The moment we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived! Get Organized with The Home Edit dropped on Netflix last night! As a rule, I don’t watch anything that bills itself as reality TV, but I can occasionally make exceptions! Home organization, organization in general really, is my greatest passion, so this is like pornography to me. I do worry that bingeing this will cause me to absolutely spin out and reorganize my entire home. I’m already looking at my shelves and drawers disdainfully. I will say that, as nice as the aesthetic component of organizing is, creating functional systems has genuinely improved my life and helped me with anxiety and executive function. There is no such thing as organized chaos. The most creative and successful people I know are organized (and diagnosed and medicated). You don’t have to put your books in rainbow order—The Home Edit is, to some degree, selling an unattainable fantasy. But creating systems that work for rather than against you will change your life, and maybe even spark a little joy.
So, one truly kooky thing that’s been happening is that I’m starting to window-shop my own wardrobe. Like, remember those comfy flats you used to wear to work? Maybe one day you’ll leave the house again and get to put them on! I swear that, since work-from-home began, I’ve exclusively worn my Birkenstocks and my Rothy’s flats. I have not put on a single other pair since March 17. I mean this especially about the Birks, but if you’re going to spend too much money on a pair of shoes, these are the ones. I would exclusively wear Birkenstocks if I lived in a warmer climate.
My September Book of the Month is Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. I loved Homegoing, so I’m sure it will be an amazing read. I actually cancelled BotM because I’m trying to practice what I preach and stop buying physical books unless they’re really meaningful or something I’ll return to over and over again. I obviously want authors to make money, but getting ebooks through the library is absolutely where it’s at.
My best friend sent me this recipe and !!!!!!!!!!!! Deb’s mind!!!!!
My husband bought me this ukulele for my birthday. I promise I’m not a 2011-era Zooey Deschanel type or anything, but if there’s a chord chart in front of me I can play. I do have a feeling that this will be relegated to the decoration realm, but it was very sweet of him and who doesn’t love a pastel rainbow?
THEY’RE MAKING A FILM OF REBECCA STARRING ARMIE HAMMER. Ceci n’est pas un drill! My body is ready! I loved this book as a teen, and I’m re-reading it before the film drops on Netflix in October. The e-book is on Amazon right now for literal shekels.
This is random, but I have an enormous monstera plant in my living room that was overgrown and out of control, so I cut some of the leafy stems off to use as decorations around the house. I expected them to have a shelf-life like flowers but…they simply do not die! I’ve had three in a vase in my bedroom for months that look as vibrant as the day I cut them off. Needless to say, when I discovered that they were immortal, I put them all over my house and now I live in a rainforest.
The episode of Black Frasier with Chris Hayes and Clark Neily is a must-listen, if only to shock and amaze yourself by vehemently agreeing…with a self-professed libertarian. Also, THEE Phoebe Lynn Robinson creating a podcast called Black Frasier in these dark times is a gift we do not deserve.
If putting this three days late is wrong, I don’t want to be right! Accountability is hard, guys. Deadlines are hard. The important thing is that I’m back to shove articles and other media in your face—I’m reliable that way, if late.
I’ve already made you wait, so without further ado and nonsense from me, this week’s list!
co—star really is…that bitch
Did you guys hear about Barnes & Noble being sold? That store was such a huge part of my childhood that I actually ending up working there for years. I’d like to see them survive, and I think the strategy of tailoring them to the needs of their communities is a good one (the plan-o-gram model of universality always bugged me). I wish nothing but the best for them, but also capitalism is evil, etc, etc.
I’m reading Homegoing, finally, and it’s incredible. 10/10 would recommend.
Did you see this NY Post story? People are roasting it online…how out of touch can you get? I laughed out loud when I saw the reply, “my dad has bricked seven laptops” @shaun_jen. It goes without saying that a. Women have skills and we don’t seek mates who can build our Ikea furniture and b. Millennials can’t afford to buy houses because of the economy y’all ruined, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I had a shitty week (got passed over for a job, had an existential crisis about my professional life), but Wine Countrywas there for me when I needed it.
On that note, Paula Pell (the GOAT) wrote a piece for Glamour that nearly moved me to tears.
Start using the Co—Star astrology app if you want to get dragged to filth every day via push notifications (see above).
Friday was National Donut Day and I didn’t even get to have one! I need to find some donut shops that don’t involve me driving into South Boston for Blackbird. Did you know they do weddings now? Guess I have to divorce my husband and remarry him to make this happen.
These are a list of books I have every intention of reading in 2019. I’m only including books that I already own, since I’m not allowed to buy media this year (that’s why libraries exist, y’all). Here’s what on the docket!
Becoming by Michelle Obama. I’m listening to this one, because I want Michelle’s amazing voice to soothe all of my ills.
My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper. I’m listening to this on Audible right now and loving it. Ellie is so sweet and super funny.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung. I started this about a month ago but had to put it off until school was over so I could truly enjoy it.
Not That Bad: Dispatches from RapeCulture, edited by Roxane Gay. I read most of this book in the spring but never got around to finishing it. Some of the essays can be extremely challenging to get through. The writers bare their souls.
Shrill by Lindy West. Discovered Lindy way late, on Dear Prudence, and have been obsessed with her ever since.
WonderfulTonight by Pattie Boyd. Pattie has the up-close-and-personal deets about Harrison and Clapton
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Been meaning to read this one for ages.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. I started this earlier this year but it got sacrificed to the grad school gods. As soon as I’m finished I’m watching the film.
Live from New York.The SNL book! Been dying to read this ever since it came out.
Waiting for the Punch by Marc Maron. This is a collection of all the wisdom he gained doing his interview podcast WTF with Marc Maron. He basically invented podcasts, and he’s had some of the most incredible guests—Barack Obama say whaaaat?
Bitch Doctrine by Laurie Penny. I discovered Laurie on Dear Prudence and immediately started following her on Twitter. She’s a savage, and I love her.
Unladylike by Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin. The former ladies of Stuff Mom Never Told You wrote a book!
Hard Choices and What Happened by Hillary Clinton. Because of course I am.
In Intimate Detail by Cora Harrington. Remember the thin privilege Twitter thread this summer? That was by Cora, who is a lingerie writer at The Lingerie Addict. I know literally nothing about lingerie, but I’m a grown-ass woman and it’s about time I did.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Started this one years ago and never finished. I am such a distracted reader!
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. I am a Handmaid’s Tale stan (both the book and the show), so I can’t wait to read more Atwood!
Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes. JB is one of my favorite short story writers, so I’m pumped to read his novel.
How to Rent a Negro by Damali Ayo. This was on the syllabus for my American Racial Satire class, but I fell behind and never got a chance to read it.
Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I KNOW. It’s insane I haven’t read this already. Don’t come for me. Not every avid reader can read every damn classic.
Erasure by Percival Everett.I Am Not Sidney Poitier is one of my favorite books of all time and apparently this one is even wilder.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Another classic I should have already read.
Every Day by David Levithan, because who doesn’t need a YA break every once in a while?
Redefining Realness by Janet Mock. For obvious reasons.
The Merry Spinster by Daniel Mallory Ortberg. For obvious reasons.
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier. Love a good biography, and I find SP so inspiring.
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. I’ve read at least 60% of this book like three times, but always end up not finishing it for some reason! Here’s to a better 2019.
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Same as Housekeeping.
Swing Time by Zadie Smith. Bought this while I was in England. Zadie is bae.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Heard such good things about this one!
All the Lives I Want by Alana Massey. To be fair, I’m a good chunk of the way through this one on Audible, but I do plan to finish it soon.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This is another one I read most of in high school, but I bought it on Audible narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal, so I plan to listen to it on my work commute.
Basic Witches by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman. I am obsessed with Jaya, and who doesn’t want to read a book about summoning success, banishing drama, and raising hell?
MAUS I & II by Art Spiegelman. Because I was supposed to read them for class (oops!), and because I want to challenge myself to actually read a graphic novel.
So Close to Being the Shit, Y’all Don’t Even Know by Retta. Audible, and Retta is my favorite.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara. Audible. When Michelle McNamara died, Julie Klausner re-aired an interview with her and she was such a brilliant mind.
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps. Audible. Busy is the best, from Kim Kelly to Busy Tonight.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Lifeby Eric Idle. Monty Python is my favorite ever.
I hope to read more than this in 2019, but clearly, I have a great year of reading ahead of me!
Della Bites 