are you on strike?
Hello friends!
I’m not striking today because my office is 90% women, but look at how this bookstore in Ohio is undermining the patriarchy and use it as inspiration for your life and work. Here's what I've been up to this week:
what I’m clicking:
William Eggleston and the way we see the world | I will definitely be reading these books | This story about a giant emerald is absolutely thrilling | The Myth and Magic of California Style | The fate of Nina Simone’s birthplace | A McSweeny’s warning about global warming | The artist behind the artist | Grab the kleenex - this is the most devastating Modern Love column ever… and if you’ve already read it, you need to read the reader responses
what I’m watching:
I finally watched Moonlight and it was pretty good - I’m happy it won Best Picture and it was definitely the most deserving film at the Oscars. The cinematography was beautiful. The soundtrack was perfect. The supporting characters were phenomenal. But, even though the overall story was compelling, I just wasn’t interested in the main character. There was something that felt a little off with the writing, as if the dramatic monologues and stilted dialogue were first written for theater and then poorly adapted for film. (I also think it’s worth noting that Moonlight does not pass the Bechdel Test). Go see this movie because it’s beautiful and important, but if you’ve been hearing about it once a day for 6 months and you’re expecting it to blow your mind, you might be disappointed.
what I’m wanderlusting:
what I’m coveting:
Any series from Juniper Books.
what I’m reading:
JP Delaney
As a general rule, I don't like to read books recommended by The Skimm. But, every once in awhile, you just want to read a piece of trash and this book really hit the spot. Remember that movie Smart House? It’s kinda like that, mixed with a worse version of Girl On The Train. Architecture porn, terrible people, and an unsolved murder mystery made it so I couldn't really put this book down. It's horrible though. Don't read it.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Did it make me miss a subways stop: No.
Would I recommend it: No.
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: No.
The Association of Small Bombs
Karan Mahajan
I keep doing this thing where I'm like "I'm going on a trip soon - let me read a novel about about the place" and it turns out to be a really bad idea. There was that time I read The Forgiven before going to Morocco and this time I'm reading The Association of Small Bombs before going to India. The book has the word "bomb" in the title, so you can probably guess what it's about.
Did it make me cry: No, but I think it’s possible it made somebody somewhere cry.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Did it make me miss a subways stop: No.
Would I recommend it: Not really. It’s good, and it’s very culturally relevant, but I think there are much better books out there.
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: Probably, but the budget wouldn’t really be possible for an indie film like this. One of the main characters is a filmmaker, so it could have a very artsy film-within-a-film thing going on.
what I’m reading right now:
The Magicians, A.K.A Harry Potter with sex and drugs.
the best book I read in February:
The Bone Clocks and Days of Abandonment
the best book I read in January:
what’s on my bookshelf waiting to be read:
what books are on my list to buy (this will take me months to actually do):
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
The new Bernadette book
Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
M Train by Patti Smith
That Patty Hearst book
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born
What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
After interviewing Helen Ellis, I added a few books from her “classic trashy” book club to my list.
What are you reading? (You can reply to this email and tell me)
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