I’m very excited for this next book club. I read The Brothers of Karamazov for the first time my senior year at Princeton. At the time, I was living on the top floor of the Princeton Charter Club, right up the stairs from a beautiful library with rich leather and a fireplace. I’d sneak down there in my pajamas at night and read on one of the couches.

That was a weird year for me in many ways. I turned 21. I went viral on TikTok. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and was grasping for little things I felt like I should have wanted. I applied for a Fulbright and I didn’t get it. I graduated with good grades, but I wasn’t the best like I was used to being in high school. Big fish, small pond, or however the saying goes.

And then, to top it all off, I found myself in this strange religious cult. I only call it a cult with confidence because as my friend and I dug there were hundreds of posts online about people who found themselves in this group for years. My relationship with religion after that was cautious. I was afraid of my common sense and faith existing on the same plane.

I knew I believed in queer rights and a woman’s ability to have agency over her own life, I’ve known that since I was a kid, but I also knew that I believed in God.

The Brothers Karamazov gave me permission to believe in God on a deeply personal level. To ask the big questions, to acknowledge that the world can be cruel, and to believe in spite of the cruelty that people are innately good.

That was my takeaway. I can’t wait to see what yours is.

To participate in Book Club, become a paid subscriber. The reading schedule and meeting link are below the paywall.

xx hailo

Don’t Be Aimless, anymore. Find your purpose in Life!

Build a Five Year Plan

hotliterati.com

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Rules

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I hope you are ready to lock in, because I have been reading like a child on summer break.

For This week (Tuesday) we read The Beginning through to the end of Chapter 2. I recommend bookmarking the schedule post on your browser to have the schedule and link handy. Here are my anootations, if they spark …

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I am having an attempt at a homemade gin and tonic and storyboarding a project I’m really excited about.

I studied screenwriting in school and have been warming back up to the medium, as I watch more and more movies after going through a long phase of watching none.

Today I watched Fight Club (I’ll share my thoughts soon for paid subs) and I think it’s a really interesting counter to Women Who Run with the Wolves in terms of humanity, repression, and the need for outlets.

This is a teeny bit of an aggressive reading schedule, but I’m hoping that the challenge will be refreshing! And if it feels like too much we can dial back and/or spread out the next book for a few more weeks.

Invite a friend to join! If we get more paid subs, I think we could maybe introduce some sort of film club too which could be so fun so fun. <3

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I was at Hooters.

Why I picked this

At this bar I go to a lot, I met a woman who I can only describe as a soul sister. She saw I was writing and within minutes we had a connection I can only describe as ethereal. She texts me every time she’s in New York or each time a friend of hers is hosting some sort of event.

She told me to read this book, so I was thinking we could read it together <3

Our August Book Club pick is

Woman Who Run with Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

here is a playlist

to participate in weekly discussions, upgrade to a paid subscription!

I will be sending out a reading schedule soon xx

hailo

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audio and async questions below the paywall :o

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Happy Friday, the sun is out, it’s a beautiful day. I am wearing my graduation dress and I believe in tomorrow.

Here is the book club audio, huge thank you to all who joined, I really love talking to you guys.

And if you want to hear more chatter about food, American culture, and pageantry, I will be sending out the first paid post for tomorrow, featuring some reflections on bread and a convo with the mind behind , K. Lee Gilliam, who also happened to be Miss Teen USA 2014. We talk about our time as Miss Teen USAs, social media, food, love and more. And not to be dramatic but the story of her and her husband gave me hope after dating in New York for two and a half years lol.

Ok! below the paywall is the audio of the discussion over Chapters 4-7: Specialized Knowledge, Imagination, Organized Planning, Decision, as well as reflective questions for those joining asynchronously. There is also a prompt based on the reading for Instagram/Substack. If you post it tag us so we can share!!!

that’s all , thank u guys

also just posted something really good really cool go check it out

miss u sarah

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I know we’re sitting in a dark time as a culture. A time that has spiraled culturally into negativity, sickness, violence and more during an age of consumption driven by fear-based media.

But, I am optimistic. I think you have to be to drive lasting change. I believe in people’s ability to pursue good and to work hard. I thank my parents who were always there, who—instead of telling me I was naturally good at stuff (Drama of the Gifted Child), praised me for getting back up and persevering. Like when I didn’t win my first three pageants. Or when I fell in the lights during my first dance recital, at 3 years old.

Life can be really good if you pick one goal that “lights you on fire” and push toward it." That is what we’re doing together this month, with Think and Grow Rich.

Reading Schedule

Hot Literati Book Club: Think and Grow Rich

here is the reading schedule + video link

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The audio is below and I’ll send out some options for the next book here soon!

Thank you all for participating and being brilliant xx

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For next week, we’ll read through page 236

Here is the audio from our discussion

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This is over pages ~ 69 - 139

Audio from last week is here!

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Very ripe persimmons today, and stargazing. It’s all in perspective.

Audio here:

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• Nabokov’s Opinions on Different Russian authors

• Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

  full audio below

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Of course! Here are 5 thoughtful discussion questions for The Idiot, focusing on Chapters 7–13:

1. How does Prince Myshkin’s earnestness and naivety affect his interactions with society in these chapters? Do you see him as more misunderstood or manipulative, even unintentionally?

2. Aglaya Ivanovna and Nastasya Filippovna represent two very different typ…

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questions from

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• stream of consciousness thoughts

• personal stories/andecdotes

• related media

• etc

• all thoughts are welcome!

from Amory

Here are some thought-provoking questions and discussion topics for Chapters 1-2 of The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky:

Character Introductions and Interactions

1. P…

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