For fast-acting relief,
try slowing down.
Welcome to The Simple Things, a newsletter inspired by one of my favorite Oscar Wilde quotes. Today’s quote is attributed to Lily Tomlin, iconic actress, comedian, and future dinner party guest (Lily, call me!).
I tend to ramble, so you might have to expand this email to avoid missing anything. If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please let me know by hitting the heart button or subscribing!
It’s been a crazy couple of months (Downtime? I don’t know her!) but I’m still here and still standing, no matter how hard gravity and the patriarchy tries to take me down.
Currently loving
’s Southwestern Chopped Bean Salad. I doubled the amount of bell peppers and cut carbs by reducing to 1 can of black beans and 86ing the corn. Also made BBQ chicken for some extra protein by poaching some chicken breasts and thighs and mixing with store bought BBQ sauce. Reminded me of my favorite BBQ chicken salad from California Pizza Kitchen, though tastier and probably healthier. Highly recommend making ahead of time to let all the veggies sit in the dressing overnight and adding lime tortilla chips for an extra zing. Don’t forget the avocado and cheese!J and I took our dogs up to the mountains for a little weekend getaway for his birthday. It was so nice to walk around some cute towns, let the dogs run around, and sit in companionable silence. For the birthday dinner, I tried a new-to-me short ribs recipe with buttery mashed potatoes and made peanut butter brownies for dessert. For the brownies, I tried swapping the sugar for monkfruit sweetener to make it healthier, and while it was still delicious, I’d stick with the real thing. [Well Seasoned Studio, Recipe Tin Eats, Smitten Kitchen]
Recent reads — brace yourself, seems like the busier I get, the more books I read. I’d like to think of it as a quiet, ineffectual protest against the tyranny of busyness.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman - I liked the ethical dilemmas and world building. Looking forward to getting my hands on the 2nd book!
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - Based loosely on the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, Keegan is one of my favorite Irish writers because she writes in such an unassuming way, that you don’t even realize the emotional hit until it’s almost over. [Wikipedia]
This is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer - NYC is as much as a main character as the people in the book, plus the pace and style of the writing also echoes the city — a little chaotic and full of unforgettable details.
The Empusium by Olga Tkarczuk - I’ll be honest, I picked this up because I thought the cover looked cool. I liked the twist, but it took three-quarters of the book to get there and the Thomas Mann references went over my head.
Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman - Funny and provides one of the most realistic and sympathetic portraits of the “real” Americans I always hear politicians talking about.
Creep by Emma van Straaten - Unhinged, but I liked it.
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer - Hilarious, a little violent in a Lord of the Flies way, and a twist I didn’t see coming.
James by Percival Everett - Growing up, Huckleberry Finn bored me to tears. This was such a clever and refreshing retelling of Mark Twain’s classic, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting.
All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett - It’s good to have aspirations, but are you doing it for you or to keep up with the Joneses? This was a nice palate cleanser/beach read to break things up.
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker - Featuring a very unlikeable female character (love!), commentary on consumerism and the performance of self-care, and abusive households (trigger warning). All topped with a nice plot twist.
Havoc by Christopher Bollen - Add one unreliable narrator, a smattering of We Need to Talk about Kevin vibes, a touch of paranoia, and mix.
The Most by Jessica Anthony - I read that the publisher described this novella as a “tightly wound story about the implosion of a marriage” and it’s spot on. I’m here for shorter stories and shorter movie run times.
The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan - Reminds me of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but Reid is a better writer.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood - Sometimes you just need a romantic comedy with a little smut and that’s okay.
Dear Dickhead by Virgine Despentes - Come for the fun title, stay for the epistolary sparring between a misogynistic writer in the middle of a Me To scandal and the aging feminist actress he insulted online.
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So intellectually I know that there’s a scientific explanation for how these real flowers stay alive for so long, but it still blows my tiny little mind that these Venus et Fleur arrangements are real flowers that can last for a year or more.
After years of being bought and sold by international holding companies, the workers of Duralex turned it into a cooperative to save it from bankruptcy. I’ve been using the Picardie glasses in the juice and highball sizes for over a decade and they’re virtually indestructible. [WorldCrunch, Crate & Barrel]
If I HAD to name something positive to come out of Trump Administration 2.0, I guess I’m thankful that people are forced to learn how supply chains and tariffs work. Still doesn’t mean what’s happening right now makes sense, see
’s “All the arguments for Trump’s tariffs are wrong and bad”. And The Atlantic points out that the last time a country tried to “liberate” themselves from the globalized world order, it was the Nazis.
A good tool for folks who feel like they have a million tabs open in their brain. And the tabs have tabs have tabs have tabs… [My Mind]
Stop trying to optimize yourself. [
]“What are we doing with all these links, anyway? We’re weaving the web tighter. Making introductions. Maintaining provenance. It’s meaningful, especially now, as AI systems work in the opposite direction: denaturing the links, melting down the chains of connection.” - Robin Sloane of The Golden Sardine, explaining the purpose of my Substack to me better than I ever could’ve done myself.
I really like these 4 corner rubber bands. [Cameron Marks]
Is this not the most brilliant IKEA hack for hanging a prayer rug or artwork in your home?
I cannot for the life of me remember how I came across this, but a Truffle Tree is a Hazel truffle tree whose roots have a symbiotic relationship with the native Summer Truffle fungus. In 4-5 years, the truffle nuggets will ripen and can be foraged every summer for the next 50 years. Fuck your Birkin (with all due respect), a Truffle Tree is the flex.
Another great read by
:
Don’t forget to have fun because none of this shit matters,
Grace
I love your quick hit book reviews! I could not finish The Empusium!!
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend is such a good book!