What -to-Read Decision Fatigue & Relishing the Ridiculous

Just wanted to pop in and update you on a few things.

First, if you missed my last post, I’ve moved my newsletter to Substack. The good news is that you can view it online before subscribing to see if it’s your jam. Also, it lets you leave comments like a blog post! I have a new letter over there today about Relishing the Ridiculous: Bonkers romance plots, Hallmark-style movies, and the gift of not having to be so serious all the time.

You can read the whole thing for free here!

There’s also a new episode of RAD Reading out today. We’re talking about What-to-Read Decision fatigue and how to read those Amazon and Goodreads reviews because not all is as it seems. :)

Listen in your favorite podcast app:

• Apple podcasts

• Audible

• Spotify

• Acast  

• Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

I’m also offering a free download of the TBR spreadsheet I use to keep track of recommendations and why I wanted to read something in the first place. Just scroll down in that post I linked to and you can grab that in the show notes.

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And in case you missed it, Crash Into You, my very first novel and the start of The Loving on the Edge series is on sale for $2.99 in ebook. It’s usually $15.99 in ebook, y’all, so grab it. Book 2, Melt Into You, is also on deep discount at $5.99!

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend!

Introducing the RAD Reading Podcast!

Did you know I now have a bookish podcast?

Y’all know I love talking all things reading and giving book (and movie/TV) recommendations. I’ve been doing it on this blog for many years. But a few months ago, I got the urge to do something a little different with that kind of content.

I love a bookish podcast and I listen to a number of them every week, so that got me to thinking, what if I did one of these? There’s nothing I love more than talking about reading or passing along a great book, so why not do it over the virtual airwaves?

I was a little (a lot!) intimidated to learn the how-to’s of podcasting, and I’m definitely still learning, but I decided to take the leap. I teamed up with indie editor Dawn Alexander and we’ve launched RAD Reading, a bookish podcast where the R stands for refresh and the D stands for discover and where we help you do those two things for your reading life.

We have had so much fun this first month of episodes, and we have lots more to come! If you’d like to give us a listen (and we’d love it if you would!), links to the first five episodes are below. You can listen to the episodes on this website, through Apple podcasts, or you can add it to whichever podcast player you prefer.

How to Listen:

• On our website

• Apple podcasts

• Audible

• Spotify

• Acast  

• Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

This month’s episodes:

The Life-Changing Magic of the DNF

Our first episode! Join us as we talk about our vision for the podcast, preview our weekly bookish themes, and then jump into our topic of the week--the life-changing magic of not finishing a book you’re not enjoying. And make sure you stay until the end to get our RAD Reading Book Recommendations of the week!

Feeling All the Fall Feels: Seasonal Book Recs

Fall is here! This week we’re talking about whether or not we’re seasonal readers and how to enhance those autumnal vibes with your reading choices. We’re also bringing you a big stack of book recommendations! Roni’s got a pile of recs from one of her very favorite micro-genres: dark academia & campus novels. And Dawn is bringing the heat with sexy football-themed romances and some fun seasonal rom-coms. Come feel all the Fall feels with us!

Making Your Own Reading Journal (AKA Fun with Office Supplies)

We love upgrading our reading lives, so this week we’re talking about one of our favorite ways to enhance the reading experience--creating our own reading journals! Plus, as always, we’re giving our RAD Reading Recs of the week.

October’s Read/Watch/Listen Recs

This week we’re giving you all of our favorites of the month! Join us as we share the books, audiobooks, TV shows, and movies that have gotten our highest marks.

They All Float: Our Best Halloween Recs

Happy Halloween! This week Roni freaks out Dawn with her scary book and movie picks (and episode title) and Dawn offers recommendations for those who prefer their Halloween on the gentler side. It’s a long one, y’all! We’ve got a pile of recs for you, including suspense, horror, true crime, and paranormal romance. Grab a bag of Halloween candy and join us!

That’s a wrap on our first month! Next month we’ll be tackling things like taming distractions so you can get more reading time and giving our best comfort reads.

What I'm Watching This Summer

Summertime is the time of sunshine and the outdoors...well, in other places. Here in Dallas, summertime is full of sunshine and unbearable heat. Today it's 90 and it feels like autumn to me because we've been dealing with 105-110 temperatures for over two weeks and 90 truly feels like relief. We'll get a few days of this before the temperature races back up again.

But all this is to say that in summer, I often end up catching up on TV watching because we're indoors hiding from the heat. So I thought I'd pass along what I'm watching this summer both on TV and YouTube. And I'd love to hear what interesting shows you've found recently!

For pure soapy reality TV

Big Brother on CBS

If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I'm a long time Big Brother fan. I look forward to it every summer, and it's become a family tradition. Hubs and I love all the strategy and personality dynamics. Kidlet loves all the competitions. (We fast forward through any not-safe-for-10-year-olds moments.) It's quite a commitment with three episodes a week, but I eat it up like candy. My favorite contestant this year in Tyler. I love that he came on and was all "I'm just a dumb, cute lifeguard" and has turned out to be the most socially strategic and smart player so far. The writer in me loves characters, and Big Brother always gives me good fodder for analysis.

Fun for the Whole Family

The Middle

Last summer kidlet and I picked a show to binge watch together for device-free summer. Last year was The Goldbergs, which has become a family favorite (and kidlet obsession) now. This summer, we've picked The Middle. (Side note: finding a truly family friendly modern sitcom is a challenge! But this one fits the bill.) We're almost done with season 2 and are really enjoying it. If you want to binge watch this one, it's not streaming anywhere for free (last I checked) but Freeform and the Hallmark channel have been running the seasons marathon style and we've been taping them, so look for that.

For the Music Lover

The Big Interview with Dan Rather

This is one hubs found on one of his favorite channels AXS. Dan Rather interviews famous musicians. (He may interview more than musicians, but the ones we've watched have all been musicians.) These interviews were taped a few years ago, but they are fascinating. Dan Rather is a master interviewer, and if you love music, you'll love the stories he pulls out of the people he puts in his interview chair. So far we've watched interviews with Greg Allman of The Allman Brothers, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Even if you don't know much about the particular band/artist (I knew hardly anything about The Allman Brothers) the interviews will pull you in. Highly recommended.

For Nostalgia or a Peek Inside 90s Teenhood

My So-Called Life

I mentioned a while back that I was so excited that one of my favorite podcast duos were starting the My So-Called Podcast where they rewatch episodes of My So-Called Life and then comment on them. This has been so much fun--to rewatch one of my very favorite shows from my teen years through adult eyes and then follow each episode up by listening to Jillian and Patrick pick apart the episodes in a funny yet respectful superfan kind of way. It's made it such a multi-layered experience. It's made me laugh a lot but also has made me wonder what the hell I was thinking loving Jordan Catalano (played by Jared Leto) back when I was 14. I mean, yes, he's beautiful, but dude, he was SUCH a jerk on that show. Adult Me totally wants to yell at him for his behavior. Anyway, if you want to rewatch or watch for the first time. Here's where you can stream it and here's where you can find the podcast.

For Your Brain

The 2000s on CNN

CNN has made series about many of the decades and every time, I am so here for it. I believe they started with The Sixties. That's the first one I watched at least, and they've gone on to make a series for each decade. This summer it is The 2000s. The show is produced by Tom Hanks and is done in such a great way that I get hooked every time. Each show will take one topic of that decade and do a deep dive. So, for instance, the episode we watched this week was all about technology and the "I-Decade"--the iPod, iPhone, iPad, social media, etc. Even though we all lived through it, it's fascinating to look back and really think about how much has changed so quickly. There was also an episode on TV shows in the 2000s and then there are the political ones (9/11, the Iraq War, etc.). I believe there is a music one coming up. All very well done. And if you haven't watched the previous seasons--60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s--they've all been fantastic.

For Your Body and Mind

Yoga with Adriene

I am trying to create a yoga habit, but I have trouble making it to classes because the timing never works out. So I've started doing yoga in the mornings at home. There are tons of free videos on YouTube, but I've found that the ones I like the best are from Yoga with Adriene. The videos are well shot, the routines are doable, there are lots of routines of varying length if I don't have a lot of time. Plus, Adriene is easy to follow and comes across as very down to earth. If you're looking to get some yoga into your life, check out her channel.

For the Planner Lover and Writers

Heart Breathings with Sarra Cannon

Y'all know I love a planner and anything having to do with productivity systems. I recently returned from the RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference where I met up with the writer/planner group I'm in online. So fun! And I happened to sit next to author Sarra Cannon who had brought her 90-day planner. I loved her set up and found out she has a YouTube channel where she talks about all things planning and writing. I blame her for the kanban board I put together this week. But if you're a planner girl (or guy!) like me, her channel is worth checking out. 

That's all I've got for y'all today! Tell me what you're watching and loving this summer. : )

Recs for Your Ears: Year of Yes & My So-Called Podcast

Hi, y'all! Guess what? I TURNED IN MY BOOK!!! 

This book (book 3 in The Ones Who Got Away series) was, by far, my most challenging book process-wise yet. You'd think that by my 15th full length novel, I'd have this whole writing thing figured out. Yeah, turns out, writing just gets harder as you go, lol. Processes change, different books require different skills, characters refuse to cooperate with your plan, and then there's the self-inflicted pressure of always trying to outdo yourself. So all that to say, I AM SO HAPPY to have it turned in! There will still be edits to do when my editor works her magic, but for now, I get to actually see the sun for a little while and do things like...blog!

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to share much with you guys, but I haven't stopped reading or listening to things, so I have a few recommendations for you today. This time, they're both for your ears (though one you can get in print.) I'm finding myself drawn more and more to audio because it's so darn convenient. I can listen in the car, while I'm cooking, while I'm getting ready in the morning. I love it.

For Inspiration:

First up is Shonda Rhimes' Year of Yes. I know this book has been out a while and I'm behind here, but sometimes you need to wait for a book to come into your life at just the right time for you. When Year of Yes first released, I was in a season in my life where I needed to learn to better say the word NO, not yes. I was overbooked and overextended.

However, this year, I decided that, though I still need to be selective with my yeses, I also need not say no to things just because they scare me. See, I'm an introvert, a to-the-core shy person. So, getting up in front of people, doing phone interviews, giving workshops, going to signings, etc. all make me anxious, and I want to hide in a cave. And saying no in the name of being too busy (even though I am actually busy) can sometimes be a crutch and prevents me from experiencing things I'd enjoy. Because almost inevitably, I angst about these things to a ridiculous degree beforehand, and then once I do them I'm like--oh that was fun! Which, for some reason, does not make me any less anxious the next time. *shakes fist at brain*

So when I started listening to Year of Yes and heard Shonda describe how she reacts in similar social or public situations, I was like YES. PREACH. She was absolutely speaking my language. If you've read the book, she has a story about sitting in President Obama's box at an event--her initial reaction would've been mine. So hearing how she decided to change things and how she went about it was truly inspiring to me. I HIGHLY recommend getting this one in audio. I'm sure reading the book is great, but I'm not sure it could compete with hearing Shonda read it in her own voice. It feels like she's sitting down with you for some wine and a chat. Plus, she includes the live recordings of the speeches she's given within the audio. Super ultra fantastic.

For Some Retro Fun: 

Alright, next up I have something a little different and that will probably only appeal to my fellow children of the 80s/90s. My So-Called Life was THE show when I first entered high school. It premiered in 1994 and followed angsty 15 year-old Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes, who was trying to navigate adolescence, love, parents, and high school. It also featured young Jared Leto as Jordan Catalano, who was the most beautiful boy I'd ever seen. *insert teen Roni swoon*

Jordan Catalano Shade GIF from Jordancatalano GIFs

It only lasted one season, and y'all, my 14-year old self was DEVASTATED when it was canceled. I wrote letters to the network, y'all. (And I mean letters with stamps. Email wasn't a thing yet.) I may have cried a little... (shut up, I was 14 and very angsty.)

Jordan Catalano Are You Crying GIF from Jordancatalano GIFs

So, I was probably a little TOO excited when I heard that two of my favorite podcasters (who do the True Crime Obsessed podcast--another fantastic podcast if you love both true crime documentaries and humor) were going to do an episode-by-episode podcast about My So-Called Life. The hosts, Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle, are hilarious, clever, and true superfans, so although they are picking fun at certain things in the episodes, it is from a place of love. 

So if you want to have some fun and flashback to the 90s, I highly recommend it. I'm rewatching the episodes of My So-Called Life as new podcast episodes come out. (It's an interesting experiment to watch it through my adult/mom eyes now, lol.) It's streaming free on ABC.com and you can also get it on Hulu.

So, that's what I've been listening to. What's been keeping you entertained lately?