January RWLB

January and February have two vibes for me:

#goals: in bed by 7pm

1. Cozy and comforting...think steaming cups of tea, fuzzy blankets, stacks of books

2. Dreary short days of blistering cold...think shivering, exhaustion, and having to put on many layers of clothes to take the dog out

There really doesn't seem to be a middle ground. 

When vibe #2 is bringing me down, I start thinking about this list to distract myself. Here are some of the things that are making me happy in the bleak midwinter. 

Reading

Infinite Jest

My friend and I are committed to finishing this book by the summer. Our pace is twenty-five pages per week and that seems to be manageable.  I know I've written about this one before so I won't belabor the point, but this book is the most challenging book I've read. From the subject matter (so much poo) to the style (long tightly spaced rants and detailed descriptions of a kids' game which included graphs), to the format (barely any dialogue, jumps in the plot without warning, and did I mention it's tightly spaced). But I will finish it so I can join the smug group of readers who flex reading it. 

Cloud Cuckoo Land

This was picked by my book club and I was honestly dreading it. I had heard it's long and you can't keep the characters straight and Doerr must have been drunk when he wrote it. 

I started it with a bit of anxiety but once I got rolling, I was completely wrapped up in the story. There are three different timelines the narrative follows. Some in the past, some in the future. The book weaves in and out of these timelines smoothly and I found myself forgetting the world around me when I was reading. 

It is over 600 pages but let me tell you, they fly. There are lots of empty pages at the beginning of each chapter and Doerr paced it well so I kept wanting to read just one more chapter or section. 

I think a lot of the critique I heard was from people who tried this on audio. That is a mistake. You need to hold this one in your hands and see the page breaks. I have a hard time with fiction on audio unless it's something completely fluffy and I think this book would have made me cry if I had tried to listen to it.

The hard copy was a five-star experience. Don't listen to the haters.

Watching 

Cobra Kai

My whole family is completely entertained by this show. We can't get enough of the 80's nostalgia and epic fight scenes--even if they are a tiny bit unrealistic. 

Station 11

I watched this show on HBO Max even though I haven't read the book yet. My husband read the book a couple of years ago and has joined the chorus of people telling me to read it. But I wanted to watch the show anyway so we dived in.

Jeeeeeevaaaaaan!

It's not an easy show. There are scenes that gave me anxiety and scenes that crystallized what early pandemic life was so honestly that they dredged up all my grief and made me look at it in the face. But we can do watch hard things.

The show was beautifully made and I appreciated the acting, music, and set design so much. My husband would tell me when the show drifted away from the book so I feel confident when I tell you--it's not a strict adaptation. Liberties were taken. I think, after watching the show, 2022 will be the year I finally buckle down and read Station 11...but I may need a month or two to just let the show sit with me. Jeevan was my favorite character and I just can't stop thinking about him.

Listening

2022 Happy Playlist

Four years ago my family started a tradition of building a playlist for the year with songs we all love. They are like musical time capsules and we always enjoy shuffling a past playlist and marveling at how our music tastes have changed and stayed the same.

 There aren't many rules but the two we stick to are: no songs from previous playlists and there can only be two songs from any artist on the playlist. The songs don't have to be new, they just have to make someone in our family happy.

Last weekend we added a bunch of songs to the queue and I have been thoroughly enjoying this year's playlist.

The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

Similar to the way the show Station 11 was giving me anxiety, this podcast triggers me. I've listened to my fair share of true crime and there's always an episode or two that leaves me unsettled and uncomfortable, but every episode of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill makes me feel that in my bones.

It's a podcast about a church, Mars Hill, and their lead pastor, Mark Driscoll. Driscoll developed a huge following with some unusual practices and then he began to unravel. The podcast is a deep dive into the fall of this church and the ways God was working even while things were coming undone. It's not hopeless but, as a Christian, sometimes I find it hard to listen to what was going on.

It's a good exercise for Christians to self-reflect and see how the culture we've created in churches is impacting the way Christians think about things like politics, race, and the pandemic. But it's not easy. Change is necessary, even if it seems daunting. 

Buying

Part of what I want to get better at this year is skincare. So with that objective in mind, I bought a bunch of skincare products this month. One of my favorites (and a bit of a splurge) is this Drunk Elephant serum. It's a game-changer.

I'm always so excited to see the lists of anticipated book releases for the new year. As a writer, I want to support authors and so I preorder books a few times a year. Here are a few books I preordered for winter

The Violin Conspiracy

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'em Dead

The Family Chao

The Paris Apartment

Spring releases look amazing too and I'll dedicate a post to them later.

That's what I'm reading, watching, listening to, and buying this month. What about you? Share one or all the things on your RWLB list in the comments. I'd love to know what you recommend!