july digest
the best of july, including a dark new procedural thriller, my favorite read of the year, seasonal produce recipes on repeat, and a peek at my open tabs.
The monthly digest is a summary of the best things I have read, watched, listened to, saved, shopped and considered each month. As usual - she’s a bit long, so you might want to check out the browser version or expand in email.
July has been sunny, hazy and hectic – I’m pretty sure *this weekend* is the first time we’ve been home for more than 10 consecutive days since May. Perhaps it’s the heat, or perhaps it’s the constant motion eight months postpartum and in the midst of a sleep regression, but I’ve found myself in a bit of a creative slump over the past month –a handful of ideas, but when I’ve sat down at a blank and blinking document, nothing worth publishing has come out.
I’ve tried to balance holding onto my self-imposed publishing schedule and releasing the cult of productivity. As someone wise once told me, “don’t make noise just to make noise”, so more often than not I’ve erred on the side of closing my laptop, heading outdoors to photosynthesize, picking up a hard copy of a book, or calling a friend. The creative inspiration (and the mental clarity needed to write and edit!) will return.
I, for one, am looking forward to August. Let’s get to it.
xx,
earlybird summer sale!
To celebrate the launch of the earlybird bookclub, we’ve got a summer flash sale: 25% off annual subscriptions through 8/6/2026. For just $3.50 per month, get access to 2x weekly posts and over 200+ issues in the archive.
July was a light month on the newsletter, due in part to travel, family illness, and a recalibration on my end to revisit what’s working and what isn’t after a few higher volume months in a row. Excited to find more equilibrium in August, but proud of the breadth and depth of what hit inboxes this month.
across the wilderness - on stepping out of your comfort zone as a parent and building up tolerance for discomfort.
june digest - the best of june, including the earlybird book club kickoff, easy summer dinners, an espresso machine upgrade, and the links you’ve been loving.
coffee with... minna lee jamison - an interview with one of my oldest “internet friends” on curiosity, health, and the ideal ADHD hobby.
book club 01: Land by Maggie O’Farrell - (finally) rolled out a new format this month: a long form book review and discussion!
Have a question? Want to see something covered on earlybird? I love to hear from you in comments, chat, or the question box!
It was looking grim for a while here, but The Children by Melissa Albert completely broke a reading slump and is a hard and fast contender for my favorite read of the year; The estranged children of a famous author contend with the fact that she wrote their childhoods into her beloved fantasy series, asking questions about memory, reality, and ownership. It’s a brilliant, imaginative and unsettling story that I couldn’t put down (and haven’t stopped thinking about since)
Highly recommend In Her Defense by Phillipa Malicka. It’s literally got everything: deception, family conflict, influencer exposés, legal dramas, and posh British people behaving badly as the story of a lifestyle influencer’s courtroom battle against the therapist (cult leader?) who helped her daughter to cut ties. I strongly recommend the audio book for excellent accents.
Following along on “not everything is what it seems to be” lines, Dominion by Addie E. Chitchens centers around a less-than-righteous pastor of a small Mississippi town and his golden-boy son. Told in alternating perspectives of the pastor’s wife and a girl in love with the son, the story chronicles the many sins of a “perfect” family. I’ll be honest: I’m still chewing over what I think about this one, both in terms of the plot beats and the overall message. It’s a gorgeously written, propulsive story I couldn’t put down, but once I was done I was left wishing there was more investigation into the “why”, rather than just the “what”.
Was delighted to (finally) finish Land by Maggie O’Farrell, the first selection for the earlybird bookclub!!!! The full post and review is available here, but my high-level overview: a beautiful (albeit slow) read that I wish connected a few more dots about its larger themes and questions.
Currently reading: Whidbey by T Kira Madden. (y’all this one is *dark* and it’s taking me a loooooong time in hardcover. Slowly but surely! Up next: June Baby by Shannon Garvey
open tabs:
Art, Society & Culture:
we can let emily wilson be a little mean, as a treat Clara (Chaser: Joyce Carol Oates Panned Emily Wilson’s Odyssey Pan)
The Great Shame of a Great Man. Tell the Bees on Christopher Nolan.
That storytime TikTok is probably an ad Rachel Karten - I noticed this phenomenon in the spring and I have struggled to suppress the uneasy feeling that the entire internet is made up ever since and it’s making me very unhappy.
Lee Tilghman is Now Your Fitness Guru Sara Petersen . I have no one to talk about this with.
Does Natalie Portman Have A Bad Art Friend? I for one am SEATED to read Life of M.
Behold: The Friendship Directory - Anna Goldfarb Y’all know I fuck with a flowchart.
‘You Can’t Just Be Showing Matcha-Pilates-Alo’ - “the influencer recession” piece.
Women Aren’t Immune to Kalshi - the prediction markets are coming for the girls.
They Paid to Watch Camgirls. Then Tried to Rescue Them. - a WILD story out of Seattle.
Motherhood & parenting
Health & Wellness:
Taylor Detector - a product scanner to identify if your produce item is sourced from Taylor Farms. Stay safe out there!
what are you reading lately??!!
I found the new Little House on the Prairie (Netflix) to be pleasant, if a bit slow – I watched an episode and a half before getting distracted and failing to come back to it, but enjoyed the general nostalgia from revisiting a childhood favorite.
Have been tearing through Furious (Hulu) - a new series about a cop-turned FBI agent investigating the serial murder of men connected to a sex trafficking ring. Fair warning: it’s dark (in addition to sex trafficking of minors and serial murder, there is significant discussion of domestic violence), but Emmy Rossum gives a brittle, striking performance as the lead agent (while Jake Lacy is (once again)… one of the worst people on the screen – which is honestly impressive considering the subject matter.
if you’ve been seeing the commotion about the Hadestown ProShot, allow me to share with you that the original 2010 concept album has Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) singing the part of Orpheus. *You’re welcome*
It’s all seasonal food all the time this month! Currently loving: a Crispy Halloumi Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette (makes amazing leftovers for lunch), Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Feta & Avocado or the Corn Salad with Mango & Halloumi (both gift links) for summery, fresh options packed with produce. I’ve also been making Crispy Buffalo Lentil Wraps on repeat for lunch – so fast and delicious for a plant powered option that’s full of flavor. If you’re doing lots of summer grilling, may I also highly recommend this Sweet Potato Fries recipe that has been my go to for almost 10 years.
I know I’ve shared it before but I also just cleared out my entire crop of tomatoes in order to make this Sungold Tomato Pasta - it is so fantastic. Pairs wonderfully with a hot honey peach mezcal margarita.
I’m doing my best to become a breakfast person and have been loving a danish-inspired breakfast plate:
And of course, many excellent coffees have been had this month in Seattle!
Gap Linen Shirt + Linen Shorts (currently on sale!) - I haven’t bought many new casual summer clothes (meaning: *shorts*) since before my *first* pregnancy, relying on clothing rentals or simply rewearing the same items over and over again. Decided to bite the bullet and buy a few nicer items in my current size and have been wearing them on repeat during the most recent Seattle heatwave and on our lake trip. Cute, comfy, and so breathable.
Nike Metcon Training Shoes - fun fact: one of my feet went up a quarter of a size during my pregnancy last year, which means some of my narrower fitting shoes no longer fit quite right (believe me, I’m more than a little miffed about it). I sized up on a new pair of my favorite training shoes – and was happy to grab a fresh new color way.
Spent a long weekend camping, and a week at the lake in the sun – I’ve been a fan of SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreen for years, but this time picked up SPF 50 Play Spray – was pleasantly surprised by the ease of application and that it lasted both trips with no burns or patchy application leading to uneven coverage. Also highly recommended Hanna Andersson Baby / Toddler bathing suits for bright, colorful and sun safe suits for your kiddos!
Links you loved:
Was delighted to be invited to the Lululemon Summer Series this week for a pilates class on a ferry around Lake Union and Lake Washington - a super fun experience including music, matcha and a free workout. There are three more events available over the next few weeks, but spots are filling up!
The Seattle Arts and Lectures event schedule has been released for 2026 - 2027 and I’m so excited! I’ve signed up for the Emily St. John Mandel (September) and the Barbara Kingsolver (October) talks — if any Seattle readers are interested in a meet up before either, let me know in the comments and I can get to organizing!
Union Arts Center is putting on Macbeth for Shakespeare in the Park. Most remaining dates are on Mercer Island, but there is one more performance at Volunteer Park next week!
That’s quite enough from me. see you in august for two new coffee with… interviews, two sunday editions for paid subs, a look at how I’m starting solids with my youngest, an AMA, and a whole lot more good stuff.
I loved that The Body Keeps the Score podcast ep! And that story about the simps and the cam girls was bananas!!!
Loved this one as always! Would love to meet up before the Emily lecture!