The Journey

In romance reading spaces we talk a lot about the journey. If I present to you main characters that hate each other, it's not a shock to discover they learn to like each other and fall in love. If the main characters decide to fake date, it will likely not surprise you that much to learn that they develop real feelings. 

I am a huge spoiler-phobe, but some things are not really spoilers. 

I was listening to the Proxy podcast, and they talked about the use of proxies in restorative justice. (Quick note: the episode itself contains discussions of sexual assault.) Restorative justice is a process through which those who have harmed, and those who have been harmed work through how they can come to a place of healing. 

I think our society sometimes tries to leapfrog to the end. Like, yes, you were harmed, but I'm sure they are sorry, you should forgive them so you can move on. And yes, moving on is a good idea. Eventually. And sometimes the person who harmed you is not ready, or dies, or is otherwise unavailable to provide anything like closure. 

But skipping to forgiveness, or declaring something closed doesn't do it. There's still a process. I have to tell you, I often hate having to stew in my feelings. Or let time do some of the work. (Time? What? Ridiculous.) But the journey. 

Because a story about people meeting and then skipping ahead to them being happily in love is not a satisfying read. I could just read wedding announcements if I wanted that. (Not that there's anything wrong with reading wedding announcements.)

And I think that's also why I like the third act breakup. It isn't the only way to structure a romance. But in relationships, people harm each other, often unintentionally. One way to signal that these people can survive these bumps, is by showing them hitting a bump, and then showing them figuring out how to repair it. 

Getting to see the specific ways characters address this is interesting to me. And I wouldn't want to skip past that. 

Three Interesting Things

1. This Marshall Project piece about drug testing of folks giving birth, and how it often creates false positives because folks don't necessarily know not to eat poppy seeds the day before they give birth, was interesting.  Also it mentioned that famotidine, which is something I've recently started taking can cause false positives, which I hadn't heard about.  Guess it's fortunate I haven't had to be drug tested lately. 

2. Jaggerspun is closing at the end of the year. 

3. And an odd set up circumstances led to a player making history being the first baseball player to play in the same game for both teams.

Mi Tierra

Before we start talking about this book, it's worth noting I am incredibly biased. Doesn't make me wrong. But still. 

I first met Adria Quinones on Twitter, we talked writing and plotting. We met in person when she came down to DC for a book event.

At some point she invited me to join the create night she held. It has originally been held in person, but schedules and various other things had moved it virtual. This was very helpful when the pandemic hit, because it was one thing that felt normal. 

So when she announced she had written an early reader in verse, it seemed right. The story, also beautifully illustrated by Mrinali Alvarez, is a love letter to cities, to neighborhoods where you see your neighbors, and to the idea that we all have different things that feel like home to us. 

I confess, I don't read a lot of early readers these days, but this one I loved, and not just because it was written by my friend. 

I was able to travel up for her launch party in New York this past weekend, and celebrate with her. 

Bookshop link for the book here.

Three Interesting Things

1. It's been a while since I've been to the Maryland Renaissance Faire, but this peek into life there, was nice. 

2. This sculpture put up by the Choctaw nation is lovely, and the story behind it is too.

3. I have been watching the US Open, so this peek into doubles teams was fascinating. 

How to Frame Things

I had to get a new phone.  Before I had the new phone, I tried to log into my phone account and figure out what my options were.  My phone carrier wanted me to verify myself by typing in the number they just texted me.  Except, the whole reason I needed a new phone was because I did not have the old phone. 

I called, from a different number obviously.  And I was told that I would need to go to a store.  Now, I get why having the phone was one part of the verification, I was just a little surprised that they didn't have another option.  Even on the website, if you clicked the option to report a lost or stolen phone, it asked you to type in the number they texted to your device. 

My phone carrier has my email and my address, but none of those were options.  When I went to the store, they verified my ID.  So, yes, it makes sense to me that that would require an in person interaction.  Certainly I do not want them to shut off my phone just because any old person calls in and reports the number.  But being told, nope, you'll need to go to a store, sounded odd, and almost like they had no plan B.

Anyway, that's how I spent part of my long weekend.  Fortunately I had been meaning to upgrade my phone soon.