The Sunday Collection 6.21.26
My nervous system felt fried last week, for all sorts of reasons. The cure:
my husband insisting I go lay down while he managed the boys for an afternoon
buying myself pink sneakers
taking an extra long epsom salt bath
waking up before the rest of my family (this NEVER happens) to enjoy my matcha in peace
buying more seeds and herbs from the garden center, plus a new gnome because someone (the almost-two-year-old) smashed the last one
cleaning the front of my refrigerator
gardening while the gnome-smasher napped
feeling warm sunshine on my bare skin
buying new makeup (embarrassed at how many things on this list include spending money, but it wasn’t the norm)
watching the bumblebees buzz around the garden
setting a timer for writing this newsletter so I can read before the gnome-smasher wakes up (truly, an unfair nickname for such a sweetie pie, but it’s kinda sticking)
It’s been ages since I trekked to the movie theater for a summer blockbuster. I asked my husband if he wanted to see The Odyssey with me in IMAX, and he was like for real? I was fine waiting to watch it at home, but okay. But I was totally for real. I taught the Robert Fagles translation many times and fell in love with Emily Wilson’s translation when and I read it for a Novel Pairings Summer Slow Read. The movie might not be great, but the source material is (literally) epic, and nerdy things like camera work and casting and film interpretation interest me, so YEAH I want to see it in the theater!
I’m also excited to share a discount code with all of you for $15 off of the Novel Pairings Odyssey Recap Bundle! This bundle includes 10 podcast episodes and two video courses to guide you through this ancient epic. Think of it as a guided course with two friendly and enthusiastic teachers to walk you through in depth context, close reading, and literary analysis. The podcast episodes are both fun and informational, and I think you’ll get a lot out of following our guide this summer, before or after you see the movie. It would also make a fun summer school resource or book club project!
Until July 1st, use code SLOWREADSUMMER to get $15 off our recap bundles AND our most popular item of all: The Ultimate Literature Scholar Bundle.
We tossed in The Ultimate Literature Scholar Bundle as part of this $15 discount because it’s our most popular item in the storefront, and it makes a great companion to any of our recap bundles. Classes include: How to be a Literature Scholar, How to Engage with Literary Criticism, Annotations Workshop, Deciphering the Classics, Discovering Theme: How authors & readers create meaning together, Tracking Theme Through LONG Novels, Literary Devices in the Real World, Author Style, Voice & Tone, Literary Theory 101, and MORE.
You basically get an entire year’s worth of English Literature classes for under $100. It’s a steal! If you’ve been looking for human-made self-education resources, I hope you’ll find something inspiring in the Novel Pairings shop.
The Sunday Collection
Last weekend, the boys and I popped into our local bookstore to pick up a Father’s Day gift, and of course they both walked out with new books, too…Theo has not let go of his DK Pocket Genius: Mammals, and Otto zoomed right over to the Bluey book selection to pick his next read. I love watching their reading tastes develop! And boy, have I learned a ton of new animal facts.
I hate to share an Amazon link, but this is the only swimsuit top I’ve found that checks all the boxes for good coverage, strong support, and comfort, and I’ve tried on so, so many swimsuits.
It feels cheesy to say, but the birdsong in my yard has been keeping me grounded lately. I’m listening to fewer audiobooks and podcasts and instead, listening to tweets and chirps.
Curtis and I started Only Murders in the Building Season 5 last night, and I’m glad we saved it for a summertime speed-watch.
While I wait for my garden to take off, I can’t stop watching garden content from hobbyists like Elise Blaha Cripe. Drop any other recs for garden videos in the comments for me, please!
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