Happy Monday! Before we dive in, I have a couple housekeeping items.
As y’all know, I’ve been thinking through the structure of this newsletter and how I can continue to give you the content you want in a way that still supports my goal of keeping some of my reading life more for myself.
One thing I’m going to try out is a weekly wrap up where I share what I’ve been reading, watching, listening to, and other things getting me through the week (think products I’m loving, food I’m cooking, etc.). These will go to all subscribers, both free and paid, and will be on the shorter side – just a glimpse into the content I’m consuming. Paid subscribers will receive the monthly wrap up where I share my reviews of books, links to things around the internet, life musings, and more, as well as invitations to join periodic chats on the Substack app where we share what we’re reading (and where you can get personalized recs from me).
Some of this might be subject to change, depending on how this goes and how y’all feel about it. So bear with me as I experiment a bit! And please feel free to let me know your thoughts – you can always email me at kathareads@gmail.com or by responding directly to this newsletter.
Okay, onto the fun stuff! And let me know: What got you through this week?
What I’m reading
🎧 Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan – So far this is very compelling, and the narrators (Carrie Coon and Key Taw, both of which are new to me) are really good. I’ll share my full review in my February wrap up.
📖 Maame by Jessica George – I’m trying out a new reading project (more on that later this month), and this fell perfectly into it. Plus, I’ve heard wonderful things from fellow readers whose opinions I deeply trust. I’m eager to keep reading!
If you haven’t tried audiobooks or don’t have an audiobook subscription, Libro.fm is my favorite way to listen to audiobooks, and my favorite audiobook company to support. Your purchase supports an indie bookstore of your choosing, and you can pause or cancel at anytime. Use my code (KATHARINE) or this link and get 2 audiobook credits for the price of 1.
What I watched
Partner Track (on Netflix) – This has already been canceled (which I knew going in), but the 10 episodes were perfect to watch over the weekend while I was under the weather.
Hacks (HBO) – Mike and I are making our way through the second season and it’s so much fun. We laugh out loud multiple times and always comment on how well done it is.
Virgin River – I finally watched the most recent season and while it’s obviously not award-winning television, it’s the perfect show to curl up with if you aren’t feeling well. The setting along is worth the watch.
What I Listened To
We Can Do Hard Things w/ Tricia Hersey – Rest Is Resistance is high on my TBR, and this conversation with the author only made me want to read it more.
Pop Culture Happy Hour: Harry and Meghan – After reading Spare, I’ve been looking for nuanced discussions about both it and Harry and Meghan in general. This conversation brought up points I hadn’t considered yet. It was thoughtful, insightful, and helped solidify my feelings around this cultural moment.
What I Consumed
Trader Joe’s Chicken Soup Dumplings – After seeing these all over Tik Tok, I had to try them for myself. And they are worth the hype. I added a bit of garlic chili oil to it and it was *chef’s kiss*.
Tik Tok salad – Apparently Tik Tok is where I get all my food recs these days. But seriously, this salad is SO GOOD. I’ll be eating this for lunch all week. Note: the three things that make it are the roasted chickpeas, the Garlic Expressions dressing, and the finely grated parmesan.
IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream – I’ve been trying to really get a solid skincare routine down, and this moisturizer is definitely my favorite. I just finished my third container (and have a fourth ready to go), it’s just so good.
Candle warmer – You might have seen me share this on Instagram and I cannot stop raving about it. As a huge candle person, this is a game changer. It uses a warming bulb to melt the wax, emitting the scent without actually burning it. This means no fire, no smoke, and the candle lasts much longer.
That’s it for this week! As always, leave a comment letting me know what got you through the week.
I had the house to myself so I watched all the stuff I knew my spouse isn't interested in. Tar was excellent. Finally watched Kaleidoscope- it was not substantial and a little gimmicky but still high production value. and Still Alice had me bawling. Ticket to Paradise- very glad I didn't pay to see it in theaters but hard to go wrong with Julia Roberts.
What got me through the first week in February was stumbling onto a delightful audible mystery called The Thursday Murder Club. “In a peaceful retirement village, four pensioners meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes.” Though this may sound like the makings of a boring, “snooze”, it is actually the makings for a book with a nicely developed plot, with lots of twists and turns, and wonderfully developed characters. Add in some humorous dialogue and you are left with a book that makes you really sad when you arrive at the end of the story. But no problems there ! I’ve discovered that this book is the first in a series. So of course I am now deep into the second read and I have something to help me get though the second week of February!!