Plot Points is a weekly newsletter where I share my favorite books, links, words, and more. If you enjoy what you find here, please consider subscribing or leaving a tip.
Iād also like to thank Michelle H. for upgrading to a paid subscription this week ā¤ļø. Thanks, Michelle!
Hi everyone! Happy Friday and welcome.
In less than a week, we will be on a cruise ship in the Caribbean celebrating both mine and Pierceās 40th birthdays! (We are slightly less than three weeks apart š) My cousin, Brittany, and her husband go cruising all the time and have graciously and generously offered to take us along to Grand Turk for a weekend. I mean, SINCE YOU OFFERED, ya know? I canāt wait to have some one-on-one time with Pierce and to visit with my sweet cousin. Iām only six months older than her and weāve been best friends our whole lives, but we live in different states now and I donāt see her nearly as much as Iād like. Brittanyās also the life of every party, so good times are guaranteed to be had š.
In the midst of these gifts, I am still facing some sleep anxiety and trying to be gentle with myself about it. Itās hard. Just hard. I am learning, as Charles Spurgeon once said, āto kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.ā I know there is nothing wasted in the hands of my gracious Father, and so all my hope is in Him for this moment. Friends, please pray for me and for my family as I learn to rest in the arms of Jesus, no matter what comes my way.
I hope you have a beautiful, rest-filled weekend. Thanks for spending some of your time with me!
Wendi
Word of the Week āš»
Sobremesa: (n.) The time spent lingering at the table after a meal, enjoying the conversation.
Point #1: āI thought it was keeping me safe, but it was only keeping me scared.ā
While I no longer connect with Jen Hatmakerās work the way I once didāpartly because of our differing theologies, but largely because Iām in a different phase of life nowāthe woman has a gift for words. In this essay, she challenges our thinking about how to be good and what that word even means for us as children of God. Is goodness enough to keep us satisfied? Should it be enough? If youāve struggled with perfectionism and performative faith, this is a post worth your time today.
Point #2: Donāt write a broccoli book.
Itās been five years next month (?!) since Good Enough came out, and since then Iāve limited my nonfiction prose to Substack essays. (With zero regrets, mind you.) I simply donāt have anything to say that cannot be explored within a few long paragraphs, but maybe youāve been sitting on a concept for years and ready to write the book. If so, this piece from acquisitions editor on what he has learned after a decade in Christian publishing is exactly where you should start.
Point #3: āI was naked an entire month my sophomore year.ā
In honor of Gilmore Girls season, in which the temps begin to drop and pumpkins begin to grow and PSLs are back at Starbucks, take a trip into Stars Hollow and see if any of these episodes make your GG top ten. Personally, I was never a fan of Emily and Lorelaiās spa day, but āThe Bracebridge Dinnerā? šÆ
Bonus Point: No, my em dashes arenāt AI.
Jane Austen reclaims this beloved punctuation for us all.
Reading in The Nook
Mostly Iāve been reading my Bible, The Book of Common Prayer, and Jesus Calling each night. I did download Grumpy Darling, a super fluffy YA rom-com that my daughter loved, from Kindle Unlimited because itās exactly the kind of saccharine nonsense I need to counteract the Eeyore cloud that has been hovering over me. Itās cute, if not a bit (a lot) silly.
I might switch over to my favorite inspirational fiction authors, like Sarah Ladd and Julie Klassen, because Jane Austen-inspired stories with underlying themes of faith, hope, love, and courage are always a balm.
What are you reading right now? šš»
(All Bookshop.org links are affiliates. Thank you for supporting The Nook with your purchase.)
āHow much of human life is lost in waiting.ā
āRalph Waldo Emersonā
Happy birthday wishes to you Wendi! I'm reading THE UNSELECTED JOURNALS OF EMMA M. LION, VOLUME 7 and I wonder if you've read any of them. Beth Brower wrote them and they are a delight. I read it before bed and it is so settling. My husband wonders what I'm laughing at. I don't want the series to end. Also re-reading SEARCHING FOR AND MAINTAINING PEACE by Fr. Jacques Philippe with a group of friends. The subtitle is "A small Treatise on Peace of Heart". Have a wonderful time on your cruise! God bless!
Iām reading the latest cozy murder mystery by Claudia Gray. She has created a Regency universe using all of Jane Austenās characters, and Darcy and Lizzyās son solves mysteries with Tilney and Catherineās daughter. They are SO CUTE.