Reading:

In November, I read 4 books!

Such a dip from last month and my reading streak from the summer! I really think Maya Henry's "Looking Forward" put me in a massive reading slump -- I read it on my iPhone because even though it's on Kindle Unlimited, it's not compatible with my Kindle Paperwhite because it's a full color illustrated book that doesn't adapt it's page formatting to the Kindle. I had to zoom in every single page just to see the words on my phone lol but I was determined.

Obviously, this was a really heavy read (if you don't know the context, Google it because boy oh boy) -- Maya Henry has a lot of strength in sharing her story, but the book definitely needed an editor (she self published). It was entirely too long and there were a lot of spelling errors I found. I'm glad I read it but I would not recommend -- I'm sure there's a podcast episode recap you could find that would get you what I ultimately was looking for (the story vs. story_telling_, ya know?)

The bright spot of the month was HERETIC, which is our November Sapph-Lit pick -- I'm interviewing the author this weekend so join us on Zoom for that!

I'm also CURRENTLY reading a very exciting submission to Sapph-Lit's imprint...stay tuned for more and join our membership for updates!

Eating:

This month's TikTok recipe fixation

I've been loving the account Here's Your Bite and when I was feeling under the weather this month, I made her pastina recipe! It was so easy to make and incredibly filling, it felt like a warm hug <3

Playing:

I'm still holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity <3

Like everyone else in queer media and beyond, Wicked has completely taken over my life and algorithm. I grew up loving Wicked and I'm seeing the movie tonight!! Aside from that, I've been loving the below songs on repeat (Defying Gravity is on this playlist too, don't worry)!

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Obsessing:

**Ella Dawson's Podcast, REBEL EVER AFTER **

Fight fascism, form community, and fall in love with Rebel Ever After, a new romance podcast. Join sex & culture critic and BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY author Ella Dawson as she interviews her favorite authors about writing swoony, sexy and progressive romance novels.

Ella Dawson is one of my favorite people and wrote one of my favorite books BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY, and she just launched a podcast! Her guests so far have been amazing and their conversations are both deeply interesting and incredibly uplifting as someone in the publishing / writing space. We love a podcast that cheers us up and makes us feel less alone <3

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Recommending:

Sapph-Lit's December book!

It's been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she's doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane's sister Adele also brought a friend home--and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton.

Purchase from our affiliate shop here to support Sapph-Lit, and become a paid Bindery member to help us choose what books we vote on each month!

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Treating:

What I got during BFCM weekend!

I get *all* of my holiday shopping done during BFCM, and of course Small Business Saturday too! After being on a no buy for the first 6 months of the year, I decided to treat myself and my loved ones a little bit. Here's a sneak peek at some of my favorite purchases! Comment below if you want links to anything :)

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See you at the end of the year for my next REPORT!

xx Nina