Friends, hello! Happy Sunday from me to you! Just a few things before we get to our Sunday links from Kim Baldwin (they’re fantastic, but first business). Our last virtual class of the year is coming right up on Christmas Eve morning. We’re making overnight cinnamon rolls so basically, I’m trying to make your Christmas morning dreams come true. No – not a bow on a car in the driveway – but warm cinnamon rolls. Join us!
I’m taking most of the weekend off and camping with Will somewhere in Texas. A much needed cozy camp and Will mentioned something about cutting a Christmas tree down from his property? Sounds like there might be spiders involved and I’ll have to pretend not to freak out but otherwise very romantic.
I hope you can take at least a few hours away from the holiday craze today and relax. It’s important. Make a pot of chili and buy a bag of Fritos. Savor these links from Kim and let them take you down a rabbit hole or two. I’m so glad you’re here. My love to you. xo Joy
Now here’s Kim:
Hello, again! Before we get to the links, two quick shout-outs. I want to thank all of you for reading and commenting on these guest posts. I know you come here to read Joy and then, surprise, it’s me instead. But here’s what I want you to know, and it’s my second shout-out, Joy is the real deal. She is not just pawning these posts off on us because she’s busy. She is paying us to show our skill and talent to a much larger audience than we get on our own. And that’s not nothing. May we all strive to be people who reach down and pull our friends up with us as we climb.
Now, let’s get to the fun stuff – smart links and dumb jokes!
• Do you know what we are absolutely going to do as we close out 2021? Hype up our friends who have books coming out in 2022. First up, Nobody’s Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong. This novel, told in three parts, is a searing meditation on grief, female strength, and self?discovery set against a backdrop of complicated social and racial histories. It is a testament to the power of family—the ones you’re born in and the ones you choose.
• The second book is Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott. From the bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink comes a poignant and powerful new memoir-in-essays that tackles the big questions of life, death, and existential fear with humor and hope. These are both Nashville authors, so the pre-order link takes you to Parnassus Books, Nashville’s independent bookstore.
• The end of an era: Call Your Girlfriend is winding down in 2022. To say this podcast was an inspiration to me is an understatement. Call Your Girlfriend was instrumental in how I built Ladyland. I’m sad it’s ending and I look forward to what they all move on to next. Read their interview with Vulture here.
• We’re all still talking about the season finale of Succession, right? Good. The question is, is Shiv dressing like that on purpose, and if so, why? Emma Specter is on the case for Vogue dot com in Can We Briefly Discuss Shiv’s Wardrobe On This Season of Succession?
• Speaking of clothes, I have been RIVETED by Virginia Sole-Smith’s journey to find a good pair of plus-size jeans. She’s been conducting this experiment called jeans science in her Instagram Stories (it’s saved as a highlight) and she finally wrote about it: That Time I Bought 50 Pairs of Jeans. For Science.
• I never get into conspiracy theories, but scams? I love scams, which is why I’m excited Tressie McMillan Cottom is writing about scam culture for the NY Times: Why We Need To Address Scam Culture.
• Do you keep up with what you read throughout the year? I’ve done it for years, mainly through the Goodreads Reading Challenge, but I’m worried I’m turning one of my few remaining joyful hobbies into a competitive sport. I may quit. TBD. But I sure did keep track of it this year. Here is my 2021 In Books.
• Nashville is home to so many country and Americana artists, and I’m not talking about the white guys with big Twitter followings, although approximately one of them is fine. This is a great timeline NPR Music put together of the Black women who are changing the industry: How Black women reclaimed country and Americana music in 2021 by Andrea Williams, Marcus Dowlling, and Jewly Hight.
• My husband is a recording engineer and he said to me recently, “Kim, everyone records a Christmas album.” I don’t make it a habit to believe men, so I was dubious, but then I started listening to Samantha Irby’s AMAZING Spotify playlist, weird christmas!, and you know what? He’s right. Everyone records a Christmas album.
• “To me, that’s the crux of this conversation. Whether the pot shots are focused on the changes in appearance that come with age or question the relevance of having a show centered around the topic of sex once a woman is married or a mother, the implication is that, above all, she’s overstayed her welcome.” This is a great read on the topic of aging and Sex and the City: The SATC Conversation I’m Already Sick Of by Carita Rizzo.
• This is a very niche link, but if you live within driving distance of Nashville and you’re a writer with a love/hate relationship to promoting your work online, I can help! I’m teaching Social Media for Writers in Nashville on February 19.
Joy, thank you for hosting me these past few months. Hunker down, hug Tron, hug Will, learn how to change a mountain bike tire (?!), set those Christmas cards on fire you know you’re not going to mail and I’ll see you on the other side.
Happy fireplace channel season to all who celebrate!
Kim Baldwin is a writer and social media strategist living in Nashville, TN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @theblondemule and at theblondemule.com.
samantha campanini
Thank you Kim for these book ideas!!
Judy
Hi! I just want to say that reading your posts have cheered up my life this year and, in fact, last year also. While in covid-19, lockdown dealing, with issues of safety, has made me feel sort of un-safe! But every Sunday there was a wonderful blog from you or one of your friends or sister/brother cooks, making me feel “normal” and safe and making a lot of different in my perspective as a reader and as a cook!
Thank you and Happy New Year!
Kim
Hi Judy, as one of Joy’s friends, I just wanted to pop on here and thank you for reading my guest posts. It means a lot. Stay safe!
Danielle
Honestly, we love to see women bringing along other women to the top. Yes, I like hearing from Joy and her Sunday links are how I’ve started my week for…a lotta years. But I’ve also enjoyed you and Toby! It’s nice to hear a different perspective and, as a longtime fan, it’s nice to picture Joy and Will all am happy and in love out in the wilderness somewhere on the weeks she takes a break!
Suzanne
Yes!! This 1000%!! (Longtime reader, very sporadic commenter here.)
Kim
Hi Suzanne! Waves from ‘sporadic commenter’ land, too.
Kim
Hi Danielle, same! I love picturing Joy and Will out in the wilderness doing outdoorsy things. Thanks again for reading these guest posts!
Janet
Love the book list! Thanks for sharing your picks, Kim,
Stella
Okay Kim, you had me at “I don’t make it a habit to believe men” that is so funny!Seriously. if I was to have a “Real Housewife” tagline, that would be mine. Anyway, great column today.Thanks for the articles and Happy Holidays.
Kim
Hahahahaha! Thanks, Stella. That is legit high praise! Thank you for reading my guest post (and commenting).
Laura Weismann
I have been on Goodreads for years but I never do the reading challenge I just look for books I want and I say what I think about them when I’m done never ever should reading be a challenge
Ali
Thanks for the link On The books you have read. I’m always looking for books. I also downloaded Libor to use as I am currently on Audible.
Kim
Hey Ali, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for switching to Libro.fm!
Kim
That’s probably a better way to do it, Laura. Thanks for reading!
Hannah
“Happy fireplace channel season”, lol! The perfect ending to a lovely post. Thanks Kim!
Kim
Haha – thanks, Hannah!
Adriana
I completely understand how GR Reading challenge breeds a hobby into a competition. I was there and it did start to suck the joy of a “leisure” hobby. What has worked for me thus far to remedy that is I no longer join challenges or add dates of “when read” so no Spotify style yearly wrap. I merely use it to keep track of what I have read and want to read. A simple list and nothing more.
Kim
Ooh, that’s such a good idea, Adriana. I thought about switching to StoryGraph. I also thought about just keeping a journal keeping track of what I read and what I watch. We’ll see!
Tranyce
I’m excited to support these Nashville writers next year. Thanks for the great read, Kim! Keep hyping up your friends. ?
Kim
Hi Tranyce! You know I will! Heck, maybe I’ll even hype up a certain friend who teaches intro gardening to dummies who don’t know how to plant zucchinis.
Jackie
Hip hip hooray for the two shout outs :)
Joy and Kim – you are both the real deal ?
Jackie
Oops my emoji became a question mark
Edit.
You are both the real deal (add excited smiley emoji or celebration emoji)
Kim
Jackie, that is so nice. Thank you!
Gail Hardie
Must read Nashville author Margaret Renkl – Late Migrations – mu fav read of the year!
Gail Hardie
My fav read!
Kim
Hi Gail! Gosh, I love Margaret Renkl so much. Late Migrations is one of my all-time favorite books. Have you had a chance to pick up her new book yet, Graceland at Last? It’s so good.
Gail Hardie
Yes – Graceland – how could I forget it? Her writing is like a visit with her.
Tiberia
Kim –
You’re right I do come here to read Joy. But I enjoy reading you, too – you’re a different person with a different perspective and I learn things from you the way I learn things from Joy. So thank you!
Kim
Thanks, Tiberia! That means so much.
Helen
Hi Kim!! If you like using Goodreads but also want to support small, I have fully switched over to the StoryGraph to track my reads – it’s a much better user interface than GR, you can import your GR data so you don’t lose any reading history and a Black woman created it (GR is run by Amazon, something not everyone knows)! They have a free and a paid version, and you can still do a reading challenge every year if you want.
Thanks for the links this week!
Kim
Hi Helen! Thank you the info on StoryGraph. I actually downloaded the app awhile ago, but never migrated over. This is just the push I need. And good to know they have a reading challenge, too, since, who am I kidding, I am still 100% going to do that. Appreciate you!