Yesteryear, today!
weekly gab - 5/15/26
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Welcome back to our new weekly experiment. Not much happening for me this week except a grueling sinus infection and at-home bang cut. I am pumped for this weekend though: I’m going to see an American Girl musical1. And on Sunday craft club is going to be making vegan beanie baby taxidermy (I promise it is much cuter than it sounds). The forecast is looking to be hot hot hot, so grab a bubbly water and let’s gab.
This week: James Charles, Beach read recommendations, Yesteryear fallout, the REPORT, and the death of the Clean Girl.
Another week, another influencer crash out.
This time, James Charles is exceptionally offended that anyone would ask him — a humble, self-made, predator2 — for some money during hard times. Pedobear got his drawers in a twist because a former Spirit airline employee sent an SOS message for assistance. God forbid someone who was laid off with no notice need assistance. “Get a new job” sounds real empty coming from the mouth of a man who has never had a real adult job in his life 👀 When eating the rich, don’t forget to cut around the BBL! More on this story here:
Beach Reads:
Summers End - Juneau Black
Cozy detective novel featuring a cast of cute animals in a charming small town. Fox reporter Vera Vixen is on the case, trying to solve a new murder.
Unlikeable Female Characters: The Women Pop Culture Wants You to Hate - Anna Bogutskaya
Examining what exactly makes these characters popular and how audiences have reacted to them through the decades.
Dungeons and Drama - Kristy Boyce
Cute YA romance between a quirky theater girl and her new nerdy coworker at her father’s game store.
Down the Drain - Julia Fox
Unforgettable memoir of girlhood, the NY club scene, and finding yourself after going off the rails. Fox’s life in itself is incredibly entertaining, but here she strips away the glitter and fame to examine the dark underworld of growing up in a hyper-sexualized environment.
The House in the Cerulean Sea - T.J. Klune
A magical caseworker is sent to a small island to determine if six children are bound to bring about the end of the world. Cozy, funny, and beautiful story about found family.
There is a plethora of reviews and critics of Yesteryear permeating my Substack and YouTube feeds, which has been causing a wave of FOMO, but also a question of consumption. I have Yesteryear sitting on my shelf right now — I am finishing a few other books first — but feel it screaming to me, “read me now or you’ll miss the discourse!” There is a rapidly growing anxiety around being '“in the know,” especially in the book space that has only grown increasingly more competitive. Even if I read and reviewed Yesteryear tomorrow, would I not look like a copycat of every article or video already posted? Would it not get lost in the void? It’s strange that this race for eyes is causing me to feel self-conscious over what should be a laid-back hobby. As if I am a lesser reader; as if personal reading tastes are out the window and trends are domineering. I feel a growing itch to give in, watch the discourse videos, and spoil my reading experience just to join the in-crowd. Have you read Yesteryear yet??
✨The R.E.P.O.R.T:
Reading: Hitch by Sara Levine (30%)
Eating: Cookies and cream milkshakes
Playing: Might start another Baulder’s Gate run
Obsessing: V8 Energy in the peach mango flavor
Recommending: Sunscreen!!
Treating: Previously mentioned cookies and cream milkshakes
I am so glad individuality is making its overdue return. I tried for a few months to be a “clean girl.” I found I am anything but. Unlearning the trend cycle and not tying my self-worth to said cycle are things I’m currently working on in therapy, so it is amazing to see a shift with the collective toward more genuine expression. Y2K, cyberpunk, emo, club kid — all are coming back full force and I am loving it. More here:
