dating apps < books

everything i read instead of downloading hinge

did the most self-aggrandizing thing yesterday…

i was this 🤏🏽 close to downloading hinge. because im a midwestern gal with no summer fling.

but i stopped myself. and i read instead.

i got really close to finishing little rot by akwaeke emezi. the book is totally psychotic and definitely not my favorite of theirs. each chapter is told from a different character perspective over the course of two days which makes the pacing feel really strange at times and impossible to keep up with. it also makes it hard to truly connect to or with any character. i would literally forget who was who as i read. the eyes wide shut ass underground world of nigeria is a super cool backdrop, tho.

needed a break from that and picked up a book i got from an etc book swap a while back called the idiot by elif batuman. it’s alright so far. it’s extremely tedious in detail about spatially everything and it makes my mind think about other things at times. but i was in love with a philosophy major (i was a lit major lol) for like 3 months in college and made the relationship a bigger deal than it actually was. so i’m relating to the story and the main character, selin thus far. lol

have u read either of these? would love to hear ur thoughts

not a book but i listened to the album songs before bed by otto benson right before i fell asleep. it’s so dreamy i cried a lil. but happy i’m inches closer to not measuring my life in relationships or partners or profiles or dates or loneliness.

im going to alabama soon to work on my uncle’s ranch and in his rodeo show. i’ll let you know what books i pack for the trip. trying to really get in touch with my southern ancestral roots - so i’m thinking jesmyn ward and toni morrison for sure.

okay talk soon xoxo,

bernie julia

(going to start treating this substack like my twitter so i’m more consistent)