Reading List: I Cannot Wait To Read The Historical Horror Novels Written About Our Current Historical Realities.
Lovebirds! [Insert witty-ish one liner celebrating the end of the week AND the end of February.] Thank you all for the responses yesterday, both supporting my mental state AND sharing yours. It’s a privilege to chat with you every morning, and even more so to get to learn of your own struggles and coping mechanisms. FWIW, I’m going to spend the weekend organizing and getting comfy, so once again, if you have an audiobook I should definitely listen to whilst doing that, shoot over those recs!
And a wee watch for you: the next time someone says they are doing something because God told them to do it, or because God doesn’t like something, send them this speech by Rep. Al Green (D-TX).
TO THE LONGREADS!
Jessica Weisz, The real reason behind the gender gap? Corporate duplicity (The Globe and Mail) - SO MUCH of this piece had me audibly muttering “yessss” under my breath. Weisz’s spotlight on the contradiction between companies claiming they are family-friendly, and then planning meetings after hours, or expecting employees to be available 24/7, is spot on.
Greg Jaffe and Jose A. Del Real, Life amid the ruins of QAnon: ‘I wanted my family back’ (Washington Post) - I am very lucky that I am mostly politically aligned with my extended family, which in 2021 importantly means we all believe in science, we will get the vaccine when we are able, and we talk at length on our daily “happy hour” video call about the importance of truth and empathy and a strong democracy (the rest is details at this point, tbqh.) This story about the familial wreckage left by the collective madness that is QAnon and conspiracy theories breaks my heart.
Mike Stobbe, Amid COVID-19 pandemic, flu has disappeared in the US (Associated Press) - Speaking of convos had on my extended family call, Mum and Aunty Lou, you were right.
Hilary George-Parkin, To all the clothes I’ve loved before (Vox) - Just dove into this one, but this subhead had me at “existential crisis”: “Reconciling the sweatpants-wearing me with the fashion-loving woman I was just a year ago is an existential crisis like no other.” YUP.
Alma Katsu, More Than A Hundred Years Later, The Sinking Of The Titanic Still Matters (Crime Reads) - Y’all know I adore Alma Katsu’s historical horror books (if you haven’t read The Hunger or The Deep, do that THIS WEEKEND), and if you need a reminder while people like me still remain obsessed with the sinking of the Titanic, here it is.
Eve Peyser, The China Sex Spy Scandal Is a Reminder: Don’t Govern While Horny (Intelligencer) - This is from December, and I haven’t read it yet, but how could I not include it with a headline like that? You’re welcome.
You’re fabulous. Be kind to yourself, wear that mask, and try and get some rest this weekend, mmmkay?
Xoxo Amy