Finding joy in the season, pots of soup, and new movies
November was fine, but December has been off to a fantastic start
Welcome to Monthly Wrap, where I share three books I loved last month, three books I’m looking forward to, and three good things. Get access to the full archive by upgrading to paid today!
We have a sick kitty at home who had to go to the vet three times last week, so this post was supposed to hit your inbox yesterday, but time got away from me on Friday. Charlie (poor guy) has kidney stones in both kidneys, and we're waiting on some more test results before we can start a course of treatment. It's never fun when your fur babies are sick.
I know this is November's wrap, but I mostly want to talk about December because it has been good so far. November had its highlights, though (and it's obvious low point). We took the train to Boston with good friends and spent the day wandering the Museum of Science with their kiddos. We went on a lovely day hike in Freeport, followed by an afternoon of ticking off gifts from our list at LL Bean and a cozy fireside pint. We spent many a Sunday afternoon at the movie theatre (yay, Oscar season!). We celebrated our dating anniversary, but both came down with a cold that weekend, so instead of having a fancy dinner out, we made fancy pasta and watched movies at home. We flew to Florida for a quick three-day trip to see family for Thanksgiving. Then it was December!
I was more excited than anticipated to return to the cold weather after Thanksgiving. I love seeing family, but it immediately felt like the start of the holiday season when we stepped out of the airport and were greeted by cold, dry air and the scent of woodsmoke in the air (Maine, where there is the perpetual scent of woodsmoke in the air all winter).
Now, onto the books...
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3 books I loved recently
The Book of George by Kate Greathead. A novel about a frustrating man-child might not sound like the thing at this moment, but I oddly enjoyed reading this book in November. Greathead is a fantastic writer, and this was a fascinating character study of a male character. It reminded me of one of my favorites, American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, in that you spend time with a character you might typically avoid if they were a real person and end up really enjoying it. If you loved Good Material by Dolly Alderton, this one might also be up your alley (Andy is definitely a George!).
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. After spending the entire year listening to many trusted readers recommend this book to me, I finally picked it up and read it. You're likely seeing it on every best-of list, and it's a fantastic, impressive debut that unexpectedly delighted me. Not to say that it's a delightful book; it tackles heavy subjects, but Akbar's writing is beautiful, and he struck a perfect blend of humor with his storytelling.
A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn. I can watch several holiday romance movies in a row, but for some reason, I can't do it with holiday romance books. I usually reach my max after one or two. But I love reading festive books, so I’m always keeping an eye out for ones like this, which perfectly blend literary and contemporary fiction. There's a hint of romance, the exploration of a mother-daughter relationship, and a found family. It's a good one, and I highly recommend it if your holiday movie vibe is more The Family Stone.
You can see more of my thoughts about these books and everything else I read in November here:
3 new releases I’m looking forward to
Rental House by Weike Wang (out now) because I loved Wang's last novel, Joan Is Okay. Spoiler alert: I started reading this morning, and I'm already sold despite being 15 pages in.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield (out now) is the anticipated follow-up to Armfield's debut, Our Wives Under the Sea, which was a 2022 favorite of mine. I've heard this novel about three sisters living in a world where it doesn't stop raining is even stranger than her debut, and I can't wait to see what it's all about (see: my oddly specific love of "dark sea-themed books with beautiful writing)
Woo Woo by Ella Baxter (out now) because we were perusing the bookshop this weekend, and I saw it recommended by one of my favorite booksellers. It's described as an eccentric novel about what it means to make art as a woman, something I love reading about, so I added it to my list.
3 good things
Leaning into holiday joy. We're only one week into December, but I've loved leaning into the holiday vibes. After reading Calm Christmas in November, it sparked excitement for the season after some reflection. I think this quote wraps it up perfectly: "The key is to work out which elements of modern Christmas bring you genuine joy and cherish them, then let go of the rest, rather than get sucked into the materialistic whirlwind." Connection and magic are at the top of my list, and gift-gifting is at the bottom. The sheer amount of waste that gift gifting produces this time of year has become apparent and depressing to me this year. Instead of spending all season perusing endless gift lists and stressing over finding the "perfect" thing, I put some parameters around it to contain it. So, that has freed up time to honor the season in other ways. A friend came over for a weeknight craft night (so much crafting and I’m loving it!), where we had wine and a snack plate and watched cheesy holiday movies in the background. We went to the festive bar for a post-dinner drink this weekend. We met friends for a holiday train ride with their kids. We've been enjoying holiday movies with all the lights off next to the lit tree. It's been really lovely. And obviously, we all go through different seasons of life where the holidays feel good or challenging. Last year, I was in the depths of pet grief and didn't have much festive spirit at all. It's nice to acknowledge that things are constantly changing and meet yourself where you are. Okay, I blabbed!
leaning into the cozy small joys this season and loving it Cook once, eat twice (or thrice). Mundane, perhaps, but we've had a few soup recipes that have been real winners lately. I've been loving the "cook once, eat twice (or thrice)" aspect of making a pot of soup. Dean made this in the slow cooker, and it was delicious. It lasted us almost a week! I love lentils, so this smoky soup and this warm, spicy recipe were quite tasty. I appreciated the vegetarian protein packed into this comforting soup. And, lastly, this one has been on repeat in our house for about two months now. Just make it; trust me!
A few movie recs. I love this time of year for movies. I love going to the movie theater and tuning everything out for two hours while sinking into a story. We recently saw A Real Pain and Small Things Like These, and they blew me away. Small Thinks Like These is a book-to-movie adaptation that is going on my list of favorites. A Real Pain was much more tender, thoughtful (and funny!) than I expected. We also watched Nutcrackers at home, and it's a delightful addition to the holiday movie lineup. Especially if you loved The Holdovers last year!
Til next time,
From Decembers past:
I’d love it if you could help spread the word about Literary Leanings. Consider sharing this post with your favorite bookish friend, and you could get some perks!
I was 'ho,hmmm?' (that's a thing) about The Book of George, but you might have just got me with your reference to The American Wife... And yes please to a not-too-mawkish festive book. (I like a good old fashioned murder around this time of year. Not literally, you understand.)
Possibly off topic, but I'm obsessed with the styling of your living room! Love the touches of Christmas