readwithmith newsletter.
fuck it let's stack
If you’re reading this, I can only assume you’re simply foaming at the mouth for more readwithmith content. You know I’m no good for you, but you just can’t stay away. I’m just kidding. Reading is good for you no no wait where are you going —
I started my book review Instagram (bookstagram) as a way to share and organize my thoughts on what I read and find recommendations and connect with cool people. I wanted something more dynamic than Goodreads. I’m sorry, but NO option to give half star ratings??? I thought we were in the DIGITAL AGE. And now that I’ve been on the ole gram for a while, it’s gotten me thinking about what I could do next. I got this newsletter idea in my head 48 hours ago and the bus has pretty much driven itself from there.
This is, of course, a work in progress, but, hey … aren’t we all? (*loud booing, tomatoes thrown on stage* okay yes I deserved that) When it comes down to it, I like to write, and it seems like this is a place where I could do that. Hooray!
Any feedback and/or ideas on what you’d like to see here are greatly welcomed! And if you’re on the fence about subscribing: future newsletters will (hopefully) never be this long or unfocused. Also, it’s free, so, you know, costs and benefits, the economy is in shambles, etc…
reads
I just finished Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus. It’s the story of her summer spent on the road researching hot dogs across the country. I had a pretty great time with this. It’s both hilarious and incredibly informative — the blend of humor, confessional, and investigative journalism works so well. It went on just a smidge too long, as books of this variety are wont to do, and could have been organized a little better, but I’d totally recommend it to hot dog lovers and haters alike. You can guess my camp. 4.3/5
ulysses corner
I’m currently undertaking a bit of an odyssey (heh heh heh) to read Ulysses all the way through. This is mostly a way to trick men who earnestly love James Joyce into sounding incredibly stupid.
After a few months of toiling, I am on … chapter five. The last time I picked it up was when I was sitting by the pool on vacation and made my friends do a ridiculous photoshoot of me reading it everywhere we went. Said photoshoot actually did influence me to polish off Part One since I had the book in hand, so, you know, influencing has its ups. I will say that I’m actually enjoying the prose, and just reading it like a regular book and ignoring all of the nonsensical stuff is fun. I am, however, not confident I’ll be finishing it by the end of the year.
reviews
The most recent review on my Instagram page is for The Idiot by Elif Batuman. It’s my favorite book I’ve read up to this point of the year. If you’re a Sally Rooney or Lily King fan, you will eat this up. I haven’t been more excited to read a sequel since my journey through the Neapolitan Novels last year.
Some thoughts on other recent reads: ***
Above Ground by Clint Smith: A lovely book of poetry that hit me in the gut pretty unexpectedly. It’s simple and raw and focuses mostly on Smith’s experience as a new parent. Though this isn’t an experience I have had, I felt a real connection to his writing. I nearly cried. Nearly! 4.4/5
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield: The tragically common tale of a book that started out with a ton of promise and ended up with me hating it just a little bit. The premise is a comedy writer and a huge celebrity having an unlikely romance, which, if you know me, is a trope I thought I’d love. Unfortunately, it’s not particularly funny, nor is it very romantic. But it’s not badly written, and it’s at its strongest when it’s a beat-for-beat SNL parody. There’s a version of this story that works there. 3.3/5
Bunny by Mona Awad: Everything I heard about this prior to reading was extreme — people either loved or hated it. And I get it — I felt both ways as the novel progressed. It’s creepy, weird, darkly funny, and actually spooked me. The central relationships between characters don’t feel fleshed out enough, and the surreal stuff isn’t sufficiently built up. However, the end is darkly delightful, and I came away strangely affected by the whole thing. 3.9/5
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield: Another one I waffled on, except this time, it starts out slow and ends strong. It’s about a woman whose wife gets stuck under the ocean in a submarine for several months (don’t even mention that thing that happened because I can’t go back down that rabbit hole) and comes back very haunted and weird. I don’t think the plot is built out as well as it could be; there’s a lot of information left off the table in a way that hurts the narrative rather than add to the eeriness and suspense. But it’s also pretty beautiful. I was entranced. 4/5
Pageboy by Elliot Page: A different kind of celebrity memoir exploring the darkness that comes with the brutality of a world unwilling to accept you for your true self. It’s so good and meaningful and stunningly vulnerable in a brutally simple way. From a writing and narrative perspective, it could have been organized in a more engaging way; I wanted less from some sections and much more from others. It is, however, absolutely worth your time. 4.3/5
***all ratings are subject to change on the readwithmith instagram page. you give me the option to edit my captions and I’ll take it.
near-future reads
(sourced from my Libby holds and the stacks of physical books that haunt me every night and are there waiting for me in the morning)
Either/Or — Elif Batuman
Big Swiss — Jen Beagin
This Is How You Lose the Time War — Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
Hijab Butch Blues — Lamya H.
Love, Theoretically — Ali Hazelwood (don’t say a god damn THING)
other media
I recently got a TV for my bedroom, courtesy of my so-called boyfriend who is obviously okay with never seeing me again since I haven’t gone outside willingly since its installation. There’s no evening prospect more seductive than watching a sitcom I could quote in my sleep while playing sudoku and then Candy Crush when sudoku gets too hard and eating Jeni’s lemon bar ice cream (worth every penny of the $12 they extort from me at Westside). All that to say — I’ve been indulging in a LOT of rewatching. My current and favorite comfort watch is Bob’s Burgers. (I’m obviously Gene.) I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve seen some of these episodes so many times that I’m actually laughing out loud at the jokes again. And, I’m sorry, but the music on this show is SO much better than it has any right to be:
As far as current releases go, The Righteous Gemstones just wrapped up its third season, which is, in my opinion, the best one so far. I was lukewarm on the first couple — though just the way Danny McBride says “daddy” is enough to keep anyone interested — so I’m glad I stuck around. Give it a try if you want a Succession-esque drama with even stupider children and a perhaps even more egregious display of the evils of capitalism and rampant wealth inequality via the megachurch.
reality tv corner
I am beyond behind on Love Island UK, but I just found out who won and, if I can be frank, I’m shocked. Usually, it really doesn’t matter who wins because by episode 50 we’re all tired, but whatever the hell happened in the past twenty episodes to cause this outcome must have been so insane that I’ll be spending the rest of the week catching up.
Also, I know that people have rightfully soured on + gotten bored of The Bachelor, but when I tell you that this current season of The Bachelorette is so much better than any of the slop we’ve been fed for years, I mean it. Game of Roses is one of my favorite podcasts — if you’re a reality TV fan in any capacity, I’d recommend listening to them for fascinating and very funny color commentary — and they’ve convinced me to actually follow along this year. If you’re still at the bottom of the pit with me, give me a shout so we can embrace each other.
realizing I should maybe tell you about myself
Relevant facts:
Mithra is pronounced meeeethruh! Some friends call me Mith and some furries call me Meowthra.
When I’m not reading or napping or eating or watching television or doing the crossword (these all happen in bed, which I hope helps paint a picture for you), I’ve been known to attend an open mic from time to time.
Here is a photograph from the Ulysses photoshoot I mentioned earlier. The end of that story is I achieved my only goal of this project, where a man called out to me asking how I liked Ulysses and sounded like an absolute fucking idiot trying to give his opinion on it. “It’s, uh, very academic. And dry. Didn’t like it.” I saw the pain in his girlfriend’s eyes. (My karma for ruining his day was getting stranded and having to take a night bus back to New York from Maryland, but that story is a full newsletter in itself.)
Okay, seriously, if you got this far, thank you. I’m excited and I appreciate you and I will be in your inbox very soon. Until then …