The Reading List: September 20, 2019
Shannon
As someone who travels a fair amount (hello from Italy!), I loved this piece about how amazing (yet ridiculous) TSA-Precheck is. Airport security lines are definitely the worst, and there’s nothing better than smugly getting to skip the line. (If you live near an airport that offers Clear, get it! You can be even smugger than those with just TSA-precheck.)
The title of this piece is rather ridiculous, but the sentiment is rather lovely. The author writes about how freeing she finds spin class after a divorce, how cycling in the dark allows her to feel free, to cry, to work out as hard as she wants without the fear of judgment. I was brought back to one of my own post-breakup spin classes, about 4 years ago, when the instructor fortuitously played “You Oughta Know.” I laughed, I cried, and I cycled my way to the top of the Torqboard.
Once again, I’m sharing a New York Times Magazine 1619 Project piece: this one is about how slavery and American capitalism are inextricably linked. I’ve had a book called “The Half Has Never Been Told” on my TBR list for about 9 months now, and this piece inspired me to finally pick it up (…after my Italian vacation…).
On a lighter note, a product recommendation: if you want to feel bougie as hell, pick up these Shiseido cotton pads (excuse me…facial cotton). I was introduced to them by a friend who used to work for the brand, and now I pick them up during Sephora’s bi-annual sales (see our recs here). They are much more gentle than drugstore cotton pads and so effective at applying toners and other skin care products. You’re welcome. And yes, I realize the dark irony in me recommending bougie cotton pads after a link about slavery. I’m sorry.
Moira
I’m a ridiculous person with ridiculous habits and peccadilloes, including never drinking still water. This article assesses the true risk of over-consuming seltzer. Like diet coke, you can pry it out of my cold, dead, bougie hands.
I need to move into this psycho Winchester Mystery House of an apartment.
As someone with sizeable boobs and hips, I’m becoming worried about fall beauty trends. Would that I looked good in 1970s silhouettes, but we can’t all be Halston gals. These looks all have a very “Ice Storm” vibe, though, and I’ll show up for that.
I’ve been going to restorative yoga once a week, and even though my class had a woman who literally burped the whole time, sending me into a rage spiral, I feel like it’s helping me. I’ve explored some of the different variations of restorative yoga, and meditative yoga nidra is really lovely and blissful.
Do I need this boilersuit?
Elizabeth
Y’all know that I loved “The Only Plane in the Sky” (my review here!), and reading this excerpt from “The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World” was fascinating in the same way. I never visited Windows in the World, and while I understand the reasoning, I wish they had done something similar at One Freedom Tower.
Next Monday is the Climate Strike in DC, and my local paper (lol @ the Washington Post being just a local paper) has been covering lots of news re: the planet melting in advance of that. I admittedly clicked on this article because the headline was so eye-catching — “Why Baby Boomers Grandchildren will Hate Them” — but I definitely agree with a ll of the author’s conclusion. Our future, not to mention the future of the planet, is being robbed by a generation that just doesn’t seem to care.
On a lighter note, this week was my annual re-reading of a favorite fall piece: “It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherf*ckers.” It ages so well — if you need a laugh, and you might after some of the articles we posted this week, 10/10 would recommend.
I am a big Americana music fan — I don’t love pop country or bro country, so that’s the best description I can come up with for these tunes. This week, I have had The Highwomen’s debut album on fairly constant repeat, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes intelligent and thoughtful and catchy songs (I think Redesigning Women is my favorite)! I also can’t wait to watch Ken Burns’ new documentary on Country Music, and this article from the Bitter Southerner on the real roots of country music — both black and white — is fascinating.
It finally feels like fall in DC (I probably just jinxed it), and I celebrated by ordering four pairs of new jeans and this jumpsuit from Madewell! I cannot wait to live my fall coverall dreams.
