Taskmaster, Great Big Beautiful Life, and Diabolical Lies.

Week 232.

Hello hello! Happy May! Here’s a recap of my week:

Things I Read

Books

If you’re looking for a book to read, try this list of contemporary romance recs, this list of other fiction recs, or this list of non-fiction recs. I also track everything I read on Goodreads.

• Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld: I’ve been reading this short story collection over the last few weeks and it was so good. Curtis Sittenfeld is one of my favorite authors (Eligible and Romantic Comedy are both all timers in my mind), her writing is so crisp and sharp. These stories mostly center middle aged women, and make such interesting observations about living and loving and making choices about the kind of life that you want. The last story in the book is a sequel to her novel, Prep, and that really made me want to reread it. She also has an older short story collection that I haven’t read yet, so that’s definitely on my list. I love her books so much, I’ll read anything she writes forever.

• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: My annual ritual of taking a new Emily Henry book to a coffee shop on a Saturday and reading it cover to cover really gives me life. I did that with this book last weekend and had a great time. This one seems to be a bit polarizing compared to her universally beloved other books, but I really liked it. It is about Alice, a journalist who tracks down a socialite, Margaret Ives, who has been a recluse for years in hopes of convincing her to let Alice write her memoir. But she gets there and finds out that Margaret is also considering Hayden, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer, to write the book. They each spend a month working with her, with the idea being that she will pick one of them at the end. The book bounces back and forth between this present day timeline and Margaret’s family history. I was definitely more invested in the present day timeline (because that’s where the romance was happening), but I still liked the parts about the past, too. I loved Hayden as a love interest, and I really liked all the Hollywood drama and gossip going on here. This is inevitably getting Evelyn Hugo comparisons, and I don’t think that’s wrong, but I also think there’s a lot more going on here that is different and interesting in it’s own way. My only note is that the ending felt pretty rushed. But honestly, I don’t really care. No one is writing banter and chemistry like this, they just aren’t! This is not dethroning Book Lovers as my favorite Emily Henry (this will probably never happen, it’s a perfect book), but I did really enjoy this book. When is the next one????

Articles

• How J.K Rowling helped fund the U.K.’s war on trans people: I have been reading a lot about the decision from the U.K. Supreme Court a few weeks ago which says that the legal definition of woman is based on biological sex, effectively wiping out decades of civil rights advancement for British transgender people. The effort was lead by several anti-trans organizations, one of which received £70,000 from J.K. Rowling, who later posted a disgusting photo of herself with a cigar celebrating the decision. I am having a hard time, then, understanding why HBO has greenlit a Harry Potter reboot and why the hell any person would sign on to work on it. They have been announcing the cast over the last few weeks and it is so disappointing every time a new name get announced. Rowling is an Executive Producer on the show and will profit from the royalties. Working on this project is working to fund anti-trans activism, putting money directly into this woman’s pockets. This is embarrassing to be associated with and I don’t understand why people don’t understand that. So many people seem unable to make the very clear connection between art and money and socio-political power. I am begging everyone to have one (1) critical thought. You can catch me dead in a ditch before I put my name anywhere close to hers, other than to discuss how she is a truly vile person, one of our worst. I do not have words for the rage this makes me feel and I want to be very, very clear about where I stand on all of this. The world we live in is a worse place because J.K. Rowling has money and power. The growing trend of attacking the rights of transgender people, both here and abroad, is so gross. The rise of right wing ideology in the UK is mirroring what is happening here in the US, and it is infuriating and scary to watch. Anyway! Everything is very bad! I am trying not to yell about it here every week but obviously I am not doing great at that. Whatever. I’m so pissed off. I will not be watching this cursed show, and I will never spend money on this woman’s work again.

Things I Watched

TV

If you’re looking for a show to watch, try this list.

• Taskmaster- Season 19 (Youtube): Jason Mantzoukas is on the new season of Taskmaster!! He is so perfect for this show. I have watched so many episodes of this British game show since I discovered it last year and it is just the best. It is so stupid and silly and truly makes my cry laughing. Each season features five new contestants, usually British comedians, completing absurd tasks for points. To my knowledge this is the first time an American celebrity has been on it, and it will also be the first time I plan to watch a season as it airs. There are hundreds of episodes of this show, all for free on their Youtube channel. This is the perfect thing to binge if you need a low stakes laugh. Just pick a season, any season, and start. I love it.

Movies

• Challengers (Prime Video): I saw people talking about how this movie came out a year ago last week, and I decided to watch it again for the first time since I saw it (twice) in theaters. Spoiler alert it still rules. This movie is so GOOD. The last ten minutes of this are so exhilarating to watch, even knowing exactly what’s going to happen. Every performance is so good, its gorgeous to look at, I genuinely have nothing bad to say. One of the biggest Oscars snubs of all time is this score, one of the best ever. I love this movie!! Zendaya is a movie star.

Things I Bought

You can read about my full skincare routine and favorite products here. If you need a sunscreen recommendation, try this list.

• Sephora Favorites Sun Safety Kit: Every year Sephora releases a new version of this kit that is a bunch of sunscreen products and I obviously cannot resist (in case you’re new here and/or you’ve never clicked on my sunscreen list linked above, I’ve tried over 40 sunscreens in the past few years. Very normal behavior.) This kit comes with a couple full size products and a bunch of samples, which are great for travel. This is a good way to try a bunch of sunscreens and find one you like. Personally I am most excited that there is an Ultra Violette sample in here, this is an Australian brand that I have heard amazing things about but was not available in the US until very recently. As I write this it is still in stock, but it sells out every year, so if you want one get it now!

One Last Thing…

My latest podcast obsession is Diabolical Lies. It’s hosted by two women, Caro and Katie, who talk about pop culture and feminism and politics (in a Social Theory way not a Guess What Don*ld Tr*mp Did Today way, don’t worry). I feel so seen by the way they talk about this stuff. Like, yes I DO want to listen to a 90 minute chat about Taylor Swift and plastic surgery and beauty standards and how race theory matters here and the fact that beauty is the only capital that women are encouraged to pursue! PSA: you can have intellectually rigorous conversations about things girls care about!! They release one free episode a month and if you become a paying subscriber you get more. They are the right amount of funny and the right amount of angry and they are so, so smart.

That’s it for me! This week I am going to watch the new Tina Fey show on Netflix and also, I guess, turn 30??? I hope you all have a good week.

TTYL,

Emily