In our weekly DEVOUR column, we share the reads we think you should eat up, Here is a slice of what we've feasted on. To get all of DEVOUR recommendations, you have to subscribe.
Read. Book Review: The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It Every Time. By Maria Konnikova. Review by Helen Mitsios. This enlightening and fascinating book is based on a compilation of real-life anecdotes as well as academic studies and observations. There’s not a dry minute of reading. In fact, it’s a must-read because you’ll learn to look out for warning signs – and learn how the con artist ensnares the mark. Note that reading the book might just end up making you suspicious of everyone (for a short while). Chances are you won’t ever want to get your fortune told, tarot card reading, or meet a potential date online who is just too good to be true – there’s a reason that saying exists. Read the review here
Read. I’m Glad My Mom Died: Jennette McCurdy. Reviewed by Evie Arnaude If you think you’ve heard it all before—you haven’t. The fact that the title is so arresting at first, and got so much attention, says much more about our society than it does about McCurdy and her story. The taboo of speaking out about matriarchal abuse was still very much alive and well upon the book’s August 2022 release. Even from the first few pages we understand fully why this book is titled the way it is. We also grow to understand the sad reality of McCurdy defending her mother’s motives and actions, no matter how horrific and damaging. Read the review here.
Read. A Book That Could Unf*ck Your Relationship: I Want This To Work By Elizabeth Earnshaw. Reviewed by Angela Kempf. When we think about romantic relationships—and especially their beginnings—we think about the fun stuff. The electricity. The chemistry. The banter. The mystery and the surprise. Read the review here.
Read. Book Review: Norma Kamali: I Am Invincible. It’s never too late to fall in love. Just ask Norma Kamali. In fact, you don’t need to ask her because she’s written a memoir guidebook that includes finding the love of her life at sixty-five -- and a whole lot more. Read the review here.
Read. Book Review: Maurice by E.M. Forster. Reviewed by Evie Arnaude. Maurice is the story of Maurice Hall and his trials as a gay man in early 20th Century England, as only E.M. Forster, one of the most exquisite writers of all time, could tell it. The story follows Maurice through his boyhood and into university, where he meets fellow student Clive Durham, and the two fall in love. At a time when homosexuality was a crime, punishable by imprisonment, their affair becomes fraught with very real fears of persecution--as well as loss of property, status, and reputation. Maurice is a romantic and wants to keep Clive at all costs. Clive decides he will marry a woman to keep the peace. But Maurice does find love in Alec Scudder, a workman on Clive’s property, and somehow the story ends happily. Read the review here.
Read. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld. If you know anyone who is a fan of the much-loved Seinfeld streaming success of the same name, then this coffee table book is the perfect gift. The little show that began as a web series is now celebrating its 10th year and this book is a beautifully photographed chronicle of its journey. Buckle your seatbelts and take in the cars, the guests, the coffee, the hilarity, and the behind-the-scenes moments that keep viewers coming back for more.
Read. Book Review: Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark. By Cassandra Peterson. No matter how old you are, you can proudly proclaim that you were raised by Elvira. And after reading Cassandra Peterson’s new memoir, Yours Cruelly, Elvira, you’re about to start your own fan-club chapter and elect yourself president. We know that not all heroes wear capes, in Cassandra Peterson’s case, some wear dangerously low-cut dresses, catch a whole lot of shit for it, and push forward in the name of progress. If you’re reading this here, there’s a good chance you can’t recall being shocked by Elvira’s appearance, but if you close your mind and harken back to Satanic-panic ‘80s America, network execs and a whole lot of others “freaked” out at a sexy, dark demoness. Seems ridiculous now, right? Well, yes, but that’s always the way for anyone who had to start something and fight for change, even when they’re cracking purposefully terrible jokes while hosting the best-worst of the B-horror genre. Read the review here.
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The Crush Letter
The Crush Letter is a weekly newsletter curated by Dish Stanley on everything love & connection - friendship, romance, self-love, sex. If you’d like to take a look at some of our best stories go to Read Us. Want the Dish?
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