The Friday Five!

April 10th, 2026

1. Last week, I did a short Friday Five on my Instagram. My feeling was that maybe I could start doing them there, with brevity, instead of over here where I tend to Go On and On. But honestly, I missed this space! So here I am. And here I go.

2. First up, a reminder: I’m going on tour! Change of Plans (my first book in seven years, y’all) is out May 5th. That evening we will kick everything off with an event at the bookstore of my heart, Flyleaf Books here in Chapel Hill. After that, I am off to NYC, Milwaukee, Naperville IL, Franklin IN, St. Louis, Frisco TX, Houston TX and the Gaithersburg Books Festival in MD. The events are ticketed but with a ticket you get a copy of the book. Here’s the schedule:

   

   All details are available HERE.

   I am really excited to get out there. I am also, well, a bit nervous. It’s been seven years! My daughter is about to graduate from high school! I am EMOTIONAL on the best of days! But more than anything I cannot wait to see my readers and talk books. Writing is great (except those days it isn’t) but nothing beats getting to meet all the people who made your career possible. Come out and say hello so I can thank you! (So many exclamation points. It’s like my anxiety has its own punctuation.)

3. Speaking of writing, currently I am editing my next book, which will be out in summer 2027. Writers who publish annually: HOW do you do this? It is a first for me, as in the past I’ve been an every-other-year kind of gal. But editing a book while promoting a book feels like a high wire act and I am hanging on by my toes. Upside: there is not as much time to freak out about the book release. On the other hand, I’m dealing with the stress of editing/revising, which even after FIFTEEN times is still terrifying. I am sure other writers are really good at compartmentalizing. They balance it all with grace and poise. But that, sadly, has never been my brand. Oh, well.

4. Thank goodness for (other people’s) books, which continue to be my solace and happy place. While I’ve been reading a lot of new releases (another shoutout here to Emma Straub’s latest, American Fantasy) I’ve also been into older titles. I do this thing the library where I just pick a part of the fiction section and just walk through it, seeing what catches my eye. It’s like the universe is my librarian. It’s how I found one of my favorite books from last year, Kayla Rae Whitaker’s The Animators. (She’s got a new one coming out and I am SO PUMPED.) Recent discoveries I have loved include Eric Puchner’s Model Home (his Dream State was a recent Oprah pick) and, currently, Brass by Xhenet Aliu, which has a voice that is so unique it’s honestly blowing my mind. Next up is Theo of Golden, which everyone has said I must read. Too many books, not enough time. Never has it been more true.

5. In the midst of all this—plus domestic stuff, like missing my dad and navigating the final part of my daughter’s college application process—-I keep thinking about lazy rivers. (Bear with me here.) If you are not acquainted, a lazy river is basically a pool that goes in a circle with a built-in current. You get a float, or inner tube, slide in, and just let it carry you. I am realizing that this is how life is. We don’t have control, really. I mean, we can paddle out of the way of the waterfalls occasionally. We can decide to stand on the side and not even get in. (But what’s the fun in that?) But once in, you have a choice. Let it carry you, or fight against it. Either way, you’re in the water. Might as well try to enjoy the ride.

   

Have a good weekend, everyone!