Coffee With Kate #8
This week: My ACOTAR fan-casting
I want to have a little more fun with this series and now that I’m moving it weekly, I think I will have a chance to do that. I’m not sure what every week will look like because it’s going to be a big “this is what I’m feeling” kinda thing. I’ll always have interesting links to share, but my random thoughts are going to be different every time. Obviously.
This week is for my ACOTAR friends because I am currently deep into the series and literally cannot stop thinking about it. Like actually awake in the middle of the night, trying to get back to sleep, but I cannot stop thinking about the scene I just read or the emotional intelligence of a male character like Rhys. Side note: Do any of my early 2000s readers feel like we got robbed by our male leads? Edward Cullen COULD NEVER. Like I legitimately think about how my expectations for dating would have been different if I had read about more men like Rhysand and Cassian than a broody Edward Cullen.
Anyway… I also cannot stop myself from fan-casting these characters so I thought I would share my fancast here. I do this with the caveat that I’m almost through the third book of the series so I’m still learning about these characters. And there are some I just cannot pick anyone good enough for… so more to come on those!
Tamlin - Dan Stevens: This is probably some innate carryover casting from him playing Beast in the live-action adaptation of Beauty and The Beast, but I really think he would be great for the part. I’d love to see the sweet Matthew Crawley so many of us fell in love with but also the darker side from Legion.
Amarantha - Jessica Chastain: I really want to see an evil Jessica Chastain. This could be her time to shine as Amarantha!
Feyre - Jodie Comer: I have loved Jodie Comer in pretty much everything she has been in. I think she would be great for Feyre. She can be scrappy and caring. She’s got moves and she has the look.
Tarquin - Michael Ealy: My immediate choice for Tarquin. Of everything I’ve seen Ealy in, he seems to have the same commanding, confident, and lovable demeanor as Tarquin.
Mor - Margot Robbie: The fan-casting that inspired all of this! As soon as Mor was introduced, I envisioned Margot Robbie. Maybe it’s because she was recently seen out with Sarah J. Maas. But I really do think she would be such a good Mor.
Amren - Gemma Chan: Couldn’t you just see Gemma Chan with silver eyes looking absolutely frightening but also so intriguing? I feel like she possesses a stillness that would make her a great choice for Amren.
Lucien - Richard Madden: I’m not sure why but I just keep coming back to Richard Madden as Lucien. I tried to find someone with ginger hair, and I just couldn’t. Maybe it’s because I always wanted more Robb Stark than what we got and we know he has High Lord son swagger already.
Nesta - Sophie Turner: And while we’re at it, please give me a Stark sibling reunion in this cast. I feel like Sophie Turner could really channel her inner Queen of the North to bring the ultimate badass that is Nesta Archeron to life. She’s also absolutely stunning and based on all the descriptions about Nesta, I think Sophie would be great!
Noticeably absent from my casting is Rhys. I have looked through so many actors to see who would play a good Rhys and I just cannot pick one. Henry Cavill is close, but I don’t think he’s exactly right. Jacob Elordi is too young but I feel like he could be a good pick based on his terrifying Nate Jacobs, but also his performance on SNL. However, who comes to mind as perfect casting in terms of looks is Sean O’Pry who starred in Taylor Swift’s Blank Space music video… you know… in 2014. It’s the hair, eyebrows, and cheekbones. According to his IMDB page, he doesn’t seem to have much acting experience though so… But come on! Do you see it?
Do you have any thoughts on the ACOTAR cast? If you got to cast anyone, who would you pick?
☀️ Pockets of Me Time
I started going to counseling last month and it’s been such a nice thing to do for myself. At first, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to go in person much, but I’ve done all my sessions in person so far. And I’m so glad I am! I started going so I could work through grief and just try to not feel like I’m failing all the time. One thing I have been trying to find is little pockets of “me time” throughout the day. I don’t get a lot of it between working full-time and raising two toddlers, so finding that time has been a priority. Here are a few things I’ve been doing that help me:
Listening to an audiobook while cleaning the kitchen at night. I pop in my AirPods and go! It makes cleaning the kitchen much more delightful. It also feels like I’m doing two things to take care of myself because as much as I don’t like doing dishes, I do like to have a clean kitchen ready for the next day!
Going for short walks. I don’t know why but I always have it in my head that if I’m going to get out for a walk that I might as well go all in. It requires me to get some athleisure wear and my sneakers on and go. I’ve found this can be too many barriers between me and a good walk, so I’ve dialed it back. Honestly, I’m not doing a grueling walking session. 15 minutes around this little loop we have is perfect. I stopped worrying about getting my normal clothes all sweaty and just started going for a walk and it’s totally okay! The suburbanite in me sometimes forgets that people wear their normal clothes on walking commutes every single day and they’re fine.
Anyway, these walks have been so nice! The weather is the most pleasant it’s going to be here all year, so I’m trying to make the most of it. And reducing the barriers to getting outside has been key!
Opening the sunroof. Again, fresh air seems to be the cure! The weather is nice so keeping the sunroof open has been such a nice way to breathe in some fresh air. Again, I try to listen to my audiobook or a podcast in the car unless my kids are with me and request something else. Sometimes I can get away with listening to “mommy’s book” though.
Watching TV. I’m sure others experience this as well, but since having kids I rarely watch anything for myself if they’re awake. We’ll turn on the news, but typically if the TV is on we’re watching something on Disney+. My husband and I catch up on our shows after the kids go to bed. But sometimes I don’t want to watch a show with him because I know he won’t like it. Instead of just never watching it (which is what I’ve been doing), I’ve started to turn on the TV when I have some downtime. Usually, it’s when my son is at home with me or if he’s napping. I’m not 100% focused on the TV so I wouldn’t recommend this for a show you want to be totally immersed in, but for casual watching, this has been nice.
🎵 What are you listening to?
I’ve known for a while that I’m in a rut with music, but
’s Weekly REPORT really reinforced it for me last week. What the heck are we listening to right now? And how are you finding time for music? And to discover new music? I was in a groove for a while with finding new music via Spotify, but then I stopped using Spotify and now use Apple Music. Any tips? I have listened to a few tracks from COWBOY CARTER. The song with Post Malone is a favorite and Beyonce’s Jolene is an instant hit. And I know I will be deep in the mind of Taylor Swift and TTPD in just less than 2 weeks (🤗)!
🔗 Interesting Links
📱 You know I’m always trying to stop scrolling on my phone so much, so I found this post about offering yourself a turndown service at night a really fun read. I’ve found that I’m less likely to get lost scrolling when I’m prioritizing my well-being and this seems to support that!
📺 And similarly, teens are noticing that their parents have problems with screen time too. I think millennials and some Gen X’ers are the original iPad kids but we like to pretend that we don’t have a problem.
🐢 My ‘9-5 Crew’ broadcast channel brought up perfectionism in the workplace last week and now I can’t stop thinking about it. I thought this essay was really insightful on how we balance society’s drive for productivity with our own needs to build connections and be present.
🌂
shared this article about the finale How I Met Your Mother 10 years later and I could not agree more! I LOVED this show and knew it was going to be one of my lifelong favorites as I watched it back in the early teens. And then the finale happened and I’ve barely thought about it again. There’s a lesson to be learned from HIMYM and Game of Thrones about being flexible with plans and how those plans need to adapt based on how you grow and develop over time. Sometimes getting fixated on a result can cause you to cut yourself short.👩💻 This article about the unpaid emotional labor of women in the workplace is incredible. Women are more likely to be the ones to take on “other duties as assigned” like party planning and other tasks defined as “office housework” and ones that have “low promotability”. Oof. Reading the terms “office housework” and “low promotability” stopped me in my tracks. It also goes deeper into why we’re socialized to see some careers for women and other careers for me. And guess which careers are paid less?
🏡 As a white, middle-class mother, this essay really struck me.
Let me be clear: I’m not in any way suggesting that motherhood is “harder” for white, middle-class moms. What I am suggesting is that the actual experiences of motherhood and marriage may be more misaligned with our expectations.
I’m also reading To Have and To Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma by Molly Millwood and I think this is a big reason why some new mothers struggle so much (I’m one of them!). We expect that we’ll have support, that we can get back to work the way our male colleagues do, and that life will change but it won’t be that much different. And then it is entirely different and we’re gasping for air.
⭐️
conducted an investigation to find out if Harry Styles knew about The Idea of You and shared her findings in this post. I legitimately read and enjoyed every single word. It’s the most fun thing I’ve read in a while! She also got an advanced screening of the movie and shared some thoughts!ICYMI
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This is an amazing roundup, Kate! Love it! To Have & To Hold is probably the best book I've ever read re: becoming a mom/motherhood/parenthood. I refer back to it all the time (also, a lot of what Molly talks about is also highly connected to the unpaid emotional labor of women in the workplace...)
For Rhys, I’m feeling a James Marsden type but more muscle-y.