february, let's embrace fun and overcome fear
plus, a Q&A with Taylor Choi of @bookswithtay
hello from gorgeous Lake Louise! in case you don’t know where that is, no worries, I didn’t either until quite recently. the flight from New York to Calgary was five and half hours, and the drive to Lake Louise from downtown Calgary was another two and half. needless to say, it’s further west than I thought! but, as in almost all cases where you have to work a bit harder to get somewhere, the real-life snowglobe we’re enveloped in feels a world away. as I write this looking out my window at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, everything being encased in white powder feels like a dream!
the funny thing is, I had no plans to be here until thursday when a last-minute work trip popped up, and WOW, am I said “sure!” leaning wholehearedly into spontaneity. for those who’ve been around for awhile, you know I tore my ACL skiing in Park City two years ago; so when part of the itinerary for this trip included ski, I really needed to talk myself through what saying “yes” entailed. could I opt out of skiing if I wanted? of course. but the thing is, I wanted to get back on the horse again. it’s just that the road to recovery was long, and the idea of getting re-injured still elicits full-body terror.
riding up the gondola as we rose higher and higher toward the 6,800-foot summit, the realization that I needed to ski all the way down and the fear of “what if I can’t?” gripped me. luckily, I’ve worked on my mental toughness through a series of long-distance training cycles (two marathons and many, many halfs). ultimately, I knew my greatest barrier to enjoying this experience was simply telling myself that I could and would do it. well, that and going somewhat slowly! SO I DID. to my very pleasant surprise, I had a euphoric experience on the mountain yesterday carving through the snow and getting my confidence back in a big way. so, this is my reminder to you, whatever your metaphorical or literal mountain may be, you can climb it — the ride down is pretty damn fun. speaking of fun, shall we dive into the february IN/OUT list?
FEBRUARY IN
getting your SPARKLE back!
leaving the house
Punxsutawney Phil predicting an early spring
the SuperBowl (Taylor’s Version) being for the girlies
reading romance books and not being shy about it
making Lunar New Year plans (it’s 2.10.24, for the record)
going all out for galentine’s day…looking at you, Jenna!!
Ina Garten announcing she has a memoir coming out (10.01.24)
Lana del Rey announcing her next album is going to be country
wakeup calls (both from hotels and more broadly, from reality)
realizing you’re a happier human when you limit your caffeine consumption
to elaborate on the above, food before coffee
buying concert tickets before you have a hotel or flight sorted
the success of the PR takedown of oatmilk
making a big deal out of your birthday, even when you’re turning an “insignificant” age
Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine being in the film adaptation of THE IDEA OF YOU (coming out this spring!!!)
talking on the phone to the same three people in constant rotation
FEBRUARY OUT
saying IN/OUT lists are out. uhm, not my fault the world got obsessed with them?
restaurants not having birthday candles
the expectation to respond immediately to something that’s not urgent
“so, where are you going next?” as a default conversation starter
the internet being overrun with content about upping your protein intake
keeping up with the Joneses (was never IN)
peer pressure to do literally anything
the way we can’t all get aligned on what’s reasonable for a bachelorette party
being scared of AI and in turn, ignoring its existence instead of using it to your advantage (talking to myself here)
the UK’s militant airport security protocols that all your liquids need to fit in one plastic bag
on the note of liquids, forgetting to pack your Caudalie beauty elixir mist — a travel holy grail
minimizing valentine’s day to a commercial holiday when it can be so CUTE, coupled up or single!
overthinking it — “it” being, anything
keeping clothes that don’t fit
being nervous for first dates. remember, you’re there to see if you like THEM, not the reverse
meet Taylor Choi
following along with Taylor’s recs over at @bookswithtay is one of my favorite positive corners of the internet. thrilled to bring you into her world, which includes lots of fun book recs!
Kayla Douglas: Taylor, tell us a bit more about your origin story and how you wound up as a content creator in the book world.
Taylor Choi: Happy to! I've always been a lifelong reader, but lost that hobby during college and picked it up again when I had a gnarly commute from NYC to New Jersey. My bookstagram account started in November 2019 after I'd been following a few bookish creators on my personal account, and it really took off in March 2020 during COVID/quarantine when I was able to dedicate a lot of time to reading and posting!
KD: What's been your favorite thing about connecting with your online community?
TC: It may sound cheesy, but meeting other readers and getting to geek out over books. I'm a pretty introverted person in general, but getting to meet so many other readers in New York City has been a blast and a welcome step out of my comfort zone. After college, I found it really difficult to find a friend group outside of work or people I already knew, but the bookstagram community was there.
KD: What are your favorite romance book tropes? Least favorite?
TC: I feel like this changes year over year (mostly based on the romance books I read), but my current favorite tropes are: only one bed (a CLASSIC), childhood-friends-to-lovers, and celebrity romances! My least favorite would probably have to be accidental pregnancy and insta-love (where's the pining?!)
KD: With so many new books being released, how do you decide what to read next?
TC: A combination of bookstagram and booktube, especially from reviewers that have similar tastes to me. I also trust my bookstagram friends to give me personalized recs! Some of my favorite reviewers are @bookishandblack, @strandedinbooks, @nycbookgirl, @iyanagoestothelibrary, @scsreads, and @estherfungreads.
KD: You're headed to a desert island––which five books are you bringing with you?
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (my go-to answer when people ask me what my favorite book is)
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (so I can feel like I'm on a vacation and not on a deserted island - also the best Emily Henry imo)
Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (the *it* book of 2023!)
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (I can't be stranded and not know how the Shadow and Bone trilogy ends!)
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (everyone knows the best beach read is a thriller!)
KD: Tell us about the most recent work of fiction that left you with a book hangover.
TC: FOUL HEART HUNTSMAN — I have been reading this series by Chloe Gong for a few years now and it makes me emotional to know that it's over!! You may recognize it from the THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS duology, which had a spinoff series called FOUL LADY FORTUNE.
KD: What book is on your TBR that you're most excited to pick up?
TC: Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen is the first one that comes to mind, especially with Lunar New Year around the corner! I have the audiobook from the NYPL right now and can't wait to dive in.
KD: What are some of your favorite neighborhood spots to buy, borrow, or cozy up with a book?
TC: NYC is no stranger to indie bookstores, but a few of my favorites are Books are Magic, McNally Jackson (specifically the Soho or South Street Seaport location), and The Ripped Bodice. The NYPL location on 53rd is also a fave of mine!
KD: The Sunday Series was conceptualized as a love letter to my favorite day of the week. If we were with you in New York on Sunday, where would you take us to spend the afternoon?
TC: Sundays are my rest and reset days, so I'd probably want to stay within the Upper East Side (the neighborhood where I live!) We'll start with coffee and brunch at Frame NYC (the smoked salmon toast is one of my favorites and their vanilla oat milk latte is the best). We'll swing by Shakespeare & Co for some book browsing (and buying) and then head to my favorite park — Carl Schurz Park (in my ideal world, it's the first warm spring day). It's no Central Park but it's my little local park that always has a bench or a warm patch of grass for an afternoon of reading.
KD: Where can we keep up with what you're reading next?
TC: You can find me on Instagram at @bookswithtay! I tried giving TikTok a go, but for right now, I'm still an Instagram girl at heart :)
Heathrow security should learn from LGA! ;o)