I joined the dark side. I was convinced to move this series from my blog to Substack. Welcome!
Once the decision was made, I’ve had to push myself to share it with others. Sharing, for me, doesn’t come easily. I don’t usually open up or willingly talk about personal things, not even when it’s just writing about what I read. There’s a certain vulnerability that comes with putting yourself out there and it’s incredibly difficult — if not impossible.
Clearly, it’s not entirely impossible, because here we are — if you’re reading it, it means I really, really trust you. I personally invited you to my little corner of the internet where in a very stream-of-consciousness manner I will write about everything under the sun. But mostly books.
Speaking of stepping out of my comfort zone, this past weekend I went to a cabin with the girls from
’s book club to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. I still vividly remember our first meeting — just three of us, strangers at the time. Joining a book club where I did not know a soul was completely out of character for me, and here we are, three years later, celebrating at a cozy cabin with books and the annual cake I bake especially for our book club anniversary (and for Christmas — Nigella’s almond and orange blossom cake).~ read
I am still in the middle of rereading the Southern Reach series by Jeff VanderMeer in anticipation of the fourth book — an unexpected addition to what was originally a trilogy. Right now I am reading the third book, Acceptance, but before diving into that, let’s talk about some books I’ve recently finished:
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. This sci-fi classic, first published in 1969 (!!), explores the journey of a human emissary on the planet Winter, where everyone is gender-fluid. There is so much packed in this 300 pages or so book. I love classic sci-fi for its philosophical takes, and Le Guin brilliantly challenges societal norms around sex and gender (in 1969, guys).
How do we relate to others when sex and gender are taken out of the equation? This book really forces us to confront how deeply the binary male/female framework is ingrained in our thinking.
Le Guin shines not only with the bold themes, but also through her amazing world-building and the emotional relationship that forms in the second half of the novel. I almost cried and I did not expect that.
On Women by Susan Sontag. This collection of Sontag’s essays, compiled posthumously and published last year, focuses on women and womanhood. These were already published in different newspapers/magazines in the 70s. There is a palpable difference in the quality and overall it feels somewhat disjointed subject-wise too. The subjects range from feminism and aging to beauty and fascism, but the selection doesn’t flow as smoothly as I’d hoped.
Sontag’s writing shines in the second part, particularly in the essays on filmmaking and fascism. The first essays on feminism feel somewhat surface-level, trailing behind the discourse of the time when The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan had already been published almost a decade earlier. She doesn’t bring anything new to the table - and I do mean this thinking only of second-wave feminism.
That being said, I am still looking forward to reading more of her writing — especially her essays on art and photography.
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore. Something light and cozy, perfect for autumn, because my brain really needed a break. This is a small-town romance full of Hallmark and Gilmore Girls vibes, with a little bit of spice. It also features two of my favourite tropes: found family and grumpy x sunshine! It’s dual POV too (I love dual POV romances).
The story follows Jeanie who after a traumatic event in the big city is gifted her aunt’s cafe so she moves to the small town of Dream Harbor. There she meets grumpy local farmer Logan who helps her solve some mysteries that are affecting her sleep schedule and her business. Along the way, Jeanie meets the locals, makes new friends, joins a spicy book club, and judges the Halloween costume contest, while Logan struggles to guard his heart after being burned by a city girl once before.
It’s really cheesy, but I am a cheese lover and I’ve already purchased the next book in the series, The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore.
My reading plans for October feature an influx of horror; all of my book clubs are diving into the genre this month. There’s Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix (for our small book club), Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh (for Bogdana’s book club) and The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk (for the Cărturești book club). If I have time I’ll also read A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enríquez (for Anna Wallace Johnson’s book club).
As for this week, I’ve been focused on Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer and I am almost done with it, which means I can start Absolution and finish it in time for its release (Oct 22)! I want to start Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (for
’s long books read-along) and I am buddy-reading (or, in my case, rereading) The Secret History by Donna Tartt with a few colleagues at work. Plus Ali Hazelwood has a new novella out - Two Can Play - in audio-form only (for now), and I hope I will get to it soon!Since I always need to have a romance on the go, I’m finishing up Cruel Summer by Morgan Elizabeth, 2nd installment in Seasons of Revenge series. I loved the first book in the series (Tis the Season for Revenge), and honestly, I am already excited for the third one, The Fall of Bradley Reed, which promises autumnal vibes.
~ watched
Just like everyone and their mother, I watched Nobody Wants This — and let me tell you, we all want this. Or we all missed Seth Cohen.
Nobody Wants This (TV series, 2024-). The premise? A rabbi walks into a rom-com and ends up in a relationship with an agnostic sex podcaster. The show tackles their differences, insecurities and, for added chaos, their meddling families! It's sweet, funny, and pretty romantic. I devoured it!
I can’t deny the incredible on-screen chemistry and witty banter between our leads. Plus, Adam Brody’s character is the kind of romantic hero who always seems to know exactly what’s going on in the heroine’s head and how to keep her from overthinking or self-sabotaging. And isn’t that what we all secretly want in a relationship? No? Just me?
It’s the same quality I look for in my rom-com novels, which is why I adore Ali Hazelwood’s books: the heroines are neurotic, and the heroes know exactly how to calm them down.
The New York Times says it resuscitates the rom-com genre, and I really hope this means we will get a lot more rom-coms like this series in the future. Although, in my humble opinion, the genre’s comeback was already in motion with Red, White and Royal Blue (2023), Love at First Sight (2023), and even The Idea of You (2024).
~ and other things I did last week
Music: Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Inferno by Saint Avangeline. Think Lana vibes but very sapphic. It’s pop, but it’s also gritty. And not enough people are talking about it! Oh, and her song Lilith is so bloody good! 2024 has been the year I’ve discovered so many incredible female artists, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Food: With autumn in full swing, I had to make cinnamon buns. I use Snoop Dogg’s recipe called Cinnamon Rollin’ from his cookbook From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen. This time I had bourbon in the house, so I added it to the icing as per the recipe. It made them boozy and fun — it’s definitely an acquired taste, but one you pick up quickly. I’m not sure if they’re technically “safe for work,” but my coworkers agreed I made their Monday a whole lot sweeter.
This autumn I’m thinking of trying out more cinnamon bun recipes to find the ultimate version. I’m pretty sure my colleagues won’t mind helping with that quest!
Other things consumed last week:
How Elisabeth Moss Became the Dark Lady of the Small Screen (The New Yorker). I’m a huge fan of hers, but I’m also fascinated by the whole Scientology aspect (I devoured Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath docu-series). The duality is both intriguing and unsettling.
Sally Rooney: ‘Falling in love when I was very young transformed my life’ (The Guardian). My girl, Sally Rooney, has a new book (that I do not have on my shelves yet!!) and I’ve been reading everything I can about Intermezzo, including this piece from The New York Times — Sally Rooney, Heart on Her Sleeve, Writes a Weeper.
IMDb’s Class of ‘99 Picks. Celebrating one of the best years in cinema. The NYT writers shared their favorites, as did the readers. Mine? Definitely The Matrix. But I also have a soft spot for 10 Things I Hate About You, Fight Club and The Sixth Sense — which I watched way too young!
As for video essays, I spent my days in the land of romance. I watched Sara Elizabeth’s The Cartoonification of Book Covers — personally I love a good cartoonish book cover if I vibe with the art style (like Ali Hazelwood’s covers), but a bad one can really turn me off a book (Debugging Love by Erin Lucy doesn’t have my type of illustrated cover, but luckily I got it for review and I ended up loving the story). I also enjoyed Princess Weekes’s Why We Fall for Monsters, and on the same theme — Linday Ellis’s My Monster Boyfriend.
Lauren Graham: How I Find Humor in Aging (Time). It came at just the right time after Susan Sontag’s essays on beauty and aging, only Graham’s perspective is more personal.
I am not sure what this week has in store for me but I am out of town this weekend (again). We are going to a cabin in the mountains (again). This time, though, the cabin’s aesthetic is slightly terrifying. I might even go for a hike, just to escape the over-the-top, kitschy decor. As Oscar Wilde allegedly said before he died:
“Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.”
Thank you for reading!