two things that help
one year later!
Hey! You’re here. Thank you.
One year ago, I wrote a newsletter after the election. There were no good words for the way that morning felt. All the words I had felt useless. So I wrote about the ways I try to turn to books.
It was brutal. I don’t have to tell you that. It was brutal. It’s been a brutal year.
And yet I woke up this morning feeling something just a little different.
As the news rolled in about Zohran (!!) and New Jersey and Virginia, I felt something a little different.
I do not take for granted the labor that so many people put in to make these wins possible. I’m sitting here in Western Mass smiling and sipping my coffee and it’s because so many folks gave their time and energy to something different. I’m grateful. I’m eager to see what comes next. I’m inspired to do more.
One year ago I wrote about this little coping mechanism for despair:
Writing little lists of books has always been a magic trick for me. It gives me something tangible to look forward to, a reminder of what is possible, what is out there waiting for me. When I’m sad I just write lists of books I want to read on little scraps of paper and it is has always helped at least a little.
Last Wednesday morning I started a google doc that contains two book lists. One is called Books for Joy & Comfort and the other is Books for Dreaming of a Better World. Like all binaries this one is basically false. I am not convinced that the spicy sapphic romance novels on my joy & comfort list aren’t going to make a better world. In fact I know they will.
One year later and I stand by this, so here are two books that are carrying me through to the end of this year and into a better future.
Reading for Joy & Comfort
A butch lesbian parolee. The pretty pansexual nurse who got away. Is this their second chance at a happily ever after?
I mean what else do you need to know!!??
This one comes to you courtesy of my go-to romance recommender aka my romance fairy godmother, Grace. If you are into activism, romance, and/or dogs you simply must go follow Grace at @dogbuttsandbooks on instagram. You’re welcome.
I am blessed because Grace introduced me to my new favorite genre: The Lesbian Romance Novella. Is this perhaps the highest form? I’m not convinced that a lil spicy sapphic book is not the cure for the majority of what ails us. I fully intend to test this theory so I will report back on the results of my research.
This book was a sweet, meaningful story of love between two women trying their best in a difficult world. I loved it. I needed it. Thank you, Grace!!
Reading for a Better World
This stunning graphic memoir won a little thing called the Pulitzer Prize so you don’t have to take my word for it - this book is an absolute stunner.
I am obsessed with the immersive experience of reading graphic memoirs. I remember exactly where I was when I read Fun Home in one frenzied sitting. I usually expect to fly through graphic memoirs in just the same way. That was not the case with this book. This remarkable work is simultaneously a detailed history of China since 1949 and a wrenching account of three generations of women swept up in the tides of this history. It is personal. It is political. It is an unforgettable illustration of the truth that there is no difference between the two.
I was fortunate enough to get to discuss this book with friends in our small, in-person book club and we were all floored by what Hulls accomplishes in this book. It is not an easy read by any means, but it is one that will change you if you let it. This book exploded my notions of what it means to “do the work” of healing generational trauma. It made me so sad, and so hopeful, and I’ll never know how Tessa Hulls did it.
I hope that you are sleepy today because you stayed up hope scrolling.
I hope you find just the right book for this moment.
I hope you recommend spicy, sapphic books to me in the comments.
I love you.
I’m glad you’re here.
Love,
Rosamond