Instagram | Subscribe | 100 Books
this week’s style inspo:
Bianca Jagger in a perfect white suit
what i’m clicking:
The ultimate best books of 2022 list (combining all the “best of” lists into one!) | Maternal instinct is a myth | You were never going to go to Noma anyway | Muslim Georgia: a journey to the hidden kitchens of the Kists | Taking back the mountains | We need to talk about Daphne | How to focus like it’s 1990 | Bring back personal blogging | The price of your AI-generated selfie | Boondoggle of the year: crypto | The spectacular hangover after the NFT gold rush
what i’m wanderlusting:
Take me to Guatemala
what i’m watching:
The Rehearsal. I’m many months late to the conversation on this one, but I recently watched the entire series on a very long flight and it was hands-down the weirdest thing I’ve ever watched on a plane. I still don’t know if I hated it or loved it, but it’s hard to deny that it’s one of the most original reality TV shows out there. The series feels like a prank within a prank, where every layer gets more absurd and uncomfortable. Did you like this show? Did you hate it? Tell me about it!
what i’m coveting:
This farm rio ski suit that I included in a roundup for Conde Nast Traveler
what i’m listening to:
Operation Tradbom, about the 1993 WTC bombing. The whole season isn’t out yet, but I love a good scandal. (And while we’re on the topic, I absolutely loved the 9/12 podcast, too. It’s a beautiful and devastating look at the day after.)
what i’m recommending:
I bought these earrings recently and didn’t take them off for weeks. They’re perfect (and affordable!) 14k gold mini hoops.
what i’m writing:
A story for Vogue about my last-minute trip to Patagonia
what i’m reading:
Bonnie Garmus
I feel like the pop-y, bimbo-y cover of this book is pretty misleading–it is definitely NOT a romcom. It’s a very cute (but also very sad) work of historical fiction that’s more in line with Ann Patchett or Lily King (both of whom have sometimes baffling covers, too, I guess) than Emily Henry. I didn’t even consider reading it until I saw it pop up on a few “best of 2022” lists (since I thought it would be dumb based on the cover!), but I’m so happy I did.
Did it make me cry: Yes, but only cause my favorite character was the dog and sometimes I would get randomly weepy thinking about how the dog was going to die in the end. (The dog does *not* die in the end).
Would I recommend it: If Ann Patchett and Lily King are your jam, you’ll love it.
Would it be a good movie: I think it would end up being insufferably dumb.
Sara Novic
This book blew my mind right from the beginning. I loved the setting (a deaf boarding school), I thought the characters were great, and learning about deaf culture was truly fascinating. I thought it was excellent for the first 90%, but then the denoument was rushed and the ending just fizzled out. (But it’s still worth reading!)
Did it make me cry: No.
Would I recommend it: While I was reading this book I recommended it to so many people and even bought it as a gift for my secret santa book exchange (sorry, Amanda!), but I think I’d actually only recommend it if the premise sounds interesting to you OR if you’re one of those people who likes to learn things in novels cause I kept spouting factoids about deaf culture to my husband. But no, it’s not really a great book as far as books go.
Would it be a good movie: YES omg I would watch a whole season of this.
Jean Hanff Korelitz
This was one of my favorite books of 2022 and I was totally charmed by all the weird and terrible characters in it. I’m now obsessed with this writer and want to read everything she’s written.
Did it make me cry: I think so? I can’t remember, but it gets really cute at the end.
Would I recommend it: I think this book checked a lot of niche interests for me (hoarding, triplets, art collections, rich people) and I found it very readable, but I can totally imagine somebody picking up this book and thinking it was terribly boring.
Would it be a good movie: No, there’s not really a plot.
Kirstin Chen
I thought I’d be bored of scammer content by now but it turns out I’m not and this book was totally entertaining even though it was totally stupid.
Did it make me cry: No.
Would I recommend it: This book would be a great vacation read.
Would it be a good movie: Yes, 100%
Deepti Kapoor
I really love books that weave together a narrative of people with completely different backgrounds and I could not put this one down. I saw somebody call it “the godfather, but set in India” and I think that’s a good description but doesn’t quite do justice to how scary and beautiful this book is.
Did it make me cry: No.
Would I recommend it: This was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time–I couldn’t wait to pick it up every night. If you liked Shantaram or The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, you’ll probably like this!
Would it be a good movie: This movie would be SO fun to watch.