Links we sent our friends #66
Wedding shoes, wild homes, great reality TV, and more with novelist Tembe Denton-Hurst
Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? We had an unexpectedly summery one (high of 80!) and capitalized on it by taking a long walk through Cambridge (Aja), spending time with family (Aliza), and celebrating Jude’s Elmo-themed second birthday at the park (both of us!)
Today’s guest is Tembe Denton-Hurst: a writer for The Strategist, the author of Homebodies (which The New York Times called a “sharp, charming and passionate debut” and just came out in paperback!), and the voice behind , a funny, incisive, thoughtful newsletter about the books she’s reading and the things she’s noticing. I haven’t stopped thinking about her piece 'American Fiction' Could've Been Great since I read it a few months ago, and Aliza and I are both charmed by her book date series. We’re excited to have Tembe share some (unsurprisingly excellent) recs this week…
Tembe’s Links:
I discovered
’s Substack, Teniade Topics, this week by way of writer , and I can already tell it’s going to be a favorite. Her take on Keith Lee was spot-on and hilarious, and her writing is voice-y but crystal clear — a balance that can be difficult to strike. I’m currently reading her back catalog.I’ve been thinking about wedding shoes (I’m getting married next week and am avoidant of administrative tasks) a lot and as someone with wide feet, I was pleasantly surprised by Dolce Vita’s offerings. I love the idea of wearing a flat and am considering these pearl ones. (Aja: I am also wide-footed and planning to wear flats on my wedding day! So comfortable — and chic!)
I thought this seersucker makeup bag was cheap and cute.
My friend is getting married two weeks after me, so I’m also deep in a wedding guest dress click-hole. I need three looks and have been disappointed by the size 16/18 options that feel bold and exciting (it’s a fashion-y crowd.) If I find $600 lying around, I’ll probably go with this dress from Georgia Hardinge.
I binged The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in a single sitting and it’s admittedly some of the best reality TV I’ve watched in a good bit. This TikTok from Cameron sums up my feelings perfectly.
Aja’s Links:
Filing this under “will not be buying, but glad to know someone is.”
Far more practical: the backpack I bought years ago that still looks brand-new. It’s the perfect size — small enough I don’t look like a ninth-grader, but surprisingly capacious.
Lololol my favorite debate recap yet.
Are you on the Zillow Gone Wild subreddit? I smiled at this house, gasped at this one, and weirdly kinda loved this one…
A great intro to the barrel jean trend.
Aliza’s Links:
Seth Cohen stars in the most anticipated romantic comedy of the season.
Several of my friends either just had or are expecting their first baby. Talking with them reminded me how passionately I feel about the Taking Cara Babies newborn classes. Jude’s the best sleeper, and I give Cara all the credit.1
Does anybody else need to go to sock school? (Courtesy of
from ’s team.)Personally, I’ll be riding the transition into fall in my Le Bon Shoppe boyfriend socks.
I went to college in North Carolina (go Heels!), and it will always be a very special place to me. So when I saw that
was teaming up with to raise money for progressive state legislature candidates and help turn NC blue, I was all in. This is a true swing state! Lindsey and Katherine have already raised just over $3,700 towards their $5,000 goal.
Question we asked our friends:
Have you started to think about Halloween yet? What are your plans — for a costume, the night of, decorations, all of the above??
I (Aja) aspire to enjoy Halloween more — I usually stress about my costume for weeks and end up wearing something I need to explain all night. Sam, on the other hand, is true Halloween enthusiast/pro and has multiple Halloween plans for us this year, including concocting an elaborate plan to get more kids trick-or-treating on our street. Any costume or decor inspiration I can get, I’ll take.
In case you missed it…
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That being said: Different methods work for different kids/families! I’m a firm believer that there’s no one right way.
Thank you for having me!
Thanks so much for including our Giving Circle, Aliza!
And Aja, I like Halloween so much more now that I have a kid. It's the only "holiday" that doesn't require us to see extended family, LOL, and we get to spend it with friends.