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Jessica H

@jess_beingjess

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Boston reader 🍂 | Books, food, music & more
Product Manager by day
📚 @southshorebooksnbrunch founder
🐾 Cat cameos guaranteed

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A little dark chocolate, a little peanut butter, a few suspicious birds guarding the plate. 🍫🐦‍⬛

Dark chocolate brownie cookies with peanut butter swirls for @sundayafternoonbakingclub’s “Dark Chocolate” prompt. Made with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour so B can enjoy them too.

Rustic edges. Nutty swirls. Excellent with coffee. 🖤

#glutenfreebakery #sundayafternoonbakingclub taken in Weymouth, Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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a day ago

I came to haunt an antique shop and somehow ended up at a tea party. 👻🫖

Whimsy Society took over Vintage View in Haverhill for an afternoon of treats, treasures, and very well-dressed ghosts. I brought a butternut squash tart, wore enough pearls to qualify as an heirloom, and naturally found my way to the bookshelves.

Thank you to Whimsy Society (hosted as always by @ashleyg.explores ) and Vintage View for such a lovely, delightfully peculiar afternoon. I may have to haunt the place again. 🤍

@vintage_view_inc._antiques #fallinnewengland taken in Haverhill, Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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4 days ago

I came prepared for the Stephen Graham Jones signing with an audiobook to keep me company in a very long line. Instead, I ended up with this crew at the very end, talking books (and bathrooms 😂) the whole time.

The best part? Turns out I was already following most of them here on Instagram. Always fun when your bookish corner of the internet becomes actual people standing next to you. 🖤📚

📸 Thanks to @bookmonstergeorge for capturing our end-of-the-line book club!

And to everyone sorry if this is the 80th time you are tagged in this photo. 😎 taken in Brookline Booksmith by @jess_beingjess

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4 days ago

Two horror authors, signed books, and excellent company. My kind of October evening. 🖤📚

Last night: @stephengrahamjones in conversation with @paulgtremblay about Off the Reservation at Coolidge Corner Theatre, followed by a signing at @brooklinebooksmith.

I was very much toward the end of the line, but met a fantastic group of fellow readers, including a few I already followed here. Turns out a long signing line is considerably more fun with book people.

Bonus seatmate during the talk: Luna, a fluffy little service dog making a cameo in my book-on-lap photo. 🐾

Came home with signed books and absolutely no progress on keeping my TBR under control. taken in Brookline, Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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5 days ago

October’s #onebookthreerecipes starts with Coastal Harvest Stew from The New Autoimmune Protocol by Mickey Trescott. @mickeytrescott Shrimp, scallops, cod, and autumn vegetables in a cozy bowl, finished with lemon and dill. 🌊🍂

My teen’s celiac diagnosis last year has made finding more gluten-free family meals a priority, so this month’s cookbook pick feels especially personal.

Joining hosts @whennonnocooks and @jolana_bar_and_grill. Thank you to @harmonyrodaleconvergent for the gifted book!

Swipe to the end for my seafood supervisor, who would like to discuss the serving sizes. 🐈‍⬛ taken in Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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6 days ago

Pumpkins, dahlias, and a little October adventure with Z. 🎃💐 We picked our own, enjoyed the sunshine, and came home with a colorful seasonal harvest.

📍 @wardsberryfarm taken in Ward's Berry Farm by @jess_beingjess

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7 days ago

A little sweet, a little sage. 🍂

Butternut Squash Tart with Chile Honey from @foodnetwork for @sundayafternoonbakingclub’s seasonal theme.

Golden squash, sage, Gruyère and a buttery crust, finished with a chili, vinegar and honey drizzle. My kind of fall baking.

#SundayAfternoonBakingClub #SeasonalBaking #SavoryBaking taken in Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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8 days ago

@novelidea_collabs presents to you: 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 & 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖉𝖔𝖜𝖘 👻

It’s officially October, which means it is time to turn down the lights and pretend that creaking sound in the hallway was just the house settling. 🔦🫣

Whether you are unravelling a dark historical mystery, getting lost in a paranormal world, reading a banned book, or just trying to survive a truly terrifying thriller, there is nothing quite like a book that makes you look twice at the shadows in the room.

🗞️🕸️🕯️📰🕷️⏳🕷️📰🕯️🕸️🗞️

Spooky season, but make it female rage. 🔥

I finished The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller today, and it’s a 4⭐ read for me. A family of gifted women, some claiming the name “witch,” takes center stage in a story about power, equality, and women finding their rightful place in a world that keeps trying to put them in theirs.

For Stories & Shadows, I’m thinking about women stepping out of the shadows and claiming their due. The men trying to keep them small? They might want to find somewhere to hide.

The rest of this stack is still on my TBR, but I’m curious to explore it through that same lens. My October reading plans are interesting. 🖤

🗞️🕸️🕯️📰🕷️⏳🕷️📰🕯️🕸️🗞️

Don’t get left in the dark—see what hauntingly good books my friends are sharing today:
👻 @ettaviereads
👻 @author.gracenlewis
👻 @drinktea_lovebooks
👻 @chaptersinaclassroom
👻 @authorpoojha

QOTD: What’s your favorite book featuring women who have had enough? 🔥 taken in Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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11 days ago

September’s Booker of the Month pick was John of John by Douglas Stuart, and I loved it. 4.5⭐️ as always hosted by the wonderful @deedireads

Set on a small Scottish island in the ’90s, it’s a story about a father and son who have far more in common than either can say aloud. Our discussion kept coming back to religion, shame, and how isolating it would have been to be gay in a place where everyone knows you, but no one really knows you.

I loved all the music references, too. Cal was about my age in the ’90s, so every familiar band felt like a little flashback.. 🎶

And yes, our thoughtful discussion of secrecy and longing also included a lengthy detour into Cal’s decision to mail someone a knitted replica of his penis. Unsolicited dick knits, if you will. 🧶 taken in Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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15 days ago

I feel like I spent half of September battling a cold, but apparently being stuck on the couch is excellent for my reading life. 📚

This month took me from Scotland to Ireland, through haunted houses, strange worlds, complicated families, messy relationships, ghosts, magic, and more than a few people making deeply questionable choices.

⭐ John of John was my favorite of the month at 4.5 stars, with Heap Earth Upon It close behind at 4.25.

What was the best thing you read in September? by @jess_beingjess

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17 days ago

Cool evenings and midnight margaritas. 🌙🍸✨

I couldn’t resist bringing a little Practical Magic energy to this month’s Tasty Pairings. My bite is a blackberry-lime bar with a buttery graham cracker crust, paired with a Midnight Blackberry Margarita Mocktail made with blackberry, fresh lime, rosemary and seltzer.

Tart, fizzy, a little herbal, and just sweet enough, it’s exactly the kind of pairing I want as September slips into October. And really, if the Owens sisters taught us anything, it’s that margaritas are always a practical choice. 🖤

Tasty Pairings – October Edition 🍂🍸
Cool Evenings call for tasty pairings! There’s something special about a great sip + bite. We’re sharing our favorite drink (cocktail, mocktail, wine, or beer) paired with a simple, delicious nibble—perfect for happy hour, a cozy night in, or your next get-together.

Each of us brought something a little different, and we hope you’ll find a pairing to try🥂Take a moment to visit everyone and see what they created—you might just discover a new favorite to sip, snack and savor all season long! 🍂

✨Want to join us? We share new pairings on the first Thursday of each month—message one of us:
@seeds_of_determination
@cksheehy68
@aglassofwhimsy

#TastyPairingsOctober2026

@the_lakehouse_life
@angiellarkin
@coffeequeencooks
@palletdecorandmore
@kellyannmakes
@summerrrmason taken in Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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18 days ago

🍽️ One Book, Three Recipes: Recipe #3. The Makeup Exam!
I missed my second cooking date this month thanks to being sick, but I’m back, and I’m finishing September’s cookbook challenge with Picadillo a la Cubana from Cooking the Borderlands by Claudette Zepeda.
This isn’t the first picadillo I’ve made, but it may just be the BEST. Ground beef, potatoes, carrots, poblanos, green olives, dried apricots and golden raisins come together in this wonderfully savory, sweet-and-sour dish. Served over rice, because obviously I wasn’t leaving any of that sauce behind.
I love that this is Zepeda’s mother’s version, influenced by the different places and flavors her family encountered. It’s exactly the kind of recipe that makes me love cooking through a cookbook rather than sticking to my usual rotation.
Three recipes, one cookbook, one slightly delayed finish. Makeup exam passed! 😂
Thank you to @sfornelli.amo and @jcs_cooks for hosting this month’s #OneBookThreeRecipes!
📖 Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States by @claudetteazepeda taken in Massachusetts by @jess_beingjess

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20 days ago