Staying Apart, Together: When you're tired of the quarantine slow-down

I want everything to move fast these days. 

Ever since the pandemic took hold of the U.S., life has slowed down for those of us who aren't on the front lines and are lucky enough to be healthy. We stopped rushing to commute each morning and simply waltzed into our "home offices" (or for some, your living room or kitchen table). We canceled trips, appointments and put some life plans on hold. Busy weeknights were replaced with home-cooked dinners. Heck, slowness was built into our trendy hobbies like sourdough bread, birdwatching and knitting. 

For me, at least, five months of slowing down has made me restless to move fast. I'm speed-walking my dog. I'm zipping through my reading list. I'm watching half hour sitcoms shows instead of hour-long dramas. 

I want to take our next big life step (buying a house) as fast as my husband and I can. Of course, even when there isn't a global pandemic, major life events don't happen at the snap of my fingers. I'm trying to be patient and remind myself that I don't always get to control how quickly my life progresses in any direction, and remind myself how lucky I am to have what I have now (a great husband and dog, a job I love and family willing to put up with us for a few months). 

Are any of you feeling restless these days? How are you coping with waiting for weddings or new jobs or family visits or anything else? Email me at klawler@usatoday.com and I'll share any tips I get in a future newsletter. 

Weekend reading (for many, many weekends)

I'm so proud of my colleague Mary Cadden for working on an important project for our readers – identifying 100 Black novelists to read. 

Mary runs our Best-Selling Books List, meaning every week she pours through data from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and more retailers to see what Americans are reading. On our list, nonfiction books about race have have resonated with readers since the outcry spurred by George Floyd's death in May and the killing of Breonna Taylor in March – both Black, both dead at the hands of police.

As Mary writes, "Readers are educating themselves on systemic racism and challenging their preconceptions about race. But an equally powerful way to become more educated and enlightened is through fiction. Black authors give readers more insight into the Black experience, often by viewing the world through the lens of Black characters."

Mary talked to scholars at universities and avid readers at Paste BN, to put together a selection of 100 Black authors who write adult fiction. The list includes a variety of authors from established to debut, award-winning to best-selling, American and international. The authors specialize in a wide range of genres, including literary, speculative, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery and more. But, as she points out, "for every novelist we have included, there are scores more to be read and discovered." 

A few of the names on the list (in alphabetical order) whose books may want to add to your Amazon wishlist:

• Chinua Achebe: “Things Fall Apart,” by the late Nigerian-born novelist, poet and professor, is considered a masterpiece of African literature and earned global acclaim.
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The writer and MacArthur Genius Grant winner has written three award-winning novels, “Purple Hibiscus,” “Half of a Yellow Sun” and “Americanah,” as well as a book of short stories, “The Things Around Your Neck.”
• Brit Bennett: Her debut book, “The Mothers,” about how a young girl’s pregnancy as a teenager has lingering effects, was well-received in 2016.
• David Chariandy: The Canadian author's first novel, "Soucouyant" was nominated and won myriad awards. 
• Toni Morrison: The first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Morrison saw great critical and commercial success in her career before she died at the age of 88 in 2019. 
• Kiley Reid: Reid’s debut novel, “Such a Fun Age,” has received great reviews and is on the longlist for the 2020 Booker Prize. 
• Colson Whitehead: The author has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction – in 2017 for “The Underground Railroad” and in 2020 for “The Nickel Boys.”

See the full list here. 

Today's reads

• Our Money Team continues to answer the important questions about the pandemic economy, including about those potential extra unemployment funds. 
• We're continuing to celebrate the centennial of the 19th amendment, and my colleague Erin Jensen wrote about five films and TV series you should watch to celebrate and learn about suffrage. 
• Inspired by my mother-in-law (she's probably reading this, hi Cathy!), I'm really into watching stand-up comedy in this phase of the pandemic. 
• Gannett, which owns Paste BN, has made a pledge to make our newsrooms more diverse, and published a census of where we are in 2020. 
• Is a "resort bubble" the answer to resuming tourism in Hawaii?

Today's TV recommendations 

Which streaming services do you have?   

Amazon Prime

What shows have you watched in quarantine so far?

"The Expanse," "Jack Ryan"

What's your favorite TV show (or shows) of all time?

"Friends," "Star Trek" (any), "This Is Us," "Sherlock"

-Kemi Broadley in Redmond, Oregon

You should watch...

Amazon has a great selection of British crime drama akin to "Sherlock," including "Grantchester" and "Endeavour," both of which I've recommended previously. "Catastrophe" is a great dramedy about an Irish woman (Sharon Horgan) and American man (Rob Delaney) who decide to get married after a vacation fling turns into an unplanned pregnancy. It's hilarious, and maybe a little too real. I almost wish you hadn't already watched "The Expanse," because I'm a fanand it's such a good show for sci-fi fans. But one to add to your list is probably Amazon's new comedy sci-fi show "Upload" from "The Office" creator Greg Daniels. That's my favorite show of the year so far. 

Today's pets

Meet Lilly and Cooper, who are lucky enough to have their own "puppy palace." 

"I am fortunate to live in the country and have a 'she shed,' actually we call it the Puppy Palace because our two dogs Lilly and Cooper hang out with me and get wildly excited when we say 'let's go to the  'puppy palace'!" says human Amy McKinney. 

Lilly and Cooper (the brown pup on the left), keep an eye on the neighbors, especially Cooper. "We call him the McKinney Security Guard. Nothing gets by Cooper."

Cooper, maybe you could help me with some guard dog services. Our neighbor's cat really likes to hang out in our yard...

That's all for this Saturday. Stay safe, stay well, and the newsletter will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday afternoon. If you'd like your pet featured, have a coping tip or want TV recommendations (send what streaming services you have, what you've watched in quarantine and what your favorite shows are, plus your full name), email me at klawler@usatoday.com.

All my very best,

Kelly Lawler