Good to Know:

🐘 This teen invented a device that catches elephant poachers in real time.

💙 Christian Bale opened a foster care center in California, with the primary goal of keeping siblings together.

🦋 Nashville International Airport to be named in honor of Dolly Parton.

💪🏼 90% of Marine women passing toughened fitness tests for combat roles.

A Good Read:

Fall has arrived, and with it, a new stack of books I can’t wait to dive into! Autumn always makes reading extra cozy and nostalgic for me.

I still have vivid memories of reading books like Harry Potter during this time of year as a young girl in my childhood home. The house smelled like my mom’s cooking and there were decorations all around as we were getting ready for Christmas.

Now as an adult, reading remains a core part of my life. And some nights when I’m curled up with a blanket and a hot chocolate (I’ve traded Nestlé for cacao these days), I feel like no time has passed.

Somehow I’m still that little girl getting lost in stories and inspired by an author’s imagination (which in turn fuels my own). I’m immensely grateful to have grown up surrounded by the love of my family and books.

With the arrival of cooler evenings and earlier sunsets, I’m excited to dive into my TBR. I love reading seasonally and have books on my shelf I intentionally set aside earlier in the year knowing fall would be the ideal to read them.

I’m also excited about new releases like the much-anticipated sixth installment of the ACOTAR series. There are plenty of new stories to dive into and I wanted to share a few that are on my radar.

By the author of Lessons in Chemistry, this novel is set in the literary world of 1980s New York.

Batter, a recent college graduate, lands a job at an elite poetry journal and quickly discovers that the publishing world is full of eccentric editors, rivalries, ambition, and complicated personalities.

It’s a different kind of dark academia but with the same appeal of watching ambitious people collide inside an insular world.

Inspired by the real-life Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish Pirate Queen, this historical adventure follows a woman determined to control her own destiny in a world that expects her to remain within traditional roles.

As Grace fights to protect her family, land, and freedom, she defies the rules of a society determined to keep her in her place.

Set at Radcliffe College in the 1950s, the story follows Ava and Lauren, two young women who become involved with the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches with roots stretching back generations.

As McCarthyism during this time creates an atmosphere of fear, and members of the secret society begin disappearing, the women discover that some of the dangers facing them are very real.

You can see the full list of fall book recommendations on the blog. Let me know if there’s anything you’re reading this season I should check out!

-Valeria

A Good Listen:

I recently came across this playlist on Instagram and thought the title was hilarious. I’ve been playing it while driving or cooking and it honestly takes me back to a 2000s era fall.

It’s cozy, nostalgic, and makes me want to partake in the analog hobbies of that decade.

Think: making recipes from a cookbook, taking pictures on a digital camera, crafting fall decor, going for a walk with wired headphones, and snapping my flip phone shut after calling my friend to meet me at Barnes & Noble so we can flip through magazines and sip on our frappuccinos.

I highly recommend putting this on while you’re partaking in some wholesome fall activities this season.

Intentional Habit

✨ Bring back one analog activity ✨

What: Replace one digital activity with an analog version.

Why: There’s something grounding about doing things that don’t require a screen. When so much of our free time these days can be consumed by our phone, choosing a slower, more tangible option can add some whimsy and nostalgia to your life.

How: Make a scrapbook. Swap your notes app for a journal. Take photos with a digital camera or film on a camcorder. Buy a magazine and actually sit down to read it cover to cover. Do a crossword, Sudoku, or word search on paper.

It’s not about quitting technology. Just choose one small thing to do the old-fashioned way and see how it feels!

Quote of the Month

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