Weekly Recap: Recovering from COVID-19
After evading COVID-19 the last 2+ years, the virus finally made its way into our house a couple weekends ago. Symptom-wise, Alex suffered a cough, fever, and lots of congestion, while I had a sore throat, cough, fever, headaches, congestion, AND lost my taste and smell. It’s honestly crazy how different the virus is for every person. For awhile I was concerned I’d never smell again, but thankfully my senses seem to be in the process of restoring themselves (praise!). For the past two weeks, I’ve been absolutely disgusted by the thought and taste of coffee — and if you know me, you know that drinking coffee is basically a personality trait of mine. This past weekend I was able to finally enjoy a cup of coffee, so things are looking up. Aside from the post-COVID fatigue, Alex and I are doing well and have fully recovered.
Because I’ve been sick, I haven’t been to the office in two weeks. Thankfully it’s a super short work week though. Between the holiday and a couple vacation days I’m taking on Thursday and Friday, I’ll only be in the office two days. I’m still catching up from being sick, but I’m excited to head to Milwaukee this coming weekend for our friends’ wedding. It’s a short trip, but it should be a fun one.
What I’ve been up to:
Like many others, I’m completely shocked and saddened by the loss of life from last week’s mass school shooting in Uvalde, TX. It kind of killed the mood of the week to be honest. Violence against children breaks my heart into a million pieces, as I’m sure it does for most of you, too. I wrote a few words about it in my last blog post — click here to read.
Aside from being consumed by sad news everywhere we look, Alex and I have spent a lot of our free time playing Switch Sports. I’ve been waiting for a Wii Sports equivalent game for the Nintendo Switch and I’m glad we finally got one. We enjoy playing Badminton, Tennis, and Bowling the most. Volleyball is fun but it’s really hard and we haven’t been able to master it yet. The motion controls are so good it honestly feels like you’re actually physically playing the sport. And now you can play with real people online so that’s an added bonus!
Other than that, I’ve got nothing too exciting to share. Because we’ve been sick and confined to our house for so many days, it’s been pretty boring around here. However, summer hammock reading is back and I’m really excited about that. There’s something about laying outside with a good book that’s so refreshing.
What I’ve been reading:
Well, it’s safe to say I’ve been CRUSHING my 2022 reading goals. So far this year, I’ve finished 51 books which is by and far my personal record. If you’re a fellow bookworm or someone who’s looking for book recommendations, make sure to follow my bookstagram for real time reading updates.
Recently finished:
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti — talk about a mindf*ck! I’ve legit been talking to people nonstop on bookstagram about it. Read if you like stories about scammers.
When in Rome by Sarah Adams — SO CUTE honestly. I got an advance reader copy, but keep your eyes peeled for this delightful romcom to release in September.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry — really liked this one. But then again, I like everything Emily Henry puts out into the world! The sister bond between Nora and Libby was perfect.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley — it’s a slow burn, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I think it’s my favorite of her books to date.
Currently reading:
A Girl During the War by Anita Abriel — I’m trying so hard to work my way through my Netgalley backlist. This one is a WW2 historical fiction novel set in Italy involving art valuation and rare art protection during the war. There’s a bit of romance in there too. I’m about 60% and enjoying it so far.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune — everyone is reading this brand new debut right now so I had to jump in on the hype. It’s a childhood friends to lovers, coming of age, second chance love story. Readers who enjoyed Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (one of my favorites from 2021) will love this one. It’s got summer vibes written all over it.
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine — OMG, I did NOT see the plot twist in part 2 coming at all. I’m hooked on this one it’s so good. All my book friends seem to love this domestic thriller.
What I’ve been listening to:
Music:
This Love (Taylor’s Version) — hi, hello, I’m ready for 1989 (Taylor’s Version). I feel like I missed the memo on how good this song was.
Harry’s House by Harry Styles — like most of the world, I’ve been listening to this album on repeat since its release a week and a half ago. I think I’ll go on record to say it’s his best collection of work yet.
i used to think i could fly by Tate McRae — really digging her sound. It’s unique but I like it a lot.
Wouldn’t That Be Nice by Hoodie Allen — Hoodie’s latest release has me excited for the sad bop album we’re about to get.
Western Wind by Carly Rae Jepsen — take me away, Carly.
Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish — listening to AND enjoying a Billie album — who am I?
mainstream sellout by Machine Gun Kelly — not as good as pop/punk album 1, but has some good tracks.
Podcasts:
Get Lit With Lianna — cheers book lovers. After seeing so many people talking about it, I finally started listening to Lianna’s new book podcast. Her podcast format is really good — she interviews a new author each week. I’m working my way through past episodes, but I’ve only listened to the first two so far. She’s on bookstagram too.
What I’ve been watching:
Okay — I’ve been way off my tv game this year. Ever since the Olympics were on, I haven’t watched anything besides the second season of Love is Blind and the ongoing NBA Playoffs. I have a list of tv shows and movies I want to watch, but I’ve been lazy and uninspired to watch tv. Stay tuned — maybe I’ll have something to share with you next week.
Loving Lately:
I’m in love with everything Julia Whelan narrates, including her own book My Oxford Year which I listened to earlier this month.
I’ve been loving my Scribd audiobook subscription. I highly recommend.
I need this Jensen Necklace from Stella & Dot.
MeUndies — comfy, practical, and cute. I’ve been buying from MeUndies for over a year now and I keep going back for more. Excellent quality products that hold up over time too.
Modelo — my favorite non-craft beer right now. Something about a Modelo and lime that hits just right.
Links from Around the Web:
Kelly Clarkson covers “Falling” by Harry Styles and it’s perfect. I’ve listened to it so many times.
James Corden’s $300 “Daylight” music video with Harry Styles is the funniest thing I’ve watched in a long time.
Did not know that the author of Cover Story was also the Uber whistleblower!
Taylor Swift’s quote from her NYU Commencement speech rings so true — “Hard things will happen to us. We will recover, we will learn from it, we will grow more resilient because of it. And as long as we are fortunate enough to be breathing, we will breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, and breathe out.”
Throwing cake at the Mona Lisa? Bizarre.
Make sure to check your strawberries.
7 unexpected brain benefits of reading. The world needs to read more books.
Thanks for reading. I really enjoy sharing these kinds of posts and hope you enjoy reading them too.
Enjoy!
JB