I just finished We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza. It was very good (and heavy), but I have mixed feelings about it overall. I also recently read The Push by Ashley Audrain (5 stars), Blue Sisters by Coco Mellor (2 stars), and First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (3.5 stars). Next up is Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.

Podcast Episodes:

Recently Listened and Enjoyed:

• “Best Books of 2024” — Bad on Paper

• “Bodies, Belief, and Becoming feat. Hayley Rawle” — Bad Broadcast

• “Aly Raisman” — Armchair Expert

• “Sarah Fennel: Broma Bakery Founder and Author” — Second Life

Plan to Listen to ASAP:

• “God Made Me Gay: An Interview with Mike Maeshiro” — Sunday School Dropouts

• “Dr. Christine Blasey Ford: 6 Years Since Her Kavanaugh Testimony” — We Can Do Hard Things

• “Liz Moore on THE GOD OF THE WOODS” — Poured Over

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Season 2 is, without a doubt, the craziest season of reality TV I’ve ever seen)

I’m grateful for the profound gift of being loved, specifically as someone who struggles with feeling unlovable. I’m also grateful for the ability to experience emotions deeply… It makes life a lot more complicated and overwhelming and intense, but also more beautiful.

“Show me the clarity born from embracing both joy and pain. Remind me to be grateful for every step of this journey, for the love I’ve known and the losses that have shaped me. Teach me that even in darkness, I am still growing, still hoping, still becoming.” — We The Urban

• What are the things that are currently bringing me joy right now?

• What are the things that are currently causing me pain right now?

• What are some of the lessons that I’ve learned in the midst of dark times?

• Can I identify some of the ways that I’ve recently grown?

• Are there any realistic changes I can make — right now — to help me get one step closer to my goals?