The Weekly Spill #8
pretzel sticks, paris fashion week, and the president's pooch
Did you miss me last Friday? Of course, you did. Thankfully I was not swept away in the floods of NYC, and I am back again to spill my weekly beans. Since I’ve already made you wait an extra week, I’ll skip my updates and get straight into it:
The Guest by Emma Cline: I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it a few days ago. If you enjoyed “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” I would add this to your TBR immediately. It has my vote to become the canonical Hamptons (derogatory) book.
also, iconic cover just saying I felt like I was sucked into the story, taken on a wild ride, and then spit back out and left to try to figure out what happened. All the characters felt like the worst people you’ve ever been forced to have a conversation with. That person you wouldn't be caught dead with in real life, but you can never unfollow because you have to see what they do next. The Guest was the book of the summer, and I think that it earned that title.
Beautiful Disaster: If your hobbies include watching the worst movies ever made, I would urge you to check this film out. I am embarrassed to admit that I have read the book that this is based on. Even worse, according to my Goodreads account, I really liked the book. I would like to say that I was in high school and thankfully, taste is an ever-evolving pursuit. This isn't a “so bad it’s good” sort of failed cinematic experience, but rather a garbage fire so terrible that you have to laugh at it lest suffer the secondhand embarrassment for the actors. The elevator pitch is this: a child poker prodigy goes to college anonymously and loses a bet, meaning she has to live with an underground champion cage fighter guy who is obsessed with her. At one point the “hero” has to cage fight a Russian man named Chornobyl to the death while wearing skinny jeans. Cinema.
Cher at Paris Fashion Week: the icon was out and about in Paris for fashion week. She attended the shows for Balmain, Valentino, and Givenchy (she was really sad to miss her fav Ann Demeulemeester due to Parisian traffic) with her boyfriend. They met at PFW last year, so they were celebrating their anniversary.
obsessed with her absolute refusal to age Most exciting was her performing at the surprise party for the upcoming Rabanne x H&M collaboration. She premiered one of the songs off of her upcoming Christmas album, entitled “Christmas.”
While I am incredibly jealous of anyone who got to attend this surprise party, I am not at all jealous of the surprise Parisian bed bug infestation.
Truman Capote’s Swans: I am very excited for the new Ryan Murphy show to come out, and to prepare I started reading “Capote’s Women,” the book that the show will be based on. I am only halfway done with it, but these women are fascinating and I am loving learning about them. I’ve had this book about Capote’s famous black and white ball on my list to read for a while now, and I might have to pick it up soon because I’m truly falling down the Capote rabbit hole. Waiting for someone to publish a Tiger Beat-esque “Which Swan Are You?” quiz so that I can take it. While on the topic, I’ve gotta give my former colleagues at T&C props on this fab cover shoot. It is #veryt&c, and I will be purchasing a copy.
Vintage L.L. Bean Barn Coats: These coats are my most recent eBay quest. The timeless style is trending, and I’ve noticed brands making very similar, yet much higher-priced jackets. Since I don’t believe in overpaying for a copy, I am going to the source. L.L. Bean started selling these in 1924, marketing them to duck hunters who were already fans of their iconic boots. Like the boots, the coat gained popularity outside of the hunting community and became a beloved wardrobe staple. They still make a version of the coat today, but I think it is best to go vintage. I have about 30 of these saved to my eBay watchlist at the moment.
Andy Warhol in his L.L. Bean Barn Coat The First Dog being kicked out of the White House:
If you are a long-time subscriber, you might recall when I mentioned Commander Biden’s biting problem when I pitched that we needed someone to publish his birth chart a la President Ford’s dog in Interview Magazine circa 1974. Well, his behavior hasn’t gotten any better and the German shepherd was kicked out of the White House this week. Most animal experts say that the White House is a very stressful environment for dogs, so it isn’t really surprising that he is acting this way. This is clearly a sign that Willow the cat needs to be given the spotlight as the star pet of the Biden family.
Note: I love how right-leaning news articles keep using this one photo to try and make this dog look evil. It backfires though, because this photo is just really funny.
it looks like he is very surprised Judy Blume living the dream life in Key West: I watched the Judy Blume documentary when it came out in the spring and I loved it and it made me cry. If you are looking for a way to celebrate Banned Books Week this week without reading, give it a watch. The documentary is where I learned that she opened a bookstore in Key West. She works shifts in the store when she’s not at the beach, and you can go meet her and get your childhood favorite signed by the legend herself.
I recently discovered that her husband owns a retro independent movie theater two blocks down from the bookstore. The theater is dedicated to screening independent films, international films, and classics for islanders who want to see more than Marvel movies.
They serve Zabar’s coffee and have strict rules about being there on time. In short, Judy Blume is living the dream.
Thin Wild Mercury’s New York collection: I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the perfumer’s New York collection. The collection will be similar to their Los Angeles one, with 4 scents inspired by iconic locations in the city. I ordered the L.A. sample set a while back and loved Chateau and Whiskey. I was going to purchase a full-size but decided to wait to smell the new collection before making a decision. The new scents inspired by New York were announced yesterday, and the sample set is currently available for pre-order on their website.
Upcoming campus novel set at the University of Arkansas: I was pursuing Goodreads when I discovered that Kiley Reid, author of “Such A Fun Age,” has a new book coming out in January. When I saw that it takes place at the University of Arkansas, it shot to the top of my most anticipated releases list.
Reid never attended UARK, so I wondered why she was choosing it as the setting for her book. I found out that she lived in Fayetteville for a year and actually started writing her previous bestseller while sitting in Arsagas. I guess it had an impact. I love novels set on college campuses, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one set at my alma mater. This book isn’t out for months and is already living rent-free in my brain. If any of my fellow alumni want to bookclub it when it comes out let me know, I am very down.
Zapp’s Voodoo Pretzels: These were by the checkout at Duane Reade the other day and I decided to try them. They are so good. I am now addicted to the voodoo pretzels and I have to live with that.
