wirds werds words
h e l l o from t h e o
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this week’s style inspo:
Stacey Abrams, who I recently found out (via @turshen on instagram) is also a romance novelist
what I’m clicking:
Nigeria’s millennials are battling a gerontocracy | What happened to Quawan Charles? | The big business of being an ally | The Proud Boys meltdown is here and it’s glorious | The bizarre Dan Purdy twitter drama | The design world is having a meltdown because somebody criticized tiny wooden stools | The curse of the buried treasure | The human brain looks just like the universe | New York nightlife never stopped--it just moved underground | Do these people look real to you? | Michaela Coel is not afraid of making you uncomfortable | An audience with the Queen in British Vogue | I really love how celebrities aren’t allowed to be Trump supporters. Chris Pratt got canceled on twitter and the band Florida Georgia Line had to unfollow each other (and are maybe splitting up…) over Trump. (Side note, I am team Georgia because I knew his wife when we were in high school and--thank g--he’s the Biden supporter in this scenario) | Meanwhile, Scooter Braun is funding genocide in Yemen and Hanson is facing a mutiny from its own fans. Stars, they’re just like us!
what I’m wanderlusting:
All I want to do is drink a caipirinha on the beach in Brazil (and then go see these crazy sand dunes)
what I’m watching:
Ok, two updates from last month’s newsletter: 1. Downton Abbey isn’t actually that good. The first three seasons are EXCELLENT and then after the big thing happens (you either know what I’m talking about or you don’t, and I’m not going to spoil it for you) it’s all downhill and just becomes a trivial little soap opera. The movie is dumb too. 2. Objectively, I can state with certainty that The English Patient is not a good movie but I LOVED IT. I think it was the first time since quarantine that I didn’t pick up my phone EVEN ONCE while watching something. It’s very different from the book, which is necessary cause the book makes no fucking sense at all so the movie had to add in these extra scenes to make things a bit smoother and more believable. I’m not telling you to watch it though, because I’m pretty sure you won’t like it (unless you’ve already seen it and love it).
Since we last spoke, I also watched Queen’s Gambit (so cute!) and that HBO show with Nicole Kidman that’s NOT Big Little Lies but has a nearly identical plot (it was fine!)
what I’m coveting:
A tiny dalmatian print bag from Brandon Blackwood
what I’m reading:
Colson Whitehead
I know, I know: I am the last person on earth to read this book. I don’t know why I waited so long. I bought it as soon as it came out in paperback and I’ve had it on my bedside table ever since, but somehow it never felt like the right time to read it. But now I have and yes, duh, there is a reason it won so many awards. This book is incredible. Horrific, but incredible.
Did it make me cry: Yes, this book is devastating.
Did it make me laugh: No, it’s not that kind of book.
Is it a good pandemic book: Yes--one of the most disgusting parts of this book is the horde of slave catchers, who are the precursor to the police force. It’s impossible to read this book and not see parallels to what continues to happen to Black people today, even though it’s a work of fiction.
Would I recommend it: This book is so, so good. You’ll fall in love and get your heart broken over and over again. Please read it.
Would I read it again: Yes.
Would it be a good movie: Parts of this book were really hard to read and I think a movie would be incredibly hard to watch.
Jennifer Egan
I was convinced I had read this book in middle school or high school and that this was a “reread” but I have no recollection of this story. This book--although the plot seems juicy and interesting--was SO hard to read. I really had to force myself to finish it because I just hated the main character so much. It felt like being stuck on a vacation with the whiniest person you’ve ever met. She sucks and I hate her. (But I love Jennifer Egan! I highly recommend A Visit from the Goon Squad and The Keep.)
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Is it a good pandemic book: No. You’d think so because it’s about somebody traveling around Europe in the 70s, but she’s truly so bad at traveling, having a good time, and being interesting that it really ruins it all.
Would I recommend it: Don’t read this book! If you feel tempted for any reason, watch the movie instead.
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: It already is a movie, apparently. Perhaps the main character is less annoying when you’re not living inside her dumb brain.
Cat Marnell
I am really disappointed that it’s taken me this long to have heard of Cat Marnell. Was I living under a fucking rock? I loved her memoir. It’s so funny and self-deprecating and also shocking and juicy and dramatic and glamorous. Her writing is so authentic and she also just seems like somebody I’d want to know in real life. I read her memoir in less than 24 hours and then I binged her audiobook about traipsing around Europe (le sigh) AND I subscribed to her Patreon. I’m afraid I’m being a bit creepy about it all, actually.
Did it make me cry: I don’t remember, but there are definitely some really sad moments.
Did it make me laugh: Yes! She is hilarious.
Is it a good pandemic book: That depends. If reading about partying makes you feel cozy and nostalgic, go for it. If it makes you feel depressed, perhaps it’s better to hold off until you can do some partying yourself.
Would I recommend it: I don’t know if everyone in the world would love this book the same way I did. I would definitely recommend it to anybody who has worked in media or lived in New York, but some of the themes (like addiction and bad boyfriends) are universal. If you're interested, go for it! It's such an easy read that you definitely won't regret it.
Would I read it again: No, but I would absolutely read part two of this memoir. When the book ends, it feels like there is a LOT left to the story that didn’t make the cut.
Would it be a good movie: I think you already know how I feel about making memoirs into movies (it's a bad idea). But if Cat Marnell wanted to become the next Anthony Bourdain (but instead of food it's grungy art freaks and beauty products), I would definitely watch that show.
Patrick deWitt
This book got terrible reviews from friends (and for good reason!) so I didn’t go into it expecting to like it. I didn’t like it, but I actually really enjoyed reading it.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: I literally LOLed more than once. I never do that!
Is it a good pandemic book: Not particularly. If you want to read this book because it’s set in Paris, there’s not really enough Paris in the book to satisfy.
Would I recommend it: No.
Would I read it again: No, definitely not.
Would it be a good movie: Yes! It’s sort of like an absurdist Royal Tenenbaums/Igby Goes Down-esque movie and I think it would be SO good and funny. I already have the whole cast in my head if you’ve read this book and would like to discuss.
Rumaan Alam
I remember that when this book came out, it was talked about everywhere as if it were some great novel. It’s really not. I just think men have to stop writing about female friendships cause this book was whack. The characters were sad and nearly everything about it was just mediocre and depressing. Is this really what men think the inner lives of women are really like? I am insulted by this book, tbh.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Is it a good pandemic book: No.
Would I recommend it: No.
Would I read it again: No, but the actual writing (as in the composition and the flow of the words, not the content) was pretty good so I would potentially read another book by this author.
Would it be a good movie: I’m not even sure what this book is about. Please don’t make it into a movie.
Lucy Foley
I picked this book up because I had just slogged through something that took me way longer than I thought it would--and this was the perfect antidote. I read it in minutes! But I really wanted it to be something it wasn’t. I was expecting something sort of a la Agatha Christie, but the characters in this book were just boring and unglamorous.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: No.
Is it a good pandemic book: It is a pretty fast read, so if you’ve been struggling to finish a book this could be a good one (but there are much better page-turners out there so don’t waste your time).
Would I recommend it: No.
Would I read it again: No.
Would it be a good movie: These characters aren’t fun or smart or interesting enough to have a movie made about them.
White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind
Koa Beck
This book was truly enlightening. I know sometimes non-fiction books can feel a bit like homework, but this book was juicy AF. Come for the snappy hot takes on women’s media and people like Sheryl Sandberg and stay for the brilliantly nuanced dismantling of corporate feminism. I honestly could have read 500 more pages of this book.
Did it make me cry: It will probably make you feel frustrated, but not necessarily sad.
Did it make me laugh: Honestly, yeah, there are some really good zingers in there.
Is it a good pandemic book: If this pandemic has opened your eyes to the follies of capitalism, then I implore you to read this book and add fuel to your fire. If you’re not quite there yet re: capitalism, this is a good first step.
Would I recommend it: I think this should be required reading for HR departments, moms, “diversity and inclusion committees,” economists, bosses, politicians, activists, men, writers, advertisers, and anyone with a boss.
Would I read it again: Yes!
Would it be a good movie: It would probably be a good documentary series BUT I think it would be way more successful and impactful as a podcast. Go, Koa, go!