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this week’s style inspo:
These mastiffs with their own palazzo (as photographed by Slim Aarons)
what I’m clicking:
Is the campus novel dead? | The dawn of the celebrity power couple | The secrets of LA’s cultish grocery store | How millennials grew up and got old |The tragic, Instagram-perfect life of a Disney executive | The morality of having kids in a burning, drowning world | The fracturing of the intellectual left
what i’m wanderlusting:
Winter in zee alps
what i’m watching:
I really enjoyed watching Jury Duty, a very weird show with a very weird concept. It was funny and kind of sweet but mostly I liked it because it felt totally original.
what i’m coveting:
Not sure why, but I feel like I need a vinyl mini skirt (and matching jacket)
what i’m recommending:
I am really into comfy heels and these Sorel boots are my favorite. They have nice squishy insoles and enough arch support for a 20,000-step day.
what i’m writing about:
I wrote about my favorite Caribbean weekend getaway for Vogue.
what i’m reading:
Tana French
Over the past couple of years, I read the entire Dublin Murder Squad series in chronological order and I loved it. Tana French is my girl. I think she might be one of those writers where the first book you read by her will always be your favorite (mine’s the Witch Elm, separate from the DMS series) but everything she has written is worth reading if you’re into detective novels. It’s all very dark and engrossing and each book is basically about somebody’s life falling apart as they’re trying to solve a case. For some reason I’ve decided to rank them for you, but this isn’t the order you should read them in. (I want to know if we have the same favorites?)
James Salter
Somebody recommended this to me as their favorite book of all time and I have to say that I only sort of get it. I had to put it down for two months, but I finally finished it and all I can really say is that it’s all vibes and no plot.
Did it make me laugh or cry: No.
Would I recommend it: No I don’t think so.
Would it be a good movie: Ok, so maybe I didn’t love the book, but hear me out. I would watch so many hours of this TV show directed by the Mad Men or Sopranos people.
Ann Patchett
She’s corny as hell, but when I’m in a reading funk, Ann Patchett can always save the day. This one wasn’t even one of my favorites, but it’s still immersive and cozy. Just tragic enough to make me weep a little, but still sweet and frivolous.
Did it make me laugh or cry: I don’t think I’ve ever NOT cried while reading an Ann Patchett book.
Would I recommend it: If you’re in the mood for a cute little read, then yes.
Would it be a good movie: OH MY GOD so good. There aren’t really enough movies about plays.
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel
Alexander Chee
I loved Queen of the Night, but this collection of essays felt totally unnecessary and wildly self-indulgent. I was borderline appalled by how highly this man thinks of himself and what sort of boring life events he finds remarkable enough to write about (like there’s one story about a silent elevator ride with a niche celebrity???). It took me six months to finish it because I kept getting bored and putting it down. But I’m glad I finished it just for one story, called The Guardians. The story is a wild ride on its own, but I kind of think you need to read the rest of the book for context first.
Did it make me laugh or cry: No.
Would I recommend it: No.
Would it be a good movie: No.
what else I’ve been reading lately:
Jasmine Iolani Hakes
The perfect book club read.
Anne Tyler
One of the worst books I have ever read in my life, I am BAFFLED by the fact that this woman has a Pulitzer Prize.
Ling Ling Huang
A weird little treasure with lots of potential but not enough follow-through.
Jessica Knoll
I wanted to like this book, but I think it needed an editor.
R. F. Kuang
A juicy book, but I’m sick of novels about the publishing world.
Sayaka Murata
Fun enough to read, but I’m confused about how this book was life-changing for so many people. (Maybe it’s a cultural thing.)