A perfect Sunday with...Tom Hoeler
The quest for coffee, Harrison Ford as Yoda and why books matter.
Every week, a top writer, artist, actor or creator reveals how they’d fill their perfect Sunday, sharing their favourite comfort reads, movies, food… anything that would make their weekend great.
Today, it's the turn of Tom Hoeler, senior editor at Random House Worlds.
Tom's perfect Sunday… brunch
Being in NY, and particularly on the weekend, I start the morning going for a long walk weaving my way through various neighbourhoods, with no discernible destination other than to find a new (at least to me) coffee shop to try out.
What begins as a quest for coffee often results in me arriving home with various baked treats to enjoy with my better half as we spend the morning relaxing with our cats. At the moment, quite literally anything from either Elevenses (yes, it is a Hobbit-themed café) or Radio Bakery are worth obsessing over, but especially the double baked pistachio croissants from Radio.
Tom's perfect Sunday… read
When I have a new book coming up for release, I find myself revisiting its finished form frequently, now that I'm freed from the strictures of viewing it through a critical and editorial lens. Which means I'm spending a lot of time with the continuing adventures of Lourna Dee and the rest of the cast of Tempest Breaker, the latest and greatest release in the wide narrative of Star Wars: The High Republic.
This particular story, written by Cavan himself, takes the form of another amazing audio original adventure that has everything, including a fancy ball, complete with fancy outfits.
It's a story quite a long way in development, and having it now within arms reach of being out in the world feels almost surreal. To be quite honest, on its face, it's the sort of story that maybe shouldn't work, and I'm not ashamed to admit that was probably my first reaction to what Cavan had planned. Surely there were too many moving pieces, too many intersecting characters and story elements. I'm equally unashamed to admit to being wrong with that first reaction. Cavan makes it all sing in harmony. And rather than a crumbling tower of Jenga blocks, the result is a collection of dominoes that all fall, one after another, wonderfully and ultra satisfyingly in sync.
Tom's perfect Sunday… movie
There are several great films about cooking and about food, but none surpasses Big Night. The story of two brothers and their attempt to save their floundering Italian restaurant in seaside New Jersey. Made in the early 90s, it has a remarkable cast led by Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub as the two brothers (named Primo and Secondo). Some movies achieve the feat of making you hungry for the food presented on screen. Big Night certainly does that, but more than anything, it makes me want to rush into the kitchen and cook. A simple 2-minute scene that amounts to nothing more than a character cooking breakfast for a few others is one of my all-time favourites. It's simplicity and intention at its finest.
Tom's perfect Sunday... TV binge
There are many lovely things on television now, but almost nothing that matches the sheer brilliance, heart-warming joy, and laughs per minute than Shrinking. Whomever originated the premise of "Harrison Ford plays grumpy Yoda, and every episode is about all the other characters bothering him" should be allowed to make all the decisions in Hollywood.
Tom's perfect Sunday… podcast
Amidst a growing list of movie and board game related shows, one that I find more and more essential is the Print Run Podcast. It's a podcast about the publishing industry and books and why they matter. Which, as an editor is a question on my mind pretty much endlessly. The two hosts Laura and Erik are absolute wizards at breaking down complex issues, but approaching them all in a way that makes you want to listen and engage, rather than feel like you're stuck in that one lecture studies class that seemingly never ends. For folks curious about how publishing and the book world actually works (or well, sometimes doesn't) it's one of the better sources around.
Akasanoma
Tom's perfect Sunday… album
While I listen to a lot of music, I almost never do so specifically by album. Instead I really enjoy nothing more than picking out a Spotify channel – often alternative rock or "90s classics" – and letting the music shuffle play around for hours. Even better when I'm powering through some book edits, as it helps inspire any number of editorial playlists I've developed over the years, themed to the books I'm working on.
Tom's perfect Sunday… treat
A day-long board game marathon, curated by theme or game type from my endlessly growing collection. Board games present the perfect combination of social hang-out, a chance to teach (I'm a sucker for rulebooks), and the joy that comes from solving an intricate puzzle or game. All made even better when you've got a custom board game table to play it all on. Failing that, just let me spend a day in the kitchen, making food for loved ones, strangers, friends, frenemies, basically anyone.
Star Wars: The High Republic – Tempest Breaker by Cavan Scott is released by Penguin Random House audio on 3rd December.
Tom Hoeler is a senior editor at Random House Worlds, where he’s worked with authors like Timothy Zahn, Rebecca Roanhorse, Delilah S. Dawson, George Mann, Christie Golden, and Madeleine Roux.
Licensed properties he works on include Star Wars, Magic: The Gathering, and World of Warcraft.
He lives in New York, where he collects board games, hosts elaborate Lord of the Rings movie marathons, perfects recipes and manages two senior interns who happen to be cats. He cannot ride a bicycle.