Kiss, Marry or Kill: 64
Desert gods, a murderous roadrunner, and... snake sex? Plus, keeping my blonde bright, the nail polish-that-isn't-a-polish, a new labeling law I'm ALL in favor of, and CHANGE THIS META SETTING MEOW.
This is my weekly series for subscribers only, where I’ll share things that caught my eye this week in a fun and flirty way (kiss), a sustainable way (marry), or a not-so-good way (kill). And yes, this trendy game is technically “f***, marry, or kill” but we run a family-friendly-ish show around here.
Kiss (things I like right now)
📕 Snake-Eater, by T. Kingfisher (←read with my eyeballs)
I am not often scared by a book. I mean truly scared—as in, turn the lights off to go to sleep, then turn them back on twice because I thought I heard a noise. Snake-Eater scared me, in the most shivery, unhinged, delightful way. The best part? There wasn’t a lick of violence, blood, gore, or other themes associated with horror. (It’s described as “fantasy seeped in horror,” which is actually solid.)
Selena flees an unhealthy relationship with her dog, Copper. She spends the last of her money taking the train to a tiny, isolated Arizona desert town, seeking her aunt. Her aunt, it turns out, is dead… but her house stands empty, and Selena decides to stay, for a little while, at least.
The tale spirals to include a feisty grandma, a Catholic priest, a garden spirit, and… a murderous (but kinda sexy) roadrunner? The desert, it turns out, is a deeply spiritual place, and when Selena accidentally offends the god called Snake-Eater, things get real weird. And creepy as hell.
Selena was such a likeable, relatable character. Her relationship left her so unsure of herself, and you witness her gaining that surety back as the book evolves. The cast of characters, from the sparkplug that is Grandma Billie to Father Aguirre (who has a few secrets of his own) to her loyal dog Copper, are equal parts lovable, hilarious, and fierce. And the gods… oh, the gods! This book has mystery, fantasy, and some truly sideways plot twists. I loved every second (and plowed through it in just two days). If you’re looking for equal parts warm, fuzzy feelings and “just gonna check under the bed real quick” vibes, Snake-Eater is for you.
💇♀️ Brighten up those brassy tones
Two months ago, my son asked for the “baby duck.” Not an actual duck, but a haircut, whereby his head was buzzed short, then bleached white-blonde. (Like… a baby duck.) My hairdresser did the buzz, but I did the bleach at home, and it turned out great.
In solidarity, I decided to bleach out my money pieces—two thick strands of face-framing hair. (I chickened out DIY’ing it, though, and went back to my hairdresser.) I loved it, but the color was a little yellow-y, and I knew the sun could make it even more brassy—yellow-gold toned, versus a bright, neutral blonde.