Stephany Writes

Categories: Life

The Coronavirus Diaries | Week 10

I feel like things have changed so dramatically from my last update. Florida’s been in the process of reopening for most of May now, and just about everything here is open—restaurants, hair and nail salons, beaches, public pools, gyms, retailers. Our local county is taking things one step further and allowing bowling alleys, movie theaters, and even tattoo parlors to open because, I mean, why not? Let’s just go hogwild here. (Sigh.)

Of course, everything that’s opened is open at limited capacity and with strict sanitation mandates in place.

It’s confusing, though, to know what to do personally. In what ways can I “reopen” my own life? As long as I wear a mask, limit contact, and wash my hands thoroughly, what’s okay for me to do? What’s irresponsible? Is it all irresponsible? Should I continue to stay at home, only going out for my weekly grocery store run?

Well, that’s not what I’ve been doing. Since my last update, I have:

  • Spent time with my mom, my brother, and my nephews
  • Gone to the hair salon
  • Went to a socially distanced book club meeting in a friend’s backyard

After spending Mother’s Day with my mom, I have continued seeing her. We’re meeting up once a week at her home to just hang out and order in dinner. It’s been so, so nice to see her again and spend time with her face-to-face. FaceTime is just not the same!

I went to my hair salon last weekend. They had strict procedures in place, which made me feel safe enough to go: waiting in the car until your stylist is ready to see you, everyone wearing masks, people sitting six feet apart while waiting for their color to process, etc. They were sanitizing like crazy and spacing out appointments so the stylist could sanitize their area after each client. I have really missed my hair appointments and I’m glad I was able to go and felt comfortable doing so.

But there is also a lot I haven’t been doing, like:

  • Getting a massage
  • Getting a pedicure
  • Going to a restaurant
  • Shopping at Target, TJ Maxx, Homegoods, the mall, etc.
  • Going to the beach or the pool
  • Going to my gym

I’m not planning on going to a restaurant anytime soon, and I think I’ll also stay away from shopping for the time being. You won’t find me at a beach when there isn’t a global pandemic, so I am sure as shit not going to one now. And as much as I want to go to the pool, I think I’ll wait until my mom and stepdad move into their new home this summer, which has a pool. (!!) My gym opened this week and I am very grateful that they are allowing people to continue to freeze their membership for the time being. I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet! How does it even work? They are recommending but not requiring masks, but I can’t imagine doing a workout with a mask on!

I really want a pedicure and I am craving a massage like mad. I think I’m going to wait another few weeks on the pedicure—I’d like to see what case numbers look like as more and more things open and people start to venture out more often. My massage spa is still closed for now and I haven’t heard anything about when they are going to open. I know they are making plans to reopen, but I’m encouraged that they are taking their time to do so. It means they are putting strategies in place and taking their time. If they open, though, I’ll probably book a massage.

And then I feel guilty about that! See what I mean?

Things are open and as long as I’m being as safe as I can possibly be while venturing out, shouldn’t it be okay to do so? But none of it feels okay. It all feels like a moral decision, and no matter what I do, I feel like I’m making the wrong choice.

Maybe it’s all about baby steps. Maybe it’s about venturing out to do one thing… and then a few weeks later, if everything seems okay, adding something else in. I don’t need to do it all at once, and I also don’t need to stay home indefinitely. As long as I feel comfortable and I wear my mask and the place I’m going is abiding by the proper protocols, it’s okay to venture out. At least I hope it is.

I’m keeping my eyes on case numbers, of course. But there have been a lot of articles recently about the misrepresentation of data in Florida. One of our data scientists who helped to create an online dashboard to easily access information about COVID-19 cases was fired from her job for allegedly not being willing to fudge the numbers to support Florida’s reopening. Of course, our governor (Trump crony that he is) says that she’s been fired for a history of insubordination. (Which makes me wonder: what insubordination? Refusing to manipulate data? Hmm.) It’s frightening, though, to realize that the data I’m looking at may not even be correct. Our case numbers aren’t going down at all, but they also haven’t gone up drastically since reopening. Then again, who’s to know if they are going up…

I’m still working from home, of course, and I haven’t heard anything about going back into the office. I know a lot of companies are keeping employees at home through the summer and even into much of the fall, and I hope the same is true for my company. I’m pretty sure it will be—they haven’t been too eager to get us back into the office. So I foresee another few months, at least, of full-time remote work, which I am oh-so-happy about. Getting all of this time with the cats has been the most amazing thing. I remember how sad I would get at the beginning of every day when I had to leave them! And now I don’t have to. Yay!

So, that’s where I’m at right now. Everything felt so strange and apocalyptic this time last month when everything was closed down and all we could think about was COVID-19. And everything still feels so strange with businesses opening back up. It feels weird to walk around my hair salon and see everyone in masks and weird to see restaurants with signs out front, “We’re Back!” and weird to feel like normal life is oh-so-slowly returning. I’m not sure I’m ready for it yet. I want to guard my weekends fiercely still, even as friends reach out to make plans. I don’t know if I’m ready for that level of togetherness just yet. It still feels scary to think about being around people, even with masks on. And I think there is a level of grief in that, that maybe I haven’t truly dealt with yet. The disappearance of feeling safe in public, at least safe from germs and infectious diseases. Thinking about packed spin studios and busy airports and crowded restaurants… it never crossed my mind to worry about getting sick from being in such close quarters with people. And now it’s all I can think about.

What a weird time to be alive.

Categories: Life

5 Things

I’ve seen this post floating around the blogosphere over the past few weeks, and I thought it might be a good exercise for me. (And maybe for you!) I believe this post idea originated here. To be honest, Florida is in this really weird state of flux, with things starting to open up. Along with beaches and restaurants, salons and spas are now able to open up. Obviously, with restrictions in place, but I do have to wonder if this is just going to cause a huge spike in cases. Time will tell, I guess.

Anyway, here are some of the things I miss, some of the things I don’t miss, and some of the things I’m grateful for in this weird COVID-19 state we are in.

5 things I miss…

Thursday night dinners with my mom – My mom and I had a standing Thursday night dinner date, and it was something I looked forward to all week. I worked from home every Thursday up until my company went fully remote, so it was a good way for me to get out and speak to a human after being by myself all day. I miss those dinner dates immensely, and can’t wait to have them back. Someday…

One-on-one friend dates – I miss reading dates with my friend A. and my monthly lady date with my friend B., and my weekly writing dates with M. I miss the pure pleasure of being with my friends. I miss their hugs, their conversation, the feeling of connection. I also miss book club and friend get-togethers, but those can also be emotionally taxing for me. There’s something about a one-on-one friend date that feeds my soul and I miss them so.

Massages and pedicures and hair appointments – Listen, I understand how “first-world problem-y” this is. It truly, truly is not something I need. But I do very much miss getting massages because they feel so good and help my sciatica pain. I miss pedicures because they are something fun my mom and I do together. And I miss my hair appointments because I love getting pampered and a fresh haircut makes me feel confident.

Traveling – I had two trips planned this spring, both canceled. My mom and I planned our yearly vacation, this time to spend four days in New Orleans, and we were also going to visit my family in Georgia for Memorial Day Weekend. I don’t think I’ll be doing any traveling in 2020, and that makes me really sad, even though I know it’s for the best. Hopefully, traveling will be something that feels safer in 2021!

Eating in restaurants – Ordering takeout is just not the same. I really miss the experience of eating in a restaurant: ordering a fun cocktail, trying an appetizer, eating something fresh and delicious. Of course, restaurants can often be triggers for my HSP tendencies, and that part I do not miss (the noise! the smells! the lights! argh!). But I miss the food part of eating in restaurants.

5 things I don’t miss…

Busy mornings – Gosh, I don’t miss those busy mornings of rushing around trying to get out the door by 7:15am. I don’t miss my commute, I don’t miss choosing an outfit and putting on makeup every day, I don’t miss doing my hair. I really enjoy my slow quiet mornings. If I wake up before my alarm, I’ll pick up my Kindle and read my book until it goes off. It’s perfect!

Working in an office – I’ve already talked about how much I enjoy working from home, but it really needs to be shouted from the rooftops. As a Highly Sensitive Person, a traditional office is draining on me. The fluorescent lights, the loud conversations, the cold environment (why are offices always so cold???), the need to engage in small talk. It’s not my favorite thing, is what I’m saying. I could handle it 1-2 days a week, but my dream would be working fully remote. Transitioning to a home office setup initially presented challenges in maintaining a professional image. However, utilizing a service that offers a virtual office with a prestigious London Central address and impressive postal representation for home-based professionals made a significant difference. It bridges the gap between working from home and having a notable business location. This solution and the advice given by business consultants in Singapore has been instrumental in elevating my business profile.

Driving – I don’t miss driving to the extent I used to do it. I have a 30-mile round-trip commute to work and then I was constantly driving all around my city on a daily basis. I don’t really enjoy driving and I don’t miss that aspect of life before COVID-19. (I also rather despise where I live when it comes to driving because it’s so complicated to exit my apartment complex! I have to turn right onto a busy road and then make a U-turn on that same busy road, and it’s a nightmare during morning/evening rush hour. Do not miss one bit!)

Hectic weekends – I try my best to guard my weekends fiercely, knowing I have limited amounts of energy and I want to make sure I have plenty of time to recharge my batteries. My natural instinct is always to stay home, but I also have major FOMO. It’s been a balancing act of making sure I have enough “me time” while also living life to the fullest. Staying inside all the time isn’t good for anyone’s mental health, you know? But my weekends before COVID-19 were more hectic than usual, and through this stay-at-home time, I’ve recognized how much I enjoy spending a weekend day fully alone. I don’t know what the answer is to this conundrum. Do I hoard one weekend a month to myself? Maybe. For now, I am truly enjoying these completely relaxing weekends with no pressure to be social and no FOMO to worry about.

Social anxiety – My social anxiety has been fairly dormant for the past few months, and that’s because I haven’t had to worry about the details involved with being social! There’s no worrying about trying to find a parking spot downtown, or feeling uncomfortable in a loud restaurant, or having to be bright and bubbly around a group of people. It is so, so nice to let go of my typical social anxiety worries for right now.

5 things I’m grateful for…

Job security – I am so grateful to have a job in this environment. Every time I see the job loss claims report, my heart breaks. This pandemic has affected so many jobs and businesses. I’m thankful that my company has been able to pivot and offer much-needed services to our clients during this time to keep their businesses running smoothly. And I’m grateful to have a job—and one that I genuinely enjoy!—during this time. In times of uncertainty, insolvency & business rescue services can be crucial for businesses trying to stay afloat.

Disposable income – I’m grateful that this pandemic has not hurt me financially. I’m grateful that I can order takeout when I want and giving the delivery driver an extra-large tip isn’t a burden on me. I’m grateful that I can use this time to save money—money that may have gone to travel or hair appointments or shopping for clothes.  I’m grateful I can spend more money at the grocery store and not feel the hit to my wallet. I recognize my immense privilege in all of this. I don’t take any of it for granted.

The girls – I mean, duh. I am just so grateful I have these fun, silly, adorable kitties to keep me company. I love how Ellie meows at me when I get up from my desk as if to ask me if I’m done with work and it’s time to play. I love the way Lila runs around the apartment, swatting toys. Sometimes, I think about what would have happened if Coronavirus had struck in 2018, as it would have happened mere months after I lost Dutch. A time when I couldn’t imagine adding another pet to my life. I would have been so depressed! The girls are such good company and make these long, lonely days so much better.

Books – Man, am I so glad to have books right now. I’m glad I have a bookshelf full of books to read, as well as a Kindle stocked with e-books I’ve downloaded for cheap months or years ago. And, of course, the library! Where would we be without Libby? I’m so glad for a robust digital catalog of e-books to download, many available with no wait. Books have kept me sane throughout this whole pandemic, and I’m so glad for so many resources to pull from.

Stable mental health – This may seem like a contradictory point, as I have mentioned my up-and-down anxiety levels over this time, but the anxiety feels pretty normal for what we’re facing. It’s just typical anxiety that anyone going through a global pandemic would experience. I’m not crying every day (I’ve cried once in the past two months) and I’m not feeling overly emotional about every little thing. Sure, there have been days when my anxiety feels overwhelming. When that happens, I utilize my anxiety toolkit. This includes reminding myself of the things within my control, staying focused in the present moment, and meditating. I’ve done a lot of work to get to this place, and I’m proud that I haven’t felt completely out of control with anxiety, even during a global pandemic.

Tell me something you miss, something you don’t, and what you’re grateful for!

Categories: Life

The Coronavirus Diaries | Week 8

Today is Lila’s birthday! She turns two today, so now I have two little toddler kittehs on my hands. 🙂 I’m not making the mistake of trying to bake a special “cat cake” this time around. Yesterday, I picked up a can of wet food to give the girls for breakfast today and some mini vanilla cupcakes for tonight, so we’re all set on the birthday celebration! Yay! I know I’m crazy about these birthday celebrations, but birthdays are so special to me!

Currently, Florida is in Phase 1 of reopening. We have reopened beaches, public pools, and state parks. Restaurants and retailers are also open at 25% capacity. Non-essential medical services have resumed. Bars, gyms, and salons are still closed. All schools are online for the remainder of the school year, visits to retirement facilities are prohibited, and travel is still highly discouraged.

I’ve been keeping a list of the reported cases in Florida (because I’m just that obsessed) and we’re still in the 500-1,000 range for daily reported cases. I can only imagine that’s going to increase with these reopenings, but we’ll see. Right now in my county, people can get tested for free, even if they’re not showing symptoms, which is a very good thing! We need this option to get an accurate look at how these reopenings are affecting cases. My plan is to stay away from restaurants, retail stores, pools, and my gym for the foreseeable future. Through May and probably also through June.

Salons and spas can reopen in Phase 2 and at 75% capacity (which sounds crazy high to me!), and that’s where I become less sure of what to do. My body is craving a massage and my hair is craving fresh color and trim, but none of these are essential needs. Of course they’re not! But if my hair salon opens up and my massage spa does as well, then I have some big choices to make. It’s really a wait-and-see game since we just started Phase 1. I know my salon is planning a soft opening when they do open up. (I’m not exactly sure what that entails just yet.) Thankfully, these aren’t decisions I have to make any time soon. Even if my salon/spa can open back up in May, I’ll probably wait until at least June to even think about scheduling an appointment. Or maybe later, depending on how this pandemic is looking with all these reopenings.

I’ve been saying this to people a lot, but I really think I’m going to need a gradual return to normal life when all of this is over. I’m still pretty anxious when I’m away from home. Last weekend, I went to a friend’s surprise birthday celebration (socially distanced, in a backyard, etc.), and I was out of my apartment for about two-and-a-half hours and I was wiped by the time I came home. I mean, part of it probably had to do with being outside (Florida, why must you be so damn hot in early May?), but I’m also not used to being social for that long anymore. I was strugglin’. My body has become very used to being at home and my mental health, too. I feel less stressed out, and I just love not having any plans and not feeling guilty for not having any plans. Don’t get me wrong—I miss meeting friends for dinner, spending time with my mom, and just strolling through TJ Maxx and Homegoods for nothing in particular. But it’s also really nice to be a full-on hermit right now, and my body’s going to need to slowly get back to its normal social pace.

I’m going to see my mom for Mother’s Day. I’ve thought long and hard about this decision, and it feels like the right choice. I need to see my mom. I’ve never gone this long without seeing her, and it feels unnatural. I also can’t imagine not visiting her on Mother’s Day. (And it’s a really hard day for her, too, ever since Grandma died.) We won’t be going to a restaurant or anything—we’ll order in and keep things as safe as possible. We’ve both been super careful over these past two months, neither of us is high-risk, and we’ve both been healthy throughout this pandemic. Could either of us be asymptomatic? Yup! We definitely could. But I truly believe we are both fine and we will be fine. Maybe you have strong opinions about this decision, but unless you also have been totally, completely alone since March, I don’t know if I’m interested in hearing them. If you’ve spent this pandemic with a partner or roommate or children, it’s hard to express how difficult it is to spend all day, every day without human contact or connection (unless it’s through video chats or social media, which is not the same). Humans are not designed for this level of seclusion, and it’s been hard on my mental health. I need to see my mom on Mother’s Day—and not through a screen.

My sleep has been a bit wacky for the past week, and I’m not really sure why. I’m taking 5mg of melatonin every night and meditating, but I’ve been having trouble falling asleep and then also waking up with panic in the middle of the night. And then Wednesday night, the girls decided to be all sorts of crazy. They were running all around the apartment and Lila kept jumping on me and gnawing on my fingers. It was the weirdest thing because they’re usually pretty calm and low-key at night. Sometimes I hear them playing, but it’s never enough to fully wake me up. There was also cat puke in my bathroom, ugh. Maybe they polished off my six-pack of White Claws and had themselves a night of debauchery?! 😉 Who knows? I hope I can start sleeping well again. I miss when sleep came easy for me!

I decided not to set any goals for May because I didn’t exactly kill it with my April goals. I think this is just a time to put my goals to the side. I mean, I’m living through a global pandemic. I think I’ve earned the right not to set goals! I want to try to keep up with my workouts and I’d like to devote some time to working on my novel (outside of my weekly Zoom writing date with my friend, M.), but honestly, that’s about it. And that’s enough for me.

So that’s where I am this week. My mental health ebbs and flows, and I feel like I’m on a downward trend right now. But that’s okay. It’s normal. I’m reaching out to my people, giving myself tons of grace, and letting myself feel all my feels. And that’s all I can ask for myself.

Tell me how you’re doing! Has your state/province started any reopening processes?

Categories: Life

April Recap

I wasn’t sure if I was going to put up my normal monthly recap because, honestly, what actually happened this month? Anything? The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that a lot actually happened during this weird month.

A Full Month of Working from Home

I wrapped up a full month of working from home in April, and I’ve gotta say, I am loving full-time remote work! Of course, it sucks that it’s because of a global pandemic, but I’m trying to find the good where I can. I love that I don’t have to wake up with an alarm anymore, that I get to spend all day with my kitties, and that I can wear comfy clothes. While I sometimes struggle with focus, I think that’s less because of my own failures and more because hello, global pandemic! I’m crossing my fingers that my company expands our WFH program once everything goes back to normal.

A Socially Distanced Birthday Celebration

One of my dearest friends celebrated her birthday at the end of April, and we arranged a birthday surprise for her on a Saturday afternoon, social distancing style. We all maintained proper distance from each other and many of us wore masks, so it was all on the up and up, I promise! My friend was legit surprised and it was lovely to do this for her. (Also, soooooo nice to see friends after six weeks of not seeing anyone!) It wasn’t the way we imagined celebrating her birthday, but I’m glad we were able to do a little something for her. And hopefully, we can really celebrate in the near future!

Weekly Writing Dates

My friend, M., and I got back into our weekly writing dates, albeit digitally! We started back in mid-April and it’s been so nice to have some dedicated time to work on my novel again. In February or March, I realized that my story was going to need to go through some major revisions so I’ve been mostly reworking my plot during these writing dates. I hope to get back into the writing soon, but I’m glad I have this time to spend working on my novel because it’s this little piece of normalcy in my completely abnormal life. It’s nice to dive back into my characters’ worlds where COVID-19 isn’t a thing and they’re just trying to find sweet, lasting love. Ahh!

A Broken Washer

My washer broke in April because what better time to not have a functioning washer than in the middle of a pandemic when you need to wash things more than usual? Sigh. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal but it is a bit of a headache. Thankfully, my mom lives five minutes away from me and I’ve been going over to her apartment during the day whenever I need to use her washer. She’s been going into her office throughout all of this, so we can still practice safe social distancing. And it means I get to see my fur-brother, Chip! It’s so great to see him and play with him. I miss him a lot!

Supremely Lazy Weekends

I’ve talked about this on my Coronavirus Diaries posts, but my weekends have been intensely lazy. I remember in early March when I had a really lazy weekend and I was all, “Man, I need to do that more!” Annnd, well, I got my wish. Haha. I am trying to just enjoy these lazy weekends and not force myself to be super productive. Of course, I’m trying to keep on top of my cleaning and I try to exercise regularly, but I’m also allowing myself to take long afternoon naps and spend more time lying around reading than being productive. It’s been wonderful and I’m going to enjoy these lazy weekends for as long as I can.

Celebrating Eloise

Eloise turned two in April and we celebrated with some very sad salmon cakes. Neither cat was a fan, unfortunately. This means for Lila’s birthday, we’ll be celebrating with some actual cupcakes (sans frosting). I always celebrated Dutch’s birthday by giving him a vanilla mini-cupcake, and I’m not sure why I thought I couldn’t do that with the cats!

Favorites of April

Categories: Life

8 Random Thoughts (Not About COVID-19)

Over the weekend, I realized that I have a whole bunch of things to talk about that aren’t related at all to  Coronavirus, and I thought a fun, random list that doesn’t mention the pandemic at all is in order! Let’s discuss.

1) No more PLAY!. I’m so very sad about Sephora shutting down their monthly PLAY! beauty box. I really enjoyed it. It allowed me to expand my lipstick collection, try new types of perfume, and experiment with all types of skincare products. Plus, you can’t beat the $10 a month price! So now I need to find a new monthly beauty subscription box—I have my eye on the Ipsy Glam Bag or the Allure Beauty Box—but I think I’ll wait to subscribe to anything new until normal life resumes. My makeup is actually collecting dust right now because I haven’t worn makeup since mid-March!

2) When White Claw attacks. Have I mentioned how I’m semi-allergic to alcohol? I think so, but maybe not. It’s the weirdest thing, honestly, because I can never predict when I’m going to have a reaction to drinking alcohol. Take last Thursday night, for instance. I decided to crack open my last White Claw and took one refreshing gulp, then another, and another. And then—bam. Hives. My face got flushed and overheated, the tips of my ears burning. And then I broke out in hives all over my face, neck, and arms. Ugh, it was awful. Now, what makes these reactions so weird is that I can never predict when they will occur. Every other time I had a White Claw from the pack I bought in March, I was fine. There’s no rhyme or reason for these allergic reactions. It’s not due to drinking a specific type or brand of alcohol. I honestly cannot figure out what will cause a reaction. It’s like playing Russian Roulette with my body. Thankfully, I’m not much of a drinker anyway and never have been, and the upshot to this weird allergy is that it gives me a great excuse for not drinking when everyone else is, heh.

3) Podcast recs! I’ve finished two podcast miniseries over the past few months: Heaven’s Gate and Bad Batch. Heaven’s Gate is about the cult of the same name that committed mass suicide in 1997. The host dives deep into how this cult was founded, interviews the families of some of the members, and even talks with former cult members who got out before the suicide. On the other side of the spectrum is Bad Batch about the stem cell industry. It follows a company that sold a “bad batch” of stem cells to a clinic, and the patients who had those stem cells injected wound up in the hospital and nearly died. (Bad Batch is hosted by the same person who hosted Dr. Death, btw.) Both podcast series are incredibly consuming and great at taking your mind off things.

4) Sciatica pain. I’ve been dealing with sciatica pain for longer than I’d like to admit, and it’s gotten particularly bad over the past few weeks. I think it’s because I’m sitting way more than I used to, and my workout of choice has been long walks, which always trigger my sciatica pain. (Also, I haven’t had a massage in over two months, which isn’t helping things, I’m sure!) I’ve been trying to get better about stretching out my hips and lower back (especially before I go for a walk), and I have definitely noticed a difference. I’m also trying to ice the area at night to reduce any inflammation. I know the best thing I can do to lessen the stress on my back and sciatic nerve is to lose weight (I carry almost all of my extra weight in my belly) and see a chiropractor on a regular basis, but this is working for now! And lemme tell you, those lower back stretches feel amaaaazing when my muscles feel extra tight. Some of them even make me groan out loud because they feel so good.

5) Internet Brunch newsletter. I can’t remember which blog linked to this newsletter, but I’m so glad they did! Internet Brunch is a daily email (Monday-Friday) that corrals all the best memes, gifs, and viral moments from around the Internet, along with pop culture and political news. It arrives around lunchtime, and it’s the perfect dose of happiness I need!

6) “You said we were having cake!” Remember last week, when I said I was going to make Eloise a special treat for her birthday? Oh boy, it did not go as planned. They turned their little noses up to my special birthday cake, even Lila who I thought would eat anything. Luckily, I had a can of tuna in my cabinet so I was able to open it up and give them something they enjoyed much more. Lila’s birthday is next Friday so I think I’m going to pick up some mini cupcakes from the bakery for them. I think they’ll be much more into that!

7) Morning candles. I have probably 15ish candles, but I’ve always been so bad at remembering to burn them! I’m not sure why—it just never crosses my mind to get one out and light it. But now that I’m home all day, I’ve taken to keeping one on my desk and lighting it every morning. It makes work feel so much cozier! I’ve already burned through three candles (two of them were already half-finished) and I’m excited to finally make a dent in my collection!

8) Book of the Month! BOTM released their May books already and I have a hankering to place a larger-than-usual order. I decided on my monthly pick (A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight) and then I decided to add in Beach Read by Emily Henry and Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Both of those books are getting rave reviews from trusted sources, so I think they’ll be good additions to my shelves.