Hi friends –
Hope you're well.
Today is going to be a good day. Jimmy Kimmel is coming back to late-night, and some books I have been waiting for are out.
I have decided to move my task management and organization to the Reminders and Notes app, so I've started writing out my updated book list for this year. With that, I realized I hadn't shared a reading list in a few months, so I decided to share one today.
The books below are all on my TBR list for the upcoming months. Please let me know what's on your list as well. Without further ado, let's get into it.
CURRENTLY READING: Loved One by Aisha Muharrar
I am reading this book, and although I am reading slowly, I am enjoying it. This book follows the protagonist, Julia, who lost her first-love-turned-bestie unexpectedly. Following his death, Julia goes on a journey from Los Angeles to London to recover his lost possessions. It also sets Julia on a collision course with the last woman he loved, a guarded, self-possessed florist and restaurateur named Elizabeth, who insists on withholding Gabe's beloved guitar—one of the departed indie rock musician's dearest belongings—for reasons Julia can't understand. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation.
I enjoyed this book, and the interview with the author for Vogue was excellent.
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
I keep starting this book, only to put it down because I need to finish reading Loved One. However, it's been one of the books I've been looking forward to the most. It came out last week, and here is the premise:
An era-defining novel about five Black women over the course of their twenty-year friendship, as they move through the dizzying and sometimes precarious period between young adulthood and midlife—in the much-anticipated second book from National Book Award finalist Angela Flournoy.
The New York Times highlighted the book last week to coincide with the release.
107 Days by Kamala Harris OUT TODAY
I have been waiting for this book. The petty woman in my heart can't wait for Trump to be pissed off by this book, because he's going to type hate messaging with his little hands and weird little mouth. This will be a good read from the excerpts I have read, but the book tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history. If…. well, I won't spew my conspiracy theories.
Watch Kamala’s interview on Rachel Maddow’s podcast last night.
Listen to Kamala’s interview on The Stacks Podcast.
Still Bobbi: A Master Class in Leading an Authentic Life by Bobbi Brown OUT TODAY
I have always been a Bobbi Brown fan. My first ever… good foundation was a Bobbi Brown stick that my mom got for me because of her love of the brand. I've read/watched many Bobbi Brown interviews because I find her story and journey very aspirational.
In Still Bobbi, she shares her personal journey, including the integral relationships that inspired and emboldened her from a young age to pursue her creative vision despite numerous challenges—offering a heartfelt and inspiring memoir guaranteed to captivate readers of all ages.
Awake by Jen Hatmaker OUT TODAY
In Awake, Jen shares for the first time what happened when she found herself completely lost at sea—and how she made it to shore. In candid, surprisingly funny vignettes spanning forty years of girlhood, marriage, and parenting, Jen lays bare the disorienting upheaval of midlife—the implosion of a marriage, the unraveling of religious and cultural systems, and the grief that accompanies change you didn't ask for. And, drawing on all resources—from without and within—Jen dares to question the systems beneath the whole house of cards, and to reckon with the myths, half-truths, and lies that brought her to this point.
More than one woman's story, Awake is a critical analysis of the story given to all of us: the story of gender limitations, religious subservience, body shame, and self-erasure. With refreshing candor, Jen explores a midlife renaissance—grieving what's lost, cherishing possibility, and entering the second half of life wide awake.
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai OUT TODAY
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is the sweeping tale of two young people navigating the many forces that shape their lives: country, class, race, history, and the complicated bonds that link one generation to the next. A love story, a family saga, and a rich novel of ideas, it is the most ambitious and accomplished work yet by one of our greatest novelists.
Truly by Lionel Richie (Out 9/30)
As a storyteller second to none, Lionel Richie is ready to tell it all. In this intimate, deeply candid memoir, Lionel revisits hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don't matter. Lionel chronicles lessons learned during his unlikely story of remarkable success—his dramatic transformation from painfully shy, "tragically" late bloomer to world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played as the soundtrack of our lives.
Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance by Julie M. Green OUT TODAY
Motherness is a story about accepting your child while learning to accept yourself. This extraordinary, groundbreaking memoir speaks to the significant challenges and great joys of autism, providing valuable insights to parents of autistic children, adults newly diagnosed or questioning their place on the spectrum, and anyone seeking a greater understanding of neurodiversity.
Tenderheaded by Michaela Angela Davis (out 10/14)
Tenderheaded is not just a memoir; it is a cultural manifesto that questions the legacy of Black media and the stories of Black women that remain untold. Davis's narrative is both a romance and a tragedy, reflecting her American life and the broader story of American media.
A few other things on my list (books I have):
The Wedding People by Alison Espach - I have attempted to read this now three times in different formats. I need to finish again.
THINGS TO READ:
Loved
’s newsletter on Little Brother’s ‘The Minstrel Show’ 20 Years Later.Also loved
’s newsletter on following and pursuing your dreams. I can’t wait to buy her cookbook when it comes out.Zadie Smith on the art of an impersonal essay for The New Yorker
- ’s book matchmaking series is always one of my favorite reads.
THINGS TO LISTEN TO:
Counts as a watch but Joy Bryant was on Dax Shepard’s new pod (I think it’s a pod) and it made me both laugh and have the desire to start watching Parenthood over again.
Cardi B’s new album, Am I The Drama came out last week, and I’ve been dipping my toes into it. So far, my favorite song is “Pretty & Petty” which is actually my life’s mantra. I first listened to it on the treadmill, and had to hold on because of all the hits Bia got. Woot. woot. I must say, I know no Bia fans aside from my mom.
I made a new playlist for Apple Music, Daily.
If you’re on a health journey like myself, I thought that this episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast with Dr. Pradip Jamnadas was a pretty interesting listen.