Weekend Reads for How the Eff is it Already December?

Weekend Reads

MTV shutting down some of its music channels after 40 years. (E!)

Amazon data center linked to cluster of rare cancers. (Futurism)

Need a badass gift for four teens to adults? I know both my daughter and I would be happy to get one of these Anna Sui lip gloss rings and it comes to just under $15 each.

The 50 best clothing stores in America. (New York Times – gift link)

Dolly Parton's guide to Nashville. (Air Mail)

I'm glad I have wide calves so I can't even fantasize about affording any of these gorgeous boots.

Former Bergdorf exec sued for allegedly taking trade secrets to Nordstrom. (The Fashion Law)

This toolbox is like a Caboodle for grown-ass women and I don't know which color I like most.

Why Keri Russell’s hair in ‘The Diplomat’ is both political and controversial. (Whatever Nevermind on Substack)

‘Rage bait' named Oxford word of the year 2025. (BBC)

A cute gift for your martini-loving friend. I have and it looks luxe and has held up well.

Is Gen X actually the greatest generation? (New York Times – gift link)

For Gen Z, cash isn't king. It's a joke. (Business Insider)

This Polaroid printer is a great gift for teens to adults; no need for the camera, print out Polaroid-like photos from images on your phone.

Over 300,000 Black women have lost jobs this year. Meet 8 Black journalists and media professionals who are forging their own path on Substack. (Essence's Girls United)

Make culture weird again. (The Atlantic – gift link)

After years of wide leg lounge pants, I've been enjoying the comfort of these soft and cozy leggings. Big fleece or sweater, big boots or slippers, and these.

U. of Alabama suspends Black and female student magazines, citing D.E.I. guidance. (New York Times – gift link)

The man who was supposed to kill Martin Luther King Jr. (Slate)

I love a fancy matchbox; great addition to a candle gift or just on its own and this one is under $40.

Sale Alert & Style Inspo

Whether you're padding around the house on a Sunday morning or working from home, a good pair of slippers can make or break your winter. Especially now as a grown woman, I don't want crappy slippers; I want support, structure, quality materials, and personally I like a proper sole so if the emergency rises, I can dash outside without destroying them and have grip on slick entryways after a snow day. Some of the most stellar slippers for us grown women:

crocs (6 colors) | glerups (7 colors) | l.l.bean (7 colors & 2 widths) | north face (6 colors) | fitflop (3 colors) | bombas (5 colors) | birkenstock (7 colors) | l.l.bean (4 colors) | sorel (7 colors) | vionic (2 colors & 2 widths)

Personally, I have the ones from FitFlop and find them wide-foot friendly and appreciate the support and structure with comfort. I got my daughter the ones from Crocs and she is uhbbb-sezzed with them (and wears them more than her UGGs because they're lighter weight and better shaped for her feet). I have also owned these from L.L.Bean and they're a classic for a reason and highly rated year after year.

Sine 2018, each time I've hosted Thanksgiving I've worn the same thing: a black and white polka dot maxi skirt from Talbots. I'm thrilled to see Talbots brought back this skirt in Misses, Petite, Plus, and Plus Petite.

The reviews are low but not really for the actual skirt, which is weird. FWIW, though mine says machine wash, I dryclean it because it's worn so rarely and I don't want to have to mess with trying to iron it. The pockets are deep, the style works higher on the waist when I'm thicker and lower when I'm thinner, and while I usually pair it with an old Universal Standard Foundation tee, I've also worn it with a colored cashmere tee, a crisp white shirt, a merino turtleneck, and even a black and white striped Breton! below is a carousel of more statement skirts to achieve a similar signature look for the holidays or special occasions. Buy less, achieve more style!

See/Hear/Read

I like Austin Butler. I think he did a good Elvis and I can see he's trying to prove he can be more than The King. Caught Stealing is on Netflix and stars Butler and has a star-studded cast: Matt Smith, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Bad Bunny, Liev Schreiber, Carol Kane… I could go on. It's even directed by Darren Aronofsky.

I think Butler did a fantastic job in Caught Stealing… but I do not recommend this movie. It is incredibly brutal and violent. At one point I had to cover my eyes I couldn't take any more. Matt Smith is genius; it took a while for me to recognize him. Everyone is fantastic. But it is so incredibly violent and upsetting I just didn't find it worth it.

After that film, we needed a palate cleanser and found the perfect one: Bob Trevino Likes It which is available on Hulu. Starring Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo, it's about a young woman who, when looking for her father on Facebook, creates an unlikely and beautiful friendship.

This movie devastated me, but for completely different reasons. Based on the real life events of writer and director Tracie Laymon, it shows how we as adults can change our life paths with chosen family and that small acts can make big positive ripples in another's life.

Ferreria is best known for her role in Euphoria; she plays Lily, a young woman who works as a live-in aide for another young woman in a wheelchair. Lily has a truly toxic relationship with her father and at one point he cuts contact with her.

Trying to reconnect with him, she looks up his name on Facebook and finds another man with the same name, who is played by John Leguizamo who we all know well after his decades of acting. Leguizamo's character is also dealing with a lot of pain and insecurity, and you see how the two of them gain strength and confidence through their platonic relationship.

By the end of the film, I was sobbing. I HIGHLY recommend, it's fantastic acting, a well-written script; it's the kind of film we need with the kind of world we're living in.

And as for the book I most recently finished, it was August Lane by Regina Black. Again, picked at random because it became available on Libby and I was in the mood for a romance. It's the story of a Black country music star, her daughter, and a boy from her daughter's school that also gained country music fame, although not as much and for not nearly as long.

If you liked Daisy Jones and the Six, country music, books that switch between time periods and characters and add transcripts from interviews, with a splash of spice, check out August Lane. I feel that Black did a lot of research for this book. Hints of true stories about folks like Vanessa Williams, Beyonce, winners of music reality shows, along with tackling difficult topics of child abuse, addiction, and religious communities with tact and grace.

The audiobook is done extremely well once you got past the weird pauses in the podcast interview. It felt like listening to a high quality radio show, and I ended up taking my phone with me into the shower and taking earbuds when running errands so I could hear more.

For Your Entertainment

63-year-old Michael Peter Balzary, better known as Flea, is famous for being the co-founder and bassist for the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. But beyond RHCP, Flea is also a actor, a memoirist (a book I really enjoyed and made me respect him even more), and plays the trumpet as well as the bass. And this coming year, Flea is releasing his first solo LP, which is not punk or pop or rock, but jazz. “A Plea,” the first song from this album, came out, and it's best enjoyed with earbuds or headphones as there's a bit of bilateral action taking place.