What’s tricky about writing a weekly newsletter is I don’t always have ‘content.’ I’m always in the mood to ramble, but not necessarily to deliver a specific set of paragraphs regarding books. This must be why five weeks in a row is my best (and current) streak. Nonetheless, I’m compelled to produce something because I appreciate consistency and I hear a major part of being a writer is writing even when you don’t feel like it.
Are you so pumped for the content I am about to eke out?! Yeah, I know: way to sell it.
But seriously, there are a few things I’ve been enjoying that are—stay with me here—not books. And I do feel like recommending them.
Old Wives Podcast
On this weekly podcast, Amy Stephenson and Casey Childers tell each other stories—myths, fairy tales, fables—that you’ve likely never heard before (maybe you have, but so far I have not). After a truncated retelling—with frequent, hilarious interruptions for questions, comments, and clarifications—they dissect and examine the tale, which is often bizarre, nonsensical, or both. I find their retellings and commentary endlessly amusing. If you’re at all into folklore I would recommend checking them out. They post weekly and also have a Patreon you can subscribe to; their $10 membership is access to a monthly journal of “lightly edited neural network-generated folktales.”
Come for the machine learning collaboration and stay for the forceful extraction of meaning from the empty words.
Alison Roman Cooking Cauliflower Pasta
No, seriously. Alison Roman’s cooking style is so approachable and charming. And there’s something about watching a dish being assembled and cooked that made me feel much more confident when doing it myself. It came out delicious, so I also recommend cooking this after you’ve watched the video.
Mikaella Clements Recommending Books
I can’t remember where I heard about the newsletter “mr knightley must not marry!!!” but I am sad that it only comes out once a month. Similar to this newsletter, Clements writes about books; unlike this newsletter, she’s actually read them. In her latest issue she recommends books dealing in familial relations—just in time for the holidays—most of which I hadn’t heard of. Her style is witty and succinct. On Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer:
This is a slim, pleasant nightmare of a book whose overwhelming emotion is annoyance
Honorable Mention: Read Like the Wind, another book recommendation newsletter, written Molly Young and put out by Vulture.
Little Red Tarot
This is a shop for “independently-published tarot and oracle decks, radical magic, and spiritual tools for the feminist revolution.” Pictured is my favorite deck, created by Stasia Burrington. It used to have more of a blog/article element, but Beth Maiden—who runs the shop—decided to refocus in 2019, and she’s done an incredible job. They have a wide variety of books and decks, and I appreciate their focus on community and connection, as well as slow and intentional shopping. Beth also hosts a tarot course through the shop and sends out a newsletter featuring new decks and other news. I also subscribe to her personal newsletter, which I always find calming to read.
I hope I’ve introduced you to something you find new and interesting. If you have recommendations for me, please send them along (just by replying to this email). I’m always looking for new podcasts—especially, these days, those that are book news or magic focused—and new newsletters—especially those with book recommendations that don’t focus primarily on frontlist.
Other Ways to Find Me On the Internets
I host a podcast called Drunk Booksellers where my best friend and I interview a fellow bookseller while drinking. I sometimes tweet about books and politics. I sometimes post pictures of books I’m reading, or cats I’m hanging out with on Instagram.
Subscribe to this newsletter here.