lauragennauthor

[lauragennauthor]

I made my first recipe from my new cookbook all by myself! Behold my minestrone soup. ❤️ #soup #cooking #minestrone #minestronesoup #vegetarian #comfortfood #proud #homecooking https://www.instagram.com/p/CqRSHwrLZat/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

In June 2013, @lbardugo’s SIEGE & STORM released about 2 weeks before my 15th birthday. All I wanted for that birthday, as a teen with no driver’s license or income just yet, was a ride from my Dad to get the SHADOW & BONE sequel signed. This was well before I had to rush to get a PAID TICKET to one of Leigh’s almost-instantly-sold-out signings. I think there were 10 people there. Just as many years later, as season 2 drops on Netflix (now incorporating the Crows crew, too!), I get to see the adaptation teenage me was practically BEGGING for, proof that a good story and relentless dreams can take you anywhere. And it makes me smile more than ever when I see the opening pages of my 2013 hardcover. “To Laura—Happy birthday! I hope it goes better than Nikolai’s.” Now I’m a grumpy grownup who has to spend a day of paid time off for this binge watch, but I regret absolutely nothing. #Grishaverse #Grisha #ShadowandBone #SiegeandStorm #Netflix #shadowandbonenetflix #signedbook #hardcover #LeighBardugo #nostalgia #NikolaiLantsov #Sturmhond #Ravka https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp3ODZePX3N/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

“Stop buying me stuffed animals,” she said. “I don’t have space for any more,” she said. “I already know you love me,” she said. Then she saw this formerly $13, now $1.28 hedgehog, abandoned all by its lonesome in Walmart, and screamed. We bought the hedgehog. Totally legit relationship tip #37: Always buy the hedgehog. #plush #stuffie #stuffedanimal #hedgehog #hedgehugs #love #LGBT #queer #bisexual #sapphic #girlfriends #love #Valentines https://www.instagram.com/p/CptL7YaL99k/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

Behold my new fridge magnets. This is what being an adult is about. #Mario #Luigi #Nintendo #magnets #SuperMario #MarioBros #SuperMarioBros #gamer #gaming #decor #fridgemagnets #magnets #refrigeratormagnets #kitchen https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpq0otHLrp8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

When I was 14, @lbardugo put out a little debut YA fantasy called SHADOW & BONE. 11 years later, I can find merch in @hottopic. Bought it for the little kid I was and the big kid I still am. You already know I took off work for the release day, @netflix @shadowandbone. And now I have an outfit for it. No mourners. No funerals. And no ordinary socks. #Grishaverse #ShadowandBone #SixOfCrows #LeighBardugo #merch #bookmerch #bookworm #YAfantasy #Netflix #adaptation https://www.instagram.com/p/CplxOU_rDO4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

Spent a lovely Saturday afternoon in Milford, NJ, where we got some of the best empanadas around, fresh-baked cookies, an antique hot cocoa maker, 4 antique glasses with cats on them (why not?), and a bunch of pet supplies—most importantly, a hoodie for Ribbit, who loved seeing all the sights and even ate some empanada. Small businesses are the best. Didn’t break our budget, but definitely brightened my day. #cat #hoodie #sweater #cathoodie #catsweater #tuxedocat #tuxedocatsofinstagram #girlfriends #Saturday #shopsmall https://www.instagram.com/p/CpGa39Nr34k/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

Yes, she worked me hard at the gym, but then she bought me Panera, so… let’s do it again next weekend. #gym #dinner #gymdate #dinnerdate #gymbuddy #foodies #Panera #soup #salad #sandwich #food #fruit #lemonade #icedtea #sapphic #girlfriends #bisexual #queer #LGBT #love https://www.instagram.com/p/Co3oefLrSYX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

New game, new dice. #DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #TTRPG #tabletoprpg #diceset #dicecollection #galaxy #dice #galaxydice #D20 #rollforinitiative https://www.instagram.com/p/CotFWzuA1SO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

I was so busy being sappy about my real-life love, I almost forgot to post about my disaster fictional children. Namely Ohsàd (he/him) and Araina (she/her) from my #dragonbook, as well as Kori (she/her) and Adria (she/her) from my #SpaceMythWIP. Clearly they’re excellent at expressing their feelings to one another in totally healthy ways. #ValentinesDay #writersofinstagram #scifi #fantasy #YA #bisexual #sapphic #couples #writing #books #love #romance #disaster https://www.instagram.com/p/CoqluwNLipX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

This girl. She *happened* to me, you know? In July 2021, I was finally moving into my own apartment, fully out of the closet, and single but secure in that for the first time in years. I was like, “This is my ERA.” I downloaded all the dating apps, ready to match with anyone of any gender, determined to embrace new experiences, new connections, and my first opportunity to casually date as an independent adult. “My time has come. I’m going to meet SO MANY people!” Then I matched with this girl. And one 5-hour coffee date later, I found myself texting my other matches, “I know this sounds crazy, but I actually think I met someone.” Here I am now, a year and a half since this girl happened to me, and I know I was right. I failed my casual dating quest spectacularly. But I found my person. My romance novel girl, who decorates my tiny apartment in fairy lights and ivy, cooking a fancy meal for an ordinary date night. My nurturing girl, who spoils her cat like a firstborn and adores her niece and nephew like they’re her own kids. My empathetic girl, who reminds me it’s healthy to cry and she’ll be here with tissues and snuggles. My adventure girl, who never doubts my ability to navigate a hiking trail or a road trip, even if I’m intimidated at the thought. My baking girl, whose cookies are making all the church grandmas want to steal her from me. But also my practical, everyday, when-real-life-attacks girl. Who works weird hours, her absolute hardest, so we can save for a future together. Who organizes my chaotic pantry, and built a custom shelf when my storage wasn’t enough. Who installs the replacement shower head while I’m still asleep. Who comes along for grocery runs and laundromat visits and oil changes. Who calls me beautiful in my laziest sweatpants. Who yells at me to drink more water (I’m sorry!). Now if only she didn’t have the coldest feet on the planet, she’d be perfect. Babe, if you ever try to cuddle without socks on again, I will kill you and every court would rule it justified. I love you, Mindy. Happy Valentine’s Day. #girlfriends #sapphic #bisexual #Valentine #Valentines #ValentinesDay #partners #girlfriend #LGBT #queer #romance #dating https://www.instagram.com/p/Cop2lfyPL1f/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

I’m usually a PlayStation 5 gal, but my trusty Switch Lite—purchased at the beginning of the pandemic, entirely so I could shelter in place, place being Animal Crossing—has been getting a workout these past couple weeks. Any other writers been refilling their creative well with games lately? What games? I’m adoring the tough-as-nails gameplay of Fire Emblem: Engage on hard with permadeath, though I terribly miss the characters and story of Three Houses. And my younger self was too intimidated by (and slightly afraid of) Metroid Prime to get beyond the first level, so it’ll be a joy to re-experience this genre-defining 2002 sci-fi classic with updated graphics and controls. #Nintendo #FireEmblem #Engage #FireEmblemEngage #Metroid #MetroidPrime #MetroidPrimeRemastered #SwitchLite #NintendoSwitch #NintendoSwitchLite #RPG #strategy #shooter #FPS #puzzle #gamer #gaming #writer #inspiration #scifi #fantasy #Samus #Alear https://www.instagram.com/p/CogTeYALbtD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

Loving my new dragon calendar for 2023. #2023 #calendar #February #dragon #dragons #fantasy #fiction #newmonth https://www.instagram.com/p/CoJK67TLSs_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

Living it up, clearly. #COVID19 #itgotme #quarantine #quarantinelife #sick #medicine #healing #theplague https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnj-X4rLaST/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

I love my Christmas sloth warmie so much (thanks, Mom & Dad) that I bought him a friend. To absolutely no one’s surprise, it’s a dragon. Name ideas, anyone? I also bought Mindy a unicorn, because what’s the point of having a girlfriend if you can’t buy her stuffed animals for no reason? (Not sponsored by Warmies. I wish. Send me all your warm cuddly friends, @warmies_usa, and I will sing your praises from the highest mountain. My neurodivergent self with sensory processing difficulties is 300% your adult target audience. 🤣) Y’all, it’s a stuffed animal that feels like a beanbag and can go in the microwave or freezer. I think I’m obsessed. https://www.instagram.com/p/CnXl7ffvEsU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

IT’S HERE!!! 🐇📖🔥 @lbardugo’s YA debut, SHADOW & BONE, stole my 14-year-old heart a decade ago. So thrilled that my now 25-year-old self can also delve into the sequel to her adult debut, NINTH HOUSE. It may have been a long time coming, but I’m already certain HELL BENT will have been worth the wait. 🖤 I will forever associate Florence + the Machine’s COSMIC LOVE with Leigh’s books thanks to Mal and Alina, so I had to add it to the Instagram post, of course. https://www.instagram.com/p/CnXhy56vU7z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

Finally finished my reread of Tamsyn Muir’s brilliant HARROW THE NINTH. I thought I adored GIDEON and HARROW the first time around; then found myself thoroughly lost a year later after finishing NONA THE NINTH; then doubled back to the beginning and not only processed all the plot twists more effectively, but fell even more in love with this brilliant series so frequently referred to simply as “lesbian necromancers in space.” Weird space books at their finest. I say this as the author of a weird space book. This series reminds me why I read and write alike. Read it. Then read it again. #LockedTomb #LockedTombSeries #TamsynMuir #GideontheNinth #HarrowtheNinth #reread #NonatheNinth #AlectotheNinth #amreading #reading #book #bookworm #scifi #fantasy #sapphic #lesbian https://www.instagram.com/p/CnLbUXmrhFH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lauragennauthor]

It’s a Sunday afternoon. I’m in my pajamas with my girlfriend asleep in a pile of blankets next to me. And the band that constantly reminds me the importance of living fully while we’re alive is softly rearranging one of my favorite albums of all time, Vessel, on its 10th anniversary. It’s playing out of my TV via YouTube in my tiny apartment. I’m clutching a pillow I made out of my worn-out Emotional Roadshow Tour t-shirt. My left arm still sports “sahlo folina” and a yellow flower, permanently inked in @joshuadun’s handwriting. @tylerrjoseph is actually talking about Regional At Best. And in this moment, things make sense. I’m passionate about a lot of things, but there are few things I love the way I love @twentyonepilots. Thank you for everything, Tyler and Josh. #twentyonepilots #TØP #TylerJoseph #JoshuaDun #JoshDun #skeletonclique #livestream #Vessel #10thanniversary #vessel10years #favoriteband https://www.instagram.com/p/CnKz0M5PmqL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=