A quick refresher - I’m Hitha Palepu, the founder of . If you’d like to connect with me elsewhere, I’m most active on Instagram and write a weekly newsletter about smart, random things (check out the most recent issue).
This online bookstore is helping mom-and-pops thrive (Axios)
Let’s have a moment for some happy publishing news - the tangible impact of Bookshop.org.
They’ve distributed over $31M to independent bookstores over the past 3 years - and like Libro.fm, you can select the indie bookstore you’d like to support with your purchases.
I would very much like a You’ve Got Mail remake, between a disgruntled e-comm exec and the founder of an upstart digital bookseller. It’ll take a lot to match Ephron’s brilliance, but there’s a fresh story here.
And at the very least, Bookshop.org is a website you can feel good about buying your books on.
Eva Mendes Wants to Break the Supermom Myth (Glamour)
“I don’t have balance. I have no idea what the word balance means. I feel like, and this is a very honest answer, every time I feel like I’m succeeding in one area or excelling, I feel like I’m lacking in the other, whatever that may be. I don’t know how to balance, and I don’t know if there is such a thing as balance for me. I think maybe I’ll have to be okay just kind of being imbalanced for a while. Maybe that part of it is figuring that out.”
Never have I ever felt so seen by a celebrity interview. I’ve also never felt more seen in needing a clean kitchen before I go to bed, and I’m grateful for Eva Mendes’ frank honesty to make me feel less alone.
And honestly, I’m actually excited to try out her new sponges. If they’re as good as I hope, this stands to be a strong case study of a successful celebrity co-owned business.
Playlists for every mood - for a peaceful morning with your family, for focusing on work, for a solid run (or to boost your energy), for unwinding at night.
Taliban's treatment of women under scrutiny at UN rights meeting (Reuters)
Aside from the tragedy that is the oppressive reality girls and women face in Afghanistan? It’s that the Taliban won’t even stand before the UN to face these charges.
Why Israel Should Declare a Unilateral Cease-Fire in Gaza (Foreign Affairs)
A long read, but an incredibly necessary one.
As promised, the best essay I’ve read in some time - and a necessary palate cleanser. Brava, ! (please click and heart the post so Caroline gets to adopt another dog).
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