Sale PSA: A pretty dress from Doen, now 30% off, another lovely Ulla Johnson dress, now 50% off (this fabric is so soft), Ray-Ban Meteor sunglasses (I like the slight twist on the classic Wayfarer), now 20% off, a chic smocked gingham dress from Ganni, now under $200, and a chic and simple linen v-neck dress from Madewell, now $45 with code REALDEAL.
1. It’s sale time! At Net-A-Porter! FINALLY. So today, sharing a great Ulla Johnson dress that I own which is now 50% off.
I love boho looks but so few of them look good on me (long, flowy) so I was so happy to find this dress. Actually, I didn’t find it, a friend found it for me. She has great taste! Imeant to try to take a photo of myself but it got to night and after a zillion bedtime books I kind of lost the will to move. I will post something on Monday though. But it’s a great dress especially for petite girls and especially at this price.
2. A good article on what it’s like being an assistant in Hollywood, via Vanity Fair, especially in the age of Covid, as their hours and pay are getting cut.
3. An article quite a few sent to me (I’m glad my interest in Conde Nast is so well known!!): A Reckoning at Conde Nast. I’m really fascinated by what is going through Anna Wintour’s mind right now. It’s fairly well documented (in rumors and gossip) that she lobbied hard for the UK Ambassadorship – I’m sure she thought that would be a fitting retirement. Instead, her entire legacy is at stake now.
4. A fun piece, by Pamela Druckerman (whose books I love), via NYBooks: Pandemic Marriage, Menage, and Me.
5. This week HarperCollins (via its imprint Amistad), is doing an initiative to fill the bestseller’s list with books by black writers. To that end, here are some of my favorite books by black authors:
Americanah (and Half of a Yellow Sun), both by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Also, Adichie is one of my favorite authors and I could listen to her talk on writing forever.
An American Marriage (and Silver Sparrow), both by Tayari Jones. Jones is a wonderful writer but she’s also one of those authors I just admire as a person (though from afar as I don’t know her!). I love reading her interviews (like this one via British Vogue), as she is always so thoughtful, intelligent, and utterly gracious.
The Chiffon Trenches, by Andre Leon Talley. As recommended a few weeks ago. Wonderful, heart wrenching AND gossipy.
The New Way to Cake, by Benjamina Ebuehi. As seen in the image above! Elegant, easy recipes. This is a shorter volume and I like it because there’s very little frosting (I don’t really like frosting and thus dislike making it).
Kindred, by Octavia Butler (recommend if you’re looking for a page-turner).
Hunger, by Roxane Gay. My favorite of Gay’s books though all of hers are good.
Royal Holiday, by Jasmine Guillory. A pleasure! Smooth writing, fun plot, and you know there’s going to be a happy ending. If you like romance (or just want a palate cleanser after some tortured reading/downer movies) I recommend all of Guillory’s books. They are all in the same “universe” but don’t have to be read chronologically.
The Changeling, by Victor LaValle. Literary fiction with a dash of horror.
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi. If you haven’t read it already, please do.
A Lucky Man, by Jamel Brinkley. Wonderful short stories.
Heavy, by Kiese Laymon. Memoir in a very strong, lyrical voice.
Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo. A gorgeously written, but somewhat difficult (for me) text, the sort that sometimes flies but other passages I had to read multiple times. Very rewarding to finish. Something I find galling is that Bernardine was the first black woman to win the Booker prize and they made her split it that year with Margaret Atwood for The Testaments.
The Coldest Winter Ever, by Sister Souljah. I think I’ve recommended this before…a real page turner and the writing and plot are so vivid I still think about certain scenes now.
Also, HarperCollins also has a long list of other recommendations on its site. If you have any book recommendations by African/African American authors, please also let me know below! Have a wonderful weekend.
9 Comments
Sharon
June 19, 2020 at 9:52 amJust bought Silver Sparrow…I read An American Marriage and loved her writing!
Kat
June 19, 2020 at 1:36 pmIt’s really good! I liked it I think even more than An American Marriage. Her writing is soothing.
Dee
June 19, 2020 at 11:23 amWow! I just added Victor LaValle’s The Devil in Silver to my list of must reads.
Kat
June 19, 2020 at 1:37 pmDid you read The Changeling too? I’ll add The Devil in Silver, sometimes I just need a good horror (but in the hands of an excellent writer like LaValle)
Poh
June 20, 2020 at 2:20 amI enjoyed the article by Pamela Druckerman. Thank you for sharing.
Kat
June 20, 2020 at 2:51 pmI love her! Glad you enjoyed!
Annie
June 21, 2020 at 1:47 amHi Kat- I hope you and your family are doing well. Always a fan of your book recs/articles. I know that you come from a PM background and I am looking to move from Engineering to PM hopefully next year. Do you have any career advice/ book recs for those looking to transition to a PM role. Thank you!
Kat
June 21, 2020 at 2:20 pmFirst, I feel that the engineers (like YOU!) are the true kings and queens, aren’t they?? I would think you’d have a fairly easy transition, but remember that one of the aspects engineers (sometimes) underestimate about PM work is just herding cats/getting a bunch of people who don’t want to cooperate towards a common goal, to do so. It can be frustrating for someone from an engineering background, who previously was able to work on their particular niche, to now be exposed to all the difficulties and bickerings of so many teams. Are there ways for you to demonstrate leadership across groups? Maybe lead some cross functional teams? That would be a major signal to whether you could transition easily to PM work. GOOD LUCK!
elena
June 22, 2020 at 12:03 pm+1 to americanah