Capsule reviews: January 30, 2025

Nickel Boys, All Fours, Housewives, SNL

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In lieu of a personal “update” this week, I consumed enough junk I feel strongly enough about to review in breathy, angry little passages. The only stuff I did this week that you’re missing out on are trips to Boot Barn, Shake Shack, and Crumbl Cookies, the latter of which has inexplicably become a cornerstone of this blog. So here: Boot Barn had the same 5 pairs of women’s boots in every size, mirrored across shelves to make it look like they had a lot of boots. The men’s boots were too rubbery, and no one working there could help me. I hated Boot Barn. Shake Shack’s veggie burger is one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had in my life, but their shakes do not taste like what they are supposed to taste like (cherry blossom—I think you mean vanilla). And Crumbl: I don’t know. I keep going there because its Mormon magic works on me like I’m 11-years-old, and I want to “try” the “weekly” “flavors,” even though I know it will all taste the same, which is kind of bad. Something is seriously wrong with me. I unlocked Silver status in the Crumbl app.

should have bought this!

📖🚨‼️ PAUSE 📖🚨‼️

I’ve hosted two book clubs in this newsletter and had a lot of fun with them (hosted at this link on the homepage). There are a lot of new people here now, and I’m curious if this is something any of you would be interested in doing again (I’m open to making it free or moving it to the paid section). I did one bad book and one topical book, but I’m open to doing literally anything next time; one of my friends suggested I do theory, which seems like torture for you but I understand how communal homework can be fun. Wicked ahead of the second movie could really give us all a good laugh, but it’s so long. Something paired with (a) movie adaptation(s) could be fun, or a “classic” a lot of us haven’t read… new Emily Henry this year… a celeb memoir… let’s get creative.

PLEASE sound off in the comments/my dms about this, even if your contribution is “I would not participate in your book club.”

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Here’s some stuff I watched & read this week: