Back After This
On the LA Times Festival of Books, narrative warm hugs and what I like about my writing
Over the weekend, I went to the LA Times Festival of Books. Hosted at USC downtown, the main campus was completely taken over by row after row of tents filled with books and bookish merch. For people who say they want an adult Scholastic Book Fair, book festivals are it!
One of these years I will go to an author talk, but I really just love wandering around and looking at books. In past years, it’s been ungodly hot the weekend of the festival, but this year it was cloudy and cold (yes, cold!!!). It didn’t stop the crowds though, which is annoying when you’re trying to navigate a tiny tent, but is actually so lovely to see because it means people still love books!!!
Last year, I got three books — one I liked, one I thought was just okay and one I have yet to read… I was moderately determined not to go so hard this year, but of course, I have the new bookshelf so… I walked away with one more book than last year—
henry viii by shakespeare (shakespeare, top shelf)
the day of the locust by nathanael west (fitzgerald’s hollywood-years bff — dead, classics, second shelf),
good morning, midnight by jean rhys (i loved, loved her novel wide sargasso sea — dead, literary fiction, third shelf)
comedic timing by upasna barath (this is a novella from the romance company 831 stories — romance, bottom shelf)
On that note, I got some feedback on my bookshelf — “Looks great!!” and “Love the color.”
And also some feedback on the fact that I no longer have books on the floor — “But how will people know you’re an avid reader?!” and “Officially made it to adulthood lol.” (ouch)
Some Things—
i forgot to mention this the last couple weeks, but fitzgerald’s original title for gatsby was among ash heaps and millionaires, which is actually still a banger title
the finale of etoile features a kind of glorious emily in paris moment (i loved this show, obviously!!!!!)
my favorite thing about the studio is that seth rogan does a pratfall every episode
one thing that i’m living for right now is watching the valley on wednesday nights and live texting the group chat (there’s so much tv happening rn, fam!)
i love that conclave is the #1 movie on prime rn (rip pope francis, you were a real one)
i realized that for the rest of my life, i’m gonna be grieving things (my dance studio is closing, and i’m devastated)
sometimes i’ll be feeling generally bad about life, but then i’ll see two girls crossing the street walking arm and arm, or a couple on a street-facing balcony in the sun who wave at me, and then i suddenly feel like life is worth living
What I’m Reading
I’m so high on books right now! I’m keeping up with TV but I’m giving myself consistent times to read (right after work; before bed) and it feels great!
And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer - As someone who’s just trying to navigate adulthood and carve space for herself in the world, this poetry collection really hit!
Back After This by Linda Holmes - Cecily is a podcast producer who has finally gotten an offer to host her own shown – except, it’s not exactly a show she wants to do. The podcast will require Cecily to work with a dating coach who will set her up with 20 guys in the hopes that she’ll find the one, with the finale airing on Valentine’s Day. Cecily promises to be open to the men the dating coach finds, but right before she’s set up on her first date, she has a meet cute with a man on the street (involving a great dane, it’s so good). She tries to forget about him for the sake of the show, but they keep running into each other… and things get messy!
This was such a warm hug of a book, I loved it.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan - I’m about a hundred pages into this novel that’s an adaptation of Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope (a book i have not read, but did once watch the mini series on a plane). It follows the Gresham family from England to Hawaii as the eldest daughter gets married and just like Crazy Rich Asians, it’s dripping with insane wealth!
Some things I’m loving about it already:
the opening pages lay out each character’s title and astrological sign
the first chapter features a two page text exchange
there are footnotes!!! like—
In the British peerage, the order of rank goes: monarch > prince/princess > duke/duchess > marquess/marchioness > earl/countess > viscount/viscountess > baron/baroness. Where do you rank and what sort of feelings does this bring up?
Books I Didn’t Buy at the LA Times Book Fest:
The Last Verse by Caroline Frost - Set in the 70s, a nineteen-year-old aspiring singer moves to Nashville and gets swept up in the country music scene, and swept away by a rising star. Things inevitably get out of hand and when she finds herself involved in a terrible crime, she writes a song about it. She performs it once, to an empty room, but hears it weeks later sung by someone else on the radio…. but if she comes forward to claim the song, will she be connected back to the crime?? Juicy!
House of Fury by Evelio Rosero - Also set in the 70s, this is a book in translation set in Bogota, Colombia that takes place entirely at a dinner party, featuring a large family who has just received shocking news, their guests from all levels of society, two earthquakes (!!!) and lots of drama! I love a single day story and chaotic antics!
What I’m Writing
I started randomly cleaning out my inbox on Monday and found an email from my brother responding to my first ever newsletter nearly two (???) years ago. Toward the end he said—
I think it’s awesome and impressive you wrote a book and are working on another! I know one day I’ll be in a bookstore and go to the M section, where I’ll find my own last name and your first name. Don’t give up!
One, like damn, what a well written sentiment. Two, I’ve been having a lot of feelings about where I am with my writing right now and this really hit (read: i cried)!
I got another query rejection this week, but it was a warmer one so that feels like something…
I’m still listening to (and finding solace in) the Pen Pals podcast. Somewhere in their back catalogue, they started asking each other what they like about their own writing. Which is akin to being asked what you like about yourself — it’s awkward! And at first you’re like… nothing. But then you’re like okay actually, I’m smart and funny and kind and I’m good in a room (these are real things i like about myself lol).
But what do I like about my writing? Oh man…. I don’t know. I think I can be funny on the page. I like that I always find a way to weave in pop culture references. I like the way I write dialogue, the conversations are real but they’re also punchy or flirty or whatever they need to be for the scene. I also like the way I write about friendship and how my characters kind of code switch within those friendships depending on who they’re with.
Okay, this was a good exercise. I want to go write something now…
A little poem—
i bought myself a bookshelf, but
he never noticed
the color of my eyes,
and that will stay with me longer
than anything in those pages
except—
there was that time the fan puttered off.
i took it apart,
wiped clean the dust from the blades
that had spun despite the weight
of years
of being taken for granted.
i’m excellent at breaking
things.
to be careless is intuitive,
but the fan whizzed back to life.
That’s all from me this week, stay tuned!
