But I keep hearing on the Internet that September is the new January (bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils, anyone?), so here we go. I’d like to get back to sharing a little bit more of my life that’s not just artfully curated photos of books and kids. And I spent the long weekend at Decatur Book Festival and wound up hella motivated for all manner of things, so here we go!

Deactur Book Festival

DBF has always been my very favorite book festival in the world, and this year was no different! I got to be on an awesome YA rom com panel is Sona Charaipotra (Symptoms of a Heartbreak) and Nina Moreno (Don’t Date Rosa Santos), moderated by Mayra Cuevas (the forthcoming Salty Bitter Sweet), and I got to moderate a contemporary YA panel with Julie Buxbaum (Hope and Other Punchlines), Susan Kaplan Carlton (In the Neighborhood of True) and Julian Winters (How to Be Remy Cameron). Look, I love doing panels. I’m not shy, and I books and writing, and I love talking into a microphone. Sona, Nina, and I got to have a little fun with the Gilmore Girls boys there at the end, which is all I really ever want in this world. Thanks to everyone who bought a copy of Better Than the Best Plan!

I also got to see some incredible authors speak, including Jasmine Guillory, Tessa Dare, and Sarah MacLean. I know. I cheated on the YA stage A LOT with some adult and romance panels. I also picked up a copy of THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUS GIRLS by Anissa Gray, who I got to see speak as well. Oh, and I got to see some of the authors from the BLACK ENOUGH anthology, edited by Ibi Zoboi, and knew immediately that I had to get a copy. I’m looking forward to diving into that one.

New Books!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve spent the last year writing and revision a draft of a book that has, until now, been known as #pizzaromcom. Well, that book finally got a title, and I got to announce it, and people went bonkers over it, which was super fun. IT’S KIND OF A CHEESY LOVE STORY is definitely my favorite of all my titles!  I also finished the revision on it at the end of August, and let me tell you, working on this book has been a straight up JOY. Writing has always been VERY hard for me, and by that I mean, the actual sitting down and DOING. IT. I’m a champion procrastinator. But with CHEESY LOVE STORY? Coming back to the computer every day was fun! I couldn’t wait to work on it, to remember where I’d left Beck and the gang, and what fun pizza puns I’d worked into the manuscript. It’ll probably still have one more round to go before it’s done, but I’m so happy about where this book is and where it’s going. April 2021!

September Goals

Ok, so back to DBF. Michelle Knudsen (Evil Librarian) did a panel with Corrie Wang (City of Beasts), moderated by the great and good Jackson Pearce, where she said that while she doesn’t write every day, she tries to touch her manuscript every day. That can be reading over something, jotting down a sentence, revising, or actually sitting down to write. And so that’s my September goal. Last month, under deadline on #pizzaromcom, I worked basically every day on that book. And I found it so much easier to come back to the chair every day when I still felt pulled in from the previous day’s work. Turns out my “binge it all at the very end” strategy was … well … not great. So inspired by that glorious revision experience, I’m aiming to touch my adult romance manuscript (#hotchef) once per day. And hopefully by the end of September, I’ll have a draft ready to send to my agent!

Reading

Hello Girls by Emily Henry and Brittany Cavallero — this is a YA Thelma & Louise that is so fun and feisty, while also being so full of thrillery tension that I couldn’t put it down. Several times during DBF I snuck off to find a quiet bench to read. I immediately passed it off to a friend, because this is one that I’m going to make everyone I know read (or at least the badass women in my life)

Don’t forget that my latest book, BETTER THAN THE BEST PLAN, is out NOW and still oddly inexpensive for the hardcover on Amazon. So get a copy, and if you read it, leave a review!

Thanks to a well-timed Fierce Reads tweet, I saw that Goodreads has a giveaway where FIFTEEN arcs of Better Than the Best Plan are up for grabs. So you should definitely go enter asap! The giveaway ends May 3. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

And if you’ve read an early copy, could you do me a favor and review it? This is a quiet little book, but it’s the little book that could. I’m determined. And thank you to everyone who’s already tweeted or posted about it! I appreciate each and every one of you!

Finally finally FINALLY finished the first draft of #pizzaromcom and sent it off to my editor. I feel … some kind of way about it. I think it’s good? Ask me later.

Read some incredible books this month. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. And a whole slew of Tessa Bailey books, starting with her forthcoming release Fix Her Up.

Started plotting an adult romance trilogy loosely based on the Jonas Brothers reunion. Each brother gets a book. I’m wicked excited.

Completed the Pure Barre 20 in 31 challenge and saw serious changes in my body. Namely, my biceps are defined and I can do pushups without putting my knees on the ground. I feel crazy strong. Also, I now own two pairs of Lululemon leggings.

My April goals include … more Pure Barre, plotting the JoBro trilogy, and reading more awesome books.

Pre-orders are great for authors, because they show retailers and publishers that there’s increased interest. It can mean better placement in stores, bigger print runs, and more opportunities for events and appearances. So if you have $17.99 and want to know how to best support me as an author, pre-order the book!

Head on over to the publisher’s page and select your favorite retailer for a pre-order! 

READING GOAL:  75
BOOKS READ: 66

Ok, I didn’t smash my reading goal this year. I set a modest goal of 75 (I usually hit around or over 100), but hey, I was having a baby this year! What I didn’t factor in was Freddie’s second broken leg and the attendant difficulties that brought to sitting down with a good book. Still, 67 books read isn’t too shabby when you consider I grew and birthed a human, helped a toddler through two broken legs, and WROTE A BOOK

Ok, enough tooting of my own horn … now on to my favorite reads of the year (listed in the order I read them)

THE RULES FOR 50/50 CHANCES by Kate McGovern

What it’s about: Rose is a talented ballet dancer whose mother is battling Huntington’s Disease, a fatal genetic disease. Rose is trying to plan her future while also wrestling with the decision to find out if she, too, carried the gene.

This is a 2016 YA that I let slip by by, and I’m so glad I caught up with it this year. I was on a panel with Kate at Boston Teen Author Fest, and hearing her talk about this book and the people she met as she researched it was really special. It also has one of my favorite romances of the year, too.

If you love: the heart of Sarah Dessen mixed with the romance of Stephanie Perkins

THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED by Becky Albertalli

What it’s about: Molly’s had a 26 crushes and no boyfriends. But when her twin sister falls madly in love, Molly thinks maybe it’s time to move past the unrequited stage so she doesn’t get left behind.

Becky is just such a delight, both in person and on the page. Simon was great (and how fun does that trailer look?), but her sophomore effort was FANTASTIC. I hope the Simon movie blows up so that eventually we get to see Molly, her family, and loveable Reid on the big screen.

If you love: funny families and sweet romance like Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

FAR FROM THE TREE by Robin Benway

What it’s about: when adopted Grace winds up pregnant and deciding to give her daughter up for adoption, she realizes it’s time to find her birth mother … only to find she has a biological brother and sister. The book follows the three teens as they wrestle with what family means and their places in it.

I read a galley of this several months before it was released, and as soon as I finished crying, I wrote an email to Robin telling her how mother-effing good it was. So cue my total lack of surprise but complete delight when Robin got named to the National Book Award Longlist, then the short list, and then WON THE DAMN THING. This book is so tender and gentle and full of big important emotions and small, sweet moments. It’s one I’ll return to when I’m feeling like I need writing inspiration, because the prose feels effortless. Have you read this yet? No? WHAT. ARE. YOU. WAITING. FOR?!

If you love: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell or the smart introspection of John Green’s Looking for Alaska

TOP TEN by Katie Cotugno

What it’s about: on the eve of their high school graduation, best friends Ryan and Gaby face a decision about the state of their friendship, setting the story off on a countdown of the top ten best moments of their relationship.

This is the book I most fervently evangelized in 2017. The story is fantastic, but the magic is truly in the way it’s told. Katie presents the top ten moments in this friends-to-maybe-something -more story, and I just didn’t want to put it down. This one also has a really amazing and gentle depiction of anxiety. If you’re looking for a contemp you may have missed in 2017, go snag this one.

If you love: Jennifer E. Smith, Jenny Han’s To All the Boys series, or Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE by Maureen Goo

What it’s about: Desi decides to put her master planning skills to work to help her win the affection of Luca … by following to the letter the lessons of her father’s beloved K-dramas

Are you singing the song? I’m singing the song. And like the song, I Believe in a Thing Called Love is just so fun. And I say that as someone who has absolutely zero connection to K-dramas, that’s how good of a writer Maureen is. Her characters and story just sparkle off the page. And Desi’s father is one of my favorite parental characters I read this year.

If you love: The humor and voice of Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway or the Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU by Allison Raskin & Gaby Dunn

What it’s about: Told in a series of emails and text messages, this one tells the story of two best friends off to college on opposite coasts and how they go about finding themselves and building new lives while still staying connected to their old ones.

This one was a fast read that had me laughing out loud. I was initially drawn to it because one of the characters goes to Emerson College, a school I worked at after I finished grad school. And hoo boy did this get this one get it right. Funny and heart wrenching.

If you love: snark, pop culture references, and the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty

ALL’S FAIRE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL by Victoria Jamison

What it’s about: A graphic novel about Imogen, who’s leaving her family in the Renaissance Faire for the first time to head off to middle school

Oh man, was this book so real. I don’t want to say “painfully real,” because this book is like a warm hug, but we all know middle school is mostly a horror show. But it has such an uplift that I recommend it as a quick feel-good read to middles schoolers and grown-ups alike.

If you love: Judy Blume’s middle grade novels or Jamison’s first graphic novel, Roller Girl.

MOXIE by Jennifer Mathieu

What it’s about: Taking inspiration from her mother’s Riot Grrrl past, Vivian launches a ‘zine and a feminist revolution in her small, conservative Texas town.

This one was much-hyped in my mind, thanks to a blurb from Amy Poehler (who optioned the book months before its release) coupled with a truly kickass cover. I loved reading about Viv and her efforts to upend the casual misogyny that’s so familiar in football-centric high schools and small towns all over the country. Moxie girls FIGHT BACK!

If you love: smart feminist stories like The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart or Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng

What it’s about: Set in late 90s Shaker Heights, Ohio, the novel follows the intertwined lives of a picture-perfect suburban family and the bohemian artist mother and daughter who arrive to shake things up.

You’ve seen this cover. You’ve heard this title. This adult novel was everywhere in 2017, and as well it should be. I love the way Celeste Ng weaves us in and out of the various perspectives in this supposed suburban utopia. I couldn’t put it down.

If you love: contemporary literary fiction by authors like Jami Attenberg, Tom Perotta, or J. Courtney Sullivan

THE AWKWARD THOUGHTS OF W. KAMAU BELL by W. Kamau Bell

What it’s about: A memoir about navigating the racism inherent in comedy and the entertainment industry, a primer for white people on how to avoid being “that white person,” and a touching story of family across generations.

I did this one on audio, read by W. Kamau Bell, and I highly recommend it. His delivery is everything, and it’ll make you want to seek out more of his writing and comedy. It was also a much-needed salve for the dumpster fire that was the 2016 election.

If you love: comedy memoirs like Yes, Please! by Amy Poehler or Mindy Kaling’s books or the smart, sharp takes on race issues from authors like Roxanne Gay or performers like Key & Peele

THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon

What it’s about: Natasha and Daniel meet and start an unlikely romance on the day Natasha and her family are set to be deported

Another 2016 read that I didn’t get to until 2017, and to be honest, sort of avoided after all the hype. But when I finally picked it up, I realized all the hype was 100% deserved. It’s not just in the story, it’s in the telling. Nicola Yoon weaves in the perspectives of side characters across generations that add layers of meaning and emotion to an already beautiful story.

If you love: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan or Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally

THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

What it’s about: A rookie journalist is given the chance of a lifetime — an exclusive interview with legendary film start Evelyn Hugo and the opportunity to unravel the mystery of her personal life

Written like a memoir, this novel takes you through decades of Hollywood history while slowly unraveling the mystery of Evelyn Hugo’s one true love and the lengths she went to to protect her family. It’s incredible juicy and page-turny with a surprise ending.

If you love: tales of old Hollywood like the You Must Remember This podcast

BEFORE THE DEVIL BREAKS YOU by Libba Bray

What it’s about: the 3rd book in the Diviners saga, this one follows the Diviners as they try to understand who the King of Crows is, how he’s connected to Jake Marlowe and Project Buffalo, and why ghosts have suddenly overrun New York (starting with a very creepy mental hospital).

Hoo boy has Libba Bray taken us there with the Diviners series. It’s almost hard to believe that she started this series well before our current political era, because the parallels between the eugenics movement of the 20s and the nationalism that we’re seeing today are almost chilling. And that’s without the creepy ghosties that Libba writes so well. This book also gave me my favorite single bit of writing of 2017, from her author’s note:

This is a book about ghosts.
For we live in a haunted house.

If you love: honestly, I don’t even know. Libba Bray is a true original. But if you love historical fiction that pops off the page combined with a bit of horror and a twisty, series-long mystery, then START READING THE DIVINERS RIGHT NOW OK?!

I’m starting to get my feet under me with the whole parenting of two kids at once thing, and since today is the first day of a brand new month (when kids in my town started back to school … WHAT?!), I’ve decided it’s time to set a few goals.

+ Work on my revision at least 15 minutes each day … hopefully I can sneak in more, but 15 minutes is a totally manageable amount of time right now, ie, an amount of time I won’t run and hide from. I can squeeze it in during a baby nap, or after the kiddos go to bed but before I pass out from parenting exhaustion.

+30 Day Plank Challenge … ok, so there’s lots to be said about a postpartum body, but when you’re parenting two kids, the most important thing is to be strong and healthy. And today, when my toddler had a meltdown at the park while I had the baby in the wrap, I had to scoop up the toddler and haul him half a mile back to the car in the scorching heat WHILE wearing the baby. That was like, 45lbs of kid. It was immediately clear that I need to keep myself strong. So I’m hopping on iStroll’s 30 Day Plank Challenge. Join me, won’t you? Today is only 20 seconds! Easy peasy (we will not talk about day 30, when the plank is 5 minutes!)

+Read 2 books … remember when I’d easily put away 7 or 8 books in a month? HA! Those days will come again, but for this month, I’m aiming for 2.

What are your August goals?

+Meant to Be is on sale for $1.99 for Kindle and Nook (and will be for another couple weeks, I think). As a result of said sale, Meant to Be is currently the #1 Bestseller in Teens & Young Adult Fiction about Women & Girls, which is really on-brand for me (the category, not the #1 Bestseller status … that’s more of a novelty!).

+I also did this great interview for YA Interrobang (a site I love and respect for pieces like this) for their backlist series. I got to talk about my second novel, Being Sloane Jacobs, which I love and wish more people would read. In the interview, shared how roller derby and the women I skated with inspired BSJ, and how I wrote it to help girls connect with their inner badass. And while we’re on the subject, Being Sloane Jacobs is only $5.99 for Kindle, so if you feel so moved by the interview, there ya go!

+So what else is going on? 77 days until my revision deadline, and man am I having a hard time juggling writing and two kids. I’ll figure it out eventually, I’m sure, but right now it feels like I’m learning to walk all over again or something. It’s a phenomenon I should probably write about (the transition from writing with no kids to writing with one kid to writing with two), but you know … who has the time? Anyway, BETTER THAN THE BEST PLAN will get done, and it will be rad. Winter 2019. Mark your calendars.

+Speaking of time, my blogposts are just going to be bulleted, ok? Who’s got the mental energy for transitions?

+Speaking of kids, this is sort of a weird shirt to put on your toddler, no? I mean, I like The Doors, and I’m pretty free-to-be in my parenting, but Morrison is a bit of a questionable role model, no?

+And finally, I just finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, so inspired after seeing the trailer for the movie. I liked the book (maybe a little overly-detailed in a few places), but am confused about what’s going on in the trailer for the most part. I’ve moved on to rereading Sarah Dessen’s Someone Like You.

+Speaking of reading, I bought myself a Kindle Paperwhite, because every time I try to read on my phone I wind up social media-ing myself to death. I know, exercise some self-control, Morrill. But the truth is I’m a child and I had to spend $100 to stop refreshing Instagram all day. So far I’m a fan. Also loving this cute composition notebook cover I got.

Ok,  I leave you with a question … any good Kindle deals? Always looking to feed my e-reader!

So … Memorial Day Weekend!

There was no beach vacation or epic road trips or even big plans for us this year, as my due date is fast approaching and little brother could make his debut at any moment (which of course means he won’t, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles). I almost thought I was going into labor in a Chipotle, but it turned out to just be indigestion. Drat.

Saturday

Our favorite local brewpub added poutine to the menu, which is my favorite trash food item that I haven’t had an authentic version of since I left Boston (and thus couldn’t visit Montreal on the regular anymore). But this? You guys, this is real poutine, and I took this plate DOWN. If you’re passing through Macon, Georgia (and you do if you travel south from Atlanta on I-75), stop at Ocmulgee Brewpub and treat yourself. Adam says their beers are great too (I wouldn’t know, as I’ve been pregnant since they opened).

After that it was starting to bake, so we decided to hit up the university pool, where I probably scared some college girls straight (thank you GAPfit tank for hiding the enormity that is my midsection).

Freddie hadn’t been swimming since last summer, but he had a blast. And thanks to the weightlessness in the pool, I could actually hold him and play with him like I can’t on dry land. Trust me when I say this was huge for me. Also, thanks to the the water, I didn’t have a single ache or pain for the first time in many moons.

Sunday

Something came over me and I decided that taking a hike around the Ocmulgee River at a local park would be a good idea (spoiler alert: it wasn’t). This was my view as I lagged behind most of the way, waddling like a drunken penguin.

And this was me after I told Adam that he needed to leave me behind in the lower lot and please for the love of God go get the car.

These are the pithy snaps you’re missing if you don’t follow my Instagram stories. Bet you’re feeling major FOMO now, huh?

Monday

We planned to wrap up the weekend with a quiet day in, mostly doing some yard work (Adam) and laying on the couch (me). But then Freddie decided he wanted to see airplanes. Um, ok? Luckily, we have a really great Museum of Aviation nearby that’s free to visit and open on Memorial Day. We went and spent a half hour playing in this helicopter before heading home for a nap (yep, one attraction, the one literally right inside the door … toddler life can be pretty simple sometimes!).

Mostly I spent the weekend reading and trying to avoid the news cycle. It’s just too much sometimes, you know? I was also thinking about all those who’ve fought to defend our freedom, including a number of members of my own family. My grandfather David Morrill was killed in Vietnam when his plane was shot down, and his body wasn’t recovered until 2003. That’s why I cringe every time I hear someone say “Happy Memorial Day,” because while the three day weekend is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with family and friends, that’s not what we’re commemorating. So while I thoroughly enjoyed hanging around with my guys and soaking up the last of our days as a family of three, the reason for the weekend wasn’t far from my mind.

Oh, and of course I got some reading in! I sped through AS Green’s romance novel SUMMER GIRL, which was a fun diversion. I read my galley of Kasie West’s newest, LUCKY IN LOVE (her books are always a sweet delight), and now I’m reading Doree Shafrir’s STARTUP, which is sort of a Devil Wears Prada for the tech world. It’s juicy and I can’t put it down. I’m really looking forward to picking up WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon, which comes out tomorrow. I’ve heard such good things and have been jonesing for it for weeks!

Did you read anything fantastic this weekend? Any fun adventures? Share in the comments!

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

I’ve always loved Robin’s books, all the way back to Audrey, Wait! But let me tell you, Far From the Tree is the best thing she’s ever written. I could not put this book down. It was so full of emotion and heart, and it had me crying both happy and sad tears. I really felt connected to these characters and their story in a way I haven’t in a long time. Trust me when I tell you that this is a must-read. This one is out on October 3rd, but you should go ahead and preorder it. Trust me, give your future self a gift.

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway
October 3, 2017 from HarperTeen

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Sad you have to wait until October for Robin’s new book? No worries, because this one is out on May 9th. Yep, you only have to wait a couple more days to get Julie Murphy’s new book in your hot little hands. And it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss. My favorite thing about Dumplin was how real her characters felt, like they’re still off living their lives in Texas after the book ended. Those people felt real, and Julie brings that to Ramona Blue. The entire cast of characters, from Ramona and Freddie all the way to Agnes and Hattie and Saul and Ruth seemed like people Julie spent months observing as they moved through their lives. I loved this book, and can’t wait for you to read it, too!

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
May 9, 2017 from Balzer + Bray

And now … a giveaway!

I’m giving away some of the incredible galleys I’ve talked about in this post and others, and you could win them ALL. You’ll get:

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Genuine Fraud by E Lockhart
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Head on over to my Instagram and follow the instructions (a simple like + follow + comment)  to be entered to win! I’ll draw a winner on Sunday at 5pm EST. Contest is US only (sorry, shipping is pricey!). So don’t wait, enter now!

As for me, I’m in the home stretch of this whole pregnancy extravaganza, and trust me when I say … I’M READY FOR HIM TO GET HERE! Ok, so I don’t quite have the baby room finished, and I have one last stripe to crochet in his baby blanket, and I still need to dig some of Freddie’s old stuff out and wash it. So maybe not totally ready, but close enough. I’ve got diapers and a place for him to sleep, so as far as I’m concerned, GET. THIS. KID. OUT. I’m feeling enormous amounts of pressure in my hips and pelvis, the braxton hicks contractions are frequent and uncomfortable, and if I drop something on the floor, it lives there now. I’m huge and tired and ready to hold this kid in my arms instead of nestled against my bladder. I’m trying not to get my hopes up that he’ll come early (as many second babies do), because Freddie was 4 days late and those last 4 days felt as long as the whole pregnancy. But still, if he wants to come, anytime after next week, I’d be ok with that… hear me, kid? Listen to your mother.

So what’s making you happy this week? What good books are you reading? What books are you looking forward to? Lemme know down in the comments!

Macbook Pro

I treated myself BIG TIME this week when I ordered a new laptop. But my 6 year old Macbook Air was slowly dying (it held about a 6 minute charge by the time my new laptop arrived) and also … y’all I’m getting old, and I needed a bigger screen. It’s sad, but it’s true. So now I’m typing up this week’s What’s Making Me Happy This Week from my pretty space gray laptop with a very clicky clacky keyboard (which apparently some people don’t like, but what do they know?).

My Shiny New Book Idea

And thanks to the arrival of my snazzy new computer, I got a burst of inspiration and am now 5 chapters into the outline for my shiny new book idea. This would be book 6 for me, and book 2 in my new contract with FSG. I’m not going to tell you anything about it other than it’s funny, I love it, and I already have a title for it (which is crazy!).

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Oh this book, you guys. It’s funny and sweet and the voice is just so damn authentic. I recognized Molly and her friends as real teenagers, and some of Molly’s struggles rang so true for teenage Lauren. If you loved Becky’s first novel, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (soon to be a major motion picture!) or any of Stephanie Perkins books, you will love this book. Treat yourself to a sweet weekend read, ok?

Outshine Strawberry Popsicles

Guys, spring has arrived in Georgia, but if you live anywhere north of here, you’d probably call this weather summer. We’re in the mid-80s in the afternoons, and IT. IS. GLORIOUS. It also means popsicle weather, and I’ve been housing these like you wouldn’t believe. I mean, they’re made from actual strawberries, so that practically makes them a health food, right? (Don’t answer that)

So what’s making you happy this week! Share down in the comments?