The 9 best books of the year so far
My “to read” list on Goodreads keeps getting longer, and this piece inspired me to add six more to it. Vox’s book critic Constance Grady writes about how the best books she’s read this year are all about travel — leaving home, meeting new people, and how that can change you for better or worse. I love books with unconventional narrators; the stranger the better. I am especially excited to read Sky Daddy by Kate Folk, about a woman who is sexually attracted to planes and believes the only way to marry one is to die in a plane crash. I’m sold.
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Will we ever know why Bryan Kohberger murdered the Idaho Four?
The horrifying Idaho student murders gripped the country in 2022, becoming global news, and exploding all over social media as true crime aficionados, content creators, and even conspiracy theorists speculated around what actually happened. Three years later, Bryan Kohberger’s guilty plea brought an abrupt conclusion to the saga, but still leaves the public with many unanswered questions. I’ve long appreciated senior culture reporter Aja Romano’s thorough reporting on the case since its beginnings (as well as their other extensive true crime coverage), and recommend this piece for offering answers to what we do know.
Why Trump betrayed his base on Jeffrey Epstein
President Donald Trump’s Justice Department said it wouldn’t be releasing Jeffrey Epstein-related documents — and MAGA is very angry about it. Senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp explains how Trump telling his supporters to move on from the Epstein Files reveals how MAGA isn’t truly a populist, anti-elite movement. Rather than holding powerful elites accountable, the movement is more about loyalty to Trump.
🎧 Chat BFF
This week’s Explain It to Me podcast episode was riveting. It’s all about AI chatbots and the relationships people form with them. I appreciated that the podcast didn’t treat the people who are using chatbots to seek advice or connection as foolish or shameful. It was fascinating to learn more about how chatbots work and how the way they retain information can make it seem like they’re personalized to meet people’s emotional needs. The episode is worth a listen for more about what people are hoping to gain from these interactions, and the new questions that have risen about what connection and companionship really means in the age of AI.
What beauty companies are selling to kids
When I think about the beauty trends of my youth, I can’t help but think of Victoria’s Secret Love Spell, John Frieda hair products, and the L’Oreal Go 360 Clean with the sponges already in the bottles. To say things are different in 2025 would be an understatement! Here, Vox’s senior correspondent Anna North chatted with beauty reporter and critic Jessica DeFino about how the newest target audience for beauty advertising are children and teens and why we should take that seriously.
