“... I am angry at life. Actually, not sometimes. Always. I always feel that way. I don't actively think about it, but it's in there. At the same time, I am always looking for some gratitude, warmth, or hope. I often have to really search for it, but when I see something that makes me feel joy – even just a tiny odd hardly anything – you're damn right I applaud it.”

Right after I finished reading I Miss You When I Blink, I put Bomb Shelter on hold on audio at 3 library systems and hard copy at my local branch. An audio copy came in first, so I snatched it right up and listened to the author read her essays, which was a great reading experience. As with her first collection, the tone is earnest and clear-eyed. At times, I wished I had a print copy to reread and mark lines, but I also really enjoyed pretending that I was on a walk or out for brunch with Mary Laura, and we were commiserating about feeling anxious and like time is running out and yet there are still things to be happy about, but don’t we feel conflicted about it?

I think Bomb Shelter pairs well with The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green and These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. All three collections touch on the pandemic in a way that feels specific but universal. Anyway, upon finishing Bomb Shelter, I yelled at a friend via text to read this book next (and immediately apologized for bossing her so aggressively). I explained how Mary Laura Philpott, Margaret Renkl, and Ann Patchett feel like a kind of triad of Southern aunties for me. Between their 6 essay collections, I feel enveloped by heart and humor, and it’s the kind of writing and thinking I aspire to do for myself.