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)
🎧 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, VE Schwab (←listened with my ears)
I’ve read just about everything V.E. Schwab has written in one form or another. (She’s the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which I have both read and listened to.) It turns out that Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is my favorite. First you know I have a thing for vampires. (Open call to all blood-suckers: Come and get me, because this is the hair color and length I’d want preserved for eternity.) You also know I love narrator Julia Whalen, who plays a prominent role in this full-cast performance.
Bury is a tale of greed, loneliness, hunger, and belonging—and centers women, a welcomed change from the traditional “man bites maiden” trope. (It’s often called the “toxic lesbian vampire book,” which is accurate but grossly undersells the story’s depth and complexity.) It weaves three eras together into one tightly braided storyline that feels just as relatable today as it did in the 1500s: Women suffered then, and suffer now. Women were angry then, and are angry now. Women wanted revenge then… and they sure as hell want it now.
It’s not a love story; that’s far too tame for the dark, hungry dynamics at play in the story. It’s as much about love and companionship as it is about greed and deceit. The story is perfectly paced, with lyrical prose that sets the stage for the many bombshell events sprinkled throughout. Schwab doesn’t rush you through the story, and though it’s long, I never felt it dragging. I was sucked into the raw emotions of the characters until the very un-neat, untidy, but oh-so-perfect ending—and I’ve already added this to my “listen again next year” list.
💇♀️ Quest for the perfect mini curling iron
I’m still doing my no-heat overnight curls every night. They’re so easy and turn out so beautifully that there is zero reason for me to change that. However, I’ll occasionally get a chunk of hair that doesn’t hold the curl well, or slips out of the tie overnight. In those instances, I may touch up a piece or two with a curling iron.
I’ve had the same bulky old curling iron for a decade-plus, and it was time for an upgrade. (I won’t even show you a picture of the barrel coated with years of heat protectant and hair spray.) I wanted something compact and simple, with an auto-off feature—but it had to work just as well as a full-sized curling iron.