![Les Miserables [With Ribbon Marker]](https://litsy-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/covers/9780375403170.jpg)
pickInteresting series of essays on the darker histories of beautiful things-silk, marble, make up, perfume, and more. The author is a confessed lover and collector of beautiful objects. For each chapter Kelleher shares a history of an item along with her own thoughts on the nature of desire, beauty, consumption, and the ethics of how these valued items came to be. This book is for folks that are fascinated by deep dives into the minutiae of stuff.
I kinda love his take.
pickI think the thing that is most interesting but also most upsetting about this book is that it was written in 1995 but is still so relevant. Obviously hooks is brilliant, but it means that the state of discourse around art, race, and gender has really not progressed much in the past 30 years.
Sometimes I can't get a thought out of my head. Friday it was, “wait are we a greek Chorus on Taylor Swift's new album?“ And here we are. https://youtu.be/_wWM3xuShR4
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The information in this book didn‘t really surprise me, but it was affirming and inspiring. I enjoyed learning about the science and research and feel newly energized to prioritize the arts and aesthetics in my family‘s life. ⬇️
pickThis book is exactly the title. Kelleher looks at the beautiful things she loves from silk to makeup to marble and how the history of their use and modern means to produce them sometimes has ugly consequences. She has interesting ideas about how to sustainably and ethically have these beautiful items in your life. I definitely enjoyed this essay collection!
pick5 ⭐️ reading content, 4 ⭐️ reading experience. Very heavy research-based work of non-fiction but mindblowing. PSA to incorporate 20 minutes of art into your day, every day! It‘s our way through trauma, our map to the subconscious, our portal to the divine. Obviously, I didn‘t need much convincing, but I‘m inspired to have the reminder that art is an essential, valuable crux of our humanity and spiritual well-being.
#NewYearNewBooks Day 4: This seems like a #HighwayCvr #HighwayCover of sorts. Recent book haul from Big Bad Wolf in Sharjah a week ago. Book hunting expedition post is forthcoming.
