Anyone for spag bol at Amanda's?

Almost at the end of Happy Endings

Wow, today really got away from me. I can only assume it’s because we ran out of coffee and I didn’t get any until 11. Also because I’m giving my WIP, Happy Endings, one last read-through and my brain is a smidge broken.

It’s actually the longest book I’ve ever written, which I’m pretty excited about (not least because I know it’s not actually finished yet). It’s still only around 80,000 words, but I always write short (and my YA books were contractually short) so this is a whole new world for me.

You can read the first three chapters (along with extracts from the other novel I’m writing and the Harry Styles book), if you upgrade your subscription. And you can still get 25% off a monthly or annual subscription until the end of August. (WHICH IS REALLY SOON OMG.)

(If you’d like to read it, but can’t pay right now, email me and I will sort you out.)

My last novel, The Bad Mothers’ Book Club, is now available on Kindle Unlimited, which means that if you have a subscription, you can read it for no extra cost. And why wouldn’t you want to read it with reviews like this one!

Don’t worry, some people liked it.

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READING

Yesterday, I finished reading this longform essay about how last summer, author Laura Lippman fell over a bunch of times for no apparent reason. I also fell over a bunch of times last summer. (And also autumn and winter.) For no apparent reason. But I haven’t fallen for a while. And then last night, walking back from the cinema after seeing Past Lives with my 19yo, I scuffed my foot and did one of those windmilling staggers for about ten steps but managed to right myself. WHAT A RUSH.

Harry: “Oh my god, Ma! Oh my GOD!”

Me: “WOOOOOOOO!”

Who needs drugs.

Slow and gentle and beautiful.

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WATCHING

I’ve been trying to convince the 14yo to watch Motherland with me for ages and he finally gave in and became instantly obsessed. Occasionally a nice person will compare The Bad Mothers’ Book Club to Motherland and it makes me very happy.

We also watched Crashing - the show Phoebe Waller-Bridge did before Fleabag - and loved that too.

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EATING

I got so fed up of trying to think of what to make for dinner, that I decided to do a set menu for the week. Carbonara on Mondays, James Acaster pasta on Wednesdays, veggie chilli on Fridays, etc. Couple of wild cards at the weekend. It’s going well so far. The plan is also that I will teach the boys to make them all, but no progress there yet.

What’s your failsafe family dinner? And what do you listen to while you’re cooking?

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