11 recommendations to take you into monday

this is it! on books and beauty and breakfasts.

me interrupting an intense work day/ driving around LA in between camp drop off and pick up to get fitted for a new mouthguard because the dog ate my last one.

Not that you’d describe any week in 2025 surveillance capitalism as a breezy/low-cortisol dreamscape, but July 6-13 was one I compared (somewhat hyperbolically lol) to “the last scenes of Goodfellas” — just a shitshow of intense, stacked, on-the-move hours where every second counts for the stupid things you’re doing and you’re constantly running late/neglecting something or someone and somehow also afraid that you’re going to get caught because the whole day is so fucked.

It was a busy workweek plus doctors’ appointments and there was camp transport (the only childcare that truly DNGAF if you work — how about we start at 9:30 and wrap things up around late lunch time? That way, you can either drive home and immediately turn back or try the wifi at the weirdest Starbucks you’ve ever been to. remember to be grateful for this time!).

Also a good friend who is never in town was in town and could only meet midday and also I had (somewhat stupidly and impulsively) agreed to read at an event in L.A. on Thursday night (from the extremely unfinished book I’m working on — pretty much barfed over this for six days!) and, anyway, I was away from this Substack by necessity and somehow all of this means I have a ton of things to recommend?

1. The reading was part of the Empty Trash series, run by my friend

   Greg Mania
   and writer Jen Winston. They pulled together such an intimidating lineup, including Kashana Cauley, who has a new novel out this week (and if you didn’t catch her first one, The Survivalists, I’m reading it now and it’s great).

2. Sunday’s edition of

   The Small Bow
   (“How To Be Cool About Death”) was especially good and I picked up every book on the recommended reading list and am already halfway through this audiobook and yes, yes, highly recommend if you want to get better at living! Speaking of the Small Bow, I’m talking to A.J. in this week’s Extended Scenes podcast, which will be here later today.

3. I had to make fast breakfasts last week so I toasted a bunch of gf bread and slathered peanut butter on it and then gave it a shake of this incredible Persian Curry Rub my friend Cristina sent me for my birthday (it’s especially good on fish) and then I squeezed a little lime on top and it was amazing so I ate it three days in a row.

4. I am 500 years old and also a hypochondriac so forgive me when I start talking about implementing chia seeds/AKA FIBER into my diet. Regular chia pudding tastes like milky cat saliva but IF YOU ADD COCOA POWDER the entire situation transforms into something resembling actual chocolate pudding. Have been wolfing this down with fresh cherries or blueberries and am surprised how much I like it? Note: You do not need the cinnamon IMHO.

5. Injured my back while attempting to be a person who lifts weights and went to the chiropractor (yes I know) and she told me to try these exercises, which is apparently just 15 minutes of extremely repetitive simple yoga and I’ve only tried once but it did in fact help?