Diary of An Unmotivated Writer (Week 5)



I've been off for the past week and it hasn't been quite what I imagined- I'm sure those of you who have worked or been in school feel so very sad for me. At least we've got two week and then finals, and then two more weeks off. A do over, I suppose. I did get quite a bit of reading and writing in this week, at least. Here's the update:

Week 5
Words: 25,078 (+770 words, -430 from goal)
Actions: several blog posts (some scheduled), two books finished
Plan: 400 words (I have a ton of grading to do!)

Congrats to those of you who met your NaNoWriMo goals!

A Holiday Bookish Wish List- For Me

I haven't bought many books for myself this year (although I have gotten some free to review, in the interest of full disclosure), so there are a few on my holiday wishlist. Here's what I'm wanting this year:



Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward- I know it's from last year (or the year before?) but I just kept forgetting about it.

California: An Novel by Edan Lepucki- The first line of the snyopsis "what does a marriage look like after the world ends?" got me.

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's 'Learned'" by Lena Dunham- I'm intrigued, both because I love The Girls and because of the hefty advance she received.

The Laughing Monsters by Denis Johnson- Set in West Africa, this one seems to be written well and a little different from what I usually read.

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris- An athiest dentist. It all makes sense now.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabet Stout- For some reason I had always thought it was about something else, but then I read about it and was instantly interested.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan- I'll read anything by him...

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories by Alice Munro- I need to read her!

Zeitoun by Dave Eggars- After I read Five Days at Memorial one of you lovely people recommended this for me.

Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line by Michael Gibney- I've been wanting this for months!

Simply Delish by Jessica Merhcant- I have made many things off her blog, so I've been anticipating her cookbook.

What's on your list? 

25 Days of Christmas Reading

When I was little my siblings and I had a felt advent calendar that my mom made that we would take turns doing every day. We'd carefully apply tape to the back and place whatever little shape was in the day's pouch onto the Christmas scene above. It was adorable. In fact, we were all about Christmas traditions growing up, so much so that I tend to feel very nostalgic (and borderline homesick) every year at Christmas time. We'd put up the tree and other decorations after Thanksgiving, we'd drive down the festively lit Christmas Tree Lane, we'd decorate Christmas cookies, we'd go to the Christmas Eve service at the church we used to attend (despite none of us really being religious). Every year my mom bought us a new ornament to add to our collection, which now resides on my tree. My family had basically no disposable income, but we made it work.

So now I have this kid of mine and it's time for me to start putting in place some of our own traditions. I'll of course buy him an ornament every year, we'll see Santa, we already put up our tree, and we've planned a few other local outings. But the one I'm most excited about is the once inspired by the advent calendar I mentioned above- I'm going to read a Christmas book to Sawyer every day. 

I know. Super creative. I am such a special little snowflake. I'm sure no mother has ever done this before (except all the ones on Pinterest who not only do this, every year, but also package everything neatly in a box along with pajamas, organic hot chocolate, and lots and lots and lots of love).

Luckily, I have gobs of Christmas books back from my elementary school teaching days (I always used to save my classroom Scholastic points for them). I did buy some more, though, to round out the number, and because there are some super cute ones that have come out since then. 

What we'll be reading:



Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts


Hello! And happy Thanksgiving Eve, if that's your thing. I've got the Day of the Turkey on the brain, so that's what you're getting today. Make sure to link below and tag back if you play along!

1.  The past two years we have had hosted 20+ people at our home for Thanksgiving and I've done a majority of the cooking. This year we're having Scott's parents and his sister's family, plus my brother, bringing the grand total to ten, if you count Sawyer. I'm only doing the turkey, gravy, stuffing, and pies. I know it seems like a lot, but it's a lot less than the past.

2. I love making pies, I do, but I hate making new ones that I can't sample before serving. They might suck. Who are we kidding? The ones I've made before might suck.

3. This year's pies (I make them from scratch- anything less won't do): caramel apple, classic pumpkin, and then pumpkin with a pecan streusel topping. The last one is the new one and the pumpkin base is different than normal (it has cream cheese). We'll see.

4. It took me a little over 3 hours to bake the pies, and crust, and clean up my kitchen. Sawyer played my himself the entire time. How did I get this lucky? He rolled around the living room for two and a half hours, playing with toys and the dogs (and learning to kick the wall), and then in his little exersaucer for the last thirty minutes. I am so thankful and lucky that I have such an easy-going little guy.

5. My house is a disaster. It has to be cleaned by 2 pm tomorrow.

6. There are very few people that I have over to my house that I don't think are judging me for... everything. Seriously. Like one friend and my brother. Everyone else I'm convinced is silently critiquing my housekeeping, cooking, and now mothering. And yet I love to host dinners. Riddle me that.

7. I love this video about cooking turkeys. It's so true.


8. Before the pie madness started, we went to the park and played on the swings for awhile (before my like 4th trip to the store in five days). This is the third time since we went on break, actually. The weather has been great and we have a park right now the road. I foresee many future hours there in the years to come.

9. I serve dinner on paper plates. But the nice ones that don't require you to double-up. We also use plastic cutlery and Solo cups. THE FOOD STILL TASTES THE SAME DAMMIT!

10. Despite the fact that I've cooked decent food and so on and so forth the only thing people seem to remember about past Thanksgivings is the year I burnt myself, pretty severely, on the hip with turkey drippings (I still have scars). Haters.  


Top Ten Tuesday- Winter Reads

This week The Broke and the Bookish ask up what our upcoming winter reads are. I rarely stick to these lists (at least not in their entirety), but they're still fun to think about.

1. The Round House by Louise Erdrich- This one is for book club

2. 25 Children's Christmas books- more on that later!

3. I Am Radar by Reif Larsen- I started this already and then put it on a temporary hold to read some dystopian lit for work

4. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka- I'll be teaching this at the start of next semester

5. Lena  Finkle's Magic Barrel by Anya Ulinich- I feel bad- I just remembered I had a review copy from forever ago.

6. The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner- I've had it for awhile!

7. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsen- might as well finish off the trilogy

8. Home by Toni Morison- It's short. Sometimes you need a short book.

9. Something I get for Christmas...  (just assuming)

10. Something I get for Christmas... 
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