A Mish-Mash of Recs
Thank goodness January is OVER!
Besides a quick trip to Atlanta to see my children and a weekend celebrating my birthday, I have mostly spent the month running and working on my new novel. Neither activity has been easy -- it’s been very cold in New York City and well, writing is hard! I’ve found the best system for me is to break down my goals into smaller tasks and schedule time for each.
I know this isn’t the most profound advice, but sometimes the basics are best. I am someone who needs accountability, that’s why I have a virtual running coach who tells me how many miles to run a week, which I enter into a log he created for me. I also have a freelance editor who I email pages to each month. She is not editing them yet, or even reading them, but I continue to send them. In order to meet my monthly goals, I literally divide the word count I have promised her by the number of workdays I’ve allotted myself. The writing does NOT need to be poetic or chronological, it just matters that I sit my butt in the chair and meet the set number. I am sure some writers are horrified by this system, but, hey, it seems to be helping me.
And… because there are only so many hours in a day that I can run or write, I have also been reading and watching a lot of movies.
Book Rec: The Best Minds
Jonathan Rosen and Michael Lauder were best friends throughout their childhood in New Rochelle and their time together at Yale. But all wasn’t as it seemed. One day, Jonathan received a call that Michael had suffered a psychotic break and was in a psychiatric hospital. What happened after that made headlines and shed a light on the complexities of schizophrenia. This book had been on my TBR pile for ages and thanks to my book group I finally picked it up. Whether you call this a memoir about friendship or a manifesto about mental illness, one thing is certain - it’s a must-read.
Screen Recs: Oscar Picks
I am trying to watch as many of the Academy Award –nominated films/performances as possible before the ceremony on March 2nd. So far I have seen Anora, The Apprentice, Conclave, Emilia Perez, A Royal Pain, The Substance and Wicked. I didn’t love all of them, but I’m glad I saw each of them for different reasons. Another multi-award nominated film I really want to see is The Brutalist, but with a 3-plus hour runtime, I am waiting to stream it at home.
Substack Rec: Scratch Pad by The Stripe
I have no idea how I stumbled upon Grace Atwood’s substack, Scratch Pad by The Stripe, but it’s one of the few I subscribe to because she has such great recommendations. For example, these customizable chocolate bars. I just ordered some for my hubby for Valentines’ Day.
Wildcard Rec: Agent Nateur Body Balm
This balm proposes to lift, firm and diminish hyperpigmentation, uneven textures, fine lines and wrinkles. I can’t promise any of that, but it feels great and smells amazing. I look forward to using it every morning when I get out of the shower.
Signing off for now. In the meantime, let me know what books you’ve read, any Substack newsletters you like, what you think of this year's academy award nominees and if you have any habit-forming tips.
Sincerely,
Greer
