issue #24 - the one when the planet's literally on fire

Like, literally. Here’s how to help.

If this is your first e-mail from me, welcome! In addition to writing the book How To Pack, I'm an entrepreneur and angel investor, an avid reader, and a mom of two boys (a 4 year old and a 3 month old).

Every Saturday, I share the 25 best reads from the Internet (culled from the daily shares on my Instagram), the books I've read that week, and things I'm generally loving at the moment. You can join the conversation on all these articles - and more! - in my Facebook group.

Looking for my packing list template? Here you go!

#ThingsILove This Week

• The #amazonnightgown went VIRAL this week. It got written up in Glamour, Daily Mail, Hello Giggles, and even German Vogue. It’s wild.

• This scooter (and this strap to drag it) have to be the best things I’ve ever bought for Rho. As has this helmet. Safety first!

• My hair has seen better days. Headbands have been my savior, and I’ve been wearing these nonstop.

• If you’re shopping the Sephora sale, here are the staples in my beauty routine:

  • Skincare - Sunday Riley CEO oil (UFO if you have acne-prone skin), Belif Aqua Bomb (get the largest size), The Ordinary’s caffeine solution, Ole Hendricksen Banana Brightening Eye Cream, Herbivore Bakuchiol serum, KORA Organics turmeric mask, Noni eye oil, and gua sha.

  • Makeup - Kosas Tinted Face Oil (I wear shade 07), LXMI Nilotica Goddess Glow, Wander Beauty Nude Illusion Foundation (I wear tan), eyebrow pencil, and Lip Retreat Oil. What can I say? I love the brand.

  • Hair - IGK Rich Kid coconut oil hair gel, Drybar’s On The Rocks charcoal scalp scrub, Living Proof No-Frizz Nourishing oil

• Podcasts I loved this week - nycbookgirl’s interview on Bad On Paper will have you running to your library and reserving all the books. I also loved The Skinny Confidential’s interview with my amazing friend Divya Gugnani. Philly Who? is a new pod obsession of mine that I’ve been binge listening all week. The interviews with Jo Piazza, Connor Barwin, and Sarah Schwab (if you love Gritty, you need to listen to this episode) are must-listens, and I can’t wait to hear Rakia’s episode.

• Things I love and am frequently asked about on Instagram - the caftan I’m always wearing (also known as the #amazonnightgown), my favorite vitamins (both their pre-natal and their essential one for women), my Amazon shop, the app to save #5SmartReads to read later, the marriage check-in my husband and I do every single week, and my favorite produce delivery company. Small Packages (one of my portfolio companies) is the curated gift box company I’m always talking about - get 15% off your order with the code HITHA.

What I read this week:

• Red, White, and Royal Blue - I was blown away by this book. It’s fun, it’s smart, it’s sweet, and I literally hugged it when I finished reading it. It’s a sweet romance between the First Son Of The United States (the son of the first woman president, no less) and the prince of England. And for as improbable as the plot is, I was sucked into the story completely. Alexander + Henry forever.

• Everything Is Figureoutable (gifted by Penguin Random House) - given that Marie’s advice completely transformed my morning routine, I had high expectations of the book. And it met them. As with most personal development books, it does get repetitive and “everything is figureoutable” is written about a bajillion times. But Marie’s tactical advice on mindset and how to work is strong, and the book is one of the better ones in this genre.

• Fumbled - CTE is a serious condition that I don’t think the NFL is taking seriously enough, but women authors certainly are. In Fumbled (the follow up from Intercepted, which I loved), Poppy and TK are reunited after 10 years - with a child and TK’s changing personality. If you love Jasmine Guillory or The Right Swipe, you will love this one. It was a sexy, fun read that got me even more excited for football season.

Current book reviewshere,every bookI’ve read this year, and all myAmazon favorites.

The Top 5

1. Following the 90:10 Rule Will Make You Noticeably More Self-Confident (Thrive Global)

2. Lady Kimora: The Baby Phat designer returns. (The Cut)

3. 4 Ways to Deal With Favoritism at Work — When You Aren’t the “Favorite” (Thrive Global)

4. In med school, a mission found me. But it will never be just a job — cancer and grief brought me to it (LA Times)

5. 9 questions about the Hong Kong protests you were too embarrassed to ask (Vox)

The Catch Up

Monday

• I Took Morning Phone Breaks and I’m a Happier Person (A Cup Of Jo)

• White House and Congress say it's "September or bust" on gun legislation (Axios)

• What Lies Behind India’s Bold Bet on Kashmir? (Fair Observer)

• Meet the Angry Tías and Abuelas Taking Action for Immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley (Ms. Magazine)

Tuesday

• A Hospital Crisis Is Killing Rural Communities. This State Is ‘Ground Zero.’ (Georgia Health News x HuffPost)

• Employers Have Policed Black Hair for Decades. These Four Women Have Had Enough (Glamour)

• A Lack of Sponsorship Is Keeping Women from Advancing into Leadership (HBR)

• She proved them wrong: A deaf couple is opening a pizzeria in D.C. with all deaf employees (Washington Post)

Wednesday

• The deadliest attack of the year in Kabul bodes poorly for the US-Taliban deal (Vox)

• Women Are Not Better at Multitasking. They Just Do More Work, Studies Show (Science Alert)

• Why It’s Immigrants Who Pack Your Meat (The Atlantic)

• Massive companies won't pull out of China (Axios)

Thursday

• Report shows US deficit to exceed $1 trillion next year (AP)

• Wildfires are burning around the world. The most alarming is in the Amazon rainforest. (Vox)

• “Oh My God, This Jackass”: The Mooch Explains Why He Things Trump Is “Crazy,” “Narcissistic,” And A “Paper Tiger” Who Will Drop Out By March 2020 (Vanity Fair)

• Feminist Visions of Science and Utopia in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s ‘Sultana’s Dream’ (Lady Science)

  • Pro tip - read the short story first

Friday

• Vote for the Woman Because She’s a Woman (TIME)

• Why Do Indian Americans Love Taco Bell? (Food Beast)

• Tala, a Company That Offers Loans for as Little as $10, Just Raised $110 Million (Fortune)

• Solving the mysteries of Uranus and Neptune (Axios)