243. READ. LOOK. THINK. (And Consider Yourself Kissed is out in AUS/NZ! 🍒)
First pub day for CYK ❤️ Plus an awkward truth, 'Happiness Forever', Cate Blanchett, lavender marriage, an auxiliary coping mechanism.
READ.
‘It’s an awkward truth that I cannot help observing and noticing things even in the most terrible moments.’
I’ve just recently read the most incredible novel: Happiness Forever by Adelaide Faith. You might have seen the cover around (painted dog with wonky eyes) but actually it doesn’t come out until May. In it, Sylvie is in love with her therapist — but you will never expect what happens or how Sylvie thinks and feels and expressed herself.
LOOK.
I saw The Seagull at the Barbican and Cate Blanchett did the splits!
My children always had boring Falcon enamelware to eat from but I love this children’s 3-piece set / matching cutlery.
I’ve been following Jodi Wilson (@practicingsimplicity) for… maybe ten years? Is that possible? Certainly I remember when she had her third and fourth child, and when her family sold everything to travel around Australia! She is very good on how to live simply and frugally, and also on motherhood (she is a doula and post-natal yoga teacher, not in a MAHA way). Anyway, she has written a book that sounds so good! The Complete Guide to Postpartum: A mother-focused companion for life after birth. (She is Australian but it’s available for pre-order everywhere.)
London’s second narrowest house is for sale (‘You decide whether it works as a comfortable home or bijou bolt hole.’)
THINK.
“When people tell me they want to be an editor, I say don’t – go work in sales [...] That’s where the critical part of the conversation is happening. Editorial can have the vision but if the people who hold the purse strings don’t value Black and brown voices then you’re in trouble.”
‘… fascists see hypocrisy as a virtue. It’s how they signal that the things they are doing to people were never meant to be equally applied.’
The opposite of fascism (this is very nice).
‘Raise up your shield made of personal, hard-won, thought-through values, and explain to your kids, or your colleagues, why you believe what you do and act as you do. Words have never been more important as a literal defence. So much nonsense is said in serious voices. Don’t shrug and sigh and turn away. Argue!’ Jeanette Winterson.
‘When I was a complete novice in prison the other women were very kind and showed me how things work. They were shocked and horrified when they found out I had been imprisoned for a climate protest. I think around 80% of the women I met should not have been in prison. Help with problems such as mental health, addiction and housing would have been more useful.’ 78 yo climate protestor sent back to jail because all the tags were too big.
“Me & my best friend of 15y have a lavender marriage! We own a house, cars, motorcycles, go on vacations etc. We are completely financially stable. Made the choice 6y ago, never going back!”
‘The emotionally immature person needs other people to emotionally stabilize them, make them happy, and also to buffer their self-esteem. When we can get the idea that we’re not in this world to function as a sort of auxiliary coping mechanism for people who can’t do it for themselves, we begin to feel our energy coming back.’
MY BOOK.
I’m so happy to share that my novel Consider Yourself Kissed is OUT in Australia and NZ! No need to link to pre-order it because you can now just walk into a shop! I can’t wait to see it in person when I come to Australia in three weeks ❤️ Mega thanks to everyone at Text Publishing for everything — especially my editor Penny Hueston!
Consider Yourself Kissed will be out in UK early May, US and Canada in late May, and an ever-growing number of interesting places after that!
Jess
X
ok the skinny house is saur cute but the interior photos gave me a feeling of panic
Can’t wait to ask you nosy questions about your book 😎