Recently in my monthly newsletter (if we’re not already besties, subscribe here. I always send links to lots of free books, give my sneak peeks, and offer subscriber-only content), I asked my readers to let me know what they thought of about half a dozen different books, mostly from the romcom genre. One was an anthology of short stories, there were a couple new series romances and then books of varying lengths… mainly, I was just trying to hone in on what my audience enjoys reading so that I can tweak my newsletter offerings going forward.

I personally hate spam, and I also hate emails that take up my time and don’t offer me anything I want / need. I always want to make sure I’m never doing that to my subscribers; trust is earned, right?

So anyway, in the course of this fine-tuning, I heard from a reader who was kind enough to offer her feedback. She was one of the first 10 people to reply, and her answer surprised me.

Quick Side Note: I LOVE PEOPLE WHO REPLY WHEN YOU ASK FOR IT! Sorry for the shouting. It’s just that it’s about the most affirming thing in the world… Writers send out our newsletters to hundreds of people — sometimes thousands depending on the segmentation and purpose — and you get metrics back about how many people opened it or clicked links or forwarded it or unsubscribe or took action or whatever, but you never really know what they think of it. Unless they respond. It’s the BEST! If you are ever on the fence about responding to someone’s newsletter that you like / value, DO IT! It’s like a virtual hug or high five or fist bump or whatever pandemic-allowable affirmation is appropriate for this current iteration of viral shit storm.

Anyway… I digress. This woman took the time to write back and say that while she appreciated the book links, she was having trouble finding anything to read. She didn’t blame me (whew – I would hate if everything I picked was a hard pass “NO!”). She actually called it “reader’s block”… she said she was in a slump where no books could keep her interest.

And, man. 

I have SO been there!! Haven’t we all?? #relatable 

She went on to tell me that what she really needed was something that would make her belly laugh. And again, I have SO been there!! With the amount of garbage we take in daily (and, I mean our actual lives and news and social media), our minds and hearts and souls could use a break, right?

So, here is my offering to you guys: a list of things that make me laugh so hard my cheeks hurt. They make my heart a little lighter, and they leave me feeling like there is still funny stuff happening in the world.

• Jennifer Cruisie’s older books. She has made an art-form of writing the believably ridiculous. Start with this one: Tell Me Lies.
• The One with the Jellyfish. This is from Friends Season 4, Episode 1. It is the best episode. Fight me. Currently, all seasons of Friends are available in the US on HBOMax.
• _theblessedone. Follow this IG account immediately. Comedy gold delivered daily.
• Nate Bargatze: Full Time Magician. Wet-your-pants standup comedian that you can watch with your kids. It’s available here, from Amazon.
• AwesomelyLuvvie’s website: Not a specific page or post, but the whole damn thing. Luvvi Ajayi Jones is a gift to us all. Social critic, television re-capper, New York Times Best Selling Author, TED talk queen… she is pricelessly irreverent and speaks fluent sarcasm. I recommend you begin with her glossary.
• The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams. Quite simply, if you haven’t read this (or, actually worse, if you read it and didn’t laugh out loud) then we probably couldn’t be friends in real life. 
• Ask Siri. If all else fails, here’s a list of ridiculous things to ask Siri that will make you laugh.

And, in case you’re a cynic, NO, I do not get paid or even get discounts or anything from providing you guys these resources. They honestly make me laugh. And, can’t we all use that right about NOW!?

In love and laughter,

Michelle