I’m about halfway through Maggie O’Farrell’s Land (our book club pick this month), which is excellent but hasn’t felt like the right companion while traveling, sitting at the pool, etc. I plan to carve out time to read it on my back patio this weekend. It’s a book that asks for focus and an open mind. I don’t know, some books just aren’t meant to be enjoyed alongside chlorine?
I’ve been side-carring with Jenny Jackson’s The Shampoo Effect, which has been delightful and perfect for this late-summer moment. Funny, true to life, voyeuristic in a certain sense — you’re basically watching a group of friends navigate complex mid-life relationships with husbands and siblings. The author must have young children. Some of the descriptions of parenthood are so on the nose as to be plucked from my own life — especially the scene where Augusta is rage-cleaning the kids’ shoe closet (“there were dozens and dozens, half of them disgusting with use, half of them nearly pristine but rejected by her children for reasons sundry and various: laces Jane refused to tie even though she knew how, soles that felt hard, buckles that were too fiddly”) and, later, describing the black box that is the school day:
“It was honestly like they were in the CIA or something and had pledged to remain evasive about their movements; sometimes Jane would slip and mention a dodgeball game at recess, or a cardboard boat designed to carry pennies, but most days, she would only report who she sat with on the bus, and so Augusta found herself unpacking Jane’s leftover lunch and riffling through her backpack for clues, like a Roman prophet inspecting the entrails of a bird, seeking to divine meaning.”
Oh my gosh, I so relate to that scene! Me, picking through Hill’s folder and half-eaten lunch seeking clues as to what his day had been like?
There are also hysterical little throwaway comments that have left me smiling or snorting on the pool chaise longue: “His grandmother must have been almost ninety but moved with the wiry confidence of someone who took a multivitamin.” LOL. Strongly rec this as your sunset of summer pool or beach read. It’s frothy, it’s sexy, it’s truthful about the shifting complexities of adult relationships. You might remember Jackson from her debut novel, Pineapple Place; both of these novels reflect an astute grasp on class relations and representation, but The Shampoo Effect feels a little more effervescent and even droll at times.
On the romance side of things (I’m always churning through these at bedtime), I just discovered R.S. Grey and have been enjoying some of her backlist. I like the way she writes her heroines and especially their semi-sarcastic inner monologues — it makes for delightful, upbeat reading. The Arrogant Devil was like a hybrid between a cowboy romance and a boss/secretary romance with one really steamy scene at a watering hole on a ranch. I also enjoyed this big law one between a hot shot senior partner and a new associate — again, the strong and funny female protagonist was delightful. Now I’m reading one of the baseball ones! Most (all?) of her work is on Kindle Unlimited, which is my secret luxury. I absolutely love the profligacy of downloading a bunch of romances, and then trying them on for size and feeling zero guilt if I return one / DNF. It still feels a little different if I’ve bought the book. (N.B.: R.S. Grey books are open door books; proceed at your caution.)
If you’re looking for a thriller, my mom — who keeps on top of all the latest releases in this genre — raved about When I Kill You by B.A. Paris. (What a title!)
What We’re Watching: August 2026.
On the TV front, we finally finished the last season of “Hacks”! Without ruining anything, I loved the final episode. Heart eyes! The season (and the show) had some weak points, but I’m glad we stuck with it. The writing is phenomenal, and of course I love the conceit of a show premised on the complex relationship between two deeply creative women in different generations. (The commentary on boomer vs. millennial culture — spot on.) Most of the acting in that show is unbelievable — especially the dynamic between Jimmy LuSaque Jr. and Kayla Schaeffer. Hysterical. And the two leads are nothing short of phenomenal, of course; Jean Smart is deeply believable and I fell in love with Hannah Einbinder’s portrayal of Ava Daniels. I couldn’t stand (I mean, COULD NOT STAND, almost had to skip) the episodes with Deborah’s daughter. I think they really lost the plot in those episodes and even in the way they portrayed the mother-daughter relationship; it just seemed so at odds with Deborah otherwise. And I don’t think the actress did that role any favors either. Sheesh, am I being too harsh?! Anyway, if you’re still stuck in one of the mid-season valleys, keep going! The ending is worth it.
We’ve been making our way through the second season of our guilty pleasure show, “Rivals,” which is a juicy and occasionally raunchy show about TV producers in 1980s Britain. Incredible costumes, over-the-top sets, soap opera plotlines, the 80s excess in general. (Mom and Dad, this is not for you.)
Movies: we loved the low-budget but chart-topping “Obsession.” Deeply unsettling; an intriguing analysis of desire and also the gen-z mind, with an interesting treatment of drug use, too. The dialogue was incredibly realistic, and we always love an underdog story: this movie cost very little to make but wildly outperformed big budget blockbusters. Personally, I can’t even look in the direction of that “Supergirl” movie. (Why does the dog have to be CGI?! Wah! What are we doing here?!). I’m so glad small indie movies like this are having their moment, too!
We’re a bit late to this one, but we also loved the thriller “Housemaid.” Amanda Seyfriend is excellent?! The plot has some big loopholes, and I’m not a huge Sydney Sweeney fan (I still have a hard time getting past that vocal affect / fry situation? I find it distracting!), but it kept me on the edge of my seat. Would be a good fall watch.
I guess we were on a domestic suspense bender, because we also recently watched the 1994 thriller “The Last Seduction” starring Linda Fiorentino and Bill Pullman. Has Bill Pullman been the same age for 50 years? (Ha.) The movie was a gripping Friday night watch — perfect with an ice cold martini — if you like those erotic thrillers from that era (think “9 1/2 Weeks,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Basic Instinct”). Landon and I watched a ton of those two summers ago after my SIL introduced us to film historian Karina Longworth’s collection of podcasts on that sub-genre in her popular You Must Remember This series. She really brings the films to life, exploring both on-screen and off-screen drama.
This weekend, we’re going to see “The Odyssey” in theater and I cannot wait! Will report back with thoughts. I’m dubious about Damon cast as Odysseus, but I’m excited about all the buzz.
Your turn: what are you watching and reading right now?
Post-Scripts.
+Movies that feel like chocolate chip cookies.
+A list of great family movie night flicks. (Comment are great here!). I’d add “The Sheep Detective” to this — we loved it!
+What are the best book club books?
Shopping Break.
+Minnow is running one of its rare sales! (It may launch after this post goes live, but check back! The team told me the sale would start today.) A great time to stock up on kids’ suits for next season, or to treat yourself. Their womenswear has been a low-key favorite source of summer cover-ups and knitwear for me for the last few seasons.
+New athleisure-to-daywear obsession: this slouchy fit striped mock neck from Mersea. I layer over leggings/athletic shorts and casual wear alike (wore this week layered over my latest pants obsession — the La Ligne Colby crops! Hallelujah for those of us petites! The fit is perfect! Trust me, you need this in your fall wardrobe. Pair with oxfords, pointelle tees, chunky knits!) Anyway, the top has such a cool drapey fit. It’s already sold out in the blue and red jersey option (I have the blue) but still available in a sunshine yellow stripe that I may be tempted to order as well.
+Trust me, this $29 body lotion is better than prestige brands that cost 3-4x the price. Packed with great ingredients and the scent is so gooooood.
+Im swooning over this new tria clutch from Cuyana in either the chili red or chartreuse. Which color is a gal to get?! It reminds me in ethos of the Celine Trio and this funky “filing cabinet” pochette situation I saw at the Anya Hindmarch in London. The Cuyana is priced right and comes with a strap that makes it super versatile. I mean, this is the perfect travel bag for fall — wear as a crossbody during the day (love the functionality of the separate zippered compartments to keep things organized, but it’s also cool/chic/interesting) and then transform into a clutch at night. OOOOO.
+I have a whole post on this micro-trend going live next week, but — inspired by the super splurgey knitwear masterpieces by Alanui (I’ve been stalking TRR for a good deal on one of these for awhile — eyeing this one seriously, but won’t begrudge a Magpie for moving first!), I’ve been seeing so many wrap/fringe knit sweaters with bandana motifs for fall. Snag this $120 style while it’s in stock. Alanui vibes for much less. Layer over EVERYTHING this fall!
+If you don’t love the loud bandana pattern, try this chic $103 style in ivory. The fringe makes it super interesting and on-trend!
+Intrigued by the new temp-regulating pajamas from Lake. (Um, hello, perimenopause.). I saw them on the gorgeous Julia B. and thought she looked so chic in them! She mentioned they were cute enough to wear out in the morning / almost double as athleisure/athletic wear. I’m eyeing this pair for myself.
+New Kyotos in fall colors. These are in my opinion the best fitting of all the poplin drawstring pants out there. The fit is 10/10.
+LOVE CallItByYourName’s new bandana loafers and other footwear!!! Eek! Have a pair of these in my cart.
+The coolest (I mean COOLEST) fleece for fall athletic wear.
+I was recently reminded of how much I love this daily moisturizer. It leaves your skin velvety soft and somehow feels like it’s locked in the moisture. I find I need a richer moisturizer when I’m wearing the Westman Atelier foundation stick, which I recently switched back to using — the stick really needs deep hydration first and then it looks fantastic, almost second skin, layering on top. (I recently ran out of my VB foundation drops and started using W.A. again. It’s truly excellent. Both are great foundations. I’ll wait until one or the other has some sort of sale to buy the next!). If you order the moisturizer, use code JENSHOOP for 20% off your first order. The other product of theirs I LOVE is their lip plasma. I have it in like four colors, but my favorite is rose — the pretttttiest “your lip but better” color if you have similar coloring to me.
+Speaking of Westman: they just launched a liquid foundation. Might try that if I can’t find VB drops on sale first!
+Alice Walk restocked their crochet collection, fyi!
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