Dear friends, we have some exciting news: we’re launching a newsletter!
The idea comes from our desire to share with you the things we love. Even though some of you have never met and don’t know each other, to us, you’re all incredibly precious—you’re people we care about, and with whom we feel we have so much in common. In one way or another, even without knowing anything about one another, you are all connected.
We created this space with that very idea in mind: picturing all of us together, chatting in a cozy living room (salotto in Italian), just like we’ve done so many times before—sharing secrets, advice, and little confessions. Our hope is to make this a monthly rendezvous, something to keep you company in those quiet moments—on your way home from university or work, before bed, or after a night out when you’re half-dead in bed.
We love you, and this is our way of staying close, even when we’re all far away.
xxx
Ada & Bibi
BIBI🦢🍓
This is the space where you’ll find all those tips you keep asking me for (and trust me, there are so many! I am absolutely honoured, of course). I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but apparently, I’ve become your go-to guru for all things skincare, beauty, style, haircare—you name it. And honestly? I love it! Nothing makes me happier than when you ask for my advice.
But this isn’t just about the fun stuff (though I firmly believe that little self-care rituals can be lifesavers on bad days—at least, that’s how it works for me! 🙂). You’ll also find recommendations on books, articles that stuck with me, podcasts I’ve listened to, music, movies, and more. My goal is to blend lightheartedness with a touch of depth, creating a mix of ideas that, who knows, might even introduce you to something new.
I’d also love to add a section for my drawings. As many of you know, I feel a bit shy about sharing them on Instagram (honestly, that platform doesn’t feel like the right space for me—I struggle to post a story of my dog, let alone my artwork!). But this space feels more personal, less “official,” and maybe it’ll help me open up a little and share a side of myself I usually keep private.
Alright, no more rambling—let’s dive in!
BOOKS
Between January and February, I read three (and a half) books. I gave The Lord of the Rings a shot, but I have to admit I completely abandoned it after the first hundred pages—definitely not my cup of tea. Among the books I finished, one was actually a reread, but if you know me, you know that when I love something, I rewatch, reread, or relisten to it at least ten times.
Intermezzo (Sally Rooney, 2024): When a new Sally Rooney book comes out, I have to read it—not because I particularly love her writing (to be honest, she even seems incredibly unlikeable to me), but because I’m always holding out hope that she’ll write something as delicate and moving as Normal People. And yet, time and time again, that hope gets crushed. I wasn’t a fan of her last two books (Beautiful World, Where Are You? and this one). As for Intermezzo, I found it boring, slow, and painfully repetitive. Sure, the writing is solid, and I’ll give her credit for her exceptional psychological depth when developing characters—if there’s one thing Rooney does well, it’s making her protagonists feel layered and real. But other than that? A whole lot of nothing, sprinkled with sex scenes clearly inserted for the sake of selling more copies (which, fair enough, but not really my thing).
Rating: 2/5Atti osceni in luogo privato (Marco Missiroli, 2015): And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write a novel. I absolutely loved this book, but more than anything, it’s written beautifully (I’m one of those annoying people who focuses more on syntax than the actual story—sorry, I know it’s insufferable).
This is, at its core, the ultimate coming-of-age novel—one of my favorite genres, where I can happily draw parallels to my own personal coming-of-age story, aka my life. The book follows the protagonist from childhood to parenthood, with his romantic relationships acting as markers for the most significant phases of his growth. As you can probably guess from the title, it’s a rather explicit novel, but unlike Rooney’s, the intimacy isn’t written to be overtly erotic or, let’s be honest, borderline cringeworthy. Instead, it’s incredibly analytical, almost medical—Freudian, even.
Rating: 4.5/5The Light Years (Elizabeth Jane Howard, 1990): And here we are, girls—one of my all-time favorite novels, one I even made my mom read (and if I remember correctly, Leila too).
1930s England, countryside estates, and the small scandals of an upper-class London family—if there’s anything that screams “Bibi,” this is it. I don’t think I could be more obsessed. This is my third time rereading the first book of what is a five-book family saga—five absolutely gorgeous novels by Elizabeth Jane Howard. If you haven’t read her, you need to, because every single one of her books is a treat 🍬. Once again, the characters are masterfully crafted, from the youngest to the eldest. Howard has this incredible ability to paint a vivid family portrait without ever falling into clichés. She seamlessly blends a fast-paced, engaging plot with deep character development, something that I often find lacking in other writers. Most authors, in my opinion, tend to fall into one of two camps: those who focus on a gripping plot but neglect character depth, and those who prioritize deep, complex characters at the expense of a compelling story. Howard, however, somehow sits perfectly at the intersection of both.
Rating: 4.5/5
TV SERIES
For those who know me, it’s obvious how two very distinct sides coexist within me—both of which need to be nurtured equally. On one hand, there’s the radical-chic intellectualside that makes my parents extremely proud, the direct result of years of political, artistic, musical, cinematic, and cultural discussions they forced upon me and my sister from the moment we could speak. On the other hand, there’s my completely trashy and superficial side—no one quite understands where it comes from, but I have zeroshame about it. In fact, I love it, because it helps me balance out the philosophical heaviness I inherited from my parents. And right at the heart of this frivolous side lies my Achilles' heel: our grandmothers used gossip magazines to switch off their brains, I use trash TV series.
That’s not to say I don’t appreciate well-crafted, thought-provoking series—one of my all-time favorites is Mad Men, which I consider a masterpiece (and will definitely dedicate a future newsletter section to). But nothing fries my brain in the best way possible like light, silly shows that transport me straight back to my teenage years. The latest dumb-but-addictive series I’ve been watching is Tell Me Lies. Season two came out a few months ago, and I’m only now catching up. To be honest, I barely remember anything from the first season, but that hasn’t really affected my ability to follow along. The plot revolves around a toxic romance between two college students in the early 2000s, and the vibe is Gossip Girl meets Big Little Lies—but with better cinematography. At the same time—because two is better than one, but three is even better—I’m also on my fifthrewatch of Suits (yes, fifth) and watching season two of Severance. I feel like Severance could be a great recommendation for many of you—once you push past the agonizingly slow start, it builds into a full-on suspense masterpiece.
MUSIC
Music is yet another realm where all my contradictory sides clash and battle it out—only to ultimately accept a forced coexistence that, in my opinion, always results in somepretty interesting mixes. Of all the ways I’ve chosen to slowly destroy my eardrums (blasting music at full volume with earbuds is my ultimate guilty pleasure—only slightly surpassed by my utterly reckless approach to salting food and my obsession with those TikToks where girls clean their houses), two albums have been on repeat for me this month: Ballads and Blues by Miles Davis and Stankonia by Outkast. Both are legendary albums that have undoubtedly shaped music history, and if you’ve never listened to them (which I doubt), you NEED to. At first glance, they might seem like complete opposites, but they actually share more similarities than you’d think. Most notably, they both belong to the same overarching musical lineage—Afro-American music—which has evolved over time from Miles Davis’ jazz to Outkast’s rap/hip-hop. Both artists are also deeply experimental in their respective genres, always pushing boundaries and blending different musical styles. But most importantly—Davis 100% influenced Outkast, and if you need proof, they even sampled him! (Ain’t No Thang at 00:26 and Sivad at 06:34).
So, do yourself a favour—give them a listen and draw your own conclusions :).
FILM
Considering I’ve watched 46 films since January, a selection is absolutely necessary—otherwise, this newsletter (in which I’m already being extremely verbose) would reach I Promessi Sposi levels of length.
I’m still here (Walter Salles, 2024): This film is stunning. Watching it feels like a moral duty. It’s a choral film where the true protagonists are family (as a unified entity), the people, and communism—all collective ideals. Of course, there are individual character arcs, but they all contribute to a larger portrait depicting the painfully intimate experience of the families of the desaparecidos.
Most of the film unfolds in a large family home by the sea, where the doors are open to everyone, and the walls pulse with music, celebration, and joy—a metaphor for the freedom the Paiva family rightfully upholds, even under the terror of a regime that forbids it. Every element is meticulously crafted, from flawless acting to stunning cinematography and a soundtrack that is a true gem.
Rating: 5/5—I cried for three-quarters of the film.
All that jazz (Bob Fosse, 1979): Okay, this might be a bit niche and not for everyone, but as a former dance student (which still makes up about 80% of my personality because dance is and always will be my first love) and a die-hard fan of Fame (the TV show, which is WAY BETTER than the movie), I am obviously a devoted follower of Bob Fosse. (Not as a person—he was kind of awful—but as an incredible dancer and, most importantly, choreographer.) And let’s not forget Gwen Verdon, to whom he owes much of his success (though, being a woman, she rarely gets the credit she deserves).
This deeply autobiographical film (truly iconic of him to direct and write a biopic about himself) lays bare his complete madness, genius, and artistry. If you love 1980s Broadway-style extravaganzas, this is the film for you.
Rating: 4.5/5
Love meetings (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964): Not exactly a film, but more like the ancestor of those TikTok street interviews where socially fearless people stop random passersby to ask them about society, politics, and current events.
Pasolini does the same thing—only far more intelligently—in the 1960s, asking Italians of all ages (from children to 90-year-olds) their views on sexuality, modern love, and relationships. Some answers feel shockingly modern, while others (unsurprisingly) reflect deeply outdated perspectives, painting a vivid picture of a post-war Italy navigating its way toward modernity (though, let’s be real, I’m not convinced we’ve fully arrived there yet).
Rating: 3.5/5
If you’re a cinema lover, here's a recommendation for a super interesting podcast I discovered while studying for my history of cinema exam!
ILLUSTRATION
This is definitely one of the things I hold closest to my heart: I’ve never really shared my drawings with anyone, except for my closest friends or upon request, mostly because I feel a little embarrassed. And to be honest, I never really feel good enough. Anyone who knows me is aware that I am Instagram-phobic—I never post stories or pictures because it’s not really my thing. But let’s be real: if you ever want to turn your art into a job, sharing it online has unfortunately become essential. So, for now, I’ve decided to start sharing here—even if probably no one cares. In short: I’m doing this more for myself than for anyone else. Since I’m still very new to this game, I haven’t taken any aesthetic or proper photos of my work—next time, I’ll try harder. And if you’re interested, I could even put together a little tutorial. For now, though, I just have a backstage look at my creative process, which is actually super simple.
If you also paint (or want to try), here are the materials I use: gouaches, brushes, paper.
ADA
I’ve decided that the way I’m gonna go about this is sort of flow-of-consciousness-like. I think that’s the only way I’ll be able to give advice on things, since it essentially mirrors my real life inability to voice a coherent thought process of medium to long duration without interrupting it and switching to another topic. I realize how unfortunate this might be for someone who has never witnessed my unnecessarily convoluted yapping in person, but I’m afraid that this is the reality of things. My sister, after all, has had to deal with it for her whole life and if this isn’t the place where we can transpose our sisterly dynamics, where then?
But enough with this brief, yet insanely time-consuming to write, introduction (that I will probably find really cringe when I read it again3 tomorrow). Here are the things I enjoyed watching/listening/reading/looking at in the past few weeks:
BOOKS
I read three books in January and February, but I’ll recommend the only one I truly liked. For some reason I decided that the first book by Joan Didion I would ever read would be a collection of short personal essays (I think ?) and, in retrospective, it was a really dumb decision. I appreciated her witty writing, but I was confused by all these people/events she was mentioning since I knew almost nothing about her and got bored after the first few pages (scusami Maggie).
Emposium: A Health Resort Horror Story (Olga Tokarczuk, 2022): It’s 1913, a Polish student suffering from a lung disease checks himself in a luxurious health resort in Germany. Things get creepy *really* fast as he starts to realize that there’s a presence spying on him in between the walls of the building. The writing is SO good: the characters (all men) represent different sides of Western European society of the time, and the tensions of the conflict come to life in the debates they have every day at dinner time. Women somehow always become the centre of discussion of these men who, quite frankly, I can comfortably define incels. Once you read it, you’ll know.
MUSIC
I recently watched Beautiful Boy for the first time ever and, oh my god, I don’t think there’s any way I can express how painful but beautiful but painful it was to watch. It’s impossible.
If you haven’t seen it already, or you have an impending need to cry yourself to sleep, or to question if you’ll ever have kids because the world is a horrible place and they could potentially become addicts no matter how much you love them, then this is the movie for you. Of course, it immediately took a spot on my Letterboxd’s top four favorites, an invention that I personally consider cruel and unnecessary. Cruel, not because having only four favorite movies is impossible (it is impossible, but it’s not that deep if you can’t list them all), but because there’s an inevitable performance in the choice that you make. Your top 4 must be niche (not too much though, otherwise it’s obvious that you’re a try hard) but not basic at the same time because, after all, it’s Letterboxd and what the fuck are you doing there if your favorite movie is Laland.
Even if you’re not afflicted by these *very* pressing concerns, you can definitely try to empathize and imagine how hard it is to get up every morning knowing that my (your?) taste in cinema is the same as the pre-pubescent me (you?). That being said, I did surrender to my fear of being perceived as intellectually immature by my 17 followers and decided to do a makeover of my top 4. For now Laputa and Beautiful Boy are on the podium. Sorry Emma, sorry Ryan.
Anyway, the soundtrack of this movie contributes to the gut-wrenching story and performances of Timothée Chalamet (he is the best actor of his generation, he was only 23 when the movie came out??????) and Steve Carell. My favorite song was Of Once And Future Kings by Pavlov’s Dog, but that entire album is great. I’ve been listening to it back to back on my way home from uni and while I’m showering before going to bed. Chef kiss.
CINEMA
In the name of the infamous top 4, here are my favorites of January and February:
The Queen of My Dreams (Fawzia Mirza, 2023): A story about family, mourning, and the struggle of coming to terms with the differences that can mark mother-daughter relationships. Azra, the main character, is forced to embark on a semi-surreal journey, drawn from her conservative Muslim mother’s memories, once her father dies on a trip to Pakistan. The film is split into 60s Bollywood-like flashbacks (costumes are soooo nice) and Azra’s trip from Canada to Karachi for the funeral. If you liked Lady Bird, you’ll definitely enjoy watching this movie. If you’re a fan of The Sex Lives of College Girls, then you’ll be pleased to know that the main character is played by Amrit Kaur, Bela Malhotra in the show.
The Boat That Rocked (Richard Curtis, 2009): This movie was made to make us wish we were living in the 60s, more specifically in England, even more specifically on a boat where a pirate radio broadcasts Rock ‘n’ Roll 24/7. The Boat That Rocked makes me feel nostalgic about a period I never lived, and makes me happy about having moved to this country. Entertainment: peak. Humor: peak. Acting: peak. Soundtrack: *peak*. Please do yourselves a favor and watch it.
Rocco e i suoi Fratelli (Luchino Visconti, 1960): Went to the cinema without realizing this movie was 3 hours long, came out very very satisfied with my decision to go. I was surprised by the characters’ modernity, especially the women: independent and committed to their decisions however questionable they might be. If you don’t want to watch it for the writing and cinematography, watch it for Alain Delon. Trust me.
Beautiful Boy (Felix van Groeningen, 2018): You already know.
I recently committed to running (I don’t know how long it’ll last) and started listening to YouTube videos and podcasts to distract myself from the feeling of imminent death by heart-attack. I love Variety’s format Directors on Directors and found Villeneuve and Guadagnino’s interviewinteresting and wholesome. Their perspective of what it means to direct a movie and the best way to do it is insightful. Fun fact: Villeneuve’s ideal movie would have no dialogues.
LONDON
Not making life in London my whole personality would be a complete waste of my parents’ money on my part, and who am I to disrespect them like that. Here are places you should go if you enjoy good food or crying in public:
Sohaila: a very nice Lebanese cuisine inspired restaurant in Shoreditch. I thought it would be perfect for a date, but actually if you go in a group you can order more plates to share. Prices are okay, definitely not a cheap eat but the atmosphere and the menu are 100% worth it.
Noah Davis at the Barbican: this exhibition was so many things at once that it would feel reductive writing about it in just a few lines. Please go and judge for yourselves: it’s curated incredibly well and he was an extraordinary person and artist. Don’t make the mistake of seeing it without the audio guide because you won’t enjoy it as much (also, it gets emotional in the end).
Girls, we’ve reached the end of this very long first newsletter. Thank you to those who made it this far—it’s truly a long email, but there was so much we wanted to share!
We hope you enjoyed it, and we’ll catch up again in a month!!!!!!!
xxx Bibi & Ada
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