sorrow and fluff
things i can't stop talking about
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this week’s style inspo:
This AI dog breeder
what i’m clicking:
The new rules | We’re already living in the metaverse | The enshittification of Tiktok | The agoraphobic fantasy of tradlife | Celebrities are distancing themselves from ozempic | Michael Imperioli’s very strange apartment | Another side of Rupert Grint | A Pyer Moss hit piece | Why is AI art so cringe? | It’s time to hold content creators accountable | Is therapy-speak ruining our relationships? | Could midwives be the answer to the Black maternal health crisis?
what i’m wanderlusting:
Kenya’s Masai Mara
what i’m watching:
For our 5 (!) year anniversary last month, Haley and I went to go see Phantom of the Opera and it fucking rocked. I unironically loved it. If you live in New York and you’ve been thinking about seeing it before it ends, you should go!
what i’m coveting:
This ceramic claw from Stroll Garden.
what i’m recommending:
I recently realized I misplaced my Olio e Osso lip balm and I’m devastated, and not just because it costs $28. I feel like that’s a pretty good indicator of how good this shit is.
what i’m writing:
A story for Travel + Leisure about my favorite packing cubes.
what i’m reading:
Meg Mason
Somebody mentioned this book to me in passing and then I started seeing it everywhere, so I decided it was a sign that I needed to read it. I think the title is a bit misleading (it should be called Sorrow and Misery) but I loved it. She’s a great writer, I loved her voice, and I want more!
Did it make me cry: Yes, I wept a little bit. She’s so sad! It made me sad!
Would I recommend it: My mom always gets mad at me for “recommending too many sad books” in my newsletter so Mom: don’t read this one. Everyone else: I’m not sure. I think you should only read this if you’re definitely NOT depressed right now because it is indeed a very sad book about being sad.
Would it be a good movie: No.
Lily King
I’ve read and loved two other Lily King books: Euphoria and Writers and Lovers and I loved this book of short stories, too. There’s something cozy and comforting and familiar about her characters, and even when really bad and weird things are happening, there’s a little sliver of joy, a light at the end of the tunnel. If Sorrow and Bliss bums you out too much, you can always read this as the antidote.
Did it make me cry: I’ve never met a short story that made me cry, so no.
Would I recommend it: If you like short stories!
Would it be a good movie: No.
Marisha Pessl
I was shocked to learn that Marisha Pessl (author of Special Topics in Calamity Physics (one of my faves) and Night Film (a book people hated but I think about all the time)) had published a book in 2021 that I didn’t know about. So I bought it immediately and then I realized it was a YA book, which is why I didn’t know about it. I read it anyway and finished it in one sitting.
Did it make me cry: There is one line either on the second to last or last page that made me cry.
Would I recommend it: Not really… I really enjoyed reading it, but I’m not confident that other people would like this book–I think a lot of people would give up when it turns into a time travel book (I definitely rolled my eyes, but I wanted to know how it ended). I fucking LOATHE time travel in books and movies.
Would it be a good movie: It’s a short book, but I really don’t think you’d be able to condense this story into two hours and I think it would become weird and tedious as a TV show. So, no.
Jennifer Egan
When I first picked up this book, I was intrigued. The setting and the cast of characters seemed ominous, like something wildly dangerous and dramatic was about to happen. But then I lost interest about halfway through and I had to force myself to finish it and by the end I was angry I invested any time at all into this book. What a disappointment!
Did it make me cry: No.
Would I recommend it: No.
Would it be a good movie: No.
Annie Ernaux
I had never heard of this lady until she won the Pulitzer, but after reading this (extremely short) book, I want to read more of her stuff. It took me about 15 minutes to finish this book, but for those 15 minutes, I was absolutely hooked and enthralled by her inner world.
Did it make me cry: No.
Would I recommend it: I’ll let you know after I read some more of her books, I need a bigger sample size.
Would it be a good movie: I would watch it, but there’s no plot at all.
good work - get the dog? xxxpatsy