Amanda Reads: Issue 44

Your reading recommendations and tarot reading for the week of 6/5/2023

Happy Monday and a very happy June, my friends! Given that I didn’t slide into your inboxes on Memorial Day, it feels like it’s been ages since a regular old weekly edition of the newsletter. It seems that, last time I wrote, Azula had caught a groundhog. She continues to be an absolute menace to the local wildlife who dare enter her territory, as she caught a rabbit yesterday. Ah, the joys of farm life.

Now that it’s warm enough to be outside, I’ve spent a good number of my reading hours in the hammock or my lounge chair, enjoying the sounds of nature and the pleasure of a good book. In fact, this week’s book rec is one that I probably read more outside than inside, a bit of a rarity for a homebody like me.

Book Rec of the Week

This week’s recommendation is Cecilia Rabess’ debut novel, Everything’s Fine, which comes out tomorrow, June 6th. It tells the story of Jess, who gets a job at Goldman Sachs only to realize her college nemesis, Josh, works there as well. The two disagree about basically everything, but somehow, they become unlikely friends… with a hint of something more bubbling beneath the surface.

This is a complicated story about two people with very different life experiences and opinions, who nevertheless feel drawn to one another. The writing is gorgeous and the story feels real and compelling, even when it’s a bit hard to watch. I absolutely loved this one.

Tarot Card of the Week

Deck Used: The Adventurer’s Tarot by WeirdWorks

Card of the Week: The Barbarian (VI)

This card is all about owning your power and smashing your obstacles. This week may bring challenges, but you’ve got the strength to face them. Own who you are and stand firm in what you’re good at this week, whether that’s swinging a club or crushing the day job.

Words from the Web

I have bookmarked so many things these last few weeks and am perhaps a bit too pleased with myself about it.

First up, I laughed out loud at Kristine Laco’s hiliarious “Uber Eats Notifications I Received While on Vacation.”

It’s been a bit since I’ve gone to see anything from the MCU in theaters, and reading Matthew Maniaci’s “Watching the MCU Feels Like Work Now” really helped me understand why the cinematic universe has lost its shine for me.

As for me, I had the honor of being Boosted on Medium for an essay I wrote about… a plate. I mean, technically it’s called “This Story is Not About a Plate,” but like… it also is kind of about the plate, and a little bit about the shitty ex-boyfriend who stole it from Applebees.

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That’s it for this week, my friends! It feels good to get back to the regular routine, don’t you think?

As always, I’d love to hear from you if this week’s Tarot pull shows up for you in interesting ways, or if you enjoy any of the reading recs.