Mid-Year Goals Check-In

Summary

Bad On Paper Podcast

Episode: Mid-Year Goals Check-In

Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
Date: June 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode is a candid, celebratory, and sometimes hilarious mid-year goals check-in. Becca and Olivia, both on the brink of summer vacations, review their 2026 goals—personal and professional—reflect on highs and lows from the year so far, and share how goal-setting is landing for them emotionally. The episode is packed with honest admissions, light-hearted banter, encouragement, and practical insights into habit-building and self-reflection.

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Highs & Lows

(Vacation plans, home decor mishaps, and day-to-day life updates)

Timestamps: 00:35–06:29

Highs

• Olivia: Thrilled about an upcoming (by recording date) impulse trip to Ireland, especially excited for “sitting in a pub in the middle of nowhere in Ireland, drinking a Guinness, listening to some folk music” ([01:25], Olivia).
• Becca: Prepping for a long-awaited girls’ trip to Italy with her college friends to celebrate turning 40 together, planning to “metaphorically, hopefully not actually throw my phone into the ocean” ([02:20], Becca). Highlights include a volcano night boat tour (glowing lava, pasta made onboard).

“Eat the volcano pasta in the ocean, as one does. That sounds wonderful.” ([03:34], Olivia)

Lows

• Becca’s Rug Return Nightmare: Ordered a rug expecting “pink”, but it arrived in a color she dubs “raisin.” The ordeal of returning a large home item (“catfished by a rug”) and wrestling with West Elm’s return process produced both exasperation and laughs.

“I feel like it's gonna be like a condom that I have to put on this rug.” ([05:52], Becca)

• Olivia: No major low, but commiserates on the annoyance of returning large home purchases.

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How’s the Year Going?

(Emotional check-in and mental health reflection)

Timestamps: 09:12–11:10

• Olivia: “It has been a total blur… I’m really glad to be going away for a week and to just have a moment of reset.” ([09:44])
• Becca: Feels significantly lighter—emotionally and physically—than past years. Excited about her apartment, travel, entering her 40s, and her writing progress.

“I feel good regardless of how I’m doing on these goals. And I already know that there’s one that I’m absolutely failing at. But on the whole, I think I’m doing pretty well.” ([10:14], Becca)

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Personal Goals Mid-Year Check-In

Olivia’s Personal Goals

Timestamps: 11:15–18:14

• Strength training: Consistent with 3x/week YouTube and dumbbell routines; about to move to 20 lb dumbbells.
  • “Look at you, Arnold Schwarzenegger.” ([11:43], Becca)
• Start/volunteer with a young writers’ program: Connected with a local Hudson organization; planning for after vacation ([12:31]).
• Kitchen renovation: Demo is done, rebuild pending. Taking the disruptions in stride, despite hosting family amid chaos.
• Refinish stairs and floors: Postponed due to flaky contractors and tight timeline; likely pushed to end of year.
• Manage spending/shopping habits:
  • Tracked spending for first four months. Noted impulse purchases, reflected on their worth.
  • New Goodwill habit: “10 items donated for every one thing bought.”

“I really haven't purchased much at all… Going through your kitchen in full will really make you not want to purchase anything ever again.” ([17:01], Olivia)

Becca’s Personal Goals

Timestamps: 18:21–24:59

• Phone out of bedroom: Good before the move, now struggling (due to having a TV in the bedroom).
• Take an in-person, multi-session art class: No progress, but may attend a one-off figure drawing for book research ([20:34]).
• Plan 40th birthday: Halfway there—concert tickets secured, dinner venue planned, but details pending. Focus is on friends and fun, not aesthetics.
• Decorate dream office: “90% there”—just needs corkboard, lamps, and window treatments.
• Hand-paint birthday cards: Sporadic success—when she does it, recipients love them, but it’s felt like a task, not a joy.
• Weighlifting 3x week: Admits to about “3 times total this year.”

“If you delete ‘week,’ it’s just three times—so, success.” ([24:08], Olivia, playfully)

• Secret goal—Extra mortgage payment: Secretly obsessed with paying more; hopes to make one (maybe two) extra payments by year’s end.

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Professional Goals Mid-Year Check-In

Olivia’s Professional Goals

Timestamps: 28:17–34:17

• Finish promo for Little One (her second novel): Strong finish and more confidence than with her debut. Mental/emotional shift toward next project is crucial for her wellbeing.
• Dedicate year to book three (“Blue House”): Writing since Feb 23rd—hit 100,000 words ([30:56]). Proud of her hard work, plans brief rest post-draft.

“I’ve been really working as hard as I’ve ever worked on a draft… that’s the goal, right?” ([30:58], Olivia)

• Begin planning book four: Exploring ideas, scheduling brainstorming sessions with her agent. Excited to start after a break.
• Screen more books for podcast/book club: Staying active on NetGalley, aiming to lift her favorites. Wants to up her curatorial game for the podcast.
• Host a Cotswolds’ reading/writing retreat: Deferred for now due to workload and timelines.

“Check, check, check, check, check, don’t care. Pushing to next year.” ([34:11], Becca, summing up Olivia’s list)

Becca’s Professional Goals

Timestamps: 34:35–41:40

• Write two drafts of book three: One third into first draft; hopes to finish by end of summer.
• Curate lightness and consistency in writing: Giving herself more grace, less panic. “All of these goals are completely made up.” ([35:53], Becca)
• Approach book two publication as a celebration: Feels disconnected/zenned out since she’s already neck-deep in the next project.
• Promote podcast book club picks: Regular Instagram posts, thinking of more ways to spread the word ("I want people to read along and not have to go hunting for the picks." [38:01]).
• Don’t read mean things online: “What I haven’t done? Read mean things about myself on the Internet.” ([39:09], Becca)—celebrates this boundary.
• Build writing community: Accepting invites to writerly gatherings; wants to do more organizing herself.
• Grow Substack (newsletter) by 20% (free subs & revenue): Steady sponsor growth, treating the newsletter as a real business.
• Show up joyfully/unapologetically on social media: Mixed results—hasn’t posted much recently, but feels at ease about it.

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Reflections & Tone

Theme Throughout:
Both hosts stress that while specific goals matter, feeling “mentally, physically, emotionally” good is the real achievement. This perspective shift—more focus on progress, less self-flagellation—is celebrated explicitly.

“The fact that I feel good is an accomplishment in and of itself.” ([42:18], Becca)

They support each other’s half-successes and stumbles, often making jokes about imperfection. Their banter and self-deprecation make the conversation approachable and honest rather than aspirational.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Stronger Mindsets:
  • “I feel so different than I did during book two. I just feel like I’m giving myself so much more grace. I’m not freaking out…” ([35:53], Becca)
• On Boundaries & Wellbeing:
  • “What I haven’t done? Read mean things about myself on the Internet… thrilled.” ([39:09], Becca)
• On Home Decor Mishaps:
  • “I got catfished by a rug.” ([04:00], Becca)
• On Realism About Goals:
  • “All of these goals are completely made up.” ([35:53], Becca)
• On Progress:
  • “I feel proud, like I’ve worked as hard as I can work, and that’s all I can ask of myself.” ([34:17], Olivia)

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What Are You Obsessed With?

Timestamps: 42:39–46:10

• Becca: Upgraded her decades-old kitchen utensil holder ("utensil crock") to a light blue one, bought pretty new utensils—small change, big impact.

“It just makes me happy to see. It’s just one of those eyesore things that, like, if I tuned into it, I was like, this makes me angry… but never thought to replace it.” ([44:05], Becca)

• Olivia: Not much new in 24 hours since last recording, but “obsessed” with the upcoming “first lines” podcast episode scheduled for August.

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What Are You Reading?

Timestamps: 46:11–52:00

Becca:

• The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (for research; “no memory of anything in this book,” despite reading it in 2016).
• Ungodly Rich by Katherine McGee (pleasure; “delicious,” like Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession).

Olivia:

• Kate Broad’s Upcoming Thriller (early read, details embargoed, but “pitch-perfect thriller with a literary bend…”)
• Book about letters in bottles (nonfiction, seafaring theme).
• Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghey (for pleasure–beautiful line-level writing, not totally hooked on plot yet).
• Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns (Jenna’s Book Club pick; mystery about a missing musician—“so far I love it”).

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June Book Club Pick

“Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave… a story of two women who meet in Paris in the 1970s and fall in love. It’s just a gorgeous romance. So atmospheric.” ([52:00–52:27], Olivia)

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Additional Information

Connect with Hosts:

• Becca: Instagram @beccafreeman, beccafreeman.substack.com, Book (“Back Where We Started”) due October—preorders appreciated.
• Olivia: Instagram & Substack @oliviamenter

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Episode Mood & Takeaways

• Encouragement: Progress is progress—even when it’s messy or incomplete.
• Honest appraisal: It’s okay to move goals to “next year.” Some goals will be imperfectly done, or not at all.
• Habits: Small changes at home or to routines (“utensil crock,” tracking purchases) can boost positivity.
• Community: Making and maintaining industry friendships is valuable, even in small ways.
• Joy & Fun: Balance goal-chasing with rest, vacations, and personal fun.

"So much growth and happiness—and what more can you ask for, really?" ([42:11], Olivia)

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Next up: First lines episode in August, and plenty of new books and vacation stories on deck!

Transcript

[A]

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to Baton Paper Podcast. I'm Becca Freeman.

[B]

And I'm Olivia, mentor.

[A]

And we're coming to you from the past.

[B]

We are quite a bit in the past.

[A]

Yeah, we're both. We're both vacationing. We're taking some. I don't know if it's well deserved, but we're taking time off.

[B]

Yes, we are.

[A]

Which brings us right into the highs. Oh, this is our mid year goal. Check in in case the title did not give that away.

[B]

Yes, it is somehow June Crazy.

[A]

Tell me your high, Olivia.

[B]

My high is that I am going to Ireland in a couple days.

[A]

Your impulse Ireland trip.

[B]

My impulse Ireland trip is already here. I'm so glad I did this.

[A]

I don't want to make you upset, but when this airs, you'll. I think you'll already be back.

[B]

I can relive my excitement again. Honestly, it feels impossible that I'm going in three days because it's just been so busy. It's been so long since I've traveled substantially at all internationally anyway. And yeah, between now and then, we're pulling up the floor in our kitchen. We are.

[A]

No big deal.

[B]

By we, I mean I finishing my draft, writing the words, the end. And I am very excited to be sitting in a pub in the middle of nowhere in Ireland, drinking a Guinness, listening to some folk music. That's all I want in my life currently, love. But first I have to write the end and pull up floors. But we're gonna get there. We're gonna going to get there. What's your high?

[A]

Well, my high is also vacation related, but I think it's going to look slightly different in landscape and alcohol. I plan to be drinking an aperol spritz on a patio overlooking the ocean.

[B]

Oh, that sounds terrible. So I win, I guess. I'm just kidding. That sounds wonderful.

[A]

So I'm going on a trip to Italy with my college friends to celebrate our collective 40th birthday year. So we've been planning this for probably almost a year now, and it's finally here. I'm so excited. And also the way that I envision this is that I'm going to, metaphorically, hopefully not actually throw my phone into the ocean.

[B]

Love it. Love it so much.

[A]

I don't want to do any work. I'm going to take off from the newsletter. We're prerecording the podcast. I have told everybody, everyone in my business life that I am out of office and unavailable and I cannot wait.

[B]

I'm gonna take your example and do the same thing I'm not bringing my laptop and. Yeah, I'm just happy for you. I think it's gonna be so fun. What a nice trip.

[A]

Do you wanna know one thing that we're going to do that I think might interest you?

[B]

What?

[A]

We are taking a boat trip to see a volcano by night.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

So you could see the lava coming down the side of it.

[B]

Okay. Yeah. I was like, why at night does the lava glow?

[A]

Yeah, it's orange.

[B]

Wow. Okay.

[A]

It's fresh lava.

[B]

Well, be careful.

[A]

Well, we're on a boat, so it can't reach us.

[B]

True. That's actually. That's the best place to be in this scenario.

[A]

And somebody, apparently on this boat is going to be cooking us a pasta dinner. I'm really unclear on a lot of the details, but I'm excited.

[B]

I. I mean, don't question it. Just, you know, eat the volcano pasta in the ocean as one does. That sounds wonderful. I hope you have a great time.

[A]

I can't wait.

[B]

Do you have a low to speak of?

[A]

I do have a low. Olivia, have you ever tried to return a rug?

[B]

No, I just keep them, I hoard them, and then I donate them because I'm lazy.

[A]

Okay. Well, I got catfished by a rug. This is not my fault. It is kind of my fault. I didn't buy a swatch, but. But I got absolutely catfished by a rug. So. It's from the West Elm Emma Chamberlain collection. I'm going to show it to you, and I want you to tell me what color you think it's going to be. Take a look at this rug. What color do you think that rug is?

[B]

This, like, pink one?

[A]

Sure. What color would you say it is?

[B]

I would say it's pink.

[A]

Great. No, it's a color that I would call raisin. It is, in person, a brownish purple.

[B]

It says light Bordeaux, which does actually sound brownish purple, but it reads as pink.

[A]

Yeah, it reads like a kind of.

[B]

Oh. Then one of them grayish, really dark pink.

[A]

And it was not at all. So I got it from my kitchen and it came and I was like, this is heinous. This is absolutely nowhere close. And then I just have this five by eight rug. I mean, it's not the biggest rug, but I'm like, what the hell do I do with this? How do I return this? So I went through it, the return portal online, and then I called West Elm and I was like, hey, can I just, like, bring this to the store? I was just going to take an Uber there and, like, you know, spend my $25 for the Uber and be like, whatever. And they were like, no, because it's already returned once you request the return online. And I was like, okay, well, like, I don't have packaging materials to return a five by eight rug.

[B]

Like, right?

[A]

What do I do? This has become not a nightmare that's like, extreme, but a huge annoyance.

[B]

And you don't want to sell it on Facebook Marketplace.

[A]

No, it's brand new. It's brand new. Like, never been used. I mean, it's not the most expensive. It was like 300 bucks. Like, I'd like the 300 bucks back. And I don't think I'm gonna get the 300 on Facebook marketplace for it.

[B]

Yeah, probably not.

[A]

So they're sending me a rug return kit, which we'll see. I feel like it's gonna be like a condom that I have to put

[B]

on this rugged series of words.

[A]

So we'll see. We talked about a few weeks ago, like, the thought of returning a home purchase. And, like, I'm now in it. And I'm like, yes, it's every bit as annoying and more than I expected.

[B]

Good luck to you. You're gonna feel so proud and satisfied once it's done. Or broken.

[A]

Or broken.

[B]

But I have faith in you that you can do this.

[A]

Thank you. I did order a new rug from Sweden on Etsy, so we'll see if I get catfished by that.

[B]

Well, Etsy rugs are a journey that I have been through both positively and negatively. So I hope you only have positive experiences.

[A]

I hope so too. Let's take an ad break and then let's get into how our goals are going. This might be an ad, but in last week's episode, we were talking about bedding, and I mentioned that Cozy Earth's bamboo sheets are my absolute favorite. And I mean it. They are so buttery soft. They're really breathable in warm weather, and they get better with every wash. And I also recently ordered a couple of their bamboo stretch knit sleep dresses. For me, bedtime is truly a Cozy Earth affair.

[B]

And you know who also really loves Cozy Earth? It's Jake. He loves their bamboo jogger sets for men and he pretty much only wears. They have these bamboo, like, sleep shorts. They're just really cozy. And he loves them and he wears them around the house all the time. And I am also eyeing for my dad for Father's Day, the everywhere pant and the everyday polo. And I think these would be great gift options for any guy in your

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

When you're traveling this summer, instead of striving for perfect health, aim for supporting foundational health. You can save 25% on your first month at ritual.combadonpaper that's ritual.combadonpaper for 25% off your first month. Okay Olivia, how do you feel like this year is going overall and how do you feel like you're doing on your goals? Before we get into the specifics, I

[B]

feel like it's going pretty good. Honestly. It has been a total blur. Like it has gone by faster than I can remember any year going. And maybe that's just how every year feels as you get older, but it's just been very, very busy. It's part of the reason I'm really glad to be going away for a week and to just have a moment of reset away from everything I Don't know. Personally, I think I'm doing pretty well on my goals for the most part.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How's it going for you?

[A]

I feel so good this year. I'm so excited about my apartment. I'm so relieved to also be in my apartment. I'm so excited about the travel I have coming up this year. I'm excited about turning 40. I'm excited about my second book coming out. I'm excited about working on my third book. Like, I just feel mentally a lot lighter than I have in a couple of years. Like, I feel good regardless of how I'm doing on these goals. And I already know that there's one that I'm absolutely failing at. But on the whole, I think I'm doing pretty well.

[B]

That's awesome. I'm so glad to hear that.

[A]

Yeah. I feel light checking in and I feel like last year. I can't remember if it was last year or the year before. I, like, almost had a breakdown doing this episode. Looking at the goals that I didn't feel like I'd achieved.

[B]

I can't remember. I do remember a very strong reaction to this episode from you, but I don't remember what year it was. But I'm glad to hear that you're. You've turned it all around.

[A]

I feel great. Okay, let's start with your personal goals. What are they? How are you doing?

[B]

Okay. My first one was to continue my strength training routine, which is not very complicated. It's just doing YouTube videos and dumbbells. And my goal was to increase the weights every few months. So I am proud to say that next month I am moving to the 20 pound dumbbells, which feels pretty. Pretty great. I do feel a lot stronger than I have in a while, and I've been doing it pretty consistently, I would say on average three times a week, pretty solidly.

[A]

Look at you, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[B]

Yes, I am very pumped, but it feels really good and it. And sustainable and that's so wonderful and just very balanced. So great doing that. My next goal was to start some sort of a young writers program in the community or to volunteer for one. And I haven't done this yet, but I have connected with an organization in Hudson that works with kids who go to the high school there. And so I talked to the woman in charge of that about maybe starting some sort of an after school writing thing with them. I'm also gonna get in touch with the library. So once I turn this draft in, go on vacation, I'm gonna come back and I Think this is one of the things in the second half of the year that I can focus on more that I feel really strongly about.

[A]

Oh, that's great. That's so great. And I feel like the timing for back to school will give you a few months to plan, and then you can hit the ground running in the fall.

[B]

Yeah, that's. That's a great point. I did momentarily forget that kids don't go to school in the summer.

[A]

I mean, you could just as easily do it as a summer activity, but.

[B]

True, true. Yeah. Yeah. I think that it'll be great timing. Okay, so the next one was kitchen reno, which is happening in the process. It is underway.

[A]

Well, technically you just have kitchen demo done so far.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So hopefully it does get rebuilt.

[B]

Let's hope it starts soon because I would like to, you know, have some kitchen. Although it is going to get worse before it gets better, but this is underway, which feels like progress to me.

[A]

You're such a champ. Like, you feel very chill about. In the conversations we've had offline, too. You feel very chill about this. For literally having a non chill person. No. For literally having, like, an 1800s room as your current kitchen.

[B]

Yes. I'm kind of surprising myself with how, I don't know, okay with it. I am. I did have a bit of a mental breakdown because Jake's parents were visiting and his dad really wanted to take down the drywall, like, as I was actively hosting them there. Can't say that was my finest hour. Emotionally. I was not great with that. And I will have my moments again, I'm sure, but for the most part, I'm just. Honestly, I'm so focused on work stuff that I just don't have the time or energy to care, like, too much.

[A]

That's fair.

[B]

Check back with me. My next goal was to refinish our stairs and our downstairs floors. This I did try to do, because the goal was to do this before the kitchen started for a lot of different reasons, because we're gonna have to refinish the floors in there anyway. And we had a guy come over to get a quote. He never got back to us with a quote, which I was like.

[A]

I got back with a guy who came over to quote wallpaper, and I was like, why would you even come if you don't plan to submit a quote?

[B]

It's like, what a waste of your time. You. You came all the way over here. He was recommended to us. It was so strange. So I did really try, but we were on such a tight timeline with Everything. It is such an annoying process to refinish floors when you have furniture. So it's going to be annoying whatever it happens. But at this point, it's probably. I would say towards the end of the year.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Is when this is going to happen, if it does. And then part of that was to get a stair runner, which cannot happen until we refinish them, so. Tbd.

[A]

I saw an Instagram post yesterday with some fantastic stair runners. I don't know if they're particularly your style, but I'm going to send them to you because they're a little more graphic than I think your style might be. But I loved them.

[B]

There was this fish rug runner that was going around Instagram for a while, and I loved it. I don't think I could commit. I do love fish, but I don't think I could commit to a full fish runner.

[A]

Yeah, you could have a fish, like, powder room, but I feel like a fish stair runner would be tough.

[B]

Yeah. And it's a lot of stairs, so it would be a lot. But I do love a colorful runner, so, yes, please send them.

[A]

Maybe I didn't save it. I can't find it now.

[B]

I'll stay tuned.

[A]

I mean, I said stair runner. So now I'm just gonna get, like, 8 million photos of stair runners. I'll let you know.

[B]

Oh, yeah, It's a lot of rug content coming at you, probably from Google. So the last goal was to tighten and examine my spending habits. Says the woman who just booked an impulsive trip to IR Ireland. But, you know, I have done this. So the first, like, sub point of this was I wanted to keep track of every single thing I bought, including how much I wear certain items when I buy them. So I basically had this.

[A]

That's intense. I remember this now.

[B]

Yes. This running Google spreadsheet. That spoiler I haven't done for the last two months, but I did do for, like, the first four months of the year. And the most helpful part of it to me was that when I would buy buy something, that's, like, out of the norm. So I would buy something at Goodwill, or I would buy something impulsively at T.J. maxx, or I would order a piece of clothing. I would. At the end of the month, whenever I ended up adding it to the list, I would write a note like, why did you do this? Or, this was so not worth it. And for some reason, it really stuck with me when I did that. So that was really, really helpful. Have I done this in two months? No. Does it get very overwhelming when I haven't done it in a while. Yes. So I think I'm in a.

[A]

Have you been buying things in the past two months though?

[B]

Here and there I can think of. Like, I bought rain boots because I needed new rain boots and I was going to Ireland. I brought a rain jacket for the same reason. A couple pieces of clothing here and there. But for the most part, I really haven't been shopping very much. Except for, of course, like house stuff sometimes. And then the other sub points of this were to this new goodwill habit I have, which is to donate something every time I go. And I think in terms of like the donation to purchasing ratio at goodwill, it's like 10 items donated for every one thing bought. If I really haven't purchased much at all, going through your kitchen in full will really make you not want to purchase anything ever again. So. So I've been really quite controlled. My goodwill habit was out of control last year, so I'm glad to have that under wraps. Under wraps? No, under control. But I've said control now five times, so I'm glad to have that in a more manageable level, let's say that. Great. And then, yeah, the last one was just to generally get rid of more than I accumulate. And I really think I've been doing this. In fact, we have an entire dumpster of stuff in the yard right now.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

So, yeah, I think overall a success.

[A]

Great.

[B]

Now let's move on to you.

[A]

Onto me.

[B]

Well, how do you feel overall about personal goals? We'll start there.

[A]

Okay. Looking at these now, there are some I have not done. Okay. So the first one I had was kick my phone out of my bedroom. And I did great at this for the first month until I moved, and then I moved. And my habits have completely changed because I have the TV in my bedroom now. So I've been getting into bed much earlier than I used to. And I bring my phone with me because I'm still texting, whatever, and then I don't take it back out. So what I need to do is. I don't think that the answer is that the phone doesn't come in the bedroom, but it's just like when I turn the lights out, do my final things, I need to go put it in the kitchen. It was making a huge difference when I was doing it. Like, I really liked sleeping without my phone before I moved, but moving just upset my habits.

[B]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. It's a big change.

[A]

Okay. My second one was to take an in person multi session art class, which I still really want to do, but I've made no progress on. I've been a little overwhelmed, but hopefully. I don't know, this might be unrealistic because then I'm going to get into book promo in the fall. So it's like summer travel book promo. I don't know if this is gonna happen, but I would really like it to. And I was actually just talking to somebody the other night who's also a writer, and she was saying that there is a figure drawing class, I don't know, somewhere in Brooklyn. And we were talking about going together. So I feel like I'll at least go to like a one off class. But we might have to save multi session art class for next year.

[B]

Figure drawing seems so intimidating to me. I would be so bad at that. You know, growing up when there was always the kid in class who was like, good at drawing. Never me, not even close. Were you the good at drawing person?

[A]

Secretly, I'm not awful at it. I don't think I will excel at figure drawing. If I was taking an art class, I would want to take probably a watercolor class, but maybe just like a painting class. However, my third book does have a figure drawing plot line in it. So I do have to go to a couple figure drawing classes before the end of the year for research.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So I'm mixing business and pleasure a little bit. My next one was to plan my 40th birthday, which I've half done. So the half that I have done is that I bought six Harry Styles tickets for a few of my best friends, that I'm going to take them to the concert the night after my birthday. He doesn't play my birthday. And I roughly have plans that a bunch of friends are going to come into town. I've like, mentioned it to people. I haven't sent like a save the date, which feels a little aggressive for a 40th birthday. I sent out an inquiry to where I would like to host my 40th birthday dinner. And they said I don't book that far in advance. So I need to reach out July 1st. And I do have like a calendar invite for myself. So I'm like on the road but not there.

[B]

You're at kind of the fun part where you can just kind of make a Pinterest board and go from there. Are we not in the.

[A]

No. I mean, I don't think that there's going to be a lot of like aesthetic elements to it.

[B]

Okay. It's not themed or anything?

[A]

No, it's just gonna be a dinner and then the next night, the Harry Styles concert.

[B]

That sounds.

[A]

I care more about the people who are there than, like, how it looks. Although I wanna. I want a great outfit.

[B]

Of course. Of course.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you have your eye on any sort of dresses or outfits, or are you just kind of gonna see where the road takes you?

[A]

Haven't thought about it? Not there yet.

[B]

Well, that sounds very fun.

[A]

Okay, my next one. I've knocked out of the park. Decorate my dream office. I am 90% there on the office. The only thing I need to do is I have a corkboard that needs to get hung and then lamps. Oh, and window treatments.

[B]

Very close, very close, very close. And it's beautiful.

[A]

It makes me so happy. It's so spacious. I love my zoom background. Like, I cannot believe that this has only been my office for a few months.

[B]

Me either. It really does feel like it's like, always fit within your life.

[A]

Yeah. I'm so happy about my office.

[B]

That's great.

[A]

My next one was that I wanted to hand paint cards for important people in my lives. Birthdays. I have done this sometimes. I've not done this always. I missed your birthday. I missed.

[B]

That's okay.

[A]

I missed a couple birthdays. I have not been painting as much since I moved, and I would like to remedy that, but I'm not in a good groove. And so the other weekend, I took out paint supplies because it was my friend Allie's birthday and I painted her a card. But I was, like, stressed doing it because it was like, something that I needed to check off my to do list versus, like, oh, let me sit down and paint. So I have done this for some people, and everyone I've done it for has loved the cards that I've made them. Like, it's such a fun thing. Like, I love gifting as a love language, giving gifts. And it makes me happy when other people like them. But I haven't done perfectly.

[B]

It's a big undertaking. I mean, I. I feel like the art of the card is kind of dying anyway, just getting a card and sending it. So hand painting, though, I mean, it's a whole other thing. Yeah, but maybe it's a matter of, like, you just have a day where you paint a bunch of them. You, like, put on something fun on TV while it's on your bedroom. But I don't know, you listen to an audiobook and then you have them.

[A]

Maybe I don't want to do that, though. Like, that seems, like, productive. But I want it to be enjoyable for me too. I don't know. Okay, we'll figure it out.

[B]

Or we won't. No pressure.

[A]

Who cares? My last one is weights three times a week and I would say I have probably done weights 3 times total this year. So not nailing it.

[B]

So half.

[A]

Well, I don't know that that's.

[B]

If you delete week, it's. If you delete weeks in the outline, it's just three times. So success.

[A]

And then I had a secret goal that I didn't say on the podcast last time because I hadn't talked about my new apartment yet and I didn't want to jinx anything. Yeah, a secret goal. My secret goal is that I want to pay an extra mortgage payment this year. And I don't know if you feel this way. I'm obsessed with paying my mortgage. It feels gamified in some way where then when you pay a little extra, it tells you how much you save. And I'm like, oh my God, the savings. I love putting a little extra towards my mortgage. I don't know that I'm at a full extra payment yet, but I'm. I think I'm close. I might even get two extra payments in because I am weirdly obsessed with paying my mortgage.

[B]

Well, good for you.

[A]

Thanks.

[B]

I mean, good homeowner.

[A]

Thanks. Let's take another ad break and then we'll get to professional goals. I have been doing quite a bit of shopping on Wayfair lately. It's where I got my dining room chairs, a new curved bookshelf for my living room, even the paper towel holder under my cabinets, and the light up magnifying mirror I just got for my bathroom. I love knowing that if there's something ultra specific that I'm looking for, I can find it with Wayfair's huge selection and their incredible filters to narrow it down to exactly what I want.

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[A]

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[B]

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[B]

Yes, this year has gone by so fast, but it does feel like this was so long ago. So my first goal regarding Little One was to finish promo strong and focus on gratitude and confidence. I mentioned Little Pod here, which is the sort of mini series companion podcast I launched in connection with Little One. Also Tour did all of that. I think I did pretty well. I think for the most part with Little One I was so much more confident than I was with my first novel and even still I just I notice how much lighter I am about the whole experience. Of course I have like things that I wish were bigger or better, like I'm sure everyone does with every book they have, but for the most part I just. I think I did the absolute best I could do with it and in every regard, and I'm proud of what I created, and I am ready to. To move on. I think that's the tough part is for me, it's like I put everything I have into the lead up to the book coming out, getting pre orders, I go put everything I have into going on tour, and then I almost mentally, spiritually, emotionally have to shift towards the next thing or I find it's just suffocating. But that's not really how book promo works, I think. I don't know how you feel about this, but I. I feel like there's this mindset where you had to be promoting it all the time, and I just don't have the fortitude to do that.

[A]

I did not feel that pressure because my first book was a Christmas book. So it was like, well, you gotta promote it through December and then you're done.

[B]

That is handy.

[A]

So I didn't feel any pressure. And this one is slightly holiday y, but less so. So my hope is that sales continue into the new year and nobody feels like, oh, my gosh, I can only read this in December, so we'll see how I feel this time. But that wasn't anything I dealt with. But I'm so glad to hear that you feel like this felt lighter for you mentally, and you accomplished this goal. And I'm hoping to emulate this with my second publication.

[B]

Yeah, I wish nothing but the best for you. Also, I think I might be better able to continuously promote Little One once I am out of the deep, dark writing cave that I have been in for many, many months.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

Which was my next goal, literally, was return to the writing cave and dedicate entire year to book three. So really, I've been working on this, this draft since February 23rd. I just hit 100,000 words today. Wow. And I started from zero. I had half of it, probably.

[A]

That's incredible.

[B]

But I just have been. Thank you. I've been really working as hard as I've ever worked on a draft, which I guess I say every time, but hey, that's the goal, right? So, yeah, I think once I'm sort of. I hand it over to my editor, I take a step back, I can breathe a little bit, I take a break. I think I'll be able to balance whatever comes next a little bit better, including promotion of Little One. So, yeah, I think I did pretty well in these first two.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So far. And my next goal was to nail down the concept and One page synopsis for book four.

[A]

Oh, this is wild. I forgot this was one of your goals.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I kind of did too. But I do have to say, as I reach sort of the end, it's kind of the beginning in some ways, but the end of Blue House. I am getting excited about book 4. I do have an idea. I've been starting to flesh it out, to talk through it when I'm driving alone. My plan right now is to try to meet with my agent, have a call or something, and to be like, hey, is this the stupidest thing you've ever heard in your life? Or maybe per our conversation on the last episode, I think I might have a day where I just sort of do nothing but brainstorm. Like a Saturday afternoon or something. I take myself to coffee and I just write as many pitches as I can think of. I just let my brain go wild. And then if I still am more drawn to this other idea, maybe I'll go from there. But while I have a little lull, while my editor has my pages, I think I'm gonna really flesh out this idea for book four. So then the next time I have a break, I can start writing.

[A]

Wow, that's so hyper productive of you. I'm happy for you to write it, but also, if you need rest, that is valid too.

[B]

Well, hey, I'm going to Ireland. I really am, so. Well, I don't know why I said that.

[A]

Like I'm convincing myself as if you've been lying. Like this whole thing is a ruse. Nobody thought that until you said that in that way.

[B]

It's true. I don't know.

[A]

It's.

[B]

It's Friday afternoon. I've probably written 20,000 words this week. I'm just. I'm Michelle. But I love the feeling about being excited about the next thing. And I remember like a year ago I had this thought of, like, how am I ever going to come up with another idea ever?

[A]

It does feel impossible until you do.

[B]

Yeah. And let alone one I'm really excited about, but this one, I am very much so. So, yeah, I think we'll. We'll get this for sure. My next one was to continue screening books for the podcast and celebrating and uplifting my very favorites. And this meant getting on netgalley actively requesting advanced copies, which I have been doing. And yeah, I think I could always be better about having even more books on my radar and being more strategic. Maybe, But I think for the most part, I've been pretty good at this.

[A]

Hooray. Hooray for all of us for the book club benefiting.

[B]

Yes. And finally, one I didn't do, will not do. We'll cross off this list is the Cotswolds reading and writing retreat, which I still would like to do, but I think, first of all, it's gonna be dependent on the timing of Blue House. And secondly, it's not gonna happen this year regardless.

[A]

You got a lot on your plate.

[B]

Yeah, it's a lot. I. Yeah, I'm good. But this is still a dream, for sure.

[A]

Amazing. That feels like, check, check, check, check, check, don't care. Pushing to next year.

[B]

Yes. Yeah, it feels very solid. I feel proud, like I've worked as hard as I could, can work, and that's all I can ask of myself. I think that's great. And to feel happy mentally, physically, emotionally, at the same time, of course, which I do. That's great. And I'm grateful for that. Okay, talk to me about your professional goals. How are we doing? Where are we?

[A]

I think we're doing good. My first one was to write two drafts of book three. I'm about a third of a way into a first draft, so I'm going slow, but I'm still on track. I think we'll see. My rough goal is to hopefully finish a first draft by the end of the summer, and then, I don't know, I hope that I can just kind of then pivot and start polishing it up. I already have a lot of ideas of what I know I want to fix and change, but book two's publication might, I don't know, waylay me mentally or time wise. So I hope I'm on track for this. I'd like to be. My second one I have done. I think it is both my most important goal and the one I've done the best at, which is curate more lightness around writing and have fun and be consistent. And I feel so different than I did during book two. I just feel like I'm giving myself so much more grace. I'm not freaking out. Like, this week I kind of lost my way a little bit, and I didn't know what came next. And I think I figured my way out of that already. And, like, I'm just not panicking as much. I'm giving myself more ease if I need it because all of these goals are completely made up. I feel really good.

[B]

I'm so glad to hear this for both of these things. I'm sure they're connected, by the way, but I agree. That's wonderful. That's so Nice.

[A]

It feels much better. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Good.

[A]

My next one is to approach book two publication as a celebration. I've not done this, but I've not not done this, to be honest. I was talking to a writer friend last week and she was asking me how I felt about back where we started coming out. And I was like, well, it doesn't feel real. In my head, I've started writing book three. It doesn't fully penetrate for me that book two hasn't come out yet and that it will come out and the world isn't also onto book three with me. So it's kept me really chill. Like, I feel very zen about the whole thing, but I'm not really approaching it as anything right now.

[B]

Yeah, it's hard to have the reaction that you think you should have when you just sit with it for so long.

[A]

I think this is much better because I was panicking. I was like, should more things be happening? How is it gonna go in the lead up to my debut? And this time I just feel. Even if it's because of a mental glitch where it doesn't feel real, I'm like, whatever.

[B]

Yeah, I think it's healthy. I really do. Just to kind of take the emotions as they come and not be too high or too low.

[A]

Inside of two months, I'll have to, you know, kind of, like, really buckle down and, like, promotion efforts. But I'm like, I'm so grateful to everyone who has pre ordered already. I think it's a tough ask to get some people to pre order that far in advance for a book. So it's like, let's talk in a couple months.

[B]

Yeah, you've got time.

[A]

I've got time. My next one was to promote our podcast, Book Club Picks. And I think I've done a good job of this. I have taken a photo and put it on my grid every single month for our book club picks. And tonight after we record, I'm about to go play mahjong on my friend Merit's roof. And I already texted our group chat and I was like, I need somebody to take a photo of me tonight, and I'm gonna bring almost life with me. I could do better. Maybe I should put it in my newsletter too. But I'm like, I want people to read along with our book club and know what the picks are and not have to go hunting for them.

[B]

I really admire this. I feel my social media skills plummeting into the depths of hell. And even my own book. I hate how I look holding a Book.

[A]

It's awkward.

[B]

I don't know what it is awkward.

[A]

And then at some points, I'm like, my whole grid is just me holding different books.

[B]

But you look great. It really does give this vibe of, like, I am a taste.

[A]

I am Reese Witherspoon.

[B]

I am a taste maker. I stand by that. Or Reese Witherspoon. But, yeah, I think it's awesome. I really admire it. I'm trying and appreciate it.

[A]

I'm trying. I'm ready. I'm ready to get our own little sticker and just start gorilla putting them on books in bookstores.

[B]

Oh, that. Do you think that's illegal?

[A]

Probably.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's probably, like, defacing property.

[B]

Sure. Well, for a good cause.

[A]

Yeah. Are we a good cause?

[B]

Just two white women who need some. Who need a publicity boost. I think people will understand.

[A]

Yeah, the public is notoriously understanding about that. Okay. My next one was don't read mean things about myself on the Internet. 1 know what I haven't done? Read mean things about myself on the Internet.

[B]

Oh, yay. That's great.

[A]

Thrilled. Thrilled.

[B]

If there was anyone in here, I was like, I hope this. I hope this is the one.

[A]

Haven't done it in a good way. In. In the right. Yes. Haven't done it in the correct way.

[B]

That's excellent.

[A]

My next one was more writing community. I've done okay at this. I did accept. Another writer had DMed me. We'd been trying to, like, make plans to get a coffee or something, and it just never happened. And she said, hey, I'm like, meeting a bunch of writer friends for a cocktail or mocktail this week. Do you want to come? And I didn't have plans. And I was like, sure. And I'm so happy I went. So I want to do a better job both going to things and then also planning things. So I don't think I've gotten five stars on this, but I've gotten three solid.

[B]

Still half a year to go.

[A]

My next one. I probably should have done some research on this in advance to see how I'm doing, but I'm just going to tell you my gut feeling. So my next was to grow substack free subscribers and revenue by 20%. And one thing I said about that was I wasn't sure if the way I was going to grow the revenue was by getting 20% more paid subscribers. It might be in the form of more sponsorships. And I think I have been getting more sponsorships that I'm. I put in Sunday sundries. Hopefully they're not obtrusive. They're all things that I really like. So it doesn't feel icky to me at all. But I think this is going well. I feel really good about the newsletter. I don't know. I'm trying to. I like, I pulled up my stats and I'm like, yeah, I think I'm on track. I think I'm on track to grow free subscribers by 20% revenue. I don't know, but I hope so.

[B]

Congrats. That's amazing.

[A]

I feel really good about the newsletter and I feel more confident in thinking of the newsletter as a business this year as opposed to like a little side hustle, hobby, cutesy, dismissive way to talk about it.

[B]

Yeah. I mean you should. It's a major source of income.

[A]

Yeah. And then my last one was show up joyfully, slash unapologetically on social. Basically ignore the fact that people are probably going to say mean things about me somewhere on the Internet, but I'm not going to read them. I've done okay at this. There have been like a few weeks where I'm like, yeah, I'm going to like post on my grid more. I like just haven't been posting that much. So it's not for any fear or like mind fuckery. It's just I haven't been there yet. I will be when I have to promote my book, but I feel. I feel empowered.

[B]

Awesome. That's all that matters.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So really you don't want to be there if you don't want to be there, you know.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

That's counterintuitive to everything.

[A]

Totally. Yeah. I feel really good about everything. I'm just really. I need to kick my phone out of my bedroom and then, I mean, for my old lady body, I probably should lift weights three times a week instead of just three times a year.

[B]

Maybe four times a year.

[A]

I feel confident I can get to. I can double where I am and get six times a year, but I don't think that's good enough.

[B]

I think you're doing great. All of these are awesome. So much growth and happiness and what more can you ask for? Really?

[A]

Yeah. I said at the beginning of the meat of this episode, like, I feel really good and if I'm achieving my goals, great. But like the fact that I feel good is an accomplishment in and of itself.

[B]

Always.

[A]

Always. Let's get out of here and let's get into some n.

[B]

What are you obsessed with?

[A]

Okay, so I made a small purchase, smallish purchase that has made me so happy. So I got a new, you know, like, in your kitchen for your cooking utensils. Like the vessel for that.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I'm not sure what to call it. They call it a crock on the website and that feels very unnatural to me.

[B]

I will say that I saw the outline and I was like, what is a utensil crock? And I was thinking of a croc, AKA my shoe of choice now. But now that I think of it in those terms, utensil croc does seem right.

[A]

It does. Like, it doesn't seem natural to me, but it. I agree.

[B]

It's like jug.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Container.

[A]

I literally had. I had the Ikea, the perforated Ikea one that I've had for probably 15 years since I moved to New York. And it's so ugly. But it was something I was just home blind to and I'd never thought about. So now I got a light blue one. And then I also. I feel like the whole Internet was up in arms about, like, the black plasticky cooking utensils maybe last year.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

And I've always. I can't keep track to get rid of them, but just never remembered to. And so last weekend, I bought some new ones on Williams Sonoma. I got like a set of. I think they're walnut, you know, spoons, spatula, tongs, like, all the stuff. A soup ladle. It's prettier. But then it's also. I don't know, I haven't cooked with it. I don't know if it's functionally good, but it just makes me happy to see. It's just one of those eyesore things that, like, if I tuned into it, I was like, this makes me angry. It's so ugly. But, like, never thought to replace it.

[B]

I totally understand. When we cleaned out our kitchen, we got rid of so much and there were so many things I was like, why do I still own this? I have not used this once. Or it's hideous. And I don't feel compelled now to replace the items that are hideous and old and don't work well. But I'm sure once the kitchen is done, I'll be like, it's time. It's time for a ladle upgrade.

[A]

Yeah. You know what I need to do, which I'm not willing to put as a full goal, but, like, it's like a lowercase G goal. I need to reorganize a lot of my kitchen. Like, I just moved in and I just shoved shit in places where it fit because I wanted it out of boxes. But There were certain things where I was like, this makes no sense being here and I need to take a weekend. And some of the things are fine, but there's specifically like three cabinets that make no sense, that I need to like, pull everything out and make it make sense.

[B]

That's not a fun chore. No, I not. I even enjoy organization. And that to me just sounds worth it. Yes. But painful.

[A]

It's just like, why are the colanders on the shelf that I can't reach without a ladder? Like, that makes no sense. Like there's just some things functionality wise that it will make my life so much easier if I fix it. But fixing it feels like a very steep hill. What about you? What are you obsessed with?

[B]

Well, spoiler. We just recorded yesterday. I cannot say I am newly obsessed with anything in the last 24 hours except the concept of writing the words the end, which is pretty much all I see when I close my eyes, but kind of a new obsession. Been thinking about our first lines episode.

[A]

Oh, I can't wait for that. I can't wait. We scheduled it also for the first episode of August.

[B]

Yes. So I am kind of obsessed with that.

[A]

Me too.

[B]

Well, what are you reading?

[A]

Okay, so I haven't finished anything, but I'll tell you what's in progress because I feel pretty safe about these things. We don't usually talk about what's in progress in case, you know, we have to give a negative progress report. But okay, so for reading research, I am currently reading the Nest by Cynthia Dupree Sweeney, which is her book prior to Lake Effect Olivia. Apparently I read this in 2016. I gave it four stars on Goodreads. I have no memory of anything in this book. Like, nothing is ringing a bell for me. So I feel confident that I'll like it. But do I remember reading it in 2016? No. That's wild, isn't it?

[B]

But the same with me. I remember reading the book a long time ago, really liking it, couldn't remember anything. I still have it, but sometimes when

[A]

I reread something, it like jogs my memory and none of this feels familiar.

[B]

So this came out in 2016?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So there were 10 years between her two books?

[A]

I guess so.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah. So I'm reading this as research because it's multi pov and so I'm trying to like. And it's also a family story, so I'm like trying to read a bunch of multi POV family stories. And so I went back to it and then I'm also reading for Pleasure Ungodly rich by Katherine McGee, who wrote the American Royal series. And this is her new book that comes out in July. And the pitch of it is it's basically Greek gods reimagined as this, like, billionaire family who's the head of a LVMH style conglomerate.

[B]

Hmm. I'm seeing a lot of, like, myth retellings happening.

[A]

It's interesting. You know what it reminds me of in such a positive way is Crazy Rich Asians. So it's about a mortal woman who is dating this man who's secretly a God, and he kind of comes back into the fold of his family, and she goes to this family reunion, and it reminds me of crazy rich Asians. Content wise, not voice wise, because Crazy Rich Asians has a very specific voice that some people dislike, I happen to love. But yeah, it has very crazy rich Asians vibes, which I love. Like, it's like kind of like crazy rich Asians meet succession.

[B]

That's fun.

[A]

It's very fun. It's, like, delicious. And I love. I feel like Katherine McGee does such a great job with world building, where it's not as intense as in a Romantasy novel, where you have a whole different world. It's just like, oh, it's our world. But there are some things that are slightly different, and I love that. So hopefully I will be telling you that I'm done with both of these next time we chat. And I don't know, we're gonna have to have a whole carve out for books because I feel like we're both going on vacation. We're not recording again for over two weeks. It's gonna be a book bonanza. But what are you reading right now?

[B]

Exciting. Exciting. I can't wait. Okay, so I finished Kate Broad's next book, which I'm not gonna talk about too much in detail because I don't think it's been announced yet.

[A]

Oh, weird.

[B]

I could be wrong, but I read a very early copy of it. She wrote the book Greenwich, which came out last year, and it has that amazing cover with that sort of Greenwich scene in the Black Drip. Yeah. And I just. I love how she writes psychological suspense, I think I sent this in the blurb I wrote, but I really think she is doing it as well as anyone right now. And so I was so thrilled and honored to read her next book. And I loved it. It was just pitch perfect thriller for me.

[A]

Oh, that's exciting.

[B]

With a literary bend. Very sexy, very dark. But anyway, keep an eye out for that if you Liked Greenwich as well. And then I'm also reading a few different things, one of which is a book about letters in bottles.

[A]

That sounds very you. You're in your seafaring reading chapter.

[B]

And, like, I really am. Cheek was like, what is this? And I was like, the best thing I've read in a while, actually, nonfiction wise. Anyway, I forget the name of it, but that did arrive yesterday and I read half of it before I went to bed last night. Wow. It is sort of for research, but I find it really interesting. Anyway, so I. I'm also reading Once There Were wolves by Charlotte McConaughey, which is the only book of hers I have not read. Obviously loved Wild Dark Shore. And I also love Migrations, although not as much as Wild Dark Shore. But this one I've tried before and I. I didn't get into it. It's about reintroducing wolves to Scotland.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And the sort of, like, scientist doing it.

[A]

This feels very appropriate based on your upcoming travel.

[B]

Oh, yeah. I do have an Ireland specific book that I'm taking with me. I don't expect to be reading too much cause we're doing a lot of driving. But I am bringing a Claire Keegan novella, which I'm excited about. But anyway, I'm not totally clicking with Once There were wolves 100% yet, but she's just such a beautiful writer, so I am enjoying it on a line level immensely.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And then this morning I started Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns, which was a Jenna's Book Club pick a few months ago. And this is about a few different things, but I think it's about a musician who goes missing and no one knows what happened to her. And so far I'm only like maybe 50 pages in. So far. I love it. Wow.

[A]

Okay, we're gonna have a lot to report back on next week.

[B]

Yes, so much. Get ready, everyone.

[A]

But in the meantime, if you want something that we have finished and loved, well, half of us have. Olivia has. Tell us about our book club pick for June.

[B]

Yes, it is Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. This is a story of two women who meet in Paris in the 1970s and fall in love. And their relationship takes many twists and turns over the course of decades. It's just a gorgeous romance. So atmospheric. If you are going to Paris, you must read this. Although it's set in many other places as well. But yeah, can't wait to discuss.

[A]

I can't wait to read this. If you would like more of us, you can join us in the Facebook group under Baton Paper Podcast. You can join us in the BFF group also under Baton Paper podcast on Instagram badonpaper podcast. I am on Instagram ecamfreeman. My newsletter is beccafreeman substack.com and my next book comes out in October. It's called Back where We Started and if you would like to support me, the best thing you can do right now is pre order it. I think it's a little too early for anything else like requesting from libraries, but I appreciate the support and you

[B]

can find me oliviamentor on Instagram and substack and everywhere.

[A]

See you next week. Bye Bye.