issue #30 - the one where i have nothing clever to say

Burnout is real. And I’m in the midst of it.

This book helps, as does offline time.

If this is your first e-mail from me, welcome! In addition to writing the book How To Pack, I'm an entrepreneur and angel investor, an avid reader, and a mom of two boys (a 4 year old and a 4 month old).

Every Saturday, I share the 20 best reads from the Internet (culled from the daily shares on my Instagram), the books I've read that week, and things I'm generally loving at the moment. You can join the conversation on all these articles - and more! - in my Facebook group.

Looking for my packing list template? Here you go!

#ThingsILove This Week

• The upside of working out this week? Endorphins. The downside? My whole body hurts. But my CBD cream, acupressure mat, and infrared sauna blanket definitely help.

  • I’ve been doing rides, yoga, and bootcamp workouts on Peloton. If you’re on the platform, let’s connect! I’m hithaonthegogo.

• It finally feels like fall in NYC, which means it’s time to pull out my favorite drapey pants and matching sweaters. The outfit looks polished, but feels like pajamas. It’s the fall/winter version of the #amazonnightgown.

• I’m going through a skincare routine refresh. I restocked my favorite toner, sheet masks, and face oil and swapped my oil cleanser for this honey cleansing balm, replaced my gel cream for this richer moisturizer, and added this body wash to the shower.

• Unf*ck Your Brain was recommended by Farrah Britt on her interview on The Skinny Confidential, and I quickly binge listened to it while powering through e-mails and dishes and laundry. And I’m obsessed. If you need some smart motivation, this pod is for you.

What I read this week:

• The Flatshare - smart, sweet, and just a wonderful book. You can’t help but fall in love with Tiffy (a quirky book editor) and Leon (a terminal care nurse) and their unconventional roommate situation, where Tiffy occupies the flat during the night and Leon during the day. The book quickly moves beyond a Netflix romantic comedy into a deeper story, one that touches on racism, abuse, and criminal justice reform. A big thanks to everyone on Instagram who recommended it.

• Know My Name(gifted by Penguin Random House) - previously known as Emily Doe, she is the author of the powerful letter she read to Brock Turner. Know My Name is a brave, beautifully written memoir by Chanel Miller and is one of the best books I’ve ever read. My copy is dog-eared and highlighted, and I can’t help but go back to this line in the book: “He was the only who lost everything. I was just the nobody it happened to.” How many nobodies have suffered in silence to watch their attackers walk free and continue about their lives? Too many. We need change, and I believe Chanel’s brave actions and book will help turn the tide.

• Royal Holiday - when Jasmine Guillory writes a book, I block out an afternoon to binge read it. Royal Holiday did not disappoint. Guillory focuses on Vivian Forest, the mother of the bold Maddie, and their winter vacation to England where Maddie is dressing the American duchess for the Christmas holidays. Vivian quickly hits it off with Malcom Hudson, the queen’s private secretary, and a touching story unfolds. It’s refreshing to see a more mature couple given the magical Guillory treatment, and I adored reading Vivian and Malcolm’s relationship evolve through the pages.

• Anna K (gifted by Flatiron Books, coming out March 3, 2020) - what if Anna and Vronksy were teenagers and raised in affluent New York society? That’s exactly what happens in Anna K, a retelling of one of my favorite books with a Gossip Girl twist. I could not put this down, and marveled at how seamlessly Tolstoy’s epic tale fit in with iPhones, Coachella, and teenagers and parents behaving badly. Pre-order this now - you won’t regret it.

Current book reviewshere,every bookI’ve read this year, and all myAmazon favorites.

Hitha’s Favorite Things

• Libro.fm is my favorite audiobook app (it credits your favorite independent bookstore with the sale). Use code HITHA to get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you create a monthly membership. You can find my favorite audiobooks here.

• my Amazon shop

• my favorite vitamins (both their pre-natal and their essential one for women)

• my favorite produce delivery company

• the app to save #5SmartReads to read later

• the notebook that has changed my life (see how I use it here and here). Get 15% off with code HITHA15.

• the marriage check-in my husband and I do every single week

• my favorite workout - and why. Use code G37YVV for $100 in accessories (spin shoes, weights, headphones - oh my!)

• Small Packages (one of my portfolio companies) is the curated gift box company I’m always talking about - get 15% off your order with the code HITHA

The Top 5

1. The Hobby That Transformed My Career (Wake Up Call | Medium)

2. ‘We are in this together’: How 8 men in this rural Nepali village are upending gender norms around pregnancy and parenting (The Lily)

3. Moms are punished in the workplace, even when we own the business (Washington Post)

4. Online, no one knows you're poor (The Guardian)

5. The Anti-Blackness of Showing Up Unprepared (Zora | Medium)

The Catch Up

Monday

• Sunnis vs. Shiites, Abadi vs. Maliki, Kurds vs. Everyone (Foreign Policy)

• Germany’s oldest politician is a 100-year-old woman who loves Obama and hates Brexit (Washington Post)

• What does the ‘astonishing lack’ of birth control research mean for our bodies? (The Lily)

• Of Course the Female Presidential Candidates Remain Friends (Vogue)

Tuesday

• Ride Sharing Can Be Crucial to Better Health Outcomes (Scientific American)

• Why Kamala Harris Uses Female Pronouns When She Talks About The Presidency (BuzzFeed News)

• Is Anyone Going to Get Rich off of Email Newsletters? (The Atlantic)

• Private equity takeovers result in significant job losses (Axios)

Wednesday

• Nabela Noor's Latest Makeup Collab Is All About Self-Love (Bustle)

• The Morning Dispatch: October 9, 2019 (The Dispatch)

• The difference between Nixon and Trump is Fox News (Vox)

• I Want to Believe That Lemon Water Can Cure a Lot of Life’s Ills’ (The Cut)

Thursday

• Mindy Kaling Didn't Sign Up to Be a Role Model (Elle)

• The return of Vioxx: Can a drug once deemed deadly be relaunched to treat rare disease? (STAT News)

• The impact of the shiny toy syndrome (Ness Labs)

• The limits of political tribalism (Axios)

Friday

• Are prescription drug prices going down? (Washington Post)

• Why Voter Enthusiasm Is More Important Than Electability in the 2020 Election (Teen Vogue)

• It's so much more than cooking (The Week)

• 'An extraordinary feeling': Iran women attend football match (Al Jazeera)