Living on my own time, literally.

💌 What Exactly is “Ali Time”?

My agent recently dubbed my mental timeframe “Ali Time” because I like to do things fast. And I don’t mean this in a “move fast and break shit” tech bro kind of way (*shudder*) but more in a ‘once an idea is in my head I’m incapable of letting it go’ kind of way. It’s a quality that’s both good and bad, I think. Good in that I’m able to obsess enough to actually write entire books; bad in that I get antsy waiting around and practicing patience.
Part of existing in publishing and media is that you should always have many irons in the fire, but it’s also a very long-term industry, so nothing happens overnight. Even though I just released a book a few months ago, other projects I’m actively working on are months or years away—and not all even announced!
SO, because I’m not good at waiting, I’m going to add a little extra something for newsletter subscribers that can be a bit of instant gratification for me (and you!) and can serve as a bit of a thank you to you for being here. I want to write a chapter from the point of view of one of the men in a recent book. And because this exercise is all about doing something on Ali Time, I’d love to get your opinions quickly and then give it to you quickly. So which would you rather?!

Okay! So now that I get another little thing to obsess over, I hope you have something of your own to help keep your patience intact. For me, the answer will always be happy books!

📚 What I’m Reading

Next week, one of my favorite authors Laura Piper Lee has a new book coming out and it might be her best one yet. Laura writes true ROM-COMS - hilarious, zany, fun, and full of heart. Her next is Pot Shot, about a woman with chronic illness who wants to open a dispensary and her former love who is now the doctor next door. It’s a blast. Highly, highly recommend.

Also—are you a fan of soap operas? Because another favorite writer has a book out TODAY (yay!), and in a totally new genre. Charlotte Druckman and Mayukh Sen’s Love in the Afternoon, and Evening is an ode to soaps through essays, interviews and flat-out fun. It’s such a nostalgic treat.

🍴What I’m Cooking Up

This is really one of my favorite times of year for cooking, because everything feels so new and hopeful. I finally was able to grab some rhubarb at the market, so I will be making the Strawberry Rhubarb Cornbread from Unlikely Story again asap.

In terms of cookbooks, one of the all-time best chefs around has a perfect Italian cookbook out today. Hillary Sterling’s Ammazza is more than just her restaurant recipes from her time as chef at places like Vic’s and Ci Siamo. It’s her winding story of Passovers, travels, and Mexican Thanksgivings. I absolutely adore this one.

💛 Happy News

I recently went viral for the weirdest thing—I got to shout out a line in the Broadway play Every Brilliant Thing with Daniel Radcliffe. I’ve learned the internet really loves that guy! But we should actually take a moment to reflect on the show. It’s about a son who starts a list of all the world’s ‘brilliant things’ in order to help cheer up his depressed mother. It’s deeply life-affirming and a reminder to really enjoy all the little things in life—from ice cream to Super Mario to Christopher Walken’s voice to things with stripes.

Also, speaking of brilliant things, I came across this Instagram account that doodles on clouds. If that doesn’t brighten your day, I don’t know what would!

✨ Thanks for being here!

Thank you for reading along and (hopefully) taking part in my little poll. If you’re a newer subscriber, I do have two bonus chapters already - for Recipe for Second Chances and for Merry & Bright. And if you haven’t read my books yet, I guess now’s the time to start!? But I appreciate you being here!