Sunday Snaps: 2024
First year of The Spring, plus 2024 booklist.
First, welcome and thank you so much for subscribing! There are a number of new subscribers here and I’m so grateful. I cannot see how you found me, so please drop something in the comments and introduce yourselves!
Second, hoping that everyone is enjoying the lazy, dreamy time between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s also Hanukkah and Kwanzaa too, so a festive time for so many — it makes fore a nice atmosphere of celebration all around, I think.
It’s the last Sunday of the month, and I’m not sure there’s much to recap or recommend, if I’m honest. It’s been a busy few months but mostly with personal family things that I’m not entirely ready to talk about publicly. Without getting into too much detail: my parents are in their 80s and it’s getting more difficult as they decline. Their needs are many and time is finite, so life has been getting crunched overall. “Fun” things have been a bit on the back burner, but I’m hoping that will change with the new year.
I was going to do a full list of product recommendations/gift ideas early this month, but then my inbox was FLOODED with every type of gift list from everyone on the internet, so I didn’t want to add to the melée. So, just going to recap a few things for you and I hope you enjoy.
I will not lie, 2024 has been brutal in a lot of ways, but I’m still here with my sense of humor intact. I’m trying to appreciate this year’s lessons as though its a bit of French absurdist comedy. It’s hard to do, but I’m trying.
The Spring
I am incredibly proud of The Spring. This is the reason why I’m on Substack, and I’m so appreciative of everyone single one of my subscribers! I launched the story with three chapters on January 1st, 2024, and yes, the story is coming to an end in the coming weeks!
Trust me, I did not think it would be this long of a story to tell, but that’s also part of why I did it: to let the story lead me through itself and let it take as long as it needed. I know it sounds strange, but Jeannie, Paco, Mark and even Alexa have taken over my mind. There have been instances when I’ve been writing, knowing exactly the plan of the scene, plot points I need to include, etc, and suddenly a bit of dialogue will pop into my brain that makes me say “OOOOHHHHH.” All of a sudden the scene has shifted into something else because the characters are speaking for themselves. I know this is part of the “artist’s flow”, or being in the “zone” — whatever you want to call it, I’m here to tell you it HAPPENS. Letting it happen gives me a lot of joy and has taken The Spring into richer, unexpected dimensions I was not planning. I am so grateful for these little gifts.
Every like and comment you all have given me make my heart go pitter-patter, so please know that there is a REAL person on the other end of those who gets excited every time they come through.
A few lessons I’ve learned in all of this:
Despite promises to the contrary, Substack isn’t great for fiction writers. There are grand promises of gaining followers and financial reward from the platform, but the fact remains that non-fiction writers (and a lot of them are amazing) gain more followers more quickly. It’s a bit discouraging, but I don’t think there’s necessarily a better platform than this…so trying to be patient.
Patient…for more subscribers! I cannot tell you what a thrill it is to know that people — not just my friends – are reading this site. My total may be modest for now, but I’m so grateful for every subscriber that’s come my way. Thank you! I’ve told myself to focus on the WORK and not the metrics. If the work is here, the metrics will *fingers crossed* take care of themselves. Word-of-mouth is a slow process, but I’m committed to building a quality community following with all of your participation.
Why is this important? Because apparently although it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, Agents and Publishers (are they even out there?) still like to see that writers have a solid following of readers. It makes a manuscript (or perhaps a Substack crime serial, one hopes) that much more attractive. Because yes, publishing The Spring and the other books I have in mind is still the goal. If you know an agent that may be interested, please send them my way!
Now, consider point 1 above, because not only is Substack not great for fiction writers, I’m not sure there are any agents on here at all. They’re definitely here publishing Substacks full of advice on how to write, but they’re not here to find writers to represent. I find it so ironic that the agents that are here talk about how to write query letters, attach PDFs or word docs, and simply be patient. This platform exists to disrupt publishing, so why the disconnect? It makes no sense to me, but I’m trying not to think about it too much.
TikTok or Not? It’s been suggested that for growth TikTok is the way to go. The BookTok phenomenon had made some HUGE titles, and while the fate of the app is under question with the current political climate, the general consensus is that it’s here to stay. Do I really want or need to learn yet another social media platform? Not really. But Instagram’s algorithm is abysmal, Threads is politics and memes, and I have zero interest in Facebook or X. Bluesky? I’m not sure, but stay tuned.
There’s one lesson I wish I hadn’t had to learn this year, which is that people do not return favors. Acquaintances, even people I’d consider friends — people I’ve supported and encouraged creatively, or whose businesses and services I’ve promoted over the years have not done the same in return. People whose book parties I’ve attended and to whose projects/endeavors I’ve devoted social media content to are shockingly quiet. Most haven’t even signed up for a free subscription to read The Spring. Maybe they don’t think it’s going to be a good read? Maybe they don’t have time? Maybe they’re busy? Maybe maybe maybe. As much as this irks me (and I won’t forget it), I’m making peace with it; call it meeting people where they’re at. I’ve chatted with a few friends about it and they have said that this is definitely a thing that happens when you launch big, public projects: people you think you can count on tend to tap out. It’s disappointing, but should be expected.
That said, my friends reading The Spring are absolutely true blue and I am so honored that they spend their valuable time reading my chapters each week. Their encouragement and feedback has been amazing for me to hear, and has really helped me to keep going. Special thanks to Katie Sweeney for her early review on The Bold Italic — it has been a game-changer! I know there’s even more people reading consistently whose feedback I don’t hear too, but you keep coming back! Just know that I see you and appreciate you! Thank you so much.
Remember how Taylor Swift wore those glitter freckles to one of Travis Kelce’s football games this fall? The brand is called Fazit, and the brand saw their traffic spike 3500% within 48 hours, resulting in $1 million in sales. Overnight, the founders’ lives were changed. Earlier in the year, co-founder Aliett Buttelman had said it was her “sole mission” to get her glitter patches to Taylor Swift, so the whole success was a manifestation. I’ve been trying to think of what my own manifestation would be for The Spring. For a long time I’ve known it would be having it make its way to Karen Kilgariff of My Favorite Murder. IYKYK! Call this my “sole mission” for 2025 — you never know!
What’s next for The Spring? The finish! It’s coming soon, I promise. I also have ideas for a sequel, and a stack of other book ideas, and a few other essays in the works too. In the meantime, won’t you please share The Spring with friends? Friends of friends? There’s also gift subscriptions you can give too!
2024 Books
Woof! only 21 books this year! This is my most meager showing in many years (I remember one year when I got up to 49!), but it is hard to read books when you’re writing one. Plus, with everything happening this year I’ve been so distracted that I have multiple titles going at once, so only a few have been getting finished. I mean, I always have multiple titles going, but somehow this year has kept my reading focus more scattered than usual!
FYI - book links below go to Amazon, and I may receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase.
The Commissions - Paul Madonna - A fun, San Francisco-based whodunnit with Paul Madonna’s beautiful illustrations. I love the way the imagery lends itself to the story.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo - I purchased my copy from Shakespeare & Co in Paris last year - a special version on their house imprint. I cannot believe I hadn’t read this before, and I’m so glad I finally got to it. Hugo wrote this in 1831 in order to make a case for France to preserve its Gothic architecture, thereby saving Notre Dame cathedral. There’s definitely some parts where Hugo rambles on about obscure French history, but overall a great tale. I was bereft the day that Notre Dame caught fire, and I’m so happy that it’s been restored and reopened…again. Cannot wait to go back and see it.
American Dirt - Jeanine Cummins - This had also been on my TBR pile for a long time, and while I’m glad I read it, it’s definitely a stressful read. Incredible story telling though, and you’re rooting for Lydia and Luca the whole time.
Laura - Vera Caspary - You know I like to go back to “source material”, and since the film Laura is one of my favorites, I wanted to take in the text. I also found out that it was originally a serial that ran in Colliers magazine in the fall of 1942, which is fun to know.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (all 5 in series) - Sarah J. Maas - If you’d told me that I’d devour a fantasy series about smutty fairies, I wouldn’t have believed you. But, in the name of researching best selling novels, I read all of Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR series and thoroughly enjoyed them. Some are better than others, to be sure, but overall the story arc is incredible. This is a series that blew up on TikTok, so I’m glad I know what the fuss is about. Cannot wait for the 6th one!
Tom Lake - Ann Patchett - I know this book has been lauded and adored by many, but I am not one of them. I thought the story was somewhat charming, but overall I didn’t really care about the characters, nor did I understand why I should care about them. It was pretty, but it didn’t grab me.
Fourth Wing & Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros - Another fantasy series that many of my best reader friends recommended, and it did not disappoint. The third novel in the series - Onyx Storm - is coming out next month and I cannot wait. I’m not a fantasy writer, but I definitely appreciate the genre more and more!
Just Kids - Patti Smith - Absolutely LOVED this memoir/autobiography of Patti Smith’s relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe from their youth in New York City. The tales of being baby bohemians scraping by, barely making rent at The Chelsea Hotel, and then finally landing on their creative callings is touching and beautiful. (Also, Patti Smith’s Substack is an absolute gem.)
Sandwich - Catherine Newman - Another very popular title that was not a favorite of mine. I was intrigued by this story of people being “sandwiched” between elderly parents and adult children, and it was a very sweet story in a lot of ways, but ultimately fell flat for me.
Good Material - Dolly Alderton - This book is fantastic. I love everything Dolly Alderton writes, and while this one has a bit of a meandering arc, the ending absolutely made my heart sing.
Yellowface - R.F. Kuang - Another amazing book. I’d had this on my pile for a long time and once I started I couldn’t put it down, despite the anxiety it gave me! The machinations of the publishing world felt very close to home, especially with the social media angle, but this is fantastic overall.
Macbeth - William Shakespeare - Not my favorite Shakespeare, but glad I finally read it through.
Ask Not - Maureen Callahan - This book about the Kennedy family and the women they’ve left in their wake reads like a long-form Vanity Fair article. Not to say that’s bad — it’s juicy tone is pitch-perfect for the content. Dispells a lot of myths and is a very quick, important, and entertaining read.
The Europeans - Henry James - Short novel that’s beautifully told. I love Henry James and I’d never read this one. It’s idyllic and vivid and full of intrigue, but also has that classic Jamesian a-little-bit-uncomfortable ending.
Selected Writings - Gerard de Nerval - I never knew about Gerard de Nerval until I started reading Patti Smith’s work, which if you’ve ever read her non-fiction you’d know how much she references the French romantics. Obscure even among the Romantics, Gerard de Nerval is one of the most quirky and most tragic, ending his own life at age 46 after moderate publishing success. Legend holds that he had a pet lobster - Thibaut - that he would keep on a blue ribbon as he walked it in the Palais Royal. (Legend because anyone would tell you that lobsters do not like to be out of water long, so this likely did not happen. Nevertheless de Nerval’s dreamy writings and sorties with his pet lobster later influenced the surrealists…) This collection features his amazing long-form stories — The Tale of Caliph Hakim is extraordinary — as well as his novellas Angélique and Sylvie. Strange and meandering, I can tell why Patti Smith loves these stories. They trace the romantic’s pursuit of story, a book, a legend — illustrating that our own obsession with stories become their own mythology.
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue - Julie Satow - An excellent fashion and retail history that traces three female executives that shaped American shopping in the early-to-mid 20th Century. Hortense Odum of Bonwit Teller in the 1930s, Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor during World War II, and Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel from the 1960s. Detailed and well-researched, this is an essential for anyone in the retail industry.
That’s all for now! Wishing everyone a wonderful, abundant New Year 2025, and I will see you in January!
Thank you again for your support and encouragement — it means the world to me!
I really enjoyed reading this and learned a bit more about this strange landscape we call Substack as well. You’ve also inspired me to pick up The Europeans! I could use a little James this season.
Todd the Tenor here. Congrats on your progress! I'm almost done with my first draft, so I'll be editing soon and then searching for agents. We'll have to help each other!