I hope you’ve scheduled massage/Reiki/nap time in the mix too 🫶
And breathing, breathing is good 👍
I’ll see you in Portland, OR at Sans Bar 🥳
Have you been to Portland before?
You really MUST go to Powell’s Books if you’ve never been! 📚
Let me know if I can offer recommendations or be a local guide. I live in the Columbia River Gorge with lots of hiking, mountains and waterfalls if you’re trip will allow time for exploration 🥾 🏔️ 🌲
I’m excited for you and sending you lots of calm, joyful energy for these events 🥰
I've been to portland once, for a short time to teach a workshop. Excited to go again. I haven't been to Powell's! I was supposed to do an event there for WATL but it got canceled bc of the pandemmy. It'll be a short trip this time, too, but I'm excited and will be so happy to meet you!
I want to sign up for the 3/8 event, but I'm buying my copy 3/7 at the Harvard event. Will I still be able to register for the 3/8 event with the receipt from Harvard Bookstore after the 3/7 event?
Love seeing you in bed with the cats - so relate! Congrats on the big day even if it is just a normal day. Trying to get one of my kids (both live in Somerville) to show up to the Harvard Book Store signing and get me an autographed copy. Ha - we'll see. That Rebecca Makkai book is next up on my list. Good luck with all the hoopla! And yes, Powell's is a must when you're in Portland.
Laura, I am so, so excited for you! Lovely to see you comfy in bed with a mug of coffee snuggling with your cats. My early morning happy place, too, sans cats. I will be at the Nora-Laura launch party and looking for you on IG Live and the pods. Can't wait till my pre-ordered book arrives!! Eager to leave what I know will be a glowing review:-) I love your book recommendations. I am finally reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and it is taking my breath away, the depth and richness of these characters, the unfolding of their lives and destinies. Like you, I had no idea a novel about gamers could speak to me so directly, with such resonance, but there are many dog-eared pages and passages I want to return to. If you have never read her, Elizabeth Strout is one of my favorites. I've read every one of her novels and it's always a transformative, beautiful, poignant and uplifting experience and as a writer of fiction, I study and admire so much of what she does, so seemingly effortlessly. Also recommend Richard Powers' The Overstory and Bewilderment. And a shoutout for the charming, sophisticated, wryly and affectionately told comedies of manners that my novelist cousin Elinor Lipman specializes in; she's written 16 novels, the latest, Ms. Demeanor. Happy reading and most of all, happy Pub Day just around the corner.
A book I just finished that I’d recommend is: Rough House by Tina Ontiveros. It’s from a small-ish publisher in Oregon.
“This is a memoir of family, addiction, joy, and adventure set in the rural spaces of the Pacific Northwest. Ontiveros follows her logger father as he migrates across his wooded territory, cobbling together shelters for his family, burning bridges, and forever starting over.”
My local library (Hood River, Oregon) has an annual event called: Hood River Reads.
A book by an author from the Pacific Northwest is selected for the event.
Hundreds of copies are given away to members in the community and over six weeks there are several free events offered in the community. Things like a Bookclub discussion and a writers workshop. Because of this books look at poverty there will also be a community event with local organizations that offer services and support to those in need.
This memoir had several parallels to my own life. The author is about my age, both our fathers were loggers in the PNW and both were associated with Jehovahs Witnesses.
Beyond that our lives and our experiences were very, very different.
I thought this was beautifully written and heart breaking at times.
I'm bummed. By the time finished work, I took the T, got to my car, and made my way home, I literally just don't have anything left today. I so wanted to hear you tonight. I hope your event goes wonderfully! I can't wait to get my copy tomorrow. 🙂
My most amazing recent book is 'Work. Pump. Repeat.' for new moms returning to work. Thriller. Page turner. 10/10 recommend. 🤣🤣 The next one on my table is 'Good Inside' by Becky.... something?! (I can't remember author names. I know that's awful.) But of course, Push Off From Here will slide to the top when it arrives!!!
Answering the question, "have you read anything amazing lately?"...Yesterday's book review post was totally collector-oriented (I sell a lot of books to collectors) but what I've read lately that I think readers would like is Iris Yang's Tigers Trilogy.
Here's what it's about: You're familiar with Amy Tan's and similar stories of the gorgeous decadent lives of rich families in Old China, right? The trilogy is about the lives of young people who didn't emigrate when things started changing. Yang researched the real stories of the older generation and, for US publication, found what happened to US-friendly families. Birch joins the military, becomes a "Flying Tiger" pilot, and pledges lifelong friendship with his American buddy Danny. Jasmine falls in love with Danny while nursing him back to health when his plane is shot down. The story goes on through the history of the Mao and Deng administrations, showing how very nice, likable people coped, learned from mistakes, grew up and grew old.
At the end of the second book I thought Jasmine was just too good to live and had been killed. At the end of the third book I think Yang's succeeded in portraying her as one of those older people who look just fine with scars.
Thank you for these excellent posts on what its really like. I've been through it with the last few books but pub day and week are ALWAYS weird and both exhilarating and kinda anti-climactic. Congratulations on an excellent launch!
That’s a big list lady! 🙃
I hope you’ve scheduled massage/Reiki/nap time in the mix too 🫶
And breathing, breathing is good 👍
I’ll see you in Portland, OR at Sans Bar 🥳
Have you been to Portland before?
You really MUST go to Powell’s Books if you’ve never been! 📚
Let me know if I can offer recommendations or be a local guide. I live in the Columbia River Gorge with lots of hiking, mountains and waterfalls if you’re trip will allow time for exploration 🥾 🏔️ 🌲
I’m excited for you and sending you lots of calm, joyful energy for these events 🥰
I will do lots of napping and massages!
I've been to portland once, for a short time to teach a workshop. Excited to go again. I haven't been to Powell's! I was supposed to do an event there for WATL but it got canceled bc of the pandemmy. It'll be a short trip this time, too, but I'm excited and will be so happy to meet you!
Those cats!!! My girlfriend and I have a 14-pound Siamese, a Tuxedo we call Lucifer, and a gray tabby. Plus a 14-year-old Border collie.
Oh my god. Please share a picture.
CONGRATS!!!
I want to sign up for the 3/8 event, but I'm buying my copy 3/7 at the Harvard event. Will I still be able to register for the 3/8 event with the receipt from Harvard Bookstore after the 3/7 event?
Yes!!
Yayy! Thank you. ❤️ Your first book and TLC have been so helpful to me these past 2 weeks. I'm very grateful to have found your work.
Love seeing you in bed with the cats - so relate! Congrats on the big day even if it is just a normal day. Trying to get one of my kids (both live in Somerville) to show up to the Harvard Book Store signing and get me an autographed copy. Ha - we'll see. That Rebecca Makkai book is next up on my list. Good luck with all the hoopla! And yes, Powell's is a must when you're in Portland.
Laura, I am so, so excited for you! Lovely to see you comfy in bed with a mug of coffee snuggling with your cats. My early morning happy place, too, sans cats. I will be at the Nora-Laura launch party and looking for you on IG Live and the pods. Can't wait till my pre-ordered book arrives!! Eager to leave what I know will be a glowing review:-) I love your book recommendations. I am finally reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and it is taking my breath away, the depth and richness of these characters, the unfolding of their lives and destinies. Like you, I had no idea a novel about gamers could speak to me so directly, with such resonance, but there are many dog-eared pages and passages I want to return to. If you have never read her, Elizabeth Strout is one of my favorites. I've read every one of her novels and it's always a transformative, beautiful, poignant and uplifting experience and as a writer of fiction, I study and admire so much of what she does, so seemingly effortlessly. Also recommend Richard Powers' The Overstory and Bewilderment. And a shoutout for the charming, sophisticated, wryly and affectionately told comedies of manners that my novelist cousin Elinor Lipman specializes in; she's written 16 novels, the latest, Ms. Demeanor. Happy reading and most of all, happy Pub Day just around the corner.
A book I just finished that I’d recommend is: Rough House by Tina Ontiveros. It’s from a small-ish publisher in Oregon.
“This is a memoir of family, addiction, joy, and adventure set in the rural spaces of the Pacific Northwest. Ontiveros follows her logger father as he migrates across his wooded territory, cobbling together shelters for his family, burning bridges, and forever starting over.”
My local library (Hood River, Oregon) has an annual event called: Hood River Reads.
A book by an author from the Pacific Northwest is selected for the event.
Hundreds of copies are given away to members in the community and over six weeks there are several free events offered in the community. Things like a Bookclub discussion and a writers workshop. Because of this books look at poverty there will also be a community event with local organizations that offer services and support to those in need.
This memoir had several parallels to my own life. The author is about my age, both our fathers were loggers in the PNW and both were associated with Jehovahs Witnesses.
Beyond that our lives and our experiences were very, very different.
I thought this was beautifully written and heart breaking at times.
I'm bummed. By the time finished work, I took the T, got to my car, and made my way home, I literally just don't have anything left today. I so wanted to hear you tonight. I hope your event goes wonderfully! I can't wait to get my copy tomorrow. 🙂
My most amazing recent book is 'Work. Pump. Repeat.' for new moms returning to work. Thriller. Page turner. 10/10 recommend. 🤣🤣 The next one on my table is 'Good Inside' by Becky.... something?! (I can't remember author names. I know that's awful.) But of course, Push Off From Here will slide to the top when it arrives!!!
I like the comment below--"breathing is good"!
Answering the question, "have you read anything amazing lately?"...Yesterday's book review post was totally collector-oriented (I sell a lot of books to collectors) but what I've read lately that I think readers would like is Iris Yang's Tigers Trilogy.
Here's what it's about: You're familiar with Amy Tan's and similar stories of the gorgeous decadent lives of rich families in Old China, right? The trilogy is about the lives of young people who didn't emigrate when things started changing. Yang researched the real stories of the older generation and, for US publication, found what happened to US-friendly families. Birch joins the military, becomes a "Flying Tiger" pilot, and pledges lifelong friendship with his American buddy Danny. Jasmine falls in love with Danny while nursing him back to health when his plane is shot down. The story goes on through the history of the Mao and Deng administrations, showing how very nice, likable people coped, learned from mistakes, grew up and grew old.
At the end of the second book I thought Jasmine was just too good to live and had been killed. At the end of the third book I think Yang's succeeded in portraying her as one of those older people who look just fine with scars.
The good thing about lists is that you can achieve things one at a time. I'm pretty sure that what got you here will get you through.
love alwaz
Thank you for these excellent posts on what its really like. I've been through it with the last few books but pub day and week are ALWAYS weird and both exhilarating and kinda anti-climactic. Congratulations on an excellent launch!