Friday | So Much Inspiration!

Wow – it’s been such an inspirational and joyous week! I stayed up for Kamala’s speech last night and it was totally worth today’s bleary eyes. It’s definitely got me fired up and ready to go!

Today’s post is a continuation of Wednesday’s – I’m thinking more about an intentional study and writing plan and sharing my reading for the week. I hope you’ll click through and see what I’ve been working on.

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It must be the crisp air but, after Wednesday’s posts, it seems like many of us are trying to find ways to intentionally focus on learning. I put together this collage to help motivate me and made it my computer’s desktop (inspiration from Ruby Granger). All of the pictures came from Cups and Thoughts except for the library in the lower center. That was my favorite study place, The Architectural and Planning Library, at my alma mater. UT-Austin has something like 20 libraries and this was one of the smallest but the most atmospheric. It’s located in Battle Hall and up a curvy flight of stone steps. It’s study-vibes perfection and has all the feels I’m going for lately.

In preparation for this project, I’ve dusted off my Substack and am working on updating all of the settings to reflect what I’d like to do in that space. Feel free to subscribe so that you get all of my updates. It’s set up to accept payment but there won’t be anything under a paywall for a very long time (if ever?) so just ignore that and sign up as a free subscriber.

[I’m sharing all of this because I’ve started this project many times in secret but have never gotten very far. I’m hoping that by sharing it with all of you, I’ll be motivated to continue!]

This weekend I have two goals in regards to setting up this independent study time:

1. Clean off my desk.
2. Sort the gazillion cords that have taken up residence on my desk.

Should be manageable? I don’t know – I’m already nervous about seeing that through!

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I’ve been enjoying updating my StoryGraph this week. I love this calendar graphic that shows what I’ve been reading and when! I have finished four books since last Friday’s post:

All were from this year’s Booker Prize longlist! My standout favorite among these is Held, which I wrote about on Wednesday. I am still thinking about it and am not looking forward to returning it to the library tomorrow. I feel like there’s so much to sort through and uncover. This book felt like a puzzle and I’m still trying to put together all the pieces. I love it when a book does this to me!

Currently reading:

A Day of Fallen Night: I set a goal to read about 50 pages a day and am now just over 500 pages through it. About halfway there! The book is getting more compelling each day and at some point I’ll forget about my 50 pgs/day goal and this will be my sole reading focus. I am anxious to see how all of these storylines come together!

This Strange and Eventful History: I’m listening on audio and am only about 25% through. I am taken by the setting, French Algeria, in the wake of WWII. I don’t think this is a perspective I’ve read much about.

The Summer Book: I’m literally on page 2 but have been wanting to read this for the last few summers. I realized I needed to get on it if I wanted to read it this summer! This book is a collection of short vignettes about a grandmother and her granddaughter living on a tiny island in Finland. I’m excited to get further into it!

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Today’s plans include: getting a workout done, cooking a big pot of soup to get me through the weekend/early next week (I cook about two soups a week so that I always have something easy in the fridge while the kids eat their more kid-friendly food), folding and putting away laundry, cleaning like crazy, keeping these three kiddos busy and alive, and hopefully – reading! The weekend will be similar: working at the library, cleaning, cooking, tidying up my desk. Reading?!

Whatever your own weekend brings, I hope its full of exactly what you need. Take good care.