Back from the Road
At Her Service is out in the world and so was I.
Home Sweet Home, etc.
Dear Readers,
What a whirlwind…three-ish weeks? A fortnight and a half? That sounds fancier. Some time has passed, and it has been nice, and busy, and (I am over 40) tiring! But there is little I love more about this whole writing thing than getting out into the world and meeting readers and seeing friends and eating fried burritos in new parts (every time I eat a chimichanga I honor my father’s memory).
My launch event in Los Angeles was rainy, but Skylight Books is always a great place to spend an evening, and Mackenzi Lee was an excellent conversation partner. This was such a fun night full of so many people I adore. Writing books can be very solitary and lonely, so celebrating with others is so great—and welcome.
I love visiting my hometown of St. Louis, which is one of my favorite places to spend time. I don’t have any actual event photos that aren’t horrifying because somehow people took wildly unflattering photos of me and none that are even, like, fine-ish. Someone did get this great-ish shot (WHY AM I CLOSING MY EYES) of a small-ish percentage of the Pacific High School class of 1995; I feel so so so lucky to still know these people after all this time and feel so supported by them (as well as other StL people OF COURSE)! Being at Left Bank Books is extra special to me because I shopped at it when I was a teen HOPING to write books someday, and, look, here I am! I did it! Thank you, St. Louis!
Last weekend I headed to Tucson for the first time, which is gorgeous and a different kind of desert than I’m used to in L.A. (BARELY A DESERT ANYMORE IF YOU ASK ME, MOSQUITOS) and Palm Springs. Paneled so hard, ate so many fried things, saw some wonderful friends and made some new ones. The Tucson Festival of Books is a great one and I highly recommend it to readers and authors alike.
I wish I could eat this crispy cheese appetizer once a week for rest of my life.
Now I am back at home and (thinking about) writing some new stuff and hanging out with my pets and OH THAT’S RIGHT getting ready for my last At Her Service event for awhile! This Saturday, March 16, I will be at Meet Cute Bookshop in San Diego, and if you’re in or around San Diego, I would truly love to see you! I still have some preorder exclusive sticker sheets left, and will share them with as many people as I can on Saturday!
I love travel and festivals and other events, but one of my favorite things is coming home! Mainly to hang out with my pets, and drive my own car, which I think is objectively greater than most other cars. Anyway I am excited to drive said car to San Diego and see some of you there and eat probably a lot of tacos.
I got to be on a couple fun things! Firstly, I had a blast on The Gaily Show, chatting the comfort of romcoms and also people’s hot forearms, a perennial topic for me.
Next, I was on my friends’ podcast Muppeturgy, which is a Muppet Show recap podcast, and so much fun to be on!
Finally, oh hey, I am often asked by other fat people where I get my clothes! I can tell you that the clothes featured in this post are from Copper Union, Nooworks, July Liebe, and a Shein dress I got from Poshmark! I’m wearing Converse lugsoles/boots in every outfit too, though that’s a strange coincidence. My beloved bag is by Min & Mon (also a Poshmark find since they stopped making this colorway, but it’s still available in black).
xoxoAmy
Consumption
Reading
Just obsessed with K Patrick’s Mrs. S. Like if Carol was at a boarding school but went poorly? No, not exactly. If you like your queer books full of beautiful prose and bad decisions, grab this one.
Also Reading
I will read anything Sara Zarr writes ever, so it was no surprised I adored her latest middle grade title, Kyra, Just for Today. A beautiful gut-punch of a novel about a teen dealing with her mom’s alcoholism and also bullshit middle school social stuff that gave me, shall we say, strong memory type feelings. I almost sobbed like six times reading this book. Maybe more. Or fewer times, just one long sob. Do you like feelings? Zarr always knows what she’s doing.
Also Reading
I’m halfway through Kelly Link’s Book of Love and aggravated at the world for continuing to require things of me when I’d rather be reading instead.
Also (Re)reading
I’ve been rereading Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date for a class I’m teaching, and, seriously, what a perfect romance novel. If you haven’t read it yet, this is your sign to!
Have you read At Her Service yet?
I want to be clear that my father really did love chimichangas. It’s a good reminder that one cannot choose their own legacy. Though to be fair I don’t think he’d mind it.
💕💕