Are you ready for it?

Ten things so lit(erary) and just 🔥 in general

A mix of great “life things” and “literary” stuff, too.

1. Listen, kids. When it comes to good writing or anything else worth doing, “it takes as long as it takes. Noticing progress is a great solution for moving forward.” Let it. -book coach

   Jennie Nash

2. Author

   Sarah Allen
   was at first hesitant to write about her experience with Turner syndrome and Non-verbal Learning Disorder. What others might call a “disability,” Sarah uses her experience and knowledge to write awesome kid books - fiction with neurodiversity, psychology, and genetics (I am so into this).

3. “A reader lives 1000 lives before he dies … the man who never reads lives only one.” -George R.R. Martin

4. I was so so sad to read of Sarah Turner’s passing from cancer on March 2. Her daughter, Abbey, wrote a beautiful tribute to her. Sarah’s enduring message of simplicity, enjoying the every day and ordinary, focusing less on materialism, getting rid of the clutter that fills up our lives has been hugely impactful to me.

5. Taylor Swift’s Eras tour on Disney+ is about as awesome as can be. Sit back, turn the volume way up, and soak it all in. I’m in awe of Swift’s prolific, brilliant writing - she writes all of her own songs. Unapologetically #swiftie

6. Ethan Unkleby’s Substack writes (almost) daily Mormon poetry and it’s so deep, so good. Subscribe here:

   (Almost) Daily Mormon Poetry

7. How to successfully throw a failure party. Children’s author

   Brad Montague
   knows how to have fun - FAIL and talk about it. I must have my own failure party asap (and he’s got a new book for us to pre-order).

8. Last week during spring break, my daughter Paige oh-so-casually walked into the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of March, dunked, and walked back out. Like, for fun. This can be our secret: she’s actually part-mermaid.

   

   She’s 13+ years older now and still walking into the ocean. I stand on the shore with my winter coat on. Because it’s MARCH and COLD.

9. We went to New York City to tour NYU and see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. It was fantastic. Not a musical, but lots of music and wonderful acting. Lesson: try new things! NYC is intimidating to me. I only live five hours away, but had NEVER seen a broadway show before. You know what? It’s not hard. Download the TIX app, Use Google maps, ask other people lots of questions (my cousin Clin), and go places you want to go! WE ATE SO MUCH.

   

   Before the theater was packed for Harry

   WANT TO SEE: Hadestown with Lola Tung (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and The Great Gatsby with Jeremy Jordan (Iisten to this and never be the same :)

10. I’m really looking forward to April and May school visits. I love visiting classrooms and am now booking for fall. BE IN TOUCH and let’s have a book party at your school or library! amy.makechnie@gmail.com

    Hope you wore your green yesterday and didn’t get pinched!

    And may the luck of the Irish rise up and meet you…

    Amy ☘️

p.s. Stay tuned for book recommendations next week - I’ve got good ones!

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