issue #36 - the one that feels like February

Has it only been another week? It feels like another month.

But my episode of Why Not Now? did air and it was a fun one - give it a listen if you’re feeling unsure about life at the moment.

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 4 month old).

Every Saturday, I share the 20 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

• Wander Beauty just launched their new body wash/shampoo and conditioner/mask/leave-in treatment, and I AM HERE FOR IT. Between these products and the Revlon hot air brush, I’ve finally mastered the impossible - doing my own hair and having it look good.

• This blouse is quickly becoming my go-to to wear when I’m speaking, especially when paired with faux-suede or vegan leather leggings. Bonus - it fits and flatters no matter how much pasta you ate before your panel.

• Jess’ Instagram Stories convinced me to get an Almond Cow nut milk machine. We drink SO much almond and oat milk at home, and this option is both fast (quicker than blending and filtering) and eco-friendly (no more buying 2 cartons a week, almonds destroying the bee population).

• Alarmy is evil, but in the best way possible. This alarm clock app prompts you to solve a puzzle or take a selfie or do a math problem before it stops blaring at you, guaranteeing you’ll stay awake once it goes off.

• Random things I bought and loved this week - Captain Marvel pajamas in a larger size for Rho, a new pair of leggings for me, and this highly necessary necklace stand because it took me 2 hours to detangle all of them.

• Also, Taco Bell twice this week. Because it’s been a week.

What I read this week

A quick note - I hope you reserve the books I recommend from your local library, or purchase them from your favorite independent bookstore or the audiobook fromLibro.fm. I’ll be usingBookstore Linkfor all my book links, which lets you find and order these books from your favorite indie bookstore online.

• Followers (ARC provided by NetGalley) - this book has a lot of hype, but I think it’s warranted. It’s a clever imagining of how social media and traditional media merge 30 years in the future, and how Oral, Floss, and Marlow’s lives influence and develop through this evolution. A very strong debut, and I can’t wait to see what Megan Angelo writes next.

• The President’s Club (physical book here) - I first read this when it came out in 2013, and I’m listening to it again given…well, the state of the nation? It’s a fascinating read of the relationship between former and current presidents from the past 7 decades. This is a book I need updated with every President, for the rest of time.

Current book reviewshere, and here are all my random Amazon favorites.

Hitha’s Favorite Things

• Libro.fm is my favorite audiobook app (it credits your favorite independent bookstore with the sale). Use code HITHA to get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you create a monthly membership. You can find my favorite audiobooks here.

• This is the only book club I’m a member of

• my Amazon shop

• my favorite vitamins (both their pre-natal and their essential one for women)

• my favorite produce delivery company

• the app to save #5SmartReads to read later

• the notebook that has changed my life (see how I use it here and here). Get 15% off with code HITHA15.

• the marriage check-in my husband and I do every single week

• my favorite workout - and why. Use code G37YVV for $100 in accessories (spin shoes, weights, headphones - oh my!)

• 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

The Top 5

1. Meghan Markle Has Landed the Biggest Blow to the British Since George Washington (Glamour)Alexis Coe’s forthcoming book about George Washington is BRILLIANT.Pre-order it here.

2. Here Are 20 Headlines Comparing Meghan Markle To Kate Middleton That May Show Why She And Prince Harry Are Cutting Off Royal Reporters (BuzzFeed.News)

3. Russian government resigns as Putin plans future (BBC)

4. How Samin Nosrat Learned to be Kinder to Herself (Healthy-ish)

5. ‘Hustlers’ is about women who don’t need men. No wonder the Oscars snubbed it. (Washington Post)

The Catch Up

Monday

• Farm Bankruptcies Rise Again (Farm Bureau)

• The F.D.A. Is in Trouble. Here’s How to Fix It. (New York Times)

• Amid chaos, new decade brings big global warming changes (Axios)

• What Goes Into the Production of a New Girl Scout Cookie Brand (Fortune)

Tuesday

• Judge finds Wisconsin elections commissioners in contempt of court, orders them to quickly remove people from the rolls (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

• Taiwan’s single-payer success story — and its lessons for America (Vox)

• Women step forward in push to nurture African climate scientists (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

• India Is Officially Going Back to the Moon with Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Lander (SPACE)This is one of my favorite Indian films(in Telugu, no less!) that solidified my obsession with the Indian Space Program.

Wednesday

• I Want This Cheer Coach to Run My Life (The Cut) If you haven’t binged CHEER on Netflix yet, DO IT.

• The future of firefighting (Axios)

• A modest proposal to save American democracy (Vox)

• WNBA, Players’ Union Reach Progressive Eight-Year Collective Bargaining Agreement (Forbes)

Thursday

• Chris Evans Goes to Washington (WIRED)

• The Worst Patients in the World (The Atlantic)

• Violence Against Women Has Made a Resurgence in India. Deepika Padukone's New Film Highlights the Strength of Survivors (TIME)

• “Like, I’ll Tune In When There’s Two Weeks Left.”: Why Trump Has A Huge Advantage Over Dems With Low-Information Voters (Vanity Fair)

Friday

• New Evidence Reaffirms: Donald Trump Fails the Fitness Test (The Dispatch)I encourage you to watch Rachel Maddow’s interview with Lev Parnas as well for a balanced take.

• The Constitution Never Said Women Would Be Equal. The ERA Aims to Change That (Glamour)

• In Rare Move, Pope Francis Appoints A Woman To A Senior Vatican Position (NPR)

• “Think of Activism Like a Potluck Dinner” (The M Dash)