Weekend Reads

Reads. For the weekend.

The book I’m reading this Shabbos and the articles I enjoyed this week.

Pictured: Molly Yeh’s tiny cake (aka Cake For Two) because someone around here had a birthday and no it’s not me do I look like a Scorpio??

• Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir

  Hello, sequel to my favorite book this year. BONKERS PLOTTING, INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS!! I just can’t get enough of unexpected storytelling. It reminds me that I don’t know everything in the world … yet.

• Labyrinth and the Dark Heart of Childhood, by Alison Stine in The Atlantic, back in 2016

  This article from a couple years ago was just brought to my attention. I was obseeeeeessed with Labyrinth for a long time (probably because my sisters were obsessed with Labyrinth; such is the case when you’re a youngest). It was likely my first encounter with the “powerful man desires innocent girl” thing and it was a doozy. This article really captures what makes the movie so effective on a different level. It IS a dark and dangerous story, and the idea that we connect that with how we saw the world in childhood is brilliant.

• The World’s Most Famous Unknown Beauty Product, by Lauren Williamson in Chicago Magazine

  So I’m not really one for learning more stuff about Amazon that makes me uncomfortable. And yes, the five face washes in my shower include Kylie Skin and Fenty Skin bottles, so I am particularly susceptible to the “Does it make you happy?” question posed in the last paragraph (which, by the way, should take up much more real estate!!). Rather than making me feel icky, though, this article is more of a deep dive, subtle side-eye at a couple of bros who clearly gamed the Amazon system with generic products and pay-to-play reviews, and then wouldn’t respond for comment. We love to hate it.