What We're Reading: Midnight Lady, Doctor Sleep, Variants and Gentlemen Bastards

Happy Weekend! We've been busy on all sides of the Atlantic, but not too busy to share what we're reading. I've got my fingers firmly crossed for some nicer weather here in London this weekend (it's been rainy and miserable this week). But, even if the weather stays grim, I've got a good book to read so that's a win! 

Genn: This weekend I'm reading Doctor Sleep. I read The Shining around this time of year many years ago. I remember because I had just finished applying to colleges and as I was reading the book, I was completely terrified. I kept saying,'this could never happen to me, I don't live in an isolated place where it snows 9 months out of the year...' this was just weeks before I was accepted into lovely liberal arts college in rural upstate New York where it snowed. A lot. And was quite isolated. Needless to say, The Shining is a book that has always stayed with me and when I heard about the sequel I couldn't wait to read it. The thing is... this book is equally terrifying. I'm incredibly grateful that my mom bought me a dreamlite for Christmas this year. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I'd have nightmares.

Jenny: I'm reading Rosemary Rodgers' Midnight Lady. A hugely cheeseball romance novel, but I'm immersing myself in romance novels because I'm writing a book with a big romance component, and this one was lying around. I kind of love getting back to my roots.

Angel: My current read combo. Needless to say, I'm having dreams of Gentleman Bastards and nightmares where fears and anxieties manifest in bizarre extremes. The Variant Effect is not for the faint of heart or stomach and not for someone who already fears... Fear.

What are you reading this weekend? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @gennmcmenemy, @thegenuinejenny and @miabrightborn. Happy Reading! 

What We're Reading: Memorial Day/Bank Holiday Edition

Happy Friday! On both sides of the Atlantic we're looking forward to the long Bank Holiday/Memorial Day weekend. Which means one thing . . . more time for reading in the *hopefully* sunshine. Here's our weekend reads!

Angel: Thanks to a few surprising recent life events I have yet to get beyond chapter 1 of Red Seas Under Red Skies. However, tonight, I'm taking Locke to bed for some overdue quality time. Cheers!

Genn: In addition to the long weekend today was also payday and I paid a visit (sorry for the pun) to my local bookshop. I might have accidentially bought two new books, Doctor Sleep and Nights at the Circus. Both come highly recommended. Now I just have to decide which one to read first  . . . decisions, decisions. Maybe I'll just read them both.

Jenny:  Contact by Carl Sagan, an oldie but goodie that MJ gave me for Christmas. I loved the movie, never read the book. Also, in other news, I actually finished two books last week! Making progress on my enormous pile.

 

What We're Reading: Red Seas, Good Luck and Sophie's World

Happy Friday! We are settling in for a spring weekend of reading. Here's our #FridayReads that we'll be tucking into over the weekend! 

Angel: My next read is Red Seas under Red Skies, sequel to the Lies of Locke Lamora. I'm looking forward to it!  Lies was my big "look forward to" read last year, which means I'm looking forward to this, too. Yay Friday!

Have you read any of the books in the Gentlemen Bastard series? If you have and want to chat about them you can tweet Angel @miabrightborn or leave a message in the comments.

Jenny: I'm currently reading Sophie's World: a book that blends philosophy with

an eerie magical-realism-ish story about a little girl in Sweden and her mysterious philosophy teacher. This one is a birthday present I'm finally getting around to finishing--hopefully cutting into the enormous stack of books-to-finish that I have!

Want to talk Sophie's World? You can tweet Jenny @TheGenuineJenny or leave a message in the comments.

Genn: I've got a long weekend here in London. I'm finishing my re-read of Far From You (so bloody good!) and still working my way through A Dance with Dragons. But, I'm going to start The Good Luck of Right Now this weekend. I've been wanting to read it since the book came out last month. I loved The Silver Lining's Playbook. The book was fantastic and I adored the movie. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock was one of the most interesting and important books I read last year about school violence, revenge, suicide and abuse. So, I'm really looking forward to reading The Good Luck of Right Now.

If want want to chat books, especially Matthew Quick novels especially The Good Luck of Right Now you can tweet Genn @gennmcmenemy or leave a message in the comments.

What are you reading this weekend? Let us know in the comments or tweet us. Happy weekend! 

What We're Reading: Dragons, Monsters and Death

Every Friday, we'll be posting what we're reading here on the blog. Because frankly we are bookish and can't help but share (or document) what we're reading.

Genn: This weekend is forecast to be a grey and chilly one here in London. So, I'm curling up with an insanely good manuscript. I don't want to say too much because the book isn't out until later this year and there's nothing worse then hearing about a good book you can't read for a while yet . . . but OH.MY.GOD. this book is amazing! Just . . .  I can't. I promise a full update a bit later. I'm also reading A Dance with Dragons because it's Game of Thrones season and each week I'm reminded that it's seven days between new episodes. I need my Westeros fix! Want to chat Game of Thrones or books? You can tweet me @gennmcmenemy  

Jenny: Just bought a book today I've been DYING to read: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor. THIS is a date

book. The kind you take out to dinner. Not Chipotle, either (although I do love me some Chipotle)--a fancy restaurant, where you order any appetizer and dessert you want--hell, go nuts, get wine!--and it's just you and the book. And some good food. And some wine. 

So. If you're wondering what I'm up to sometime this weekend...it's going out on a date. With my book. You can tweet Jenny @TheGenuineJenny

What are you reading this weekend? Let us know in the comments or tweet us. Happy weekend! 

"Jon Snow never bothered me anyway"

Finally something that combines my love of Game of Thrones AND my love of Frozen.

((SPOILERS!))

My inner fangirl is freaking out.

Why you should all be following: Heal Yourself, Skeletor

I recently came across the Heal Yourself, Skeletor Tumblr and I think I'm a little in love.

Full disclosure, I had a She-Ra Princess of Power Castle when I was a kid. My brother had the He-Man castle. We were big fans. We even went to see the arguably awful Masters of the Universe movie when it opened in cinemas. Well, I say we did, but I ran screaming out of the theatre when Skeletor appeared on screen. To be fair, I was six and Skeletor was terrifying. It took my incredibly patient mom a long while (possibly some popcorn bribery) to convince me to return to the movie.

So, when I came across this Tumblr yesterday I was a bit skeptical. I mean, motivational/inspirational thoughts from Skeletor? Well, as you can see, it definitely works.

Happy Tuesday.

Skeletor Affirmations (by ghoulnextdoor)

You can find more Skeletor Affirmations at Heal Yourself, Skeletor on Tumblr. If you aren't following them yet you really should be. 

I'll Drink to That . . .

Things have been a bit  . . . batshit (I really did try to find another word, but that's the only one that fits!) lately. In a good way. In a very good way. But, I don't have time tonight to explain all that. It's my husband's birthday. So until later this week (or early next) I promise a full update. For now, let's just leave it with this gif . . .

Best "Let It Go" Cover. Ever.

I have seen a lot of "Let it Go" covers. I feel like I collect them the way other people collect  . .  . way cooler things (cars, stamps, rare first editions, ok this list is making me sound even lamer than I am). For a long time the "Fuck it All" cover was my hands down favourite. But no longer.

Christina Bianco's "Let It Go" Cover channels divas such as Idina Menzel, Demi Lovato, Adele, Barbara Striesand, Celine Dion, Brittany Spears and so many more. It's amazing. If you've begun to be a little sick of this song this cover will make you fall in love with it again. Or even if you don't like the song this video will leave you in awe how talented Christina is! You can find out more about Christina and watch her other covers on her website.

Happy Weekend!

A busy week . . .

The end of January is always a super busy time for me. My husband (a tax accountant) works late nights to meet a major UK deadline and I tend to spend that time writing. Which is why this week I'm sharing with you my favourite new YouTube find. I heart YouTube educational videos so much and when I first saw Thug Notes I knew it was brilliant. I love that each episode summarizes the book and then launches into an analysis of the text. I read most of these books in High School, but since stumbling on Thug Notes I've been feeling the need to re-read some of the classics.

Let me know if Dr Sparky Sweets PhD inspires you to re-read (or indeed read) some of the classics in the comments!

Happy Tuesday!

2013: the year that almost broke me

2013 was a big year of almosts for me. In some ways those almosts really almost broke me. Which sounds silly thinking about it now. This good thing almost happened. This really exciting thing almost happened. And didn't. It's silly because let's be honest, how lucky was I to be so fortunate to have such great things almost happen? Yeah, they didn't happen. But, in some respects it was getting to that almost stage that was the real achievement. Toward the end of 2013 I was beginning to lose my perspective on how far I'd come. How important my journey had been. How much I had achieved. All I could see was this big pile of almosts. This getting down to being the runner up in my own life. All these goals that I had come within a yard of making and faltered in the last few feet. Much like the lovely Juliette Barnes, I had my runner up face, my game face, down. In 2013 the biggest lesson I learnt was how to smile big to hide a bigger sadness.

I'm smiling because even when I don't win I'm fabulous.

Needless to say, it wasn't a good place to be. I fretted. I moaned far too much to Angel, Jenny and my poor suffering husband. I was terrible to be around. I put on my game face and got through the day and then at night I would cry. A lot. I had a bout with depression. In short, 2013 very nearly defeated me. If I had taken my 1984 test*, I am sure I would have failed. For the first time since 2005. 

If the year had ended with just these big almosts in the good column I might have lost all perspective. All focus on everything. I could have very easily gotten lost in my own misery.

But in the last few days of 2013 I almost lost someone very close to me. That almost was the one that broke me. After spending a holiday in and out of hospitals and welcoming the new year with a very firm understanding of just how fragile life is, I felt for the first time in a long time that I got it.

Almost is set up to test you. Almost is there to remind you just how much you want something. It's there to make you reach out and pull those you love close to you. It's the word that reminds you to call your parents more. Tell people you love them more. Almost is your reminder that no matter where things are right now they can always be better or a lot worse.

Almost is not just a word; it's a place. A waiting room. A hospital. It's the distance from one end of a phone to another. Almost is heartbeat. Almost is an ache deep in your chest. Almost is all the tears you hold back because you can't let them go. Almost is hope so big and bright it burns like a bonfire.

I'm not going to go into exactly what happened because that's a bit too personal. But let's just leave it at this: for the first time in a year I woke up. After a year of allowing the positive almosts to break me, it took one big, "this can't be happening, oh God, this can't be happening" almost to save me. To remind me to be grateful for the incredible things I am lucky enough to have. To give me the clarity to reach out to those people I love and hold them close. Closer then I have for far too long. To remind them that I love them. That even if they do the most insane things, I still love them and only want what's best for them.

2013 was a year of almosts. A year of possibilities. I am grateful now for the almosts in my life. For the ability to hope and dream. For the reminder to hold my family and friends close and to say all the things I never get around to saying. Because almost is better then too late.

*My 1984 test is based on my re-reading of the classic Orwell novel. When I read the book as a teenager I couldn't understand how the Winston, the narrator, accepts the totalitarian regime. How he allows himself to be a cog in the propaganda factory. I cheered when he realised that there was a bigger cause worth fighting for. I sobbed at the end when . . . well, you know. When I read the book again in my early 20s while working at my first office job I had a completely different opinion. I couldn't fathom why Winston would want to make waves and give up his decent (albeit soul crushing) life for the promise of something better. I decided after that re-reading of 1984 that if I was in a place where I believed Winston made the wrong decision in his life by trying to fight for change I was in trouble. I'm due for a re-read of 1984 later this year which I'll blog about. 

We're Back!

Well, we fell off the grid there for a bit at the end of 2013. Something about NaNo and word counts and then December. Let's blame it on the egg nog or better yet, mulled wine! Or my annual trip home to New York. I find it very hard to blog when I'm catching up with family, friends and marathoning whatever TV show I somehow I missed. (Guys, did you know about this show called Ray Donovan? It's so bad it's good!) But all that was so 2013.

Fresh off our annual wine fueled reunion writing retreat over New Year, we are happy to be back in the blogging saddle. Jenny, Angel and I have had a writing retreat over Christmas break every year since 2009. Ever since uni, we've been writing, editing, and chatting about all things bookish, pop culture, fangirlish and fascinating. Whenever an email pings into my mailbox from Jenny or Angel, I know I'm going to get an update on something brilliant. From books I have to read, articles that make me think, YouTube videos that make me laugh or sometimes even cry, arguments about which relationships in Game of Thrones to Ship (Brienne and Jamie Lannister and don't get me started on the loss of the great Khal Drogo!). So, this year, we decided we'd carry that conversation over to the blog in our own way. With less structured content, some proper fangirling out and even some more serious posts. Pretty much, think of this as our email to you of all things interesting on the internet.

This year you can find new posts from us every Tuesday and Thursday. I'll be blogging something relating to my new work in progress, querying, getting fit (I'm training for a half-marathon this year with Jenny!), what I'm reading, all things YA and mythological, a rant or two I'm sure will make an appearance over the course of the year and of course my general fangirlness. How have I not written about Emma Approved yet? I feel a blog post might be in the very near future. Anyway, you can find new blog posts from me every Tuesday. Jenny will be blogging on Thursdays. And Angel will be popping in from time to time to tell you all about what's going on in her life, writing and reading.

We'll even have some read along (and re-reads) later in the year. Oh Jericho Barrons how I've missed you!

But for now, I have to clean my flat. Nothing says, "my flat is a tip" quite like being on holiday for three weeks. Sigh.

See you all next week.

My Five Stages of NaNoWriMo

First, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I hope your days are filled with pumpkin everything and chocolate most things and more treats than tricks!

I've been asked a few times: "Are you doing that whole crazy novel in a month thing again?" NaNoWriMo? Yes.

So this year, despite my life being insanely chaotic I'm doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month-- I'm going to call it NaNo from here on out because it's so much easier!). Jenny's post yesterday sums up pretty much exactly why I NaNo most years. I would add that usually November is a quiet month for me, but this year, Holy Hannah in a Hoop Skirt, it's a mental one.

I'm going into this process with a major time crunch throughout the month, a lot of evening events for work, holiday (yes yes yes!) and in general more commitments then I would normally take on while attempting to write this much in a month. However, it's been the kind of year that really needs a good kick in the pants and the best way to do that is to win at NaNo. I won't have a publishable book at the end of this month. I repeat I won't have a publishable or even very good book at the end of this month.This is my note to NaNo-ers, you might be able to write 50k in a month, but that is rarely an entire book and unless you are the 1% of writers who can pull off a first draft kissed by the gods, it won't be a good draft. It is not ready to send out to agents and publishers. It will need a full revision which will take you (I should think) more than a month to complete. For me, I know won't even have a full manuscript (about half a book, probably) and that book will need a serious rewrite. But what I will have is something that shows my dedication to improving my craft. Because NaNo is all about the writing, even if it at times it is terrible. It's about getting your butt in the chair for a solid month and creating something. It's about putting the writing first. I can't argue with that.

If you want to follow my progress or be my buddy (a girl can use more buddies!) then you can do so clicking the widget below.

Jenny and I will also be gif-ing out way through NaNo over on the brand new Cupcakes and Karma Tumblr which you can visit by clicking here. You can also Tweet me (@gennmcmenemy), if you want to let me know how you're doing. This year I'm writing a romance loosely set in Ancient Rome (in my mind its all about Romans and Revolutionaries) Angel has dubbed it-- "Centurions, Lions, Revolutionaries and Roman Hooters". It should be good fun and I doubt in the end any of those words will be accurate in describing this book.

Let us know if you are NaNo-ing. We'd love to hear how you get on!

My Five Stages of NaNoWriMo

1. Insane Joy

This is going to be the best thing ever! I'm going to spend a month writing like a fiend and it will all pay off. I'm going to write the best book ever! (Days 1-5)

2. Crushing Overwhelming Terror

Why am I doing this again? I can't plot my way out of a paper bag. Zombies! Zombies will fix any plot holes. What do you mean there were no zombies in Ancient Rome!! (Days 6-15)

3. Despair

I'm so over this whole NaNo thing. I mean, it's not as if this novel writing month was my only shot at proving to myself I can do this. I can do this. Oh God, I CAN'T DO THIS! Give me wine and a desk to sob under!  (Days 16-20)

4. Rally

You know what, I do this every year and SOMEHOW I manage to win. It's time to rally. Because this can't be the year I lose. It just cant be. I am so not doing this next year. (Days 21-25)

5. Zombie-Style Relief

This is the homestretch. I can wrtie 2k a day for the next five days. Eat. Sleep. Work. BRRAIIINSSS. I mean WORDS. I mean BRRAIINNSSS! No, definitely WORDS. Brains are far too chewy. 

And finally, that sweet sweet victory!

Welcome to November.

I can't even SQUEE I'm so excited for CATCHING FIRE!

Seriously! I can't even begin to express how excited I am for Catching Fire. I am going to have to re-read the book. But, ZOMG look at the final trailer. What I love about the films is how they give the viewers a greater sense of what is going on in Panem. The books are limited to Katniss' first person narration, which makes the terror and the Games that much more powerful and immediate. However, you don't fully process the revolution that Katniss has sparked in the same way until much later in the books. But the films also look at the society as it begins to unravel and embrace the coming storm of revolution. Both are fantastic, but I love how the films really capture that 'spark' of revolution while juxtaposing the cruelty and barbaric nature of the Games.

 

Ariel: The World's Worst Roommate?

I always thought I was a terrible roommate. Even though I've remained close friends with two of my four roommates from college, I was convinced I was a terrible bunkmate. Maybe it was years of having my own room as a kid, or the fact that I tended to get not enough sleep (it's perfectly normal to function on 4 hours with a nap sometime throughout the day, right?), or maybe that I'm just not the tidest person? I present you with this case study from Cracked (yes, that is snark you are detecting). Is Ariel the worst roommate ever? You decide. Let us know your thoughts on roommates in the comments below.

Something Good This Way Comes . . .

I feel like 2013 has been the year of 'Something Good This Way Comes' for me. It's been a year of waiting for whatever that good thing is . . . I'm not quite sure what that good thing is, but the year is still youngish, or middle aged, I suppose.

Anyway, with all that in mind, when I heard this song I couldn't stop smiling. This is totally my new 'Swagger Song' and it's the perfect song for autumn as the last of the summer fades away. It's all about that something good coming. C'mon and get here already.

Brave

My friend Sara Cook-Raymond runs a fantastic 'Swagger Song' series over on her blog The Long Ride Home. I can't tell you the amount of fabulous song recommendations I've gotten from her blog. Quick, go have a look, we'll be waiting!

Regardless of how you feel about the Katy Perry 'Roar'  vs 'Brave' controversy I defy you not to love Sara Bareilles' 'Brave'. If there ever was a 'swagger song' it's 'Brave'. I'm a big fan of Sara Bareilles and 'Brave' is no exception.

I love the idea of being 'brave'. I love just how fiesty this song is. It's currently on repeat for my new WIP. I have a character who is reluctantly falling into the role of being 'brave' of taking on a fight for someone else. She's about to show 'just how big her brave is' in the next section I'm working on when she tries to plot how to save both her brother and a boy she hardly knows who, much like her brother, is bound by a very rash promise to a fate he can't escape.

 So, I'm going to go write in the corner and try not to tap my feet too loud.

Happy Wednesday! I hope this song brings a smile to your faces.

Cupcake of the Week: BAMF GIRLS ARE BACK!

Your Wednesday just became BAMF awesome!

I forgot just how much I missed the BAMF Girls Club! I am so happy they are back for another series. For those of you that aren't familair with the BAMF Girls Club you are in for a treat. The BAMF Girls Club asks the question what would happen if you put Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hermione Granger, Katniss Everdeen, Lisbeth Salander, Michonne and Bella Swann all together in one house as roomates? It's the real world meets literary, pop culture, geeky awesome! The series is hilarious, super nerdy and good fun. I've loved the previous two series.

The first in this series (run by Comediva) features special guest star Veronica Mars. After Hermione's magical purse goes missing she turns to Lisbeth Salander for help tracking down the culprit. Lisbeth is a little indisposed with her brand new baking business (click here for that episode) so she hires the second best detective, Veronica Mars. Enjoy!

Cupcake of the Week: How Would You Be Different if you were Born a Woman?

When I saw this a few weeks ago I just thought, Dustin Hoffman gets it. He really gets it. His answer is so genuine and his breakdown at the end is powerful.

I'll let the video speak for itself. If you've got thoughts I'd love to hear them so leave them in the comments.

What I'm Reading: Heart-Shaped Bruise

Remember when I was all like, 'Hey, I'm totally going to read these 8 books before the 1st September!". You know, like two weeks ago. Well, here is your first (of many, I hope) progress reports.

I finally finished A Feast for Crows on Monday. After a frantic tweeting session with one of my friends, I've decided to have a break from Westeros for a little while. Actually, I didn't so much decide it, as I opened up the fifth book and as the prologue starts with a new character set the book down. If ever there was a sign to take a break, that was it.

So, what to read next?

I quickly grabbed my copy of Heart-Shaped Bruise and settled in for a fantastic, if frantic, page-turning read. Heart-Shaped Bruise is the story of Emily Koll, an inmate at Archway Young Offenders Institution who has been put away for a heinous crime. A crime so terrible that she's been dubbed 'evil' by the press. But, its also a crime that the reader doesn't know about. I'm 50 pages from the end and the big 'henious crime' reveal hasn't happened yet. I have to keep myself from flipping ahead to find out what it is. The tension in the book is great. You spend most of your time almost siding with Emily and then remembering she's an unreliable narrator.

Who is Emily Koll? Is she a monster? It's difficult to say (and I'm nearly finished!). Emily's beloved father is sent to prison for murdering a police officer (in his own home). He was only caught because Juliet Shaw, the police officer's daughter heard the commotion and stabbed him. Emily wants revenge. But not just any kind of revenge. She had no idea her father was a mobster. Juliet didn't just take her father away from her, she took away the carefully crafted lie of a life Emily had been leading.

Now, armed with a fake ID, Emily is determined to snake her way into Juliet's new life. The life Juliet has been forced to rebuild in the witness protection programme. What follows is a tense story told in diary entries that look at Emily today (locked away) and the girl Emily became (Rose Glass) in order to exact her revenge.

I can't recommend this book highly enough! I've not been able to put it down. Part fantastic thriller and part psychological study, this is a book about broken people and the terrible things they do to try to become whole again. It reminds me a lot of the fantastic Ketchup Clouds and I'm not just saying that because I worked on it in my day job! (Ketchup Clouds won the Waterstones Children's Book of the Year this Year!) Both books are told in a series of diary entries and are compelling, tense and brilliant. Both narrators are keeping dark secrets about the horrible crimes they committed and confessing to the reader the only way they can, with words on paper. Both are stories not to be missed. They will break your heart. Trust me.

Right, now to finish Heart-Shaped Bruise so that I can start another book from the pile.

Happy Reading!

My Top Four Cures for 'Butthurt-itis'

Lately, I've been feeling a bit butthurt by life. I couldn't tell you why. Life has been pretty much the same as always. Maybe a few more curve balls and less good news and  more ''oh f*ck off'' kind of news.  Maybe it's that cumulative wearing down that happens before your internal thoughts shift back to centre. But man, my reactions were not in sync with how I felt they should be. How I normally react to certain situations. I think (hope) I've kept my bad case of 'butthurt-itis' well hidden.  

If, like me, life has been treating you a bit unkindly, here's my top four cures for 'butthurt-itis'. I'd like to state that these are simply my advice for getting over your period of 'butthurt-itis'. This is by no means a cure for depression or anxiety or anything stronger than a bit of a life bitch-slapping.

1) Lower your expectations. Normally, your expectations are in line with what people can (and do) deliver, but right now for reasons outside of your control your expectations are not in line with reality. This could be because you are too needy (sorry, but it's true), it could be because those you depend on are going through bigger things and don't have time for your drama (other people have drama too!), it could be because the people you are turning to just can't give you what you need (it happens). Do not get butthurt. Do not Tweet or post on Facebook emo-passive-aggressive status updates. Instead, lower your expectations. Just because you're having a tough time, doesn't mean the world is against you. Lower your expectations. Expect less and the universe will slowly start to prove to you that much like in writing, less is more.

2) Write a completely over the top blog post/journal entry etc and never ever post it. We've all been there. Life is hard and sure to break your heart. It's important sometimes to just write it all down. Maybe cry a little (it's cathartic) but do not post this heart break on the internet. I repeat: Do not post this on the internet. Why? Because things on the internet live forever (much like the Original Vampires on The Vampire Diaries.) I've said it before, for every smart thing I love, I love something like The Vampire Dairies. I think this is what makes me a well-rounded human being. Anyway, if, after you've slept on your post, you still want to put it on the internet (why?!) get a second opinion from a trusted friend (you'd better believe most of my blog posts are read by friends before I set them live!). But remember, your blog posts do live forever and the hurt you feel now, the hurt you think you've cleverly hidden might be very transparent to the people who love you (or the person you're directing your butthurt-itis at). Is that really something you want to make public? Would it not be better to discuss it in person (or over the phone). Maybe with tea? Or wine?

3) Drink Wine from a posh tea cup. Really the posher the better. If you can, use a saucer. Pretend this is a high tea, a tea party all for yourself. When I got married I bought beautiful wine glasses. I never drink wine from cups. I'm a bit of a wine snob like that. However, the more butthurt-itis reared it's terrible head the more I thought, go back to what's simple. Wine out of a tea cup (or any cup). Unpretentious wine consumption. Here's the thing, there's few things in life that will cheer you up when your emotions are out of whack. Wine (or tea) are usually a good bet. But really, it's just the act of slowing down for a minute and breathing that is going to give you some perspective. And if seeing wine in a tea cup doesn't make you think of a simpler time (I'm thinking college) then put soda in a tea cup, water, whatever. Whatever doesn't belong but reminds you of playing at a tea party as a kid. Because imaginary tea parties (hell, most things from childhood) are pretty damn awesome. If that kind of awesome doesn't at least create a dent in your 'butthurt-itis' you might need more help then this blog post can give you. 

Nothing says class like rose wine in a rose cup, right? C'mom that had to make you smile? See, banish that 'butthurt-itis' like its nobody's business. 

4. Give yourself an enforced social media blackout- You know how everyone on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr all seem to be leading a much more fabulous life than you are? I've got a newsflash, most of them probably aren't. They are just much much much better about sharing the good parts and keeping the bad parts to themselves. If so much good, oversharing, bragging is getting you down then it's time to give yourself an enforced media blackout. Turn off the interwebs. Read a good book. Take a bath. Do some yoga. Go for a run. Whatever. Just don't endlessly check your social media. Shockingly, social media can make you feel . . . less than social. Sometimes embracing your inner hermit is the only way forward. (I know, I scarely believe it myself).

I tried to get to five cures for 'butthurt-itis', but failed. The thing with 'butthurt-itis' is that it just saps your energy and requires different coping skills every time it rears it's ugly face. These are my current cures. I'd also suggest getting up and moving. Dance around (like a jackass), sing at the top of your lungs, go for a run or swim (have I mentioned swimming is the best?) or take a hot bath.

What are your cures for when the 'butthurt-itits' strikes? Leave me a comment or tweet me @gennmcmenemy. I'd love to hear your thoughts!