this one doesn't mention coronavirus (except in the subject line)
h e l l o t h e o
this week’s style inspo:
Joe Exotic, Tiger King
what I’m clicking:
The first of many stories we’ll probably read in the coming years about how slack is ruining employee’s lives (and possibly taking down companies) | The Jungle Prince of Delhi (this one’s worth a listen on the NYT podcast) | All the best books of 2019 in one place (lotsa overlap with my best of 2019 list, too) | It’s not just your imagination--all the beautiful people on instagram look the same | The weirdest influencer scam of all time | The horrifying abuse coverup happening in Amish Country | Paris Hilton makes lasagna |A bizarre bank robbery at the end of the earth | What if I don’t want to be the strong female lead? | The guy with the kitchen and other notorious men of Tinder | Is this the oldest woman who ever lived or a total fraud? | The privilege of rage baking | Garbage language | A glimpse inside one of the world’s most fascinating industries | The undeniable appeal of Mexico’s national dog | The publishing industry has some issues. | The violent assault on a Mount Holyoke professor | At home in Lagos with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | The unraveling of Kinfolk Magazine | I have been following this story about a murderous missionary in Uganda for a very long time on the @nowhitesaviors Instagram. It’s horrific.
what I’m wanderlusting:
Negril, Jamaica
what I’m listening to:
The soundtrack to Queen and Slim. It’s like 2 hours of the most beautiful music video you’ve ever seen.
what I’m coveting:
A dress ready for the renaissance.
what I’m writing about:
what I’m reading:
So You Want to Talk About Race
Ijeoma Oluo
This book should be required reading.
Did it make me cry: Yes.
Did it make me laugh: No, but parts made me smile.
Is it a good quarantine book: Apologies for being cheesy, but what the world needs most right now is for us to support one another any way we can. This is a good place to start.
Would I read it again: Yes--it’s a quick read and good to reread as a refresher.
Would it be a good movie: No.
John Boyne
I loved this book in a way that broke my heart. If you liked A Little Life and The Great Believers, this book is for you.
Did it make me cry: YES.
Did it make me laugh: Yes.
Is it a good quarantine book: I am a firm believer that crying is therapeutic. Sometimes we just need to have a good cry about something that’s not the state of the world. This is the perfect book for that.
Would I read it again: YES.
Would it be a good movie: I think a movie would ruin this book.
Ta-Nehesi Coates
If you judged this book by only the first chapter, you’d think it was 500 pages of impossible to understand dreamlike rambling. The good news is that the first chapter is an anomaly and the rest of the book is accessible, easy to understand, and actually, pretty fun to read (except for the scary parts).
Did it make me cry: Yes.
Did it make me laugh: I don’t think so.
Is it a good quarantine book: Probably not. It’s one of those books that sucks you in, but the universe it creates is much scarier than the one we live in now. Best to save this one for happier times.
Would I read it again: Yes.
Would it be a good movie: Oh my god, yes.
Susan Choi
I saw this book on Obama’s list of his favorite books of 2019 and honestly? I don’t believe him.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Is it a good quarantine book: No.
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: No.
Sarah M. Broom
I don’t quite know how to categorize this book. It’s a memoir about one family and one house, but it’s also a book about New Orleans. It has made me reconsider everything I’ve ever written about travel (and the ethics of even writing about a place where you don’t know the full story). I loved it.
Did it make me cry: This is a book about New Orleans so I’m not spoiling anything by saying the part about Katrina was devastating.
Did it make me laugh: There might have been one or two laughs.
Is it a good quarantine book: I think if you’re safe and sound in a home that feels like home to you, this is a good book to read right now. If your living situation is in any way precarious, this is not the time.
Would I read it again: Yes. I wish I was the kinda person who underlines shit and keeps notes in the margins.
Would it be a good movie: No.
Delia Owens
This book is truly dumb. If you are one of the 15 people who recommended this book to me, I only have one thing to say to you: You have GOT to start reading more books. However, I would 100% read this lady’s memoir.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Is it a good quarantine book: Yes!
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: Sure, why not.