Happy Friday! I wrote this post just last night. I knew I wanted to share a post on Friday & I 110% admit that I didn’t have any posts prepared. I debated on forcing myself to catch up on mini reviews, but instead just found myself wanting to talk about life lately & what I’ve been reading this week.

 I have been reading a lot more than I have been blogging or writing reviews. You might know from wrap-ups and other posts that I am an English teacher in my first full-year/full-time position and I am LOVING teaching. However, blogging has been taking a back seat to work, life things, and honestly self-care type things like reading, exercising, catching up with friends, and resting. If I have a free afternoon, you’ll most likely find me curling up with a good book or going for a walk over writing blog posts. I’ve been blogging since February 2017 – aka through nearly four years of undergrad, my master’s program, part-time jobs & internships, a pandemic, and other life happenings – and aside from maybe a handful of weeks, pretty much consistently sticking to 3 blog posts a week (throwback to my I 2018 self where I shared 4 blog posts a week during the summer). 

You probably know that I am a huge Bad on Paper Podcast fan & I also really enjoy reading co-host Grace Atwood’s blog, The Stripe. Sidenote that I love going for walks just to listen to BOP’s latest episode! Grace recently wrote a blog post about having a lack of stamina in many aspects of her life and found myself relating to her thoughts on productivity when it comes to book blogging. 

Don’t get wrong, I LOVE blogging and by no means am I really taking a break. What I’ve been doing is trying not to mentally beat myself up for not posting 3 times a week (honestly the past 2 weeks I have had so much work & life stuff going on that I forgot I didn’t post one day until two days later). I’m also a believer in positing quality content over quantity. Ultimately, what all this means is that there will be some weeks where I am my usual Fangirl Fury self, and other weeks when you hear from me one or two times. I think not pressuring myself to write will also allow me to write when I genuinely want to write & share vs. feeling obligated to. 

And today, I felt like sharing what I’ve been reading, watching TV wise, and listening to lately!

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I’m currently reading (AND LOVING!) Julie Murphy’s If The Shoe Fits. Maybe because I recently read Allison Cochrun’s The Charm Offensive, but I feel like we’ve been getting more & more Bachelor/reality TV inspired contemporary (romances) over the past year or so and this book is SO working for me. If The Shoe Fits is a Cinderella modern day retelling, following recent fashion school grad Cindy who agrees to be on her step-mother’s reality dating show & stars as the show’s first plus size contestant. The nods to The Bachelor are pretty clear, but loving it so far. I’ve been reading all really good/great books in September, but If The Shoe Fits is reminding me why I love to read so much – I’m so into the story and don’t really think about anything else other than the book while doing so- & making me want to read more! I should have it finished over the next day or so. I’m so excited for the second book in the Meant to Be series, which will be written by Jasmine Guillory! 

After taking a not really intentional mini break from non-fiction (let’s be honest, it’s going to be hard to top my previous & favorite 2021 non-fiction read, Between Two Kingdoms), I am also currently reading Christie Tate’s Group, following the author’s experience in group therapy. I don’t think it will necessarily top one of my favorite non-fiction reads of 2020, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, but Group is often recommended to fans of that book. In addition, I was recently sent a review copy of amanda lovelace’s upcoming poetry collection, flower crowns & fearsome things, and I really want to read it one sitting this weekend. 

I’ve also been a little distracted by TV, since the latest season of one of my favorite Netflix shows, Sex Education, just dropped last Friday. I’m only three episodes in at the time I’m writing this post, but I definitely want to watch a few more episodes this weekend, even though I’m somewhat savoring it because I know future episodes likely won’t come out for another if renewed for a fourth season. On a slightly different entertainment note, I have been alternating between Kacey Musgrave’s new album, star-crossed, and Ben Platt’s Reverie, when working and writing. 

What have you been currently reading lately? Any of the books I mentioned? TV or music recommendations? How do you balance writing/blogging with other life things? Share in the comments?