Curated & Saved #13
Subtweets, Eurovision bangers, and a skincare shelf in progress - plus a dash of Joe Goldberg
Welcome to Curated & Saved, a personal collection of things I’m loving right now.
Currently Consuming
📖Reading: The Subtweet, Vivek Shraya
At the heart of Vivek Shraya’s The Subtweet is the push-pull relationship between Neela Devaki, an uncompromising indie musician, and RUK-MINI, a rising internet sensation whose viral cover of Neela’s song sparks both admiration and jealousy. As their bond deepens, Shraya delves into race, gender, and the pressures of the music industry on two women who by all accounts and circumstance should have an easy friendship.
📚 In Progress: Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus; Fragile Threads of Power, V.E. Schwab, and Moderation, Elaine Costello1
🎶Listening to: Eurovision Feast - Poison Cake, Milkshake Man, and Espresso Macchiato (Switched on Pop)
It’s Eurovision weekend baby! And whilst I’m not usually one for spoilers, Switched on Pop does a great job taking on the favourites and a few of the wildcards. This episode also includes an interview with Estonia’s entrant Tommy Cash (who I had no idea also featured on Charlie XCX’s album)
📱Scrolling through: Eurovision-tok
As my listening rec implies not gonna lie Eurovision has been dominating my feed with the finale on Saturday. So I’ll just leave you with Verka singing Abracadabra, UK’s entry (Remember Monday) singing with Courtney Act and an accurate depiction of me on Saturday night.
📺Watching: You (Season 5)
My favourite, unstable serial killer is back for his final season. This fifth season of You plants Joe Goldberg back in New York, where he’s hoping for a peaceful life with his latest wife, Kate and his son. But of course Joe’s dark impulses are just simmering under the surface and things never quite go to plan. I’m about halfway through this new season and it’s satisfyingly full of all the same ridiculousness of previous seasons. I’m ready for Joe to see his comeuppance though (despite how much of a fan I am of Penn Badgley’s Dan Humphy-isms in this series).
🚨News alert: The Celebrity Traitors
I am buzzing at the line up of the upcoming Celebrity Traitors series! Stephen Fry? Charlotte Church? Tom Daley? It’s like someone blindfolded Claudia Winkleman and told her to pull random names out of a hat. A ridiculous line up for a ridiculous show.
The Long Form
Knowing Filipino Food: Spice (and all things nice)
There’s always talk that Filipino food is about to be the next big Asian food trend and honestly, I’m starting to believe it. Ube’s popping up on every menu, and Filipino food trucks and restaurants are taking over London, one lechon at a time. In this great essay, Mark Corbyn dives into one of the biggest food misconceptions he hears as a Filipino caterer in the UK: “Is Filipino food spicy?” or worse “It’s kinda bland, isn’t it?” Not only an explainer on why Filipino food isn’t either of those things but he provides a brilliant education on the history of Filipino cuisine and its nuances.
On The Wish List
I’ve been on a mission to simplify my skincare whilst also attempting to repair my skin barrier and combat psoriasis. So, naturally I’ve been reticent to try anything that might f*ck that up. I have been trying some facemasks and so far so good! I’ve got some Patchology facemasks to work through, but once that stash has run out I’ve got their hydrating and barrier boosting ones on the list to try next. I’m also a big fan of Versed and have spotted their Instant Resurfacing Mask in the wild, so that’s in the basket too.
Thanks for checking out this week’s Curated & Saved! I’d love to hear what resonated with you, or if you’ve got any hidden gems to share.
Thanks to Atlantic Books and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book