issue #64 - the apologetic one

In last week’s newsletter, I started it off with an off-color joke that was insensitive and inappropriate. I’m truly sorry for including it so casually, and I will work on being better in this little editor’s letter that kicks off this e-mail.

I have a feeling that this week was a hard one for most.

While I’m so glad to be back home, I’m finding it hard to settle into any semblance of a routine, with the exception of working for a few hours every night once everyone is in bed. There just never seems to be time to do the things I should do - exercise, meditate, drink more water. And so I drink more coffee, push myself when I should probably rest, and snap at my kids almost constantly.

I need a change.

I went to the farmer’s market yesterday and picked up some beautiful peaches and wildflowers. I’m going to leave my phone in my nightstand drawer, like I did last weekend. I’ll make it a point to do yoga this weekend - even if the kids are climbing all over me.

I will sleep before 11 both nights.

And I will be kinder with myself. 

If you need any permission to do the same for yourself, you have it.

Books, books, books!

I left my phone in a drawer during non-work times and grabbed a book instead, which is how I read so much this week. I highly recommend it.

• Perfect Tunes (c/o Avid Reader Press) - every time I read a music-based book, I always mean to read more and I never do. Perfect Tunes is equally a rock-and-roll and motherhood novel, and tugged at my heartstrings in such a profound way that I alternated between reading it and squeezing my kids tight. 

• Little Fires Everywhere - I know, I know, I’m late to this but it was excellent and met the hype and now I can finally watch the Hulu series.

• This Is My America (c/o Random House Children’s) - Monday’s interview with the author of this book moved it to the top of my TBR pile, and OH MY GOODNESS it was excellent. It had The Hate U Give and Just Mercy vibes, but stands on its own merits. It’s a must-read.

• Older (ARC via NetGalley, out September 8th) - I must confess that I disliked this book until the last couple of chapters. But I never read Younger - only watched the show - and there were some meta moments that blurred the lines between the show and the book that didn’t come together until the very end. It’s a good book - not great - so don’t be in a rush to order it.

The Top 5

1. The True Story Behind Taylor Swift's ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ Lyrics (Glamour)

2. The Color of My Skin Is Sometimes Confused With the Scope of My Talent (Epicurious)

3. 20 Reimaginings Of Classic Myths & Legends To Read After Cursed (Bustle)

4. How Crude Smallpox Inoculations Helped George Washington Win the War (History)

5. Anthony Fauci Explains Why the US Still Hasn’t Beaten Covid (WIRED)

The Catch Up

Monday 

• Mom Influencers on Instagram Are Spreading Anti-Mask Propaganda (Rolling Stone)

• ‘This Is My America’ Breaks the Mold of a Typical YA Novel (Zora)

• Disabled activist Alice Wong reflects on the Americans with Disabilities Act: 'A law does not change the world overnight' (Yahoo)

• As violence skyrockets in Chicago, Trump’s ‘police state’ strategy isn’t the solution (Chicago Sun-Times)

Tuesday

• A Vaccine Reality Check (The Atlantic)

• In pandemic’s wake, global support builds for hydrogen (Axios)

• Inside Reality TV’s Black Excellence Complex (Refinery 29)

• How the Child Care Crisis Will Distort the Economy for a Generation (Politico)

Wednesday

• Murder in Turkey sparks outrage over rising violence against women (The Guardian)

• This moment is so much bigger than sports. We need your support. (Phenomenal)

• Covid-19 infections leave an impact on the heart, raising concerns about lasting damage (STAT)

• The U.S. has an international image problem (Axios)

Thursday

• How We Can Learn From Appropriation in Design (House Beautiful)

• Cisco report details 2020 election security challenges (Axios)

• A Former Black Panther Party Leader Reflects on Her Revolutionary Work (Zora)

• Hajj Pilgrimage In the Age Of Coronavirus Is Unlike Any Before (Bloomberg)

Friday 

• As mobile mental health teams work to de-escalate crises, some warn their models still rely on police partnerships (STAT)

• Kamala Harris and the Ambition Trap (Jill Filipovic)

• Donald Trump Stole Their Republican Party. They Want to Take It Back. (The Dispatch)

• Kellie Brown on Self-Love, Inspiring Community, and Sticking to a Beauty Routine (Vogue)

Things I Love This Week

• Eva Chen claimed these were the best bike shorts for casual outfits. She was absolutely right - they’re buttery soft, offer support without suffocating you, and I will be alternating my nightgown dresses with these shorts and my collection of Phenomenal sweatshirts.

• Big thanks to Halle for sharing If You Give A Mouse Metformin, a children’s book that explains clinical trials. Rho has a better understanding of what I’m working on, and I giggle every time I read the book to the boys. We are also obsessed with Dragon Rescue Riders: Secrets Of The Songwing, a Netflix original movie starring Renee Elise Goldsberry (aka Angelica Schyler) as a rainbow singing dragon that hypnotizes other dragons. A warning - the songs are insanely catchy and you’ll be singing them for days straight. 

• I’m on a tidying spree in our home, and finally cleared off the junk counter (a bar area between our kitchen and entryway) and rearranged our glassware and cookbooks on the shelves above it. I could just keep the counters completely clear…or I could put in a few Click & Grow gardens because I’m missing my plant babies in Pennsylvania. (Spoiler alert - I went with the gardens)

• I finally got to use Equilibria’s bath bombs (gifted) and WOW. They make your bath smell incredible and bubble up beautifully, and definitely helped relieve some of my body aches. If you haven’t tried Equilibria’s CBD products yet (I also swear by this box), use the code HITHA to get 15% off your first order.

• Have you listened to Be There In Five’s Britney episodes, or her interview with Aparna from Indian Matchmaking? They are SO good and kept me company this week during marathon e-mail sessions, cooking dinner, and just lying on my bed and listening to Kate’s wit and sharp analysis.

• Have you heard of Haldi? It’s a very cool skincare startup that optimizes your skincare routine for your goals, keeping your favorite items, and ditching the products that are formulated with ingredient offenders. I love the vitamin C serum and the glycolic-hydroxy acid treatment they recommended. The platform is still in beta, but you can enter my name (Hitha Palepu) in ‘who referred you?’ and you’ll get to try it yourself!

Looking for my favorite things? You can find them here.

If you like what I’m sending, please forward it with someone you love (or someone you don’t). Or both. Everyone could use some smart reads in their life.

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xo, HPN