I would write a love letter to therapy and the vulnerability of being willing to knowing more about yourself. I wouldn't be where I am and who I am without therapy, and though it has been incredibly hard at times, the therapeutic process will always be something I'm so grateful and curious about. How this would work in a romance book? I'm not sure yet, but I've been flirting with the idea of having my MCs meet at the waiting area of their therapist's office, or having them being therapists in training themselves (which I was at some point lol). Thank you for another wonderful newsletter, which accompanied me in my (extremely early) train ride and made it 100 times better.
MAYELA YOU WON THE GIVEAWAY!! If you reply to the original newsletter, you should be able to email me and we can coordinate delivery that way. If that doesn't work, we'll figure out something else. But congratulations!!!
I would love this book!! Them meeting in the waiting room of a therapy office or being therapists-in-training themselves are both great ideas. My undergrad was actually in psychology and I have several friends who are therapists, so I feel like it's such a rich field. And thank you for reading this on an early morning train, that feels perfect :)
Great newsletter, as always! They make my Wednesday mornings clocking in 6am much more tolerable lol. I think I could write a love letter to road trips. Certainly this has been done before but I just love a road trip. Especially the start of a road trip. It just feels like something spectacular and life changing. I love making stops along the way. Like whenever my sister and I go on road trips together, we are gonna find a used bookstore on the way and peruse for so long that it’ll absolutely put us behind. Finding gas stations or new restaurants to try along the way (we went to Wawa twice on our last trip, the food there is amazing). And the drive home after a trip always feels a little melancholy and nostalgic for something that just happened. But also you get to spend that time reflecting on the trip you went on and planning the next one.
Honestly, however many road trip books exist you could double it and I'd still want more. You're so right about the excitement and possibility of the start; the fun weird detours you take; and then that melancholy feeling when you're heading home. I'd especially read a road trip book about sisters, because I have several fond memories of my own of road trips with my sister!
I could -- and will -- write a love letter to Thomas Edison's Florida. That is not a love letter to Thomas Edison, because, man, people HATE HIM, but his buying property in the 1880s in Fort Myers, along with his trips to Sanibel, were an immediate promotional point for that part of the world, particularly in attracting big deal real estate investors. There's the story we all know (do we?), that Edison came to Florida to look for filament for the light bulb. But I think he came looking for something else botanical, maybe a secret to stopping the aging process (fountain of youth) or even a recipe for a swamp-based "la cantarella," the fabled weapon of the Borgias. There's a good deal that's left unsaid about his time there. Fun fact: After Hurricane Charley, the curators at the Edison Home decided not to replace his extensive collection of poisonous plants.
I hope you do write about this!! I love learning more about "old" Florida or "weird" Florida or just any of the nooks and crannies that make this state so interesting. And I didn't know that about the collection of poisonous plants!
thank you for the name drop. i'm trying to be on a first-name-only basis in as many newsletters as possible. i want to be a substack cryptid. i need to come visit you for one of those dr pepper tall boys.
"substack cryptid" is a great description. and I may not be a very good host in a lot of ways (no mints on your pillow, etc.) but I can promise I'd have a Dr. Pepper Tall Boy waiting for you on ice.
Thanks for giving me the push to quit Duolingo, which had become a lot less fun and more of a chore as of late; when I saw the news about them leaning into AI this week, I knew I made the right decision.
As always, I admire your skill with blurbs. You do such a wonderful job of including specific details that communicate how much you loved the book! Other authors must really appreciate this.
Thank you; that compliment means a lot! And I realize only now that I'm free that perhaps my Duolingo addiction wasn't ALL fun and games and was low-key bad for me. Onward and upward, I suppose.
and i would simply write a love letter to Javy Baéz's career renaissance for the detroit tigers, owners of the BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL (as of 5/15/25, 11:55 AM EDT)
i had so much fun reading along with your trip to new york! we hope to see you back sometime soon xx
ahhhh how cool that it's your stop! And I saw a Javy Baez meme today that was so good, which was basically like "check the box that explains why you were hating" and it was like, Mercury was in retrograde, I forgot how good he was, etc. It was hilarious. I hope to be back in NYC soon!
I would write a love letter to third places. There aren't enough places where people just gather for social interaction like how high school can be for teenagers for example. In adulthood, I've found solace in volunteering with people who share my same values and have made lifelong friends with people I wouldn't have otherwise.
ahhh third places are so important! I think there's a reason we love places like "Central Perk" in Friends, that kind of thing, because that's the dream, isn't it? Just to have somewhere to go that feels like a home away from home?
This sounds like such a fun trip! And please know I BURST OUT LAUGHING at the thought of you walking into a coffee shop to “Semi-Charmed Life.” I can’t imagine a better entrance than that!
I’m not participating in the giveaway because we’re friends and it’d feel unethical to me if I won, but I’ve written love letters to Vanderpump Rules and the city of Chicago, two of my greatest loves.
it's like they saw me coming!!!!!! And I love your books and the way they're love letters to things that I know you're passionate about! It's especially cool with friends where you already know what they're into to see how it comes out in their work.
Reppin' the Tombolo shirt in NY!! I love that you went there on a whim. Public transit is so scary / awesome, I wish it was more of an option in St. Pete. As a civil engineer I could almost write a love letter to public transit..
But I will write a love letter to *doing things alone!*. I think everyone should take time to hang out with themselves. Be it a museum, a walk in nature, going to a movie. Journaling and reading at a cute coffee shop. Exploring a national park or a mini day-trip. It's so nice to go at your own pace. Set the mood and pick the music. Doing things alone should be celebrated and not seen as being lonely!
I always have to rep Tombolo! I wish Florida in general had better public transport but alas. But YES to doing things alone! I personally love to do things alone! Like this newsletter was a lot about seeing friends, etc. and I loved that part but even sitting on various planes/trains/buses and listening to music; walking down the streets; etc. were also really fun and rejuvenating to me.
I would write a love letter to finding that sacred space in the world that makes you feel like no other space can. For me, that’s a quiet beach. Before I moved to northwest Georgia, where I’m sadly 4.5 hours from the nearest ocean, I lived in South Florida just 25 city minutes from the shore. Sitting in my beach chair with my toes burning in the seaweed-strewn sand, I closed my eyes and listened to the waves undulate. I never ran into anyone I knew. I always went super early to avoid the crowds. It was glorious. I miss it so much.
You wrote about this so beautifully, I truly felt like I was there! You should absolutely write at least a poem or a small essay or something about this exact feeling, because you nail it so well.
I cannot write lol but if I could I would write a love letter to female friendships. I feel like I don’t need to write a love letter to fandom because Rosie Danan did that with Fan Service and what else is there to say on that!
I love Fan Service but also there's always more to say on a topic I feel! I'm not mad at there being a million books on a topic I'm interested in lol. Female friendships are so important and special, I think that's a lovely theme to focus on!
I love the idea that someone can use two movies to identify who they are hanging out with (and how *perfect* those movies are for you!) If I stuck with Christopher Guest's oeuvre, mine would either be Waiting for Guffman or Best in Show. I'd pair it with The Devil Wears Prada or 10 Things I Hate About You.
Deeply relate to the dirty glasses... my husband is always stealing mine while I'm in the shower to clean them because he knows I never will do it myself oops!
I would write a love letter to therapy and the vulnerability of being willing to knowing more about yourself. I wouldn't be where I am and who I am without therapy, and though it has been incredibly hard at times, the therapeutic process will always be something I'm so grateful and curious about. How this would work in a romance book? I'm not sure yet, but I've been flirting with the idea of having my MCs meet at the waiting area of their therapist's office, or having them being therapists in training themselves (which I was at some point lol). Thank you for another wonderful newsletter, which accompanied me in my (extremely early) train ride and made it 100 times better.
MAYELA YOU WON THE GIVEAWAY!! If you reply to the original newsletter, you should be able to email me and we can coordinate delivery that way. If that doesn't work, we'll figure out something else. But congratulations!!!
Hi hi! Thanks so much!!! I replied to the original newsletter but not sure it went through :(
I would love this book!! Them meeting in the waiting room of a therapy office or being therapists-in-training themselves are both great ideas. My undergrad was actually in psychology and I have several friends who are therapists, so I feel like it's such a rich field. And thank you for reading this on an early morning train, that feels perfect :)
Great newsletter, as always! They make my Wednesday mornings clocking in 6am much more tolerable lol. I think I could write a love letter to road trips. Certainly this has been done before but I just love a road trip. Especially the start of a road trip. It just feels like something spectacular and life changing. I love making stops along the way. Like whenever my sister and I go on road trips together, we are gonna find a used bookstore on the way and peruse for so long that it’ll absolutely put us behind. Finding gas stations or new restaurants to try along the way (we went to Wawa twice on our last trip, the food there is amazing). And the drive home after a trip always feels a little melancholy and nostalgic for something that just happened. But also you get to spend that time reflecting on the trip you went on and planning the next one.
Honestly, however many road trip books exist you could double it and I'd still want more. You're so right about the excitement and possibility of the start; the fun weird detours you take; and then that melancholy feeling when you're heading home. I'd especially read a road trip book about sisters, because I have several fond memories of my own of road trips with my sister!
I could -- and will -- write a love letter to Thomas Edison's Florida. That is not a love letter to Thomas Edison, because, man, people HATE HIM, but his buying property in the 1880s in Fort Myers, along with his trips to Sanibel, were an immediate promotional point for that part of the world, particularly in attracting big deal real estate investors. There's the story we all know (do we?), that Edison came to Florida to look for filament for the light bulb. But I think he came looking for something else botanical, maybe a secret to stopping the aging process (fountain of youth) or even a recipe for a swamp-based "la cantarella," the fabled weapon of the Borgias. There's a good deal that's left unsaid about his time there. Fun fact: After Hurricane Charley, the curators at the Edison Home decided not to replace his extensive collection of poisonous plants.
I hope you do write about this!! I love learning more about "old" Florida or "weird" Florida or just any of the nooks and crannies that make this state so interesting. And I didn't know that about the collection of poisonous plants!
I think I’d write a love letter to the girls with ADHD. Because sometimes it’s terrible and chaotic, but other times it’s means you can do anything.
I love that framing around it because it's so true!
thank you for the name drop. i'm trying to be on a first-name-only basis in as many newsletters as possible. i want to be a substack cryptid. i need to come visit you for one of those dr pepper tall boys.
"substack cryptid" is a great description. and I may not be a very good host in a lot of ways (no mints on your pillow, etc.) but I can promise I'd have a Dr. Pepper Tall Boy waiting for you on ice.
Thanks for giving me the push to quit Duolingo, which had become a lot less fun and more of a chore as of late; when I saw the news about them leaning into AI this week, I knew I made the right decision.
As always, I admire your skill with blurbs. You do such a wonderful job of including specific details that communicate how much you loved the book! Other authors must really appreciate this.
Thank you; that compliment means a lot! And I realize only now that I'm free that perhaps my Duolingo addiction wasn't ALL fun and games and was low-key bad for me. Onward and upward, I suppose.
ALICIA THAT IS MY LIRR STOP!
and i would simply write a love letter to Javy Baéz's career renaissance for the detroit tigers, owners of the BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL (as of 5/15/25, 11:55 AM EDT)
i had so much fun reading along with your trip to new york! we hope to see you back sometime soon xx
ahhhh how cool that it's your stop! And I saw a Javy Baez meme today that was so good, which was basically like "check the box that explains why you were hating" and it was like, Mercury was in retrograde, I forgot how good he was, etc. It was hilarious. I hope to be back in NYC soon!
I would write a love letter to third places. There aren't enough places where people just gather for social interaction like how high school can be for teenagers for example. In adulthood, I've found solace in volunteering with people who share my same values and have made lifelong friends with people I wouldn't have otherwise.
ahhh third places are so important! I think there's a reason we love places like "Central Perk" in Friends, that kind of thing, because that's the dream, isn't it? Just to have somewhere to go that feels like a home away from home?
This sounds like such a fun trip! And please know I BURST OUT LAUGHING at the thought of you walking into a coffee shop to “Semi-Charmed Life.” I can’t imagine a better entrance than that!
I’m not participating in the giveaway because we’re friends and it’d feel unethical to me if I won, but I’ve written love letters to Vanderpump Rules and the city of Chicago, two of my greatest loves.
it's like they saw me coming!!!!!! And I love your books and the way they're love letters to things that I know you're passionate about! It's especially cool with friends where you already know what they're into to see how it comes out in their work.
Yes! I love seeing that in friends’ books, too.
Reppin' the Tombolo shirt in NY!! I love that you went there on a whim. Public transit is so scary / awesome, I wish it was more of an option in St. Pete. As a civil engineer I could almost write a love letter to public transit..
But I will write a love letter to *doing things alone!*. I think everyone should take time to hang out with themselves. Be it a museum, a walk in nature, going to a movie. Journaling and reading at a cute coffee shop. Exploring a national park or a mini day-trip. It's so nice to go at your own pace. Set the mood and pick the music. Doing things alone should be celebrated and not seen as being lonely!
I always have to rep Tombolo! I wish Florida in general had better public transport but alas. But YES to doing things alone! I personally love to do things alone! Like this newsletter was a lot about seeing friends, etc. and I loved that part but even sitting on various planes/trains/buses and listening to music; walking down the streets; etc. were also really fun and rejuvenating to me.
I would write a love letter to finding that sacred space in the world that makes you feel like no other space can. For me, that’s a quiet beach. Before I moved to northwest Georgia, where I’m sadly 4.5 hours from the nearest ocean, I lived in South Florida just 25 city minutes from the shore. Sitting in my beach chair with my toes burning in the seaweed-strewn sand, I closed my eyes and listened to the waves undulate. I never ran into anyone I knew. I always went super early to avoid the crowds. It was glorious. I miss it so much.
You wrote about this so beautifully, I truly felt like I was there! You should absolutely write at least a poem or a small essay or something about this exact feeling, because you nail it so well.
I did write a love letter to boarding school and to my hometown in Italy, Trieste.
I love that!!! I've never gone to boarding school or been to Italy for that matter but both fascinate me!
I cannot write lol but if I could I would write a love letter to female friendships. I feel like I don’t need to write a love letter to fandom because Rosie Danan did that with Fan Service and what else is there to say on that!
I love Fan Service but also there's always more to say on a topic I feel! I'm not mad at there being a million books on a topic I'm interested in lol. Female friendships are so important and special, I think that's a lovely theme to focus on!
Great post, essential duolingo update. I haven't logged in for months, afraid of losing obsidian league, and now I will never lose it.
Here's to being frozen in our past accomplishments, while AI moves on without us!
I love the idea that someone can use two movies to identify who they are hanging out with (and how *perfect* those movies are for you!) If I stuck with Christopher Guest's oeuvre, mine would either be Waiting for Guffman or Best in Show. I'd pair it with The Devil Wears Prada or 10 Things I Hate About You.
Your trip sounds like it was a blast :)
I love those pairings. 10 Things x Best in Show in particular would have me swiping right immediately. (Swiping right is the good one, right? lol)
I think so??? (I've been with my husband so long that I never had to find out ;) )
Deeply relate to the dirty glasses... my husband is always stealing mine while I'm in the shower to clean them because he knows I never will do it myself oops!
haha what they put up with from us!