past, present, future: daylilies + PW's Top 10 romance list
flirty flowers
A couple of weeks ago, dozens of bright yellow daylilies bloomed in our yard. Each flower didn’t last long, but they individually wowed when they had blossomed. I was curious why so many had wilted practically overnight, so I did some digging.
Daylilies are flowering plants in the genus Hemerocallis, but despite their name, they are not actually lilies (true lilies grow from onion-like bulbs whereas daylilies grow from thick, fleshy roots).
Interestingly enough, the word Hemerocallis is derived from two Greek words meaning “beauty” and “day,” which is appropriate given the fact that each flower only lasts about one day. Because these flowers don’t last long, there are several daylily buds on each flower stalk (and several stalks in each grouping of plants) so these flowers can bloom at different points in the season.
In Chinese culture, the daylily is connected with forgetfulness and loss of memory, or in some situations, they symbolize "forgetting worries." When someone is having a tough time, gifted daylilies symbolize overcoming their worries and moving on. They’re also supposed to be symbols of longevity and wisdom.
For the Victorians, daylilies were a tease and embodied a flirtatious meaning. There’s something compelling to me about these short-lived, flirty flowers!
Ever since the early 1930s, hybridizers in the United States and England have experimented with daylilies. Yellow, orange, and red were the main colors of the blossoming flowers.
These days, we have colors like pink, purple, pastels, and blends. These hues are because of a complex history of hybridization of cultivated flowers and wild ones.
Daylily colors that don’t yet exist are pure white and pure blue (blue is very rare in nature). According to the American Daylily Society, hybridizers are eagerly (and unsurprisingly) pursuing these colors. If they’re successful, one day our yards and flower pots can be filled with these pretty, pure colors of perennials.
It’s officially summer! Doesn’t it feel like spring flew by? I started making a Summer Reading List for myself like I used to as a kid, but there are so many books on it for both pleasure and work (lots of research and craft reading these days) that it got a little too long to share out.
I know what they say about sharing your goals to hold yourself accountable, but with 50+ books on this list, well. More books would be added, some might fall off, and it would be rendered irrelevant almost immediately. But because I love hearing what others are reading—and sharing what I’m reading—I’ll sneak peek 8 titles on this very long list that I’m certain I’ll read and that I’m looking forward to lounging around with on these hot, humid summer days.
Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen: Love the premise of this book about two Asian American women who grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a global enterprise. The intrigue! The scandal!
Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson: The main character of this book is obsessed with true crime and is convinced that her new neighbor is a serial killer. But this is a rom-com, so I’m hoping it won’t be scary! 🤞🏻
Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey: Second chance romance. Big-time musician comes back to the small town where his high school sweetheart still lives. Can the two create a new love song of their own? We shall see!
Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter: Small town vibes with a bingo-based sex pact, mental health representation, and friends to lovers. Sounds so good!
Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee: I’m a fan of books about books and bookstores, and this one looks very cute. A successful lawyer goes back to her small hometown where she reunites with her childhood friend who works at his family’s brewery to revamp the local bookstore.
Circling Back to You by Julie Tieu: As a fan of The Donut Trap, I’m eager for Tieu’s next book. There’s fake dating, competing promotions, and having to confront real feelings—all fun things!
The Mutual Friend by Carter Bays: Bays is the co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, so I feel like this book is going to be witty and funny with a good amount of depth. There’s a “sprawling cast of characters” which can sometimes be a lot to juggle but because the show was so well done, I have high hopes.
The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh: I’m a couple of chapters into this one already and am very curious where it’ll go. The main character has a serious illness and her husband, an obituary writer, starts to research and write about his wife’s life. Turns out, he doesn’t really know her at all. That sold me immediately.
I’m thrilled to share that Lunar Love is in Publishers Weekly Top 10 romances for fall. This took me by surprise in the best possible way.
I’ve sent off my copyedits for Lunar Love! It had been a while since I last read the book, and I loved every second of re-reading it this time around. It had been long enough that some of the words felt fresh and new, and I was very happy to find that the funny lines still hit.
This is more of a general update, but I did an Ask Me Anything a couple of weeks ago where I answered questions via Instagram story. I shared them all in my Q&A Highlights so you can access them anytime.
From me to you, in the present,
Lauren
📚 Friendly reminder that you can pre-order Lunar Love from various booksellers and add Lunar Love on Goodreads.
Keep following the thread on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and my website.