Happy Boxing Day! Have you bought something yet? Are you guzzling down ridiculous marketing copy with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire playing sneakily in the background? I sure hope so! My initial desire for this post was to make a shopping guide so we can continue to feed the machine. And then I thought that I would do a year end roundup but wasn’t really into that either. So this is the in-between: a few things that topped all the other things this year.
Luster by Raven Leilani. Subject of many raves and little disparaging remarks, Luster is one of my favourite books of the year. In all likelihood, it is number one. On its surface, it seems like a typical sad-girl-can’t-get-her-life-together novel buy is actually richer and more complex. Leilani’s spare language and syntax parallel her protagonist, Edie’s, disconnect from her feelings and her actions, sweeping you up in her despair. Yet there’s enough distance from the despair to pity her, to worry about this girl who has gotten herself in a tangle of barbed wire, metaphorically speaking. I read the majority of Luster on one gloomy Sunday at the end of my last ever finals week and it completely reset my mind. Now I am eagerly awaiting the casting of Rebecca Ferguson as Edie’s lover’s wife.
Eataly’s tiramisu. One bite of this and you’ll never go back. It’s good enough to turn a certified tiramisu hater (formerly moi) into a complete nut for that creamy cheese-coffee combo! If you need proof of how good it is and what it will drive a person to do, know that I used to walk to Eataly, in full winter, mask on, glasses fogged up, just to get this sweet sweet $15 (!) dessert.
L.L Bean Boat and Tote. Realistically, I wanted this bag for four years. But in someways, I’ve wanted it my whole life. This is the bag that featured in all my prep fantasies. This is the bag I should have been carrying when my sisters and I were doing photoshoots in men’s Ralph Lauren button ups. The Boat and Tote is a bag made for people (moi again!) who wanna act like old money but don’t even got new money—the status is in the name and the name’s in the monogram! A persistent dream of mine involves a bunch of these in different sizes (to have a reason to carry the XL!), all monogrammed with my last name, stuffed in the back of a black Range Rover and the scent of salt and taffy in the air. I ask for so little!
Hunter Harris’ Hung Up. I’ve previously recommended Miss Hunter’s gold star newsletter but it deserves another mention! I only believe in paying for newsletters when I’m obsessed with the person and if it feels original and fun. Hunter sets the tone for what is engaging online and she is the gateway for all other culture I consume. She makes Bennifer seem theoretical; she made The Departed sound like a good movie; she is the reason why I (sometimes) can stand to listen to A Star is Born (with dialogue)! Next year she’ll be a writer on the Gossip Girl reboot, hopefully bringing life to what two Jeremy O. Harris cameos could not save.
Afterpay. I’m in my materialism era and Afterpay is my enabler. Using Afterpay (or Sezzle or Paybright or anything similar) is pretty contentious but I’m of the feeling that if you can use it smartly and reasonably, it’s one of the most convenient things in the world. I am in possession of a greater amount of sexier pants — yes, I’m talking about my noisy as hell Melina pants — and I can’t complain about that!
Insecure. Tonight’s the last ever episode of HBO’s Insecure, a show that I have (surprisingly) loved over the past few years. Despite its popularity, Insecure still feels underrated—let me just say that I’m not seeing nearly enough (or any) nocontextinsecure accounts. One of the best things about the show is it’s balance between the sexy and the awkward, the funny and the dramatic. It is a show interested in real life but also wants to make it really beautiful. It has always highlighted Black artists and culture through gorgeous shots of LA street art and the amazing soundtrack. But the focus on beauty doesn’t take away from the depth—it’s a show that’s known how to capture more than just the inner workings of its characters’ lives while never losing sight of them.
I wanna know what your five-star recommendations are this year! I’m starting next year in two separate book clubs reading 500+ page books so I’m going to need a little something in-between.
Thanks for subscribing and reading! See you all next year 😘