Love, Lindsey - May 2nd 2025

Dear Diary

Thrilled to report I actually left the house on several occasions this week (actually just three times but that’s still good, right?). First up, I tagged along with some friends to the LA Times Books of the Year awards, part of the Los Angeles Festival of Books and firstly, thanks to lovely Jessica Goudeau for inviting me (pls read her book) but secondly, dear LA Times, how come you have a prize for every genre except romance? They have fiction and poetry and scifi and fantasy and biography even historical but um, no romance? I was embarrassed for them, not least of all because they had several romance writers in attendance, including the one and only Ali Hazelwood, who you should all invite to every event ever because she’s the best and I love her.

Also, unless I’m very much mistaken, the romance writers attending the festival brought more people and drove more sales than all the other genres combined so, yeah, LA Times, think about yourselves. Mortified for you. MORTIFIED.

There wasn’t enough seating so we sat on the floor like tramps. Maybe this is why we don’t get a prize… shout out to Jessica, Kimberley, Alison Hazelwood, my shoes, Destinee “Hardass” Hodge, and Naina Kumar (L-R). Best book prize pals a gal could wish for.

The night after the book prizes, a bunch of the aforementioned romance writers went to dinner in a Brazilian restaurant and while I won’t name it because I can’t in good faith recommend it if you’re visiting LA (millions of better places, TRILLIONS even), it was worth it just to see the look on everyone’s faces when the fire dancer came out. That’s right, FIRE DANCER. Behold…

Once again, Hazelwood established her MVP status.

For my third trip outside my four walls, Jeff and I went to see Sinners and HOLY SHITBALLS, it’s so good. Honestly, even if you’re not a horror person (I am not) I couldn’t recommend it more, if only for Michael B Jordan, my one time pick to play Tyler in the I Heart series, PLAYING TWINS. So many capitals used here and they are all well deserved.