Good Stuff, Vol. 1

Back to school even though it feels like midsummer-- what we're reading, enjoying, and more

Hi friends!

Today I’m embarking on a new version of my newsletter, in an effort break up my posts into weekly-ish bites and separating out my Recent Reads (mini-reviews of MG/YA books I’ve been reading) with all the rest of the stuff I like to write about. These hodgepodge posts will feature a variety of lists and links, library and writing updates, current reads, etc., and are going to be referred to (at least for now?) as Good Stuff. This is the first edition and hope you enjoy this new format!

---

🏡. At Home with the Bennetts…

📖. What We’re Reading

• Gigi (17)— A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (one of my all-time favorite YA series!), All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer (a selected buddy read for her new AP English class); she recently read and loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and is also in the midst of re-reading the Scythe series.

• Brody (14)— rereading the Eragon series, and whatever comics I bring home from the library for him.

• Hallee (13)— The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson, plus rereading The Penderwicks on Gardam Street (she is forever rereading these, which I love), and recently started The House Swap by Yvette Clark on audio.

• Me!— I usually have audiobooks going with my two kids who don’t drive. Whenever we’re in the car alone, we try to listen to these. It’s been a very enjoyable (and dare I say, special) activity for us. Current listens are…

  • with Hallee: Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs (Moon Base Alpha #3)

  • with Brody: The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman & The Secret of Golf by Joe Posnanski

  • See all my current reads here on StoryGraph

  • Cookbooks in my TBR pile (I may have gotten a little out of hand with the library requests here!): Yiayia, Sea Salt and Honey, Big Dip Energy, The Siete Table, Pizza Night, Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice (these were all found via Substack and Instagram recommendations!)

🥰. What We’re Eating/Loving/Watching/Doing/Etc.

• My plumerias bloomed, which makes me extremely happy (see above)

• Some things we’ve been watching: The Bear (season 3); Gilmore Girls (Gigi and I); LegoMasters, The Karate Kid, and The Long Game (the whole family)

• We’re gearing up for fall sports- baseball, softball, golf, and basketball are all upcoming on the calendar

• I’m feeling so much better after having my steroid injection and continuing P.T. I am so thankful for all the doctors and therapists I’ve been seeing (whether for my neck or my TMJ). Chronic pain is no joke and if you’re dealing with it too, I pray that you find the support you need.

• One of the things I’ve been happy to be able to do again is cook! One of the best new recipes I’ve tried recently was this: Brown Butter Garden Vegetable Pasta Skillet. Oh, and also this street corn salad, which we made for friends at the lake this summer. Yum!

📚. In the Library

Last week we all went back to school (four schools between my kids and me 😳), and my week was busy with meetings, annual trainings, recess/lunch duty, and organization. I’m excited about the new corner of the library I’m setting up to my desk/work space/circulation station. I hope it makes me more accessible to students and more organized. I’m currently setting up my schedule for seeing students and hope to open the library next week!

🤓. At My Writing Desk

Ever since my injury over the summer, I haven’t been able to do much work on manuscript. For those who don’t know, it’s a middle grade story about a girl doing Junior Lifeguards summer camp with her cousins at the beach. As I get my physical endurance back and adjust to our new fall schedule, I hope to dig back into revisions and get it ready for beta readers and querying.

👩‍💻. On Substack

• This post may or may not have inspired me in noting and sharing more things that are delighting me in life (ok, it definitely did). I love this concept of delight being a core value; I think I share that with Shauna.

A Delight List

---

I’d love to know what you’re reading/watching/eating/enjoying!

xo,

Nicole

I always use affiliate links with Bookshop.org when I link to books. If you purchase through my links you support me a tiny bit, and more importantly, you