals, and genuine self-care/wellness:
Dart Boards and Trees Rings: Which one resonated with you right now? by
(now behind a paywall, but the graphic alone is worth contemplating, as well as a paid subscription for her gorgeous and thoughtful work)Can I genuinely become a morning person or will I always be terrible at sleeping? by
With apologies for all of the un-done things (written in November, but found recently, and it has the vibe) by
Ten Resolutions That Even You Can Keep for 2024 Or Anytime At All, Really by
Posts about both the difficulty and the beauty of surviving/showing up in our late-capitalist hellscape, or - in the words of
- “for when life is ugly beautiful":I Bought Her Monarch Wings by the above-mentioned Breanne Rodgers
Taking Bold Action and The Indian-Hunting Trade (about community and intention, and responsibility) by
Observations, past and present, “How do I keep going?”, and Two years since (listen, I cannot ever choose just one) by
The X-Ray Glasses That Changed My Life (about IFS - internal family systems - a type of therapy) by
Capitalism Versus Presence and With Outrageous Hope & Unrelenting Anger by
Dear Black man, therapy is for you too (a collection of experience and advice about therapy, from and for Black men) by
A mix of neurodivergence, chronic illness, and disability posts:
Stop copying everyone else (they're not you) by
The Dangers of “I Don't Work with Autistic Clients" (a guest post) by
on
On a more literary note, some absolutely gorgeous writing by a couple autistic poets:
Let me, too, be Earth-Mothered (a poem) and A letter to Mary Oliver (this series is amazing, please don't sleep on it!) by
A melody in togetherness (a short fiction) by
About no longer conforming to the family/community you were born into:
Learning to love beyond fear (witchcraft and family-related) by
A variety of parenting and motherhood posts:
Calm Down by
From the morning page: I'm not enjoying this season of motherhood by
Snowflakes, Motherhood, Resiliency by
Young adult POVs on best tech practices for kids by
For Imbolc:
On creativity/ writing:
Nurturing counterpoints in 2024 & Substack as mini-press by
The Midwinter Season of Creativity by
What is a creative ecosystem? by
(I'm excited to read Sarah's book, Discover Your Creative Ecosystem soon! )Wallowing through the creative swamp by
And finally, helpful info:
Books I Finished
**Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by and
: This book is validating, well researched, and has concrete, reasonable solutions - BUT if it's still too overwhelming and/or you want more how-to, there's also The Burnout Workbook: Advice and Exercises to Help You Unlock the Stress Cycle.**The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper: I wrote about this in my last post on my favourite books of 2023.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell: I felt a bit misled by the title, as this is very much not a how-to, but it was interesting, and a great reminder that I need to get off my phone more/encouragement to work on my relationship to place.3
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera: My expectations for this book were based almost entirely on the title and the fact that reviews said it didn't lie (they do, in fact, both die at the end) but I was not prepared for the complexity of the characters, the depth of their development (and of my feels), and the way that even seemingly-insignificant side characters tied into the ending.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers: If you've never heard of these, please don't let the titles scare you away (!!) - these are not what they may sound like; they are novels about a tea Monk and a robot in a civilization similar to ours (if we actually got our collective shit together and started caring for each other and the planet…and also if we built robots that became sentient). If ever there was a fictional world I wanted to get lost in, it would be this one. I read both of these short, cozy, wonderful books in two days, and I already have plans to purchase hard copies and regularly re-read them. This review is extra long because I want everyone to read them. Please read them.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree: After finishing the above, reading another cozy book (this one a fantasy set in a D&D inspired world) was perfect - and perhaps necessary. I loved the setting and the characters and the friendship and the sweet, slow-burn romance. You don't have to play D&D to enjoy it, but if you're not at all familiar then you might just end up googling a couple character types, though I didn't find that necessary.
Jane Steele by Lindsay Faye: This is a sort-of spin on Jane Eyre (the heroine's story is similar and she outright identifies with Jane Eyre, as she is written to have read the book countless times) but with murder. While it is as sharp and intriguing and witty as it sounds, it's also rich and full of care, and I loved it.
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell: I found this to be both informational and interesting. Seeing the connections between the language used in outright literal cults vs. “cultish” fitness “gurus,” MLMs, and other harmful institutions was not exactly surprising, but it highlighted things I'd only vaguely or subconsciously registered. It also changed the way I think about the term “brainwashed.”
** These were finished at the end of December, after my End of December post, which is why this series is being sent out on the last day of the month, today (and from now on), rather than the last Tuesday (which is my usual day for publishing).
I'm so grateful for you joining me here! I'd love to hear feedback about the length and/or content of this newsletter in the comments, if you have any. And as always, feel free to share if this resonated with you!
I learned about Omen Days from people sharing about it in notes here on Substack. Essentially, over 12 days, you look for omens for the coming year, with each day corresponding to a month of the year. I missed the first two, but I enjoyed the process so much that I already set reminders in my calendar for next year.
I adore this sweet, quirky movie. It's got such great neurodivergent representation and familial relationships, and it's both funny and heartfelt.
Relationship to place is about your connection with your environment - it's a concept I really loved from the book.
I'm not sure if 100 Poems was made for you or if you were made for that community, but we are all richer because of your generous presence there!
Saving this post so I can go through the articles when I have time to just sit and read them. Thank you, A, for continuously supporting my work and shouting me out. You're the best!