Monthly Mercies: December
A whole lotta books, tape as a gift, and vertigo exercises.
Hello, friend.
As I write this, I am sitting next to my Christmas tree after finishing my vertigo exercises. Yes. Vertigo exercises. Life is full of surprises.
A few weeks ago, my vertigo had reached such a disruptive state that I began to worry it was a symptom of something more serious. I attempted to make an appointment with my doctor with no success. I started taking iron supplements. I googled (I know, I know, I can hear you from here shouting about how googling symptoms is never a good idea, but alas, to Google I fled), which left me wondering if I could possibly have congestive heart failure.
Finally, the nurse practitioner called me to chat through the symptoms on the phone. My frequent dizzy spells were incredibly uncomfortable and had begun popping up while driving, so I was desperate for a solution. Turns out, it’s just regular old vertigo, treatable by over the counter medication and the aforementioned exercises.
Here’s the thing with these exercises I’m doing in order to feel less dizzy: THE EXERCISES MAKE ME DIZZY.
AND THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO.
I am no doctor, but this sounded made up to me? Surely this is not the way??
Yet here I am trying it, and noticing improvement. Immersing myself in dizziness to make myself less dizzy.
And it is in this backwards, upside-down and inside-out vertigo treatment that I have entered into Advent, the season celebrating the One who came to save the weak by being born…into weakness? Surely this is not the way??
Yet there He was, our Savior born in a frail human body. Immersing Himself in weakness to better display His strength.
His ways are not my ways. What a mercy.
Wishing you a non-dizzy (or maybe a very dizzy? I don’t even know anymore) December.
In His mercy,
Amy.
November Reads
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club series I love so much, took a brief break from that series to start a new, similar one. We Solve Murders is mostly a father-in-law, daughter-in-law story involving murder and crime and all the normal things most families experience. Jokes aside, I enjoyed this book, though it wasn’t terribly memorable for me.
My Goodreads rating: 3/5 stars
Tell Me Everything (Amgash #5) by Elizabeth Strout
Speaking of beloved series, Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel set in her world of Crosby, Maine was a true highlight of the month. Elizabeth Strout writes people with such clarity, humanity, and honesty that I cannot get enough of her books. They’re a little odd and aren’t for everyone but her storytelling of the way people’s lives intertwine floors me every time.
My Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
The second week of November just felt exactly right for a re-read of You Could Make This Place Beautiful. I listened on audio this time and hearing Maggie Smith read her own poetic prose was simply perfect. I never thought I said this about a “divorce Memoir”, but this book is a masterpiece.
My Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten
Well it turns out everyone was right about this memoir: it was great. I’ve known about and watch Ina Garten a bit over the years, but am not a super fan so I was worried her memoir wouldn’t land with me. This book is certainly a story of her life, but hearing the ins and outs of Ina building her business and riding the waves of twists and turns was so fascinating that it didn’t matter whether I was familiar with the material or not. Although I did find myself Google image searching the Barefoot Contessa stores on multiple occasions. :) I will never tire of reading about people fall in love with food.
My Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz
Bethany Joy Lenz was one of the stars of the show One Tree Hill, which I loved, but I must say that I find the subtitle of this memoir to be misleading. While she certainly does talk about One Tree Hill and that time in her life, the book is really about Bethany Joy Lenz living for years in a religious cult and the ways that wreaked havoc on every aspect of her life. It was heartbreaking, fascinating, and—something I appreciate in a celebrity memoir—well-written. It was my book club’s November pick and we had an excellent discussion including both One Tree Hill lovers and ladies who’ve never seen an episode.
My Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars
Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
Iona was another re-read for me in November that I chose for Exhale Creativity’s monthly book club. This story of unlikely friendship among London train commuters was just as lovely as the first time I read it. I consistently find myself recommending this book and can’t think of a better way to describe it than “delightful.”
My Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars
The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller
This novel was kind of like Antiques Roadshow mixed with Clue mixed with Murder, She Wrote, all of which I love. A former antiques hunter finds herself back in the game when her estranged ex-colleague winds up murdered and she discovers that his death has links to her past and their falling-out that all lie in one family’s antique collection. This was a fun book on audio and a spin on the typical murder mystery that I enjoyed.
My Goodreads rating: 3/5 stars
Heartbreak is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music by Rob Sheffield
This quick little book hopped around through Taylor’s career and how her music connects to other artists while Rob Sheffield included his own personal tidbits about his love for her music. I loved Sheffield’s book Dreaming the Beatles, so I was so excited to hear about this new one and it was a fun journey!
My Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes (Kamogawa Food Detectives #2) by Hisashi Kashiwai
This novel is the second in The Kamogawa Food Detectives series I discovered a few months ago and is beginning to be translated into English. Again, I loved the idea of hunting down a specific dish that someone has a sentimental attachment to and discovering what makes the dish special. This book, just like the first one, made me very hungry as all good food writing should.
My Goodreads rating: 4/5 stars
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
I’ve been looking forward to this audiobook since it came out because, well, who doesn’t love Sharon McMahon? This was a fascinating book detailing the lives and accomplishments of Americans who changed the course of our nation but whom I had never heard of at all. The storytelling here was excellent, I mean she even had me caring about the fate of a pigeon at one point??
My Goodreads rating: 4/5
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Ernest Cunningham #3) by Benjamin Stevenson
My first Christmas read of 2024! Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the third in the Ernest Cunningham series, all of which have been such fun reads for me. This one functions as a holiday special and Ernest finds himself investigating the murder of his ex-wife’s boyfriend. There’s magic, deception, and even some holiday cheer. This was a quick and fun little mystery, just right to kick off my holiday reading.
My Goodreads rating: 3/5 stars
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
My second Christmas read for the year was this novella, another murder mystery but with an altogether different tone than Ernest Cunningham. The Christmas Guest is mostly told through the journal of an American woman studying in London who went home with her friend to her family’s Cotswold manor for Christmas. Once there, she develops an immediate crush on her friend’s brother while also slowly discovering more and more unsettling details about a girl who was found murdered in the village the summer before. It has a bit of a thriller tone and went in a direction I was not expecting. A little more intense than the typical cozy mystery but not too intense or scary, which made it perfect for me.
My Goodreads rating: 3/5 stars
Lifeform by Jenny Slate
I’ve seen this book described as a motherhood memoir and while it is definitely about Jenny Slate becoming a mom as well as meeting and falling in love with her husband, it’s much more about her relationship with herself over time and her own internal world. Lifeform functions like a memoir in essays and has some strange ones, some funny ones, and some really beautiful writing. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from Jenny Slate. This was a standout read for me. Loved it.
My Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars
November Bakes
November Words
I shared my poem from Issue 18 of Part-Time Poets on Instagram in early November, the perfect time to find a poem to live inside. Make sure to check out the full issue here!
Social media was too much for me on election week, so I deleted the apps from my phone which means this little poem graced the Monthly Mercies feed instead :)
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November Favorites
Joel and I watched the Martha Stewart documentary on Netflix last month which made for a fascinating parallel with Ina Garten’s memoir.
Speaking of the Martha, turns out she wasn’t such a big fan of the doc.
I’ve been on the hunt for a new pair of joggers for a while and these Old Navy sweats are so perfect that I bought a second pair this week. They really are “so comfy” and are notably long enough, which is often a challenge for me + joggers. I have one pair in a large which are quite baggy and perfect for lounging around the house and one pair in medium that are a more tailored fit if that’s even something you can say about sweatpants. I don’t know about fashion, you guys. I buy all my clothes with Old Navy rewards, okay???
The holiday gift recommendation episode of What Should I Read Next? is a favorite for me every year! I took lots of notes of recommendations for Eloise especially because finding good middle grade books is a STRUGGLE.
Thanks to a Black Friday deal, we stocked up on my favorite winter candle from Target last week!
This seems like a good time to remind you of my favorite stocking stuffer for my kids: tape. I buy this pack of colored masking tape for Oliver’s stocking every year but honestly any tape would do. Tape4ever.
For my eight year-old Eloise, we grabbed this Taylor Swift Mad Libs book as a stocking stuffer and I’m guessing I’m going to be wishing I had bought one for myself as well.
🎶This month's newsletter was written while listening to:
So Much Wine- Phoebe Bridgers
evermore- Taylor Swift
I'll see you back here on the first Friday in January! (Insert “see you next year” joke here). Until then, you can find me on Instagram.
Do you know a friend who you think would enjoy this newsletter? I'd love for you to share it.
I hope your December is full of new mercies. Take care of yourselves, friends.
Thank you, Amy! Appreciate your book reviews. I’m amazed at how many books you read in a month.
Your cakes are works of art. I may need to get a GF cake from you in June for Julia’s Bday. Do you do dairy free cakes?
Enjoy this time of Advent, and, keep inspiring us with your musings. Merry Christmas. 💕
Your intro 😭😭😭😭