Weekly Recs #61: The pleasure of community, romance fiction, and parenting
Weekly Recs #61: The pleasure of community, romance fiction, and parentingFeaturing a fun Q&A about romance books with Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur of 831 Stories!This is the Friday post at Downtime, a feel-good weekly roundup of recommendations and delightful distractions. If the email cuts off, you can view it on the web.Happy Friday! Lately, I’ve been craving something deeper—a sense of connection, of being part of something bigger than myself. This feeling hit me hard when I revisited an interview with Lauren Groff about her novel, Matrix. The book centers on the intimate relationships among nuns in a 12th-century abbey and the hard, physical labor they undertake to give the place a major glow-up. Oddly enough, I found it to be a comfort read. At first, I couldn’t quite put my finger on why this strange book felt so soothing—until I came across this quote from Groff:
That phrase—the pleasure of community—jumped out at me. It perfectly captures the essence of the book, and it’s also something I’ve been searching for in my own life lately. Maybe it’s the change of season, but I’m craving a new routine—one centered around community. Just this past week, I’ve been on a bit of a spree, looking up fitness classes, volunteer groups, baby classes. Not to better myself or get in shape, but simply to gather with others—purposefully and routinely. I haven’t found the answer yet, but I’m excited to keep trying. I think my spirit depends on it! I’m curious: where will you find the pleasure of community this season? Are you getting into any new routines? —Alisha Before we get into today’s issue, a quick kid and reading-related thing I’m excited about… Two exciting new additions to our playroom! We just got this play table with matching stools and this storage shelf from the new Eva Chen + West Elm Kids collaboration, and I could not be more in love. If you have little ones, you know how quickly their stuff can take over the house! We desperately needed better storage for Lily's playroom, so these arrived at the perfect time. Eva is an author whose family loves to read, and you can tell she brought that love into this collection. Almost every piece of furniture includes built-in storage (perfect for books), and there’s even the cutest reading nook chair with a bookcase built into the side. Right now, I’m using the bookshelf to neatly stow away her board books (I like to rotate the ones that are left out) and smaller toy pieces. I’ve stuffed that bottom drawer with the less sightly bits rattles, nail clippers, sunscreen, and little odds and ends. Closed storage! 🤌 The playroom now feels so much calmer, inviting, and (for now) organized. The collection just launched, so definitely take a peek! *sponsored mention in collaboration with Eva Chen + West Elm Kids. x Alisha 👇 8 things worth trying…
One thing worth skipping… The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu. I was hoping for more of a documentary, but what I got in the first episode was a Real Housewives vibe… :/ Should I keep watching? 💬 Give a rec, get a rec in our subscriber chat. Why We’re Hooked on Romance: A Q&A with 831 StoriesI chat with Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo, co-founders of 831 Stories—the hottest new romance publisher shaking up the genre. They spill on the inspiration behind their latest venture and break down the must-know romance tropes for every reader. On why they started a new romance company…
On the recent, exciting shift in romance…
On choosing your first romance novel…
On how widespread romance readers are…
How they’d describe Big Fan in three emojis…
Follow along @831stories. This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness. A few good extras:
A reader comment:
See you next week! x Alisha You're currently a free subscriber to Downtime. If you’re enjoying it, could you consider upgrading your subscription? For $5/month, you’ll gain access to more recommendations, exclusive content, our subscriber chat, the full archives, and more. You’ll also support *all* the work that goes into producing this newsletter each week — the writing, editing, interviewing, graphic design, and so on. Either way, thanks for reading! This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click something and buy it, I may earn a small cut of the purchase at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work; I only recommend things I truly love and/or have vetted. If you enjoyed this post, please click the like ❤️ button at the bottom. It helps others discover my content and is a *free* way to show your appreciation. You could also forward it to a friend you think might enjoy it. You can also screenshot a favorite part and share it on Instagram. Be sure to tag me, @alisharamos so I can repost it. Follow me on Instagram and look through ShopMy for my latest finds. |
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