Welcome to another issue of Open Tabs, where I share the media I’ve been consuming recently, and links for your enjoyment!
I hate late summer. Months of humidity coalesce into one final month of heavy air, too-warm nights, and mental chaos (maybe that one’s just me). I’m so ready for the cooler days of fall and extra cozy nights with low light and extra blankets.
I was so busy in August, it really threw me off my routine, which meant my reading suffered. But I’m coming back into my usual rhythm—though it is slightly interrupted by the aforementioned mental chaos.
I’ve been thinking about other types of things to share here on Substack, so that I can send things out more consistently. I’m considering sharing more of my writing as a regular addition to this newsletter-thing. I’d like to have a separate section for creative writing/fiction and process (for those interested), but that makes me feel really sillyyyyy. I’ll let you know.
In the mean time, enjoy my recent consumptions!
Reading
A French Doll by Cynthia Ozick — I really liked this recent short story in The New Yorker.
Rebecca Liu on ‘Barbie’ — I haven’t watched the Barbie movie and so have no opinions on it, but I liked this review in Another Gaze.
I love Lili Anolik’s work, and I am admittedly fascinated by Caroline Calloway’s whole Thing (fascination does not equal endorsement, FYI), so of course I loved the Vanity Fair profile. A quote: “I want to be an It girl. It girls are start-ups, and start-ups need funding.”
Watching
Fleabag is Not a Femcel (YouTube) — Another day, another Broey Deschanel video.
I watched Shiva, Baby again recently and it’s still so good. The first watch is all about the tension; re-watching gives you more opportunity to appreciate the humor and dialogue.
Since returning from vacation, I’ve been binge-watching Below Deck (Down Under). I’ve never worked on boats, but I can absolutely relate to the very specific dramas of being a seasonal worker in hospitality!!!
The Circus of Celebrity House Tours (YouTube) — Another day, another Mina Lee video.
I finally watched Don’t Worry, Darling and lol it’s worse than I thought it would be. It triggered my “bad thriller” rage. There was no life in those performances!!!!!
Listening
My most recent playlist is called Paradise Built in Hell and it has the chaotic late summer energy I’ve been feeling.
I’m sooo excited for a new Mitski album this month. The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We!
Some albums I’ve been loving lately: Disclosure’s latest, Alchemy; The Used’s Toxic Positivity; Lola Kirke’s Heart Head West; and finally appreciating Metric’s Formentara.
As we move into fall, I’ll also be breaking out my fave playlist from last year, All the Omens Spoke of Change.
Googling
limbic system malfunction
volcano ambiance
rose seed oil
bagged salad
what to make with feta
glycolic vs lactic acid
who has dr. pepper
Books on my Radar
Termush by Sven Holm
Death by Landscape by Elvia Wilk — I was going to say that this will be my first purchase when I break my book buying ban, but I just ordered a copy…so I guess I wasn’t wrong.
The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag
Other
Working on my Q2 reading report. I don’t know why I wait until the next quarter is almost over to get around to these, but better late than never?
Thanks for reading today’s issue of Empty Head. More book reviews and essays are coming soon, so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet, and share with anyone who might like these roundups.
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