The Week In Recommendations 7.26.23
A new Y.A. thriller, the "Going Through It" and "Decoder Ring" podcasts, a soft nursing shawl, and a shockingly flattering (and shockingly on sale!) bikini.
This is the free edition of Rich Text, a newsletter about cultural obsessions from your Internet BFFs Emma and Claire. If you like what you see and hear, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Our latest podcast was about episodes 3-6 of “And Just Like That” season 2! Rich Text is a reader-supported project — no ads or sponsors!
We’ve been reading… 📖
“The Legacies,” our bud Jessica Goodman’s latest novel! This one came out on Tuesday and it is a true page-turner. The thriller centers on the world of elite New York City prep schools, and the six students from Excelsior Prep who are nominated to become a part of the fictional Legacy Club, an exclusive institution which entrenches power amongst the city’s wealthiest. If you’ve read Goodman’s previous novels, you know there’s a murder, and you know that the plot will keep you guessing at who died and what really happened the night of the Legacy Ball. -Emma
We’ve been watching… 📺
The new season of “Sweet Magnolias,” which, truthfully, I can’t quite recommend — it remains an absolutely treacly mediocre offering — but which I found quite soothing as background noise while deep cleaning my bedroom and bathroom. If you need a show to half-watch, this Netflix drama is for you! -Emma
The new season of “Too Hot to Handle,” which as always has me gawking like I’m observing another species: people so hot and hormonal (they are, to be fair, all in their very early 20s) that the thought of abstaining from sex for a few weeks is abjectly horrifying. -Claire
We’ve been listening to… 🎧
Season 4 of “Going Through It,” writer Ashley C. Ford’s podcast. This season, Ford is focusing on the decision of whether to have children or not. Her own ambivalence and confusion mirrors mine in many ways, so I loved listening to her interview people who made a whole plethora of different decisions regarding parenting (or not parenting), including Roxane Gay, Liz Gilbert, Shan Boodram (shout out to my fellow “Too Hot To Handle” enthusiasts!), Jessica Rose, Amy Blackstone and Nora McInerny. -Emma
The new season of “Decoder Ring,” Slate’s cultural mystery pod hosted by Willa Paskin. It’s the podcast version of one of my favorite forms of journalism: cultural criticism blended with deep reporting. This season I have already gone through a “you’re wrong about” journey with Parmesan and mosh pits, both of them satisfyingly twisty and full of illuminating nuggets (including a fake cheese rind reveal that made me gasp). -Claire
We’ve been buying… 🛍️
The flattering two-piece scalloped swimsuit of my DREAMS from Victoria’s Secret. After seeing the top recommended by
in her newsletter , I also saw my internet friend Jessica Knoll recommend it, and then I saw my IRL friend Jessica Goodman wearing it, and that really pushed me over the edge. So imagine my delight when I realized that the aforementioned Scallop Full-Coverage Bikini Top, the Scallop Plunge Bikini Top and the Scallop High-Waist Cheeky Bikini Bottom were all on extremely deep sale (like under $10 each kind of sale). I got them all in black for maximum versatility, and I was honestly blown away by how great all three were! (I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like shopping for bathing suits and jeans is some kind of circle of hell.) The scalloping feels reminiscent of Marysia, my absolute favorite swimwear brand, but one that I can’t afford unless I buy on deep sale or from Poshmark. But if scallop isn’t your thing, I also love the scallop-less version of the full-coverage top, this crossover (but still high-waisted) bikini bottom, this simple ruched one-piece, and this plunging one-piece in gingham. -EmmaA nursing cover from Quince! I didn’t really try one with the toddler (mainly because he didn’t get the hang of breastfeeding until Covid hit and we were basically never out with him in public again). We’re hoping and expecting to be around others much more for this infancy, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try a cover. But I didn’t want to drop $100 on the knit Amma cover that has been infesting my social media ad space lately — especially since some babies hate covers on principle — so I went for this cheaper Quince dupe. It is a lovely, light, loose knit and doesn’t look too much like a piece of baby gear; whether the kiddo likes it remains to be seen. -Claire
If you liked reading this, click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack!
Give us feedback or suggest a topic for the pod • Subscribe • Request a free subscription