(I plan to do a “Currently…” post every other Tuesday. You should join me! Find the origins of the idea HERE.)
Loving
Last weekend we went kayaking at the coolest place — Mallows Bay on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, where tons of “ghost ships” have been sunk, creating a mini ecosystem for plants and birds and fish. Those trees in the photo below? They’re growing out of a war ship that’s just barely hidden under river water.
The photo below is not mine (I found it HERE), but it shows the outlines of many of the ships. Our kayaks floated right over them, and a lot of the time we were navigating huge, rusty nails that stuck up out of the water. The ship at the top of the photo sits mostly above water, and there are enormous hawks’ nests on its deck. Big recommend if you’re a DC local looking for an off-the-beaten-path outdoor activity.
Reading
I recently finished Chelsea Sedoti’s The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett (great title, great cover!) and and I thought it was fantastic. A perfect example of awesome YA voice, and it’s full of heart. It’s out January, 2017 and you should most definitely put it on your TBR list. Now I’m reading and loving Christina June’s It Started With Goodbye, out May, 2017. Pretty sure her MC, Tatum, could be BFFs with Kissing Max Holden‘s Jilly. So far, June’s all about Swanky books!
Watching
Roots, and whoa. I never read the book or saw the original series, so the story’s all new to me and it is so visceral and so sad and so powerful. Must watch.
Listening To
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. I own a hard copy of this book but when I saw that it was available on audio from my library, I knew I wanted to listen rather than read. Guys, I really enjoyed this story. It’s heartbreaking and intense, but there’s humor, too, and I happen to think its message is inspiring. I’ve seen a lot of backlash about the #LiveBoldly tagline; it seems some people assume it means that those with physical challenges can’t live boldly, but Me Before You is Lou’s story, and she learns to live boldly through Will, even while he’s made an incredibly polarizing decision (one he’s entitled to because he’s an adult with autonomy; I’m pro Death with Dignity, for what it’s worth). Anyway, if you’re curious about this one and have yet to give it a read, know that its portrayal of disability isn’t faultless, but the overall story’s got my stamp of approval.
Thinking About
What I’m going to work on next because… round two of Kissing Max Holden edits have been turned in! YAY! What a relief, and the best part is that I’m SO PROUD of how the story’s coming along.
Anticipating
The vacation we’re taking this weekend… We’re meeting friends at a beautiful Virginia lake, where we’ll spend four days swimming and sunning and catching up, and maybe having a cold beer or two. 🍻
Wishing
You’ll check out the recently revealed Swanky 17 covers! They’re all so gorgeous — my fellow Swanks are winning the cover lottery all over the place! Find the YA covers HERE and the MG covers HERE.
Making Me Happy
I created an original brownie recipe, which makes me all sorts of excited. They’re rich and decadent and dark-chocolate-y, and they’re inspired by this scene in Kissing Max Holden during which Max eats (and raves about) Jill’s homemade brownies. In fact, they’re called Max’s Favorite Dark Chocolate Chunk Brownies. 🙂 Good news — eventually I’m going to share the recipe with you, then we can all bake them and have a virtual brownie party!
Did you post a “Currently…” this week?
Let me know in the comments, and I’ll be sure to visit!
katyupperman.com 
Baking brownies??? Count me in!!!
Congrats on finishing your edits and I hope your vacation is as awesome as it sounds 🙂
Thanks, Jennifer! Can’t wait. 🙂
Mmm…that brownie batter pic looks delicious!! And how neat about those ships. It’s amazing the things that are out there that we have no idea about.
I know! My husband heard about the ships at work and we went not expecting too much. Turns out it’s really cool! Have a wonderful week, Leandra!
Brownies! Yummo! I just watched an interview Chase Jarvis did with Levar Burton and the two talked about the Roots reboot (Burton is a producer of the reboot and also starred in the original). I missed it when it aired on Memorial Day weekend, but I will definitely be checking it out on demand when I can. And Mallows Bay! What a unique place to visit.
Yes! I knew that about Levar Burton. He actually had a tiny cameo in the reboot. I hope you’re able to watch soon — I’m super impressed. Have an awesome week, lady!
I can’t wait for the brownies. Or to read Kissing Max Holden Again. hee.
The kayaking looks fun. Makes me wish I was outdoors-y.
Have a great week!
And I posted once again…
https://thewildbleu.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/currently-6/
Aww, thank you! I hope you enjoy MAX even more in all its edited glory. 🙂 Have a wonderful week, Katherine!
Oh, man. Those brownies look SO good. Ever since Gemma was born, I’ve been craving sweets way more than usual, but mostly those cravings are for brownies. LOL Can’t wait to try your recipe! And yay(!) for finishing another round of KMH edits!
I’m glad you shared your thoughts on ME BEFORE YOU because, like you, I’ve been seeing all the backlash, and I was curious what you thought of it. I think you raise excellent points, especially about the death with dignity debate. (Erin and I were just talking about this book and the broader issues surrounding it last night.)
Have an awesome weekend at the lake! 😀
Oops! I forgot to leave a link to my post: http://www.jaime-morrow.com/2016/06/currently.html
We’ll have to compare thoughts about ME BEFORE YOU if you end up reading it, Jaime. It’s definitely not perfect and I agree with many of the points I’ve read regarding its depiction of people with disabilities, but overall, I enjoyed the story very much. Can’t wait to check out your post, lady!
I’m just starting ME BEFORE YOU, and I hadn’t really heard much about the backlash until maybe two days ago (the book has been out, what, four years? All I’d heard up until now was that it was a sad story). It’s all over Facebook and Twitter right now, and it kind of dimmed some of my excitement to read the book. Thank you for posting your take on it, because you’ve made me feel re-encouraged (if that’s a word, lol) about the whole thing. I’m only 30 pages in but really loving Lou’s voice so far! 🙂
Congrats on finishing round 2 of KMH edits! Consider this my RSVP for the brownie party. 🙂 Those look YUM! Enjoy your vacation this weekend, Katy!!
http://kaitlinbartlett.blogspot.com/2016/06/currently-writer-podcasts-and-all-of.html
Kaitlin, I *adored* Lou. I thought she was so fun and funny and just completely winsome. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the story once you’ve finished. I agree that it’s got flaws as far as its representation of people with disabilities, but recognizing that did not dim my enjoyment of the story AT ALL. Can’t wait to read your post, lady!
I loved Me Before You, and I really want to see the movie but I’m trying not to equate the two. They can both be excellent in their own rights, right?
We went canoeing a couple weekends ago and it was so fun. I have a similar photo, out in the mangrove trails.
http://dawningofaquariums.blogspot.com/2016/06/currently-in-fifteen-minutes.html
The book and movie can definitely be excellent in their own right! Though, I’ve heard JoJo Moyes was very involved with the making of the movie, so hopefully it’ll be as charming as the book. 🙂
Canoeing amongst mangroves sounds excellent! Hope you have an awesome week, April!
Started Me Before You last night. Ashamed to say how long it’s been in my stack. Movie release kicked my butt in gear. Then you were reading it too. So here we go…..
Congrats on finishing round 2 edits! I can’t wait to see how MAX ends up 🙂
You can never go wrong with brownies! I particularly love all the awesome varieties of brownies made by the coffeehouse where my local writers’ group meets on Tuesdays three months a year.
My parents have really gotten into kayaking in the last few years, and even bought their own, which they took with them when they moved to South Carolina.