June resources and recommendations
Happy end of June! I want you all to engage with each other more so these next few months we are launching an Ask the community section. Have a question for the community? Something you are currently struggling with that you want help with? Advice? Support? Email me back by replying to this newsletter and we’ll include it in the next newsletter!
I am officially done with summer book tour! I hit 8 cities in 7 weeks — Brooklyn, NY, Manhattan, NY, Washington, DC, Richmond, VA, Somerville, MA, London, UK, Houston, TX, Austin, TX. I had to cancel Toronto for July due to some personal matters that arose — I hated having to do this but it was necessary. I will plan to reschedule it so stay tuned. And I have an awesome West Coast tour in the planning stages for the Fall, as well as Miami! Stay tuned on my website here.
I have not been engaging in Internet things or leisure reading/watching as much recently because of tour, but I will share a few things that have stuck out below.
What I’ve read and watched this month:
Acts of Forgiveness — I loved this novel about a time when the government actually passes a federal reparations programs for Black people who can trace their ancestry to slaves in the U.S. It’s an interesting and very quick read on race, history, legacy and more.
The Displacements — This was hard to read as it’s all too real with climate change and a catastrophic hurricane wipes out Miami and southern cities as we know it. We follow a displaced, wealthy, white family lose everything while navigating their own family issues.
Such A Bad Influence — This was a fun read about an 18-year-old who grew up on the internet because her mom would post videos of her ever since she was a baby. Then she goes missing and her older sister tries to track her down. It was a bit predictable until the very end and wow, that ending is amazing.
The Mad Women’s Ball — I loved this really short read I picked up randomly. It’s loosely based on a real doctor (Charcot) and a real asylum in Paris that housed women who were “hysterical” or “unwanted.” Need I say more?
I have been obsessively watching the EuroCup and Copa America (I even got to see a Mexico v Jamaica game live when I was in Houston). I love watching soccer and this is and will be my whole personality until the finals are over. In the same vein, I read Cleat Cute which was such a cute sapphic romance and am watching the Beckham documentary on Netflix with my husband.
I got to go to a private screening of BABES featuring Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau and Hasan Minhaj and it was so funny and timely. Also, how shocking that this is the first movie about pregnancy told by a woman, about women. The movie highlights how our friendships may change and evolve through becoming mothers and it was just so heartwarming and funny.
Other things I am thinking about or found fascinating:
I am not going to lie here — I am very much someone who can succumb to consumerism culture. It’s a new season, a new event, etc and I get wrapped up in feeling like it’s time to buy something new. I am getting better and have been decluttering a lot and trying to make sure that I buy what I will wear for a long time and invest in bigger purchases that are more sustainable and last longer. However, I saw this piece in The Cut on women who didn’t buy anything for 7 years and it was fascinating. And then I went down an anti-consumerism Reddit rabbit hole. You’re welcome?
I loved this concept of pebbling, and how when we send memes or gifs to loved ones, we are showing our love. It’s so cute. Speaking of friendships, I am so fascinated by these “medium” level friends — not quite besties and not quite acquaintances. the older I get the harder it is to make time for these friends who I truly love but also have to decide if taking time away from something or someone else is worth it. One thing I am thinking about a lot is how much grief I feel for friends I probably could be closer to or have special depth with if we met at a different time in our lives — or were in the same stages of life right now.
Speaking of, I loved this piece on how to actually maintain friendships in your 30s.
I loved this piece on how to take and give criticism well (a life skill!). And this piece on the “new face” of Asian parenting.
I loved this IG post with resources at the end exploring “who gets to be queer?”
What have you been reading or watching lately that you’ve loved?
Hi Sahaj, thank you for facilitating peer-to-peer exchanges in this community. May I ask whether the "Ask the Community" feature will be anonymous, or can be?