Weekend Reads for the Beginning of April 2025

Today is the Hands Off National Day of Protest, which is taking place across the entire country. Gatherings start around noon, with some later in the afternoon, so if you haven't planned already and have the day free, consider visiting your closest protest location. You can find locations at this site, hosted by Mobilize and MoveOn.

Weekend Reads

Doechii launches mental health resource after her own experience with anxiety. (Teen Vogue)

How dance can save your life. (Oldster)

Just when they should be at their peak, experienced workers in creative fields find that their skills are all but obsolete. (New York Times – gift link)

Do I need a “deviled eggs” hat?

Deleting the '90s. (Uncle Karen)

“Severance” is what happens when we treat men's bodies the way we treat women's. (Matriarchy Report)

Your favorite fat people are shrinking before your eyes. (Fat Hell)

I am so tired of everyone looking the same. (Olivia's Substack)

If you're looking for an interesting top that is as comfortable as a tee but more elevated, this is a great option. I like the black and white stripe the best, but they're all cute!

Shoppers are going online to pay dearly for discontinued items, from the perfect lip pencil to Tab. (New York Times – gift link)

Menopause, misinformation, and the Oprah effect. (The Vajenda)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis leads push to loosen child labor laws as immigration crackdown leads to workforce shortage. (The Guardian)

Should human life be optimized? (New York Times – gift link)

Kids with smartphones have better mental health, study finds. (UserMag)

Influential novelists are imagining what women’s lives might look like without the demands of partners and children. (The Atlantic – gift link)

Congrats to my friend Tonya Parker, who was included in this piece: Your 50s used to be a culmination. Now they are all about flourishing. (The Atlantic – free link)

Sale Alert & Style Inspo

The Bare Necessities Friends & Family sale is here with up to 30% off. Bare Necessities has one of the biggest selections of bra and intimates brands, an amazing range of band and cup sizes, as well as swimwear, activewear, and sleepwear. This is a great sale to stock up for 2025 at pre-tariff prices and an extra discount.

teal one-piece | blue & pink print | polka dot | black | green & white leopard | blue | green | gray print | teal two-piece

I'm partial to Bare Necessities for stylish swimwear for those of us with large busts or who prefer more built-in support. Also, most swimsuits are the same general fabric so this is a great time to buy bottoms or tops to mix and match with what you already own.

pink Supima tee | white gauze shirt | striped Pima tank | lavender reversible cotton knit tank | striped cotton hoodie | gray slub sweater | blue linen shirt | brown shrug | Breton striped top

J.Jill has 30% off tops, including tees, sweaters, and most anything worn on the top half. J.Jill has some serious sleeper hits; I find going in-store helps me see the quality and style better. Offering up to 4X with tall and petite in everything, J.Jill is worth checking out for basics like linen separates, high-quality Supima tees in a range of sleeve lengths and necklines, and summer-weight sweaters and knits for weekends and business casual officewear.

blazer | striped top | pants | hoop earrings | cloud pin | crab pin | lamb pin | belt | shoes

cardigan | necklace | bracelet | blouse | dress | shell | belt | shoes | jeans

blazer | striped top | pants | necklace | hoop earrings | shoes

blazer | navy top | belted vest | orange top | cropped pants | pink flats | navy skirt | pink top | dress

Local Yokels, I heard that my Thursday, April 10th event at the Georgetown M.M.LaFleur will be offering 15% off your purchases. The new April collection is in stock and it's so good. If you plan on attending, please RSVP at this link.

See/Hear/Read

Last weekend, I spent at Bethany Beach, Delaware, with ten 10th grade Girl Scouts and their leader. We scored a fantastic price on a house right on the beach and also scored beautiful weather. While we had a service project and many activities planned, there was also downtime.

I didn't bring a book, so I checked out the selection in the rental house. It was cool to realize I had read the majority of them, but one that looked weekend-length and interesting that I hadn't read was The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. I've read other books by Kingsolver, but never this one. oh wow, was this book a delight. Why has it not been made into a movie?

Finishing the paperback, I realized this is the first paper book I've read to completion since my retina surgery in September 2023. It always hurt my eyes too much, and I resorted to my Kindle or Kindle app, with the font enlarged.

It was such a joy to curl up in an Adirondack chair on the deck overlooking the dunes, or on the beach as the chaperone as the girls collected shells and lay out. I didn't even realize The Bean Trees was my first book until I finished it Sunday afternoon and smelled it. Anyway, great book. Read it if you haven't already!

I also finished the audiobook of The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. This was a Libby pick based off the title, and do know the title makes sense but not until you've read it for a while. Because the book isn't a rom-com. The novel is about a couple and their four daughters. It bounces from current day to the family past: when the couple met in college, the births and childhoods of the girls, as the girls became adults, and their relationships with others and as a family.

This is a very long book (I believe 20 hours), but it is such a joy. It's a bit like the book version of This is Us or Sisters or any other family-based TV drama. And it's long enough to go over a couple of seasons. But Lombardo's writing is so gorgeous, the story so intimate and relatable; it was such a pleasure to experience.

Do know this book does have moments regarding miscarriage and stillbirth, discusses adoption and the foster system, there are some experiences of overconsumption of alcohol, sexual assault, illness and death, jealousy and revenge, and other tragedies that can happen over several decades as a family. There are also descriptions of positive sexual encounters. In my opinion, the beauty far outweighs the pain and I will be thinking about The Most Fun We Ever Had for years to come.

After finishing The Most Fun We Ever Had, I again played Libby Roulette and chose Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica. I gave up a little under an hour into the ten-hour novel. The writing could not compare to Claire Lombardo's.

The chapters bounced between two characters, and I couldn't stand either of them, especially Christian, one of the husbands. He was so poorly written that I had to look up the author's age, as it felt like he was written by my high schooler. Nina's inner dialogue about the fight with her husband was also childish; it felt like a fight between college kids, not a school teacher and a surgeon who had been married for a bit.

DNFed, so I returned it the same day. If you finished The Nicest Couple and loved it, let me know. Should I have stuck it out?

For Your Entertainment

I was in magnet schools from 5th grade until high school graduation; this gave me opportunities for classes like art history, creative writing, and starting a second language in elementary school. Your girl Alison took Spanish from 5th until 10th grade, and as an adult, I cannot speak the language and only understand a small amount.

This is one of my biggest regrets; I wish I kept up with Spanish. If so, I'd be able to know what Bad Bunny is singing. But even without knowing, I still love his music.

You know how some American artists are big in other countries that don't speak English? The fans don't care; the music is great, the artist is great, and the vibes are what matter. That is how I feel about Bad Bunny, and I think you may feel the same if you give him a bit of a listen and watch this adorable video.