10 Things: Read, Rinse, Repeat
All my recommendations for what to consume, think about, listen to, experience, ponder, and etc. this week!
My Loves!
It’s been a while since I’ve put together a Ten Things list, and I am overflowing! I hope you have a fun, great, springy weekend. I’m putting four above the paywall this time, because I think the first four should be on EVERYONE’S radar — but there are some fun recipes, ephemera, ideas, reads, etc., below the line. Without further ado!
To be truthful, this beautiful, powerful, fraught book took me longer to read than most graphic texts I pick up, but that was only because its material is dense and important, and it doesn’t want to be breezed through. It’s a meditation on chronic pain and medicine, as it relates to addiction, racism, transphobia, sexual assault, and all kinds of institutionalized injustices that knit up the way we try to stay alive. It’s told through five individual stories, including Williams’ own. The stories are heartbreaking, but what you’re left with is an impression of the resilience of human beings. This book reminded me to be empathetic and understanding about pain. People won’t always tell you what they’re going through; it can be unimaginable.
I think about Williams’ first book, Commute, often. In it, she meditates on what it’s like to be in a femme-presenting body, moving through the world publicly. She talks about what it’s like to tow the line between garnering unwanted attention, and becoming invisible. Hers is a discerning, thoughtful, and important voice for my generation.
EAT: Savory oatmeal
I’ve known about the possibility of this food for a long time, but this morning I woke up and was like, “TODAY I WILL EAT SAVORY OATMEAL.” I made steel cut oats in my rice cooker (which took a long time, but worked), and put them on top of about four cups of shredded, massaged kale. I added chopped hazelnuts, crunchy umami topping, vegan Daiya, and some toast. And after this photo was taken, AN EGG.
I generally cook my eggs in Sky’s Chili Crisp. I also use it to cook most vegetables, and on a topping for pretty much everything. The truth is, I’ve run out. I bought a flat of it a few months ago, and it is gone. Luckily, Sky has (at long last) launched a website where you (YOU!) can buy this storied chili crisp. I sometimes want to keep this a secret that’s just for me, but I won’t. I’ll tell you. I’ve told you. You’ve been told. Run, don’t walk.
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The beloved author of last year’s Under The Henfluence has unveiled an earthy, cozy, quiet, peaceful corner of the internet, where she muses on topics like wearing two different shoes (it’s about more than that), canceling appointments to enjoy sunny weather, letting the dishes pile up, and the risks of being a reader. If you like when I write about flowers, bees, chickens, books, cups of tea, etc., you will love this newsletter.
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