I’m playing around with the next chapter of #5SmartReads in sharing the topics on my mind (and the articles I read to learn more), the podcasts that I enjoyed and learned from, and what I’m buying and recommending. Big thanks to Rho for naming this series (he always comments on how many tabs I have open on my phone and computer). ICYMI, you can catch up on my weekly updates and recommendations below:
Reading + Thinking About#MomTok - I have been thinking about (and talking about) Secret Lives of Mormon Wives since I binged the entire season in a day. While the first episode was fairly superficial and unremarkable, the rest of the season unfolded into contradictory revelations of what’s expected of Mormon wives, and the financial power that this group of women have amassed (it also touched on race within the Mormon church, as two of the cast members are women of color). The show documents the shift in relationship dynamics among these young couples, and the show succeeded in showing an authenticity that I haven’t seen in reality television in a while (though the anti-hero to hero, emerging villain edit was unsurprising).
The outsized impact of TikTok & Shein - I have the tendency to fall down nerdy rabbit holes, and this week’s was the geopolitics of Chinese brands that have a strong beachhead in American consumers - TikTok, Shein, Temu, etc. Their risks are well documented - TikTok and misinformation/cybersecurity, Shein + Temu on human rights violations and environmental impacts - but that hasn’t stopped millions of Americans from scrolling the app and shopping these retailers, to the tune of billions of accounts. Shein reported sales of $100 BILLION in 2022, and TikTok has over 1 billion active users (and is expected to reach the 2 billion mark next year). These reads connected the dots on how these seemingly innocuous businesses have an outsized influence on our consumers, and how it feels very intentional by the CCP.
Happily Ever After - reading romance novels has changed my life for the better. I love escaping to a world where people are loved for all their multitudes, where needs are exceeded (and repeatedly), and for a predictably joyful ending (with the exception of one book that shattered me). The genre has been a reliably profitable juggernaut in publishing, and its external reputation is beginning to catch up with the incredible diversity and representation that the genre has always had. I’ve observed a seismic shift in the industry over the past couple of years - on-screen adaptations, the evolution of main male characters, and new publishers of romance. I’m here for it all, and would very much like more, please.
Listening
Buying + Recommending
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Cheers to all our open tabs. xo,
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