Thursday Things #114
Two new favorite items, two 5-star books (fiction + nonfiction), two good reads, and two last things.
Every other Thursday, I share a handful of good things I'm loving, reading, watching, listening to or just discovered. AKA the random good stuff we’d talk about over coffee or text if we had one another’s phone number. I'm glad you're here!
Hiiiiii. Somehow it’s May and time is weird and this email of Things is lengthy, so we’re just jumping right in this time!
I hope you’re having a great week. 😊 As always, the comments are open if you have a recommendation of one of your own favorite things.
One more (yes, one more) candle-related item.
Okay okay… hear me out? 😂 I fully stand behind All Things Candles in Thursday Things #113, but I’d like to complete the Candle Collection with the item that is legitimately changing my candle game (it was too big for the gift swap criteria, but it’s on theme and I LOVE IT).
And then I promise to not write the word candle for at least one month, maybe even two.
When I tell you that I bought this candle warmer 5 weeks ago, have used it for hours every single day except when briefly out of town, and the candle has only moved one literal inch? I am not exaggerating.
I heard people claim a candle warmer would extend the ‘life’ of a candle, but wow I did not expect this. There are hundreds of designs available from various retailers, so take your pick… they probably all work the same… but this is the one I chose for my style preference + the option to adjust the brightness and height.
P.s. As of when I’m writing this, there’s a 22% off coupon you can clip on the product page.
P.p.s. I’ve mentioned this a few times over the years, but 1) candle wax has a “memory” and 2) the extra magic of a candle warmer is that it’ll even out the candles that aren’t burning evenly/didn’t make it to the edge on the first burn.
This will be my summer treat.
I purchased these on a whim thanks to an April “buy one, get one” sale at the grocery store… and then I went back the actual next day to get another box… and then I told my brother because I knew he’d like them too… and then I mentioned them on a call with my mom…
What I’m saying is BIG FAN OVER HERE.
There are other flavor options available, but these three are so good and the mini size is perfect.
(PSA: If you live near a Publix, check your weekly ad. These are BOGO again this week and yes, I’m absolutely stocking up.)
Two 5-star book recommendations.
I read both of these recently and have mentioned them to several in-person people in the last two weeks, so they definitely belong in Thursday Things. A fiction and non-fiction book for you!
First, The Frozen River…
One of my friends really enjoyed this one, so I picked it up from the library and turned to page one without realizing what I was in for—she said I’d probably like it and that was enough for me. This is how it went:
I finished page 448 on Saturday night, and while I wouldn’t call it a page-turner in the thriller sense, even though I was able to put it down I found myself thinking about the story/characters + making time to get back into the pages. Here’s part of the book description, so you can get a feel for if this might be one you’d enjoy reading:
“A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history… Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.”
The one thing I’ll add is a content warning: there is an attempted rape and there is someone who reflects (with details) on being raped. One of those is in the book description and one is a bit of a spoiler (since I didn’t read the description, both were a surprise to me), but if that’s part of your story or is triggering for you, it’s worth mentioning/spoiling IMO so you can skip this book if needed.
I read an early digital copy of the much-anticipated memoir from my real-life friend (and boss, for several years!) and ohmygoshyouguys. It took LJ 5 years to write and as a reader, I’ll say it was worth the wait.
My review:
Brutally honest and beautifully written, this exquisite memoir will stay with you long after the final page is turned. After all, “It Wasn’t Roaring, It Was Weeping” is an invitation to ask is anything, really, truly the final page? Between her tender admissions and confessions, her captivating descriptions that transport from one place to another, and the weaving together of both hope and heartbreak, Baker offers a book that seems to say: Perhaps even the ghosts that haunt can be redeemed.
Here’s the book description, if you’re interested. It releases next Tuesday and though I have the ebook, my one dilemma is whether I’m going to buy the audiobook to hear it in LJ’s voice, or the hardcover so I can underline/highlight. 5 stars.
Two Instagram posts.
I have half a dozen saved Instagram posts to share with you, but this email is already lengthy so we’ll just space them out over May! Here are two black and white images with captions I think you’ll appreciate:
From Lisa Appelo:
From Holley Gerth:
Rounding out the two items/two books/two posts with two last things…
In February, I hosted a giveaway for 100 Days of Strength in Any Struggle. There were hundreds of comments across the various places to enter (totally blew me away), and based on your enthusiasm + comments of how you need this book, I knew that if I could, I’d give a few more away. Good news. 😊 I have a few more copies to send out, so stay tuned for a giveaway here in email + on Instagram + on Facebook next week!
Last week, at the end of God Will Meet Us in the Muchness, I included a little note about how reels/videos are so far outside my comfort zone + why I’m posting one about the mystery puzzle anyway. Umm, you guys? I recorded it in advance—and thank God I did because I was so so so sick last week—posted it in the haze of what we’ll just call an unfortunate and gross time, and then checked out of my own social media for a few days, only opening apps to keep an eye on client accounts before logging off and laying back down. When I tell you I was legitimately shocked a few days later when I opened Instagram and saw it became my most-shared/most-watched reel + the views were still going up every hour because you just kept sharing it, what I mean is that my jaw literally dropped. Many of you, just being your generous selves, hit those first shares that created a momentum I definitely didn’t see coming—twenty thousand people I’ll likely never meet hearing 57 seconds of a reminder that they are seen and held in the much-ness of their lives. The only words I have are a simple thank you. You have no idea how much your support means to me—I wish I had better words than these two—but I don’t want to ever miss a chance to say them.
I’m genuinely so grateful for your kindness toward me over the years. Showing up online, in any capacity on any app/site, over the last year and a half has been extra-difficult due to offline circumstances, but you never fail to greet emails and posts with kindness. Thank you. Thank you. You are the best online community of friends.
I just bought a box of those paletas. They are sooooooo yummy!
Do you have a favorite brand of candles?