Hello dear reader,
Here to wish you a lovely holiday season and to state that I don’t know how time works. How is it almost 2024!?
While I contemplate this conundrum on my stroll this afternoon, here are seven links to bits of the world I explored this week, shared with the hope that you will find them to be an inspiring springboard for deeper thinking.
Friendship — a topic I’ve observed at play, analyzed, and remained bewildered by both on a personal level and in a grander, more general scheme this year. Reading about this study and pairing it with this essay made me think about friendship even more so these past couple of months. In the latter, the following bit resonated:
“I think it’s important to emphasize that right now, the way our society is organized, we have a prolonged stretch of adulthood that is not conducive to forging or sustaining friendship or community. In many cases, I’d say it’s actually hostile to it. I call this period the The Friendship Dip. And I think it makes a lot of us miserable. First in our late 20s and 30s, when we don’t really have a name for what’s happening but can nevertheless feel it….and then in our late 30s, 40s, and 50s, as the extent of the wreckage becomes clear and we attempt to rebuild.”
Continuing into next year my obsession with all things Irish, I will pickup Free Therapy by Rebecca Ivory showcasing inner lives in short story form. I’m sold.
As I was trying to recruit people to watch Saltburn with me in theaters, I kept getting a range of responses—“yeah, let’s!” from friends to “absolutely not with you” from my brother—and I was left confused until I read up a bit on the plot (something I never do with films). The New Yorker called it “Brideshead for the incel age,” and I’m intrigued. Will give it a watch and will report back.
I love listening to podcasts, and a go-to has been The Rest Is History. So, imagine my excitement upon learning there’s a sister podcast called The Rest Is Entertainment. Looking forward to getting erudite film/TV content/critique.
A beautiful Christmas list, “not of presents to buy or things to do, but of morsels to relish from years past and ones to come.” These past two years, I’ve found myself increasingly stressed as soon as the holiday season arrives, and it’s largely been an emotional reaction to the anxiety over finding the ‘right’ gifts for people, accentuated by being constantly inundated with Christmas wishlists and influencer gift guides and holiday sales and a never-ending bombardment of shopping site emails I don’t recall signing up for. The list above helps put things into perspective and has allowed me to nurture the nostalgic side of this season, the quieter, gentler and more meaningful aspect that revolves around cozy traditions, not things.
Super excited for January, in large part because I’ll be rekindling (hopefully with success and actual follow-through this coming year) War and Peace via Simon’s readalong! Do let me know if you’ll be joining.
A soothing Christmas playlist perfect for baking, reading, decorating the tree. I’m ashamed to admit I have yet to finalize our tree, but it’s getting there! Its theme is multi-colored pastel velvet ribbons and lit-up candles reflecting how tenderly and ardently I adore this magical season.
Warmly,
Ani
Quick updates:
A Good Used Book in Echo Park, LA is a lovely tiny neighborhood bookshop.
This hair serum = luxuriating
Picked up my 2024 agenda book
affiliate links: sometimes, I include links to my Amazon storefront (often for books or other recommendations around the home/self I’ve found useful and hope you will, too). This means I make a few kopeks whenever someone makes a purchase using the link. It doesn’t detract from my recommendations coming from a place of a genuine desire to share with you. It just helps provide a few tangible tokens for my effort.
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Friendships have been on my mind these last few months of 2023 so The Friendship Dip was a wonderful read. Going into 2024, I want to intentionally cultivate friendships because, contrary to what culture usually advertises, they are just as important as romantic relationships. Thank you for sharing the essay and the wonderful Christmas playlist. I'm going to enjoy it this entire week!