J. Elle Edmonds

I just looked them up, and they sound so fun!

Oh good to know! I haven’t read those.

This at least half the reason I bought a candle warmer lamp. That and it comes with a timer so I don’t forget to turn it off, lol.

I had a somewhat similar “that’s not how that works” reaction yesterday reading a sentence that started “no one was in the room except X, Y, and then Z followed me in” - particularly because that was ultimately 4 of the 6 total possible people involved.

Yeah, generic romance voice is a great way to put it.

Oh man, the way I felt so validated when I had a doc say, “Your body just doesn’t respond to most things the way we would expect. It is totally fair to be frustrated when we keep trying things and they don’t help.” Still frustrating, but it was nice to be treated like I wasn’t just whining.

Or the 2nd in the series with a new lead sounds just like the 1st, even when they’re vastly different character personalities. I don’t think it’s easy to do well, so 3rd POV is “safer” (for me to choose as a reader) for not being disappointed in wanting more character-specific narrative style.

Part of my challenge with 1st POV is how few authors make me feel like it’s actually how that character would tell the story. The exposition sounds like generic 3rd and w/o enough distinct personality. Especially with dual 1st POV - there’s so little differentiation that they sound the same.

I have been over-perceived this week. If everyone could stop being aware of my existence (just for a little while), that would be great.

When do we leave?

A thing about me is sometimes I have to think about doing handstands on the uneven bars to remember which is horizontal and which is vertical.

It’s the first context in which I learned those terms, so it’s the one I instinctively go back to when my brain gets slow or overwhelmed.

Both things are true for women and in reverse. Those just aren’t the prevailing dynamics of our culture.

This is a lovely and telling tribute.

AND

The way I wish more men (true for everyone but…) could digest that genius doesn’t = “get to be an asshole.”

And the way I wish more men publicly praised women for not diminishing or apologizing for their genius as well as for their kindness.

- nostalgia activities that make adults feel like kids again… 80s/90s crafts or something? Don’t underestimate how much adults want dumb, easy fun.
- book / puzzle / board game swap?

As a single/non kids adult, trying to think what would draw me and feel like I was intended to be included and not just an extra:
- a food / drink tasting?… doesn’t have to be alcohol… could be hot sauce or something silly but feels more like an adult activity than a purely family one

Reminds me of finding a quilted style Christmas tree skirt with an elastic center (where it goes around the tree base) in a closet. Turns out that elastic was just my size, and I proceeded to wear it to church for weeks. I felt like it gave “old fashioned” vibes, which was my jam at the time (~8yo).

Cover of The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow. A black background with golden sword and flowers

Probably my favorite read of 2026 so far…

I think I’d go with Starling House. It’s got so much happening and such luscious writing and ultimately a hopeful ending.

An image of a large bag or mini eggs - purple packaging - on a black coffee table.

Sometimes the heart knows what it’s going to need tomorrow… which is to say yesterday was the perfect day to have caved and bought a giant bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs.

The state can fund concentration camps and all of your media, but it’s communism if you want some help with your healthcare.

Yesss… Fievel Goes West is the correct answer.

Can confirm you are not the only one! Lol

A bit of a fudge because it’s about 50/50 Spanish and English but a truly underrated romcom with one of my favorite “what love means to me” speeches (and it’s not between the main characters!).

How to Get To Heaven From Belfast = if the Derry Girls grew up to be the Bad Sisters.

Not as iconic as Derry Girls but I’m having a fun time.

With most systems / institutions / communities ultimately designed to weaponize criticism when it’s convenient, makes it damn hard to redeem it when we need it and when it’s valuable for the whole.

Feels like an outgrowth of the BookTok / personal brand version of success that seems to drive publishing these days, too. I can see why public critique feels more threatening when you don’t have much institutional support + avenging fans. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have it or that it’s “mean.”

Oh god. I mean I get some of what drives and incentivizes that reaction these days… but also gross, lol.

Our cultural inability to separate earnest critique, personal preferences, and petty dismissal / invalidation (and applying that to the people behind a work, too) is so depressing.

Maybe a dumb question but what’s a better framing for this kind of critique (as in better for advocating / championing the genre toward its best)? Primarily focusing on lazy writing / craft / understanding of conflict and using 3rd act breakup as a particularly common place it shows up?

Don’t make a big deal of kink or “unusual sexual needs” and then not show it effectively worked out on the page (and the world’s lightest bondage doesn’t count). Use it to truly grow the relationship / character development or don’t make it A Thing.

Oh man, I was working there when he got removed from his position suddenly. My contract ended not long after this, but I was so curious what went down.