Coffee Grinds 15: Gilmore Girls, Christina Aguilera, and Spooky Sparkly Things
+ Nobody Wants This, The Witch, and why we need more of Adam Brody ASAP
Things I’m obsessed with this week: apple cider donuts, lattes by the firepit, the smell of cedar and tobacco, loaves of seasonal bread I shouldn’t eat, and Halloween decorations beginning to pop up everywhere.
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📚 Reading Recommendations
I Have Some Questions for You by (Mystery/Thriller)
The perfect start of Fall mystery thriller! I absolutely devoured this book, and even my husband adored it. We usually have very different tastes!
An excerpt from GoodReads: A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year.But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects?
My Last Innocent Year by (Literary Fiction)
I guess we’re going with campus reads this week and specifically, NH campus reads. My Last Innocent Years was one of the first books I picked up when I started to get back into reading, and it helped catapult me back to something I’ve always loved. It’s tender, poignant, and messy, and I highly recommend adding to your autumn read list.
An excerpt from GoodReads: Set against the backdrop of the Clinton and Lewinsky scandal, My Last Innocent Year is a coming-of-age story about a young woman on the brink of sexual and artistic awakening, navigating her way toward independence while recognizing the power, beauty and grit of where she came from. Timely and wise, it reckons with the complexities of consent, what it means to be an adult, and whether or not we can ever outrun our bad decisions.
Substacks I read this week:
On Crashing a Sex Pistols Party & The Crush to End All Crushes by
i hate gilmore girls… and what your favorite rory gilmore boyfriend says about you by
(PLEASE NOTE I LOVE GILMORE GIRLS BUT THIS IS STILL WORTH A READ)
🫶Love
A simplified version of these wontons filled with brie, cran raisins, and pecans, drizzled with honey and more pecans. We used them for afternoon tea with my mom and gram to celebrate Maggie Smith’s legacy and drank them with this Downton Abbey tea.
Halloween decor, like this sparkly pillow ghost we named Cookie Butter. I don’t know why he’s so expensive maybe he’s been discontinued since we got him last year?
A simplified version of these wontons filled with brie, cran raisins, and pecans, drizzled with honey and more pecans. We used them for afternoon tea with my mom and gram to celebrate Maggie Smith’s legacy and drank them with this Downton Abbey tea.
Like everyone else, I’ve been doing
🎧Listened:
This playlist by
which, thanks a lot because now all I can think of is holding hands with Jess Mariano at our favorite NYC bookshop.This version of “What a Girl Wants,” which I did not realize was 25 years old!?!! Then had to listen to the OG of course.
🍿Watched:
Nobody Wants This — Adam Brody. Do I need to say more?
The Witch — I don’t know you guys. I didn’t get the hype. I’m in a real horror movie drought and it’s spooky season, so please send me your recs!
✍️Wrote:
Plotting, planning, and the ever-evolving novel: halfway into my "final edits" (oops) for my novel and this is what I've learned
🔭 Looking ahead:
I have two new Substack pieces coming out next week, and a ton of book editing on the horizon. All of which I’m very excited about! I’ll also be heading off for a mini vacation to Toronto which is my very favorite city and always feels like coming home. I’m really looking forward to the break and spending some quality time with my book and getting to catch up on reading!
Speaking of next week, I’m always torn about how often to publish. Aside from Coffee Grinds, I’d love to publish two other times making my posting schedule Tue, Thur, Sun but is that too much? Currently it’s too much for me to commit to, so I’ve aimed for one Tuesday post and then Sunday’s Coffee Grinds but, in an ideal world it would be my schedule. Is that asking too much of readers though? I would love to know what you’ve found works.
Have a great Sunday! <3
About Coffee and Nostalgia:
Coming of age reflections on love, friendship, and career from a 36-year-old still desperately trying to relive her 20s through her writings. I’m so glad you’ve decided to spend some time in my cozy, nostalgic corner of the internet. <3
What you can expect if you subscribe:
Exploration of friendship and loves lost through my To All the Friends I’ve Loved Before series
Weekly round-ups that include book recommendations, Substacks I’m enjoying, cute things from around the internet, and other fun goodies via my Coffee Grinds weekly Sunday series.
The occasional book review, usually in Women’s Fiction or Contemporary Romance, but sometimes horror, like this one on Bunny by Mona Awad.
Writing updates as I work towards completing and querying my debut novel for traditional publishing.
Personal essays on all of the above.
Read More:
Finding Myself in Fiction
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Coffee Grinds 10: I flooded my house and finished my book and some other stuff too
This week I’m obsessed with: 90th birthdays, family get-togethers, avocado toast, outdoor living, Saturdays in Seaport.
Thank you for the mention! 🖤🖤🖤