This year has reignited my love of getting lost in literature. As we approach the last few months of 2023 I wanted to reflect on a goal I made for myself this year - the goal to read 12 books. I have doubled my goal by October and with my listeners who love reading in mind I wanted to take this episode to reflect on the books I have read thus far. This is the final episode of season 3 but before taking a brief break, I hope you are able to find a new book to read from my list and to get you to your 2023 reading goal :) 

Fiction Books:

Book Lovers | Emily Henry

*Every Summer After | Carley Fortune

*Fourth Wing | Rebecca Yarros

In 5 years | Rebecca Serle

The Love Hypothesis | Ali Hazelwood

Never Vacation with your Ex | Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Out of Love | Hazel Hayes

Picking up the pieces | Amanda Prowse

*Someone Else's Secret | Julia Spiro

That Summer By. Jennifer Weiner

The Beach House | Jane Green

The Club | Ellery Lloyd

The Hotel Nantucket | Elin Hilderbrand

The Last Guest: A Novel | Tess Little

*The Last Housewife: A Novel | Ashley Winstead

The Midnight Library | Matt Haig

The Things They Carried | Tim O'Brien

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow | Gabrielle Zevin

Wednesday Walks & Wags | Melissa Storm

Welcome to the Neighborhood | Lisa Roe

Short-Stories:

Where the Sakura Bloom | Devin Farmer

Non-Fiction Books:

Addiction: A disorder of choice | Gene Heyman

*Astrophysics for People in a Hurry | Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Beyond the Pill | Dr. Jolene Brighten

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism | Amanda Montell

The Psychology of Addiction | Jenny Svanberg

*My personal favorite book recommendations

There has been a trend going around the internet lately where men are coming out and disclosing that they think about the Roman Empire daily if not multiple times a day which led me to think about my own version of the Roman Empire. While I can confidently say I haven’t given the Roman Empire much thought since passing global history in 9th grade, I can say that I spend much of my time thinking about the radium girls. The radium girls have led me to become suspicious of jumping right into modern-day trends and that's what today's convo is all about! While we get a bit historical today, I hope you walk away from this episode learning a bit more about the radium girls and become a bit more skeptical of what is often quick to be marketed as the “next best thing”

Have you ever watched an award show on TV and thought to yourself, “Wow I wish I could be there”? Well, that has always been me with the VMAs and I had the opportunity this past Tuesday to actually attend this year's show! While I think I am still processing the night and all that I experienced, I wanted to debrief a bit on the pod and talk about what really went down. From getting there to dancing the night away, this episode is all about how you can get to the VMAs, what to expect, and what actually happened this year. I hope you enjoy :)

After two stressful years obtaining a master's degree, I finally went on vacation and was able to relax, but not without dealing with some hidden stressors first. While I think we all agree that vacations should be stress-free there are some things that we just can’t control that may arise before we even get our foot out the door. There are also other things that may just make it more challenging to just up and leave for a trip, such as having to find care for pets. This episode is all about the hidden stressors I recently encountered and how to manage them so that you can still have a stress-free vacation :)

When someone has a passion or is passionate about something it means that they have a strong interest or it elicits strong emotions from them. While passions are important to have in life as they contribute to our identity, provide an escape from other life stressors, and are something to be enjoyed, they often may be ignored when there are other things going on. I have realized the repercussions of ignoring my passions and have been working to reignite mine by joining new groups, going out and trying new things, and just mindfully taking the time to reflect on what I am missing in my life. This episode is all about reigniting passions, my own journey with doing so, and how I hope to help motivate you to do the same!

The term aesthetic has long determined the way my home, appearance, and social media pages look. Yet, throughout my life, I have found my personal choice in aesthetics to evolve, change over time, or even just with the seasons. I have never been able to fit into just one aesthetic and have since realized that it is not necessary to find just one. While those that are able to are considerably lucky, with all the aesthetics out there, trying new ones, mixing them up, or sticking to one are all options one can take to find the one for themselves. This episode is all about aesthetics, my personal journey with finding an aesthetic for my home and wardrobe, and whether or not I believe it's necessary to pick and stick to just one.

I have never been one to fear stepping out of my comfort zone but as I navigate post-grad life I definitely am confronted with the idea more and more. While it can feel daunting or scary, stepping outside of your comfort zone almost always comes with benefits and opportunities for self-growth. This week is all about comfort zones, how to identify when it's time to step out of one, the reflection before doing so, and the benefits that come with it.

When I first began cooking three years ago, I was a recipe follower and took little risks. As someone who loves food but is a picky eater, coming up with new meals, and trying new meals is a challenge. That's why three years ago I vowed to myself to incorporate some new food items into my palate throughout the year. While I love food, I will say that I find planning meals in the summer to be a challenge. Surrounded by fresh ingredients and minimal cooking options due to the heat, a picky eater like me runs into old habits of repeating meals. In this episode, I chat about some of my favorite go-to meals in hopes I can inspire you to reflect on your favorites, as well as realize how you can turn a “boring repeat meal” into something new. I hope you enjoy this foodie episode and don’t forget to share your favorite summer meal or recipe recommendation!

Welcome back to chill chats podcast! I know it has been quite some time since we last spoke but I am excited to be back behind the mic! Since my last episode in January, I have been focusing on school and graduation. In this episode, we'll catch up on my life these last four months, talk about the smoke from the Canadian fires blanketing the city, and express hope and excitement for this new season! Get a snack, kick back, and get ready for a season of chilling with me and my cat :)