Coffee Letter #002: Fluffy Rom-Coms All Week Long
This is all I can read when my brain is completely drained.
I am an overthinker — something I warned you about in my first letter. I said this would be a wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stream-of-consciousness nonsense, yet here I am, having spent an entire week worrying about the structure of this post or my habit to jump from one idea to the next. Are my thoughts too scattered? Well, duh, my mind is all over the place and I am afraid these letters are probably going to be the same.
Autumn brought back my energy yet I’ve done absolutely nothing with it to get my life together. Instead I’ve been a social butterfly, barely spent any weekend at home, and ignored my to do list entirely. How do people balance life, work, friends, going to the gym, and reading? Why does it feel like everyone has their sh*t together but me?
I pretty much accomplished nothing in September — at least in terms of ticking off any goals. In my defense (do I need a defense?) I started the month with a dose of Covid, which threw all my plans into disarray and triggered migraines. But I’ve learned my lesson. For October, I’m setting one goal and one goal only: to organize my bookshelves. Bonus points if I can find a permanent home for the cookbooks, since their current spot is quickly being overtaken by my growing record collection. And if I do manage to pull it off? I’m rewarding myself with the Year of Reading bundle by Shakespeare and Company.
Speaking of books, this week I visited Carturesti Casa Hintz to see their new Intermezzo window. Naturally, I couldn’t leave empty-handed, so I picked up a copy too (amongst other books). Yes, you heard that right! I’ve got it! Rooney’s. New. Book.
As for this week’s cabin… I survived the wallpaper. Mostly because my friend sacrificed herself. It was a laid-back cabin getaway. We didn’t plan much — just a hike to the tallest waterfall in the country; the rest of the time was spent doing crosswords, reading Horrorstör, and playing Rummikub.
~ read
This week, I read mostly light, fluffy books. It wasn’t intentional, but work took up a big chunk of my mental energy that I naturally gravitated toward easier reads. Oh, and I finally finished Acceptance, the third book in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach series. It’s still fuzzy in my head, but I also loved it. There’s a feeling of finality to it, which makes sense since it’s been the last book in the series for almost a decade. However, we’re getting the surprise fourth book this month, which might answer some lingering questions (or not). Either way, I’m just excited to dive back into the eerie world of Area X.
Now for something completely different: Cruel Summer (Seasons of Revenge #2) by Morgan Elizabeth. It was… fine. The story follows Cami, Abbie’s best friend from Tis the Season for Revenge, the first book in the series. She gets a summer job as an event planner at a beach club on an island, where she has to deal with a group of rich mean girls. Luckily, there’s a sexy bartender to help her unwind.
As with most romance series, each book can be read on its own, though characters from past books will pop by from time to time. I wasn’t a huge fan of Cami in the first book, which is why I wasn’t too excited for this book. Naturally, I fell for the bartender.
The plot felt too focused on its Mean Girls inspiration, whereas Tis the Season for Revenge took its cue from Legally Blonde in a more subtle way. Overall it was a nice read, with a few spicy scenes, but not enough rom-com moments for my taste.
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood. It has come to my attention that I mentioned Ali Hazelwood A LOT last letter so I am just going to continue mentioning her this time around too. I am a sucker for her rom-coms. Two Can Play is only in audio format right now, and unfortunately, I didn’t vibe with the narrator, which impacted my enjoyment. The novella follows two video game designers working for rival studios.
It’s classic Hazelwood (but I am a sucker for it anyway). Viola has a crush on Jessie but at every game convention or family event (their cousins are engaged) he avoids her like she has the plague. And now they’re stuck at a team-building retreat in the mountains, in an attempt to dim the tensions between the two game studios.
There’s the usual miscommunication, brooding love interest, awkward spice, and everything I love about Ali Hazelwood’s work… except, I really really wish it was in written form. I’ve heard it will be eventually, so I’m looking forward to rereading it.
Heartstopper Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman. With the new season out, I had to read this before watching it. This graphic novel series continues to be a sweet, wholesome story about high school kids navigating insecurities, mental health issues, and sexuality. This volume is not really plot heavy, but there was significant emotional growth. I’m excited for the final volume! PS: Heartstopper is also available for free on Webtoon.
~ currently reading
The Secret History by Donna Tartt reread has commenced. My coworker, who’s reading it for the first time, is loving it, and I’m thrilled to spread the love for dark academia and awfully pretentious students. This time around I got the audiobook, narrated by Tartt herself, and the voice she does for Bunny — oh, boy — it makes me want to murder him too! I had planned to reread the physical book and annotate it even more than the first time, but with so many books on my list and three book clubs this month, there’s not enough time!
I’ve also made progress with Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh, and I’m… conflicted. I’m discussing it with people who seem shocked and grossed out by it, while I’m surprisingly not. Am I desensitized? I know I read a lot of weird stuff, but still. It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.
This past weekend I started Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix and I am almost halfway through. It is FUN with capital letters! So far it’s more corporate satire than horror.
Lastly, because I always need a romance on the go, I started The Fall of Bradley Reed by Morgan Elizabeth, the third book in the Seasons of Revenge series, which I suspect it’s based on John Tucker Must Die — maybe a rewatch is in order. Just as I wasn’t thrilled about Cami in Cruel Summer, I am not excited for Olivia as our FMC — I wasn’t a fan in the previous book so, obviously, I am not looking forward to spend even more time with her. However, the MMC is a hot FBI agent and I am excited for that — he is more like Spencer Reid than Seeley Booth, hence totally my type.
~ watch
The plan for this week was to dive into some fun vampire movies that are a bit more horror than supernatural. I love horror and all things creepy, but my brain refuses to let me sleep if I am not careful… There is a very fine line between a horror film I can enjoy and one that will doom me to 6 months of no sleep. Vampires, though, are usually safe. But since my husband has the audacity to leave me home alone for a few nights (damn work responsibilities), I can’t risk watching anything scarier than Casper. So, I’ve postponed my horror plans for the end of the month and opted for Heartstopper (there is no middle ground).
Heartstopper (TV series, 2022-). The third season is finally here, and I binge-watched it in two days! Just like the graphic novel series, the show is cute and wholesome while still tackling important teen issues and sexuality. This season, the characters face some of the biggest teenage dilemmas: "What the F do I do with my life after high school?" and the dreaded V card.
If you need a cozy, feel-good show to make your heart flutter, I highly recommend it. And I urge you to also read the graphic novels and be amazed by how spot-on the cast is!
PS: I was surprised by how much I missed Olivia Colman this season — she has a very minor role, and due to scheduling issues couldn’t be in this season.
Meanwhile, Ryan Murphy’s Monsters (TV series, 2022-) was the hot topic at work, so I watched the new season (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story). It gave me the ick just like the first season, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Honestly, I prefer my murderers fictional. I know true crime is big right now but I am not really into it. And make no mistake, Ryan Murphy’s series is fictionalized true crime. The acting was great, and just like everyone and their mother, I enjoyed the one-shot scene in episode 5. Despite being impressed by the technical aspects, storytelling is what matters most to me, and this one just didn’t do it for me.
Right now, I’m watching the third season of New Amsterdam as my bedtime wind-down show. This season focuses on the Covid pandemic, which brings back memories and stirs up some claustrophobic feelings. I was more affected by the pandemic as the restrictions were easing up. Taking the bus used to give me panic attacks. It was a weird time, and this season is a bit triggering for me.
On a lighter note, I’m also watching the new season of Only Murders in the Building, which is so much fun! The only downside is I can’t watch it before bed — because I must always watch the next episode!
~ and other things I did last week
I didn’t do much beyond indulging in romance novels. Also, I want to apologize for how many of the articles I usually share are behind paywalls. After splurging on too many books last week (seriously, too many) and confessing in a group chat about how many streaming platforms I’m subscribed to (again, too many) I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not financially independent — I’m financially irresponsible.
Music: I’ve been stuck on the same playlist lately. I asked for recommendations on Instagram, but I haven’t gotten around to trying them yet. In the meantime, I’ve been listening to a lot of Patti Smith, two of my favourite songs were on repeat — Dancing Barefoot and Because the Night. Also on repeat: Spanish Sahara by Foals — this song has an almost magical ability to silence my brain.
Other things consumed last week:
The Influencer Insanity series by Hannah Alonzo. I’ve been hooked on this series since a friend recommended it a few months ago. This week I watched the episode on “unschooling” and it left me, as always, speechless.
Ryan Murphy’s Latest Era of Cynical Hits (The New Yorker). Since I just watched his latest show…
Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and I’m excited to read her works (just like everyone else on the planet right now). I came across this article about her and her translator, Han Kang and the Complexity of Translation (The New Yorker), which raises some fascinating questions about translating fiction. I hope to chat more about this subject with my bookish friends.
Speaking of translations… Reading Elena Ferrante in English? You’re Also Reading Ann Goldstein (The New York Times). I struggled to enjoy Ferrante’s books in Romanian, but when I rediscovered her in English, I fell in love. So far, I’ve only read The Lost Daughter (which I adored, along with its film adaptation starring Olivia Colman!), but I also read another book translated by Ann Goldstein (one I actually purchased because it was advertised as “translated by Elena Ferrante’s translator”): A Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio — and I loved it too.
This week might be my only free one this month — weekend included. I’ll be home alone for a few days (just me and the cat) and I have a couple of evenings out with friends planned, but otherwise, NOTHING. I’m not sure when I became so social, and while I love spending time with such lovely humans, I’m really looking forward to some serious recharging! I’ll probably play The Sims 4 non-stop, especially when home alone.
Thank you for reading!