issue #85 - the first one of 2021

Well. That was a week.

I was glued to the news and Twitter for most of it, and gave myself a mild concussion in the middle of it (in the lamest of ways - getting my bag from the basket under my kid’s stroller and bumping my head on the corner of a table in the process).

1. It’s been insane.

I don’t have any answers or advice or explanation for what the hell is going on (though I do recommend you read this and this). But in the words of my favorite Peloton instructor, “may your rest be revolutionary.”

For me, that means working through a pile of 500 piece puzzles with my older son, napping with my younger one, and re-reading Alyssa Cole’s excellent Reluctant Royals series (which is all my brain can handle right now).

I also wanted to share some exciting news about the book I’m writing. It’s titled WE’RE SPEAKING, and is an advice book inspired by our incoming Madam Vice President. The week’s events - the attempted coup at the Capitol and her Vogue cover - have definitely given me more material to include, but I’m honored to do so.

My friend Laura helped design a small merch collection in honor of VP-Elect Harris and the book. Orders are open for the next 12 days, and will be printed and shipped shortly after.

A reminder that you can EARN perks and merch when you refer new readers to #5SmartReads! Create and share your unique referral link here, and you can also track how many referrals you make.

What we read this week

Marisa

• Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane - I'm pretty much never one to turn down a multi-generational family saga. This book takes that genre and tips it a little bit on its head, as a) the families in question aren't filthy rich Manhattanites; b) in fact, the characters are from a type of family that rarely gets its due in fiction as anything more than an explanation for why the kids are so screwed up - the families are not financially well off, feature divorced and absentee parents and children being raised by extended family, etc.; c) there is no key piece of family property or history that is being fought over; and d) most of the book takes place in times that would be contemporaneous to a Gen-X or elder Millennial reader - this would not fall into what I'd call "historical fiction." It's an engrossing read about how our childhoods do and don't define us, and one I'd definitely recommend.

The Top 5

1. We Are A Determined Household (The Intelligence of Honey)

2. Take The Quiz: Could You Manage As A Poor American? (The New York Times)

3. Debunking Three Myths About Rural America (Urban)

4. Experts: Capitol riot product of years of hateful rhetoric (Associated Press)

5. Abigail Heringer Got Matt James' First Impression Rose — Here's Why That Matters (Elite Daily)

The Catch Up

Monday

• A high school student needed help with tuition, so an unlikely group stepped up: Prison inmates (Washington Post)

• How a Fictional Soccer Coach Showed What the World Should Be (The Dispatch)

• Is it a resolution or is it capitalism (Culture Study)

• January 2, 2021 (Heather Cox Richardson)

Tuesday (curated by Marisa)

• MLB Recognizes Negro Leagues As ‘Major League’ - Correcting A ‘Longtime Oversight’ (NPR)

• The Truth About Black And White: An Apology From The Kansas City Star (The Kansas City Star)

• Who Did JK Rowling Become? (The Cut)

• Confessions Of A Clintonworld Exile (Vanity Fair)

Wednesday (curated by Abra)

• In Rural America, Fear About The Future Abound As Fewer Students Go To College(NPR)

• Rural America’s “Brain Drain”: How Student Debt Is Emptying Small Towns (CBS News)

• Remote Work Can’t Change Everything Until We Fix This $80 Billion Problem (Fast Company)

• New Homes On The Range: Weary City Dwellers Escape TO Montana, Creating A Property Gold Rush (Washington Post)

Thursday

• BLM Activists See A Big Double Standard In How Police Dealt With Trump Insurrectionists (BuzzFeed News)

• Abrams’ revenge: Warnock’s victory a direct blow to her rival Kemp (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

• Pa. GOP senators refused to seat a Democrat and removed Lt. Gov. Fetterman from presiding (Spotlight PA)

• Impeach Donald Trump, Remove Him, and Bar Him From Holding Office Ever Again (The Dispatch)

Friday

• Democratic Sweep Sets Stage for $2,000 Stimulus Checks and Higher Taxes (Bloomberg Wealth)

• George Washington's Legacy Alone Was Enough to Guarantee a Peaceful Transfer of Presidential Power—Until Now (Town & Country)

• No, antifa did not invade the Capitol today, despite what Trump supporters say (Mashable)

• A ‘duty to warn’: An ER doctor, shaped by war and hardship, chronicles the searing realities of Covid-19 (STAT)

Things we love this week

Marisa

• I really cannot explain how much this robo-vac has changed my life for the better. It's like the crockpot of vacuums - you set-it and forget it and it does a better job at the task than you would've done by yourself anyway!

Abra

• This dpHue color conditioner keeps my hair color looking fresh between appointments. It also blends in my increasingly grey roots if I miss an appointment. Plus, the conditioner keeps your locks soft and smooth.

Keep calm, cover your face when you leave your house, wash your hands, and stay safe my friend.

xo,HPN