Hi neighbor!

Confession: I’m not a big crier. People always seem slightly alarmed when I admit this, as if at any moment I might turn to stone. I want to grab their hand and place it on my heart to prove that it beats.  

When something does make me cry, I take notice. You can imagine my surprise when two books brought me to tears recently. Compared to movies or shows, I think books need to work a bit harder to elicit tears, so this feels noteworthy.  

The first one was Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow , which I started somewhat reluctantly. I have zero interest in video games, and the book’s premise centers around two childhood friends who design (wait for it) a hit video game together. The success of that initial game brings the duo fame and fortune beyond belief but also tragedy, jealousy and betrayal. The author uses video games as a catalyst to explore the creative process and all the doubts, insecurities, disappointments and triumphs that go along with it (basically everything I experience when writing this newsletter—ha!). It’s also one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read.

The second tearjerker is The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot. The novel opens with the news that 17-year-old Lenni Pettersson is dying. Bored, lonely and abandoned by her parents, Lenni distracts herself with regular visits to the hospital’s chaplain (even though she questions God’s existence) and the unit’s new art room, where she meets an 83-year-old patient named Margot who shares Lenni’s irreverence and rebellious streak. When Margot and Lenni realize their ages add up to 100, they decide to create 100 works of art to commemorate their combined century of living. As they share stories from their lives (some of which will break your heart!), the pair form an extraordinary bond that transcends age and time.

What’s the last book that made you cry? I’d love to hear!

XOXO,

Kate