The Reading List: July 26, 2019

Shannon

I have mentioned a few times that I love ’80s and ’90s (and, let’s be real, ’00s) rom-coms, and “When Harry Met Sally” is the gold standard. Written by my fave Nora Ephron, the will-they-or-won’t-they story spans at least 10 years and attempts to answer the (now) age-old question, “can men and women ever really be ‘just friends’?”. Despite my love of rom-coms, I can at least admit that they are often deeply problematic, and at best slightly flawed. “When Harry Met Sally” is no different; this piece from The Atlantic explores the lasting legacy of its high-maintenance vs low-maintenance categorization of women. (…I’m proud to be high-maintenance.)

It’s the height of summer (in the Northern Hemisphere at least) and that means it’s time for lightweight body lotions that smell like the beach.. Estée Lauder* Bronze Goddess is a floral, vanilla scent spiked with coconut to give it that grown-up Hawaiian Tropic scent (but like, a really sexy Hawaiian Tropic), and I just discovered that it also comes in a body lotion. Go forth, and smell like the best parts of summer, while also staying insanely moisturized.

*Note: I am an Estée Lauder Companies employee and I do receive a discount on this product. The link above is not an affiliate link.

I was ambivalent about the second season of “Big Little Lies,” but I did love this Allure profile of Laura Dern. Her character this season was my favorite, even among the stand-out cast (yes, even with the addition of Meryl Streep). I wasn’t aware of a lot of her advocacy and activism, so that was great to read about. (And of course, I love a beauty convo!)

I’m more than mildly obsessed with my apartment (specifically, decorating my apartment). I’ve lived in the same unit for 4.5 years, and over the years, I’ve added more and more books and paintings picked up overseas (nbd). So, I loved this Man Repeller piece on tips for finding your interior decor style. “I don’t think anything can alter the atmosphere of a room more than switching up the lighting,” says interior designer Matilda Goad. Next on my list for my own apartment: switching out the basic light fixture in my kitchen for a more elevated one.

Moira

Lululemon is a cult, and the only reason to work there is for a steep discount and decent health insurance, unless you love being gaslighted and emotionally abused! Do you like to screenshot your coworker’s texts and then send them to the entire leadership team? Have I got a gig for you, you little sociopath! I did it for eighteen whole months and the best thing I have to show for it, other than a ton of stuff to discuss in therapy, are Align Pants. Why would you spend $98 on pants? Try them on, then we’ll talk.

There’s no way to write about this that doesn’t sound like a humblebrag, but like Ilana on Broad City, my bra size sounds like a joke. I’ve been envious of you bralette-wearers for years now, and the Cosabella Curvy Sweetie has allowed me to join you. It’s cute under sundresses and supportive enough that I’ve worn it to Pilates under a tank. The price is steep because there has to be some kind of fabric magic to hold up DD/E/F/G cups, but I do swear and aver that it works and is cute.

Elizabeth

My friend (and blog reader!) Kristin posted this story on her Facebook earlier this week, and it took my breath away. CJ Hauser, who wrote it, has a new book out: Family of Origin, and it has just shot to the top of my “to-read” list.

Speaking of my miles long to-read list, I love this round up of longer books that everyone needs to read — there are some SFOL favorites on there (Liane Moriarty! A Tree Grows in Brooklyn!), and a few that I immediately added to my library hold list. Even better is that not all of them are new releases, so they are available immediately.

Like the rest of the country, DC has basically been as hot as a hell mouth the past few weeks. That + a few really intense work weeks = lazy girl dinners most of the time. For me, that’s either scrambled eggs and toast, frozen Trader Joe’s treats, or a giant kitchen sink salad. I love this chart from A Cup of Jo (via Love and Lemons) that gives you simple ways to make salad dressings with kitchen staples. I don’t have a ton of fridge space, and I love making my own salad dressings to fit my mood, so this is so cool. A few I can’t wait to try: Red Pepper Mojo, Chickpea Goddess, Mediterranean, and Sesame Orange.

I love a good grifter story (and of course, the Anna Delvey book is on my weekend to-read list!), and this is a good one: Is Bruce Hay the Most Gullible Man in Cambridge? I hope I’m not an easy mark like he was, but I am voyeuristically fascinated in how all of this happens.