Edition #145: Sweet Summer Recs

A superb novel, my new favorite candle, and a the perfect summer bag.

Jun 29, 2023

A Note From the Editor

The other day I was getting drinks with a friend and talking about a book I’d recently read. They asked me what the book was about and off I went on an animated, five-minute rant: It was the best book I’ve read all year, people are going to be talking about it for decades, and the rights to the novel had probably already been optioned by a production company. As I was droning on I noticed my friend laughing. I asked what was so funny. “You’re so passionate,” they said. “If I had a production company, I’d be buying the rights to that book right now after the pitch you just gave me.”

It isn’t the first time I’ve heard such a sentiment, for when I like something, I absolutely love it—and when I don’t, I very much don’t. This is part of the reason I initially started this newsletter; I was in my full-time job era, which meant the only way I took short breaks from my workload was by reading articles, many of which I felt compelled to share with the people I loved. If you’ve been reading along for some time now, you know that I very rarely break my standard format of essay, suggested articles to read, and the occasional stray recommendations. My only recommendation-centric editions have come in the form of my annual birthday list, but I decided to do something a little different this week. It is summer, after all. Be crazy! Live a little! Break your own formatting rules!

In that spirit, I bring you a bunch of recommendations for things I’ve been passionately ranting about lately.

What to Read

Chain Gang All Stars | Adjei-Brenyah’s debut novel is outstanding. I cannot wait to devour every other book he writes, including his previously published collection of short stories. The novel is set in a dystopian future in which prisoners can opt to sign up for the CAPE Program, a major televised sporting event forcing prisoners to fight to the death. If you survive the CAPE program for three years, you walk free. The book has a similar degree of violence and action to The Hunger Games trilogy but is far more sophisticated and tender. Adejei-Brenyah’s sharp criticism of the for-profit private prison system in America, his incredibly human, tender characters that juxtapose the intense violence they are forced to enact, and his fully formed world make this book well worth reading. If you read this one, PLEASE write me an email and tell me your thoughts! I’m dying to discuss it with someone.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow | If you would’ve told me a month ago that I would devour a book largely centered around making video games, I wouldn’t have believed you. Alas, this one sucked me right in. For a chunkier book, it was a quick read—about two childhood best friends who, as the inside cover states, are “often in love, but never lovers.” The pair make video games together, building entire worlds while attempting to navigate the one they are in. This novel is a case study on those undefinable relationships that are closer than friends, but not quite more. I laughed, I ugly-cried on the plane, I referenced video games for days after reading.
To Paradise | I’ll admit that it took me a minute to get into this one—not 100 pages plus, but it wasn’t an instant “I need to keep reading” situation. Still, if you’ve read Yanigahara’s heartbreaking A Little Life, you know she’s got unreal talent. This novel is nothing like the former, however. It’s three distinctive novellas in one, with the throughline being a historic brownstone on Washington Square Park in which all three stories take place. Though the disparate stories span various time periods—the third, set in a pandemic-ridden, authoritarian New York City around the turn of the 30th century, was my favorite—they all explore themes of loneliness, class divides, and human connection. I loved it.

What to do

Make a candle | I love fancy candles, but I do not love spending $50+ on fancy candles, especially because I want to have enough candles burning to make my home look like I’m conducting a seance on any given evening. Siblings has solved the problem for me. To use, simply pop a pouch of their wax in the microwave, pour it into a vessel, and in two hours you have a beautiful candle. The scents smell ultra-luxe—this one and this one are my favorites so far—and they burn for forever. Plus, I get to feel a little bit better about not creating more waste with my candle habit. Pretty sure this is the only way I’m going to be purchasing candles from now on.
Never throw out a pretty candle jar again! Also, these jars could totally work as whiskey glasses.
Do a Human Design reading | Earlier this year, a friend got his Human Design chart read and raved about the experience so I decided to do one, too. The hour-long session felt like a mix of a much deeper, more specific astrological chart reading combined with karmic/dharmic insights—i.e. what your purpose is in this life, what’s carrying over from past lives, etc. I loved my reading with Morgan so much that I purchased readings for two of my friends, and they liked it so much that two more friends have since done readings. Having someone talk to you about yourself for an hour is never not going to be enjoyable, and a lot of what Morgan shared deeply resonated. I learned that I’m a hermit opportunist, which…wow. Learning more about this diametrically opposed persona helped me better understand myself and give myself a bit more compassion for my eccentricities.
Volunteer on a farm | I’m staying put more than usual this summer, which means I need to find ways to escape the city and get a change of scenery in order to stay sane. A few weeks ago, a few friends and I drove upstate to spend the day volunteering at Sky High Farm and it was lovely. Fresh air, manual labor, cute animals—highly recommend.
A chicken salad party

What to make/bake

A Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl | I can’t quite remember how I came across this recipe, but it has officially become a staple. I’d never tried to do any Japanese cooking mostly out of intimidation, but this was deceptively simple and wildly flavorful. You don’t need many fancy ingredients, and whatever you don’t have spice wise you can pick up at a local Japanese grocery store or order on Amazon. For dashi, I suggest ordering dashi packets you can mix with hot water. Great for a dinner party or really, for any time.
A fancy, involved cake | Every year, two of my closest friends and I take great pride in selecting the perfect birthday cake for one another. This year, I decided to level up and attempt to bake my friend a fancy cake for her birthday. After an absurd amount of ingredient sourcing and making this cake project my entire personality for a month, I went with this recipe. While the final cake certainly wasn’t my best work, it was fun to have a big, elaborate baking project to focus on. And now I know how to make jam!
I may or may not have ridden the L train with this precariously balanced cake
DIY Chicken Schwarma | After many hours spent at the gastroenterologist this spring learning about all the things I can’t eat, I am hesitantly reboarding the meat train. I’ve never been a full-on vegetarian, but for the past few years, I have made it a habit to not buy meat at the grocery store and only eat it while dining out or on special occasions. Buying chicken for this recipe made me feel strangely guilty but, dear god, it was delicious. I paired it with some Trader Joe’s naan, Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, and vegan feta (better than it sounds!). So good, leftovers for days.

What to buy

The perfect summer bag | When my friend showed up to a dinner party toting this bag, I immediately went on the hunt for it. It’s great for those times you don’t want to carry a ratty old tote, but a full-on purse isn’t necessary. It’s also great for those who, like me, have an emotional attachment to their gigantic water bottles.
The perfect summer sunscreen stick | I’ve always been a SuperGoop Glow Stick girl, but this sunscreen stick has me converted. It’s less greasy but still gives you a little glow, and I’m convinced it lasts through the summer sweat longer than the former. Don’t forget to sunscreen the back of your hands, too!
The perfect summer sandals | Another one I purchased straight after seeing a friend wearing it: these sandals. They’re chunky, they’re punky, and they’re strappy without looking like full-on Teva-types. Beware; if you come around me wearing something cute, I’m going to buy it. Such is life off Instagram—I have to be influenced somewhere!

What to Watch

The Starling Girl | I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this directorial debut was absolutely top-notch. It’s a quiet but never dull story about a young girl in an ultra-conservative religious community in Kentucky who develops a “sinful” crush on the youth pastor. I had preconceived notions of the way I expected this movie to go and it went there, but it went so many other places I didn’t expect. The way I was gasping aloud, clutching my friend’s arm in the theatre, chewing on my lip, giggling, and tearing up during this film would make you think I was watching a particularly well-written Broadway play. This short, also by the film’s director, Laurel Parmet, is also divine.
Past Lives | It’s a summer of love stories, and this one does not disappoint. A film about a young girl whose family immigrates from Korea to Canada when she is 12 years old, leaving behind her childhood crush. Years later, as a playwright trying to make it in New York, she’s married to an American man when her childhood crush tracks her down and decides to come visit. You’ll find some version of yourself in this film—remnants of those experiences when you loved one person but still had love for someone else, or when you wondered what might’ve been. You will most definitely cry.
The Banshees of Inishirin | First and foremost, I forgot what a total heartthrob Colin Farrell was until I watched this movie over the weekend. Those eyebrows deserve an award. Second, I didn’t realize the director of this film, Martin McDonagh, also directed one of my favorite films of all time. I had mixed feelings about this simple, dark-humor drama, but it’s still worth a watch for the stunning scenery and cinematography. In a tiny, fictional town off the coast of Ireland, life is simple and everyone knows everyone, so when one man decides he no longer wants to be friends with another man, a chain of small heartbreaks and various mishaps commence. I will say that after this film, I sat on my bed thinking for a solid 30 minutes.

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Cheers, my dears, and as always, thanks for reading. I apologize for my unaccounted-for hiatus last week—sometimes, life calls and we’ve got to answer it. Summer is in full swing around here. I’m spending the weekend camping in the Adirondacks, followed by a mellow Fourth of July in the city. If you end up reading/doing/buying/watching any of the above, let me know what you think! Back to our regularly scheduled format next week.

A Quote From A Book You Should Read:

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

-The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This newsletter is best served with a side of conversation, so drop your opinions, reflections, and thoughts in the comments below and let’s get to talking.

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