What are you reading? | Aug '22

The hottest clubs are book clubs. Plus, it's the monthly recap of what's great

So, how’s it going? Want some August highlights? I took my son to the California Science Center’s Angkor Wat exhibit, which was a stunning introduction to the enormous temple city of Cambodia. (Bit vague on the whole Khmer Rouge genocide part, but it’s a kids museum so I’ll allow it.) Afterward we stopped by Holbox, a Mexican restaurant/market stall I’ve been dying to try and it definitely lived up to the hype. (The uni tostada, the grilled octopus, the fish tacos…all!)

I’ve made good on my promise to hit the beach as often as possible, logging many afternoons avec and sans child in Malibu and Santa Monica. My car’s sandy floor mats are proof. I’ve also been doing my best Italian summer cosplay in the kitchen, making lots of penne alla checca and drinking lots of martinis c/o Elizabeth Minchilli.

I went to the farmers market and spied what looked like a restaurant team (matching t-shirts, huge orders, clipboard) browsing the stands, so naturally I followed their lead. Where they went, what they bought is where I went and bought. I ended up with a great couple of pork chops (among other things). I used them to make Yasmin Fahr’s insanely good pork chops with nectarines and basil. I swapped nectarines for the peaches I bought that day and added some fresh slices of the heirloom tomatoes that the restaurant team ‘encouraged’ me to buy, as well. 11/10, will make again.

Now let’s talk books. I’ve got recs below, but wouldn’t it be great if everyone suggested a book or two in the comments then we could have a big list to share??

Here are my recs separated into two lists:

COOKBOOKS

Bitter Honey by Letitia Clark. Sardinian food may not sound like it would be easy to incorporate into your recipe rotation. But you’re wrong. It is. Written by a Brit who fell in love and moved to Sardinia, she distills the flavors of the island into crave-able, simple recipes. She’ll make you want to go to Sardinia asap and in the meantime cook things like this absolutely gorgeous baked chicken.

It’s All Easy by Gwyneth Paltrow. Say what you want about GP, this book is so legit.

Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi. I love to bake and this is one of the very best baking books I have. They recipes are adaptable (even the more involved ones) and beautiful and delicious and can be as dolled up or not as you like. I make the lemon poppy cake (as cupcakes with a quick fruit-y syrup on top) the most.

Keeping it Simple by Yasmin Fahr. Full disclosure: she’s one of my best friends, but this book is so good that I can convince my child to eat anything if I say that Yasmin wrote the recipe for it. They’re also the exact amount of interesting-meets-easy that you want for great weeknight food. (The pork chop recipe I mention above is from this book.)

Simple Cake by Odette Williams. I am afraid I’ll start to scare Odette soon with my super fandom. I am hotly anticipating her Simple Pasta, out soon, but in the meantime I continue to regularly dirty my copy of Simple Cake with splatters of melted butter and sprinkles of sugar. These cakes, and her many suggested variations for each, are foolproof.

And of course, I’ve never met an Ina cookbook that I didn’t like. My favorite is Barefoot in Paris but I also have a soft spot for Barefoot Contessa: Parties!

BOOKBOOKS

Circe by Madeline Miller. This is one of my all-time favorites. It’s a retelling of the story of Circe, the goddess from Greek mythology. It is sweeping and epic, as most Greek mythology is, but is mostly about a woman finding her power. (I preferred it to her first book, Song of Achilles, though that’s also great.)

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. A quick read that encourages self-reflection without being a self-help book. In it, there’s a library between life and death where there are endless books housing all of the countless lives you could have lived.

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee. This is catnip, but it’s well written and, yes, is maybe based on Harry Styles fan-fiction. About a divorced mother (ahem) who embarks on a gorgeous international affair with the much younger lead singer of a boy band (yes pls). I swear it’s better than I’m making it sound. I finished it in 2 days.

Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer. The opposite of catnip. This book has been turned into a show on Hulu, starring an excellent Andrew Garfield. But the book is very much worth the read on its own. It’s a deep dive into Mormon fundamentalism and how belief became justification for two murderous brothers.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. If you’re into rom-coms you’ve probably read their other (and better-known) bestselling book Unhoneymooners. I loved that one, too, but if I had to choose one from their massive list titles, it would be Love and Other Words.

Black Swans by Eve Babitz. If you love LA and love Joan Didion, you will love Eve Babitz. I am devouring this, my first book of hers, but LA Woman is up next, or maybe it’ll be Sex & Rage.

Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. This book will break your heart and then repair it. It’s the memoir of a woman who was diagnosed with cancer soon after graduating from college. She takes us from initial symptoms to diagnosis to remission to figuring out how to live ‘normal’ life again.

Just Kids by Patti Smith. Yes, the Patti Smith. This is her memoir, and I couldn’t put down. It’s sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll, yes, but it’s really an intimate look at the lives and careers of Patti, Robert Mapplethorpe, the Andy Warhol crowd, and tons of other household names from that era. It’s also about love and art and the flash-in-the-pan bohemian-ism of NYC in the 60s and 70s.

Honorable mention: Cassandra Speaks, for anyone who wants to smash the patriarchy.

How do you find new books? Yep, we’ve got Goodreads. And the Libby app for borrowing digital library books. I’ve found myself in deep rabbit holes on ‘BookTok’. There’s Folio Bookshop, too, which is a new independent online bookstore with some niche and perfect categories like “Dark Humor” and “Female Manipulative Narrator.” And I’ve just read about an app called Tertulia, which is a cool and design-y mix of book recs and shopping.

---

Enough about books

Let’s grab a bite (in LA): Got the above text from a friend and wanted to share my thoughts with the class. I’d add to my response: Bicyclette, Cobi’s, Market Venice, Gigi’s. And two places I’m dying to try: Ilé and Oy Bar. Just depends on the vibes you’re lookin’ for.

Go for broke: Do I check LeCatch approximately twice weekly for fashion and shopping inspiration? Yep. Don’t say I didn’t warn you and your wallet.

Women supporting women: You probably need a new bra. I highly recommend Cuup—one of the first bra brands that I return to over and over, rather than going to a shop and starting from scratch every time. They’re long lasting, come in really good colors, the fit is perfect (I have done my homework here), and the fabric is wildly smooth and comfortable. 10/10.

Can we stop with the “vibe shift” stuff? I recommend this piece by The Cut, called “The Beginning of the End of Millennial Discourse,” which basically reframes this whole panicked sense that Millennials must try to keep pace as the ‘vibes shift’. She writes, “Millennials…aren’t aging out of the internet — they are aging out of youth. Whatever shift is being felt is a loss of access to the social capital of youth.”

Not another think piece: It’s a recipe for a Japanese fruit sandwich and I’m IN.

---

Signing off with my Millennial flag flying high.

xoxo,

Nicole