Sara,
When I got home from Palm Springs this past week, I did a massive decluttering of my apartment. I promised Sofia I’d try to get rid of half of my clothes and at least some of my books after I bought a ton of new clothes at a market in Palm Springs. For every new book or piece of clothing I bring into the house, I have to give one away.
When I got home, I went to work on removing some things: dozens of books and four giant bags of clothes to donate. I went through the kitchen and removed doubles and triples of items (potato peelers! they multiply!), took stock of what is chipped (every single one of my small plates), and wiped down the insides of the cupboards. The house felt lighter when I was done.
The next morning, I could barely walk down the stairs to get Georgia out of her crate. Nine straight hours of puttering, bending, organizing, dusting, vacuuming, stacking, and lifting had taken a toll on me. I spent the next day laying on the couch reading. I may have been sore, but every time I opened the closet or looked at my bookshelves I felt renewed and less stiff! There is just something so satisfying about a purge. Right? While I was dusting and reorganizing my bookshelves, I pulled five books I really enjoyed for a TRQ Reads Too, which I had not done in a while. Not sure if you have read any of these, but if not, happy to lend them to you.
Tegan
by Allie Brosh
I read this book a few years ago and absolutely loved it. I’m sure I posted about it online somewhere. It’s hysterical and sweet and wonderful and I can’t recommend it enough. The sequel, Solutions and Other Problems, was published during the first year of Covid, and I read it immediately. Both books are fantastic, but start with Hyperbole and a Half, a graphic novel, which I know isn’t for everyone, but it’s also not like a graphic novel, so maybe it can be for everyone. I can’t tell if I’m doing a good job or a bad job of selling this to you all. What’s most important is that this book is about a very complicated and funny person, who is also sad, and People said “Imagine if David Sedaris could draw…enchanting…” and Marc Maron said it’s “one of the best things [he’s] read in [his] life.” Like? What else do you really need to know?
