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Weekend Reads
Thank you, L, for sending this my way... Born in DC, I lived most of my life in Maryland, and spending my summers at Delaware beaches, I know the Orange Crush. In fact, it was the signature drink at our wedding in 2004! Maryland invented the orange crush. Now Delaware is claiming it. (Washington Post - gift link)
The calculus of what makes for "happily ever after" has shifted. (The Atlantic - gift link)
Water bottle freaks. (Bad Environmentalist)
Some people love 'The Bear'... for its style. (New York Times - gift link)
Etsy losing "vintage" and "handmade" labels. (BoingBoing)
Why Donald Glover is saying goodbye to Childish Gambino. (New York Times - gift link)
BTW, do check out Childish Gambino's "Bando Stone & the New World" on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
How to cool down your body when you're really hot and can't stop sweating. (Self)
Speaking of which, my sister always carries one or two classic paper fans in her bag. They take up no space and are so great to have for warm situations. I have one of these, but I always forget to charge it, and it weighs more than you'd think.
What makes a painting conservative? (New York Times - gift link)
Most Americans can't name a famous Asian American, survey finds. (NBC News)
Last weekend we lost a lot of pretty wonderful people, but for me, this one hit the hardest. Shannen Doherty, 'Beverly Hills, 90210' bad girl who battled cancer for years, dies at 53. (Los Angeles Times)
She danced naked at Woodstock. She dated Serpico. At 93, she's not done. (New York Times - gift link)
He has no business speaking for Kentucky. (The Atlantic - gift link)
The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century: how many have you read or want to read? (New York Times, gift link)
Think that list is a bunch of crap? How about the readers' choice of top books of the 21st century? Must say I've read more of these. (New York Times, gift link)
See/Hear/Read
The latest audiobook I completed is Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll. I had saved a screenshot from an Instagram Story of someone who recommended this (possibly Svetlana Legetic, whose recommendations are always interesting). I went in knowing very little, which is how I like my books. Not until I was halfway through did I know this was based on the real-life sorority targeted by Ted Bundy.
Do not let that dissuade you, and if you like murder and mayhem, you may not find it here. This is the story of the women who were affected by The Defendant (the only name for Bundy in the book) and how they worked together and became like sisters to expose the truth. It is a book about how women are ignored, belittled, seen as not as intelligent, not as observant, and not as important. And how some of those belittled women fought to be heard and believed.
Narrated by Sutton Foster and Imani Jade Powers, Bright Young Women an engrossing novel that I couldn't put down. And from what I read, it may turn into a limited series in the future. (Deadline)
I am floored when I meet people who haven't seen The Bear (Hulu), and some who haven't even heard of this series. We finished Season 3 and while this season is far more disjointed and artsy, I still loved it with all my heart. Seriously, watch it. Start with Season 1. There may be some storylines that hit too close to the bone but I think it's worth it. Beautiful, powerful, honest, relatable, fascinating... all the adjectives. Worth it.
Relationships are about compromise, and meeting in the middle. And that means I watched all the seasons of Vikings when it aired on the History Channel and now just finished the most recent third season of the second installment, Vikings: Valhalla. (now on Netflix) But I have to be honest... I went in with trepidation but ended up being a fan.
The first season of Vikings began with a theme song by Lorde and some really intriguing characters. Badass shieldmaidens, clever and strong vikings, beautiful scenery and strong relationships and enough steamy moments I kept forgetting that it would be punctured by something like a Blood Eagle or a previous leader now being led around town by a ring through his cheek. I still recall it fondly and each time I see Alexander Ludwig in some film I see him as Björn Ironside, the viking I saw over the seasons grow from boy to man.
So Vikings: Valhalla sort up takes up the story but with a whole other cast of characters. Like the first series, it is very loosely based on history with a helluva creative license. But there are enough names mentioned it's fun to do a bit of research on viking history to see what actually happened. And it's just so pretty.
It's like they ramped down the believability and ramped up the fantasy. We go to Constantinople and it is always Golden Hour. Greenland is romantically tragic, the starving people with bright eyes and strong teeth. The bad guy looks like an evil anime version of young Sebastian Bach. The so-called witch is brought to trial wearing scarlet red.
A king and queen have such a well-written relationship I cry when one dies. There's some steamy moments with an empress that reminds me of Kim Petras and a solider with broad tan shoulders and enviable curls. And there are far fewer gruesome nightmarish torture and death scenes.
It's nice when there is a show that is starts as a compromise and it becomes a favorite watch. By Season 3 of Vikings: Valhalla you will feel a bit of an attachment to several of the characters and hope that there ends up being a Season 4. And if there is a Season 4, the solider with the enviable curls will be back!
For Your Entertainment
Mikayla Geier, a former ballet student at the now-closed Kirov Academy of Ballet, left the school due to a toxic environment that led her to develop an eating disorder. She turned to music as a way to express herself and work through her feelings. She is best known for TikTok, where she has been since 2020, with many of her videos going viral for her dancing, her prep of ballet shoes, singing, and everyday life.
I never before heard of Mikayla Geier, and when searching for more information about this artist, I was shocked by how little it out there beyond her social platforms. Because her latest single, 'Paris' is positively adorable (and so is the video):
Geier also has a deeper side, where she has also written about body image. I also have to share the lyric video for the powerful song, 'i don't feel safe in my body':
