Some of you Detective Bobs have already caught on to this, but: We’re starting something new! It’s officially time to give you the scoop on our romantic fiction entertainment company, 831 Stories…and the first book we’re publishing, Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff. It comes out September 10…which means right this second is the perfect time to pre-order it.    Special thanks to Bea and Leah Koch, behind The Ripped Bodice, for kick-starting this journey! Our podcast episode with them from 2019 for a taste.   The authors and titles that made us fall hard for romance include Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You, Talia Hibbert (The Brown Sister Series—and our 2021 podcast interview here), Tia Williams's Seven Days in June, Tessa Bailey (start with It Happened One Summer…or our recent chat), Abby Jimenez (loved Yours Truly), Lyla Sage’s Rebel Blue Ranch series, and Yulin Kuang’s How to End a Love Story.    We also think about what Sanjana Basker shared about romance on the Care So Much podcast all the time.   Sign up for the 831 newsletter, follow 831 on Instagram, and pre-order Big Fan. We cannot WAIT to share it with you.   What was the romance novel that got you into the genre? Tell us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Show your hair the love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Find your new fall shoes from Marc Fisher and use the code ATHINGORTWO to receive 20% off your purchase. YAY.

Caroline Chambers, a newsletter legend and author of the new cookbook "What To Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking," joins the conversation. She shares her favorite thingies, including chic Sézane trousers and her love for the Olympics. The chat dives into 'lockstep individualism' and the quirky evolution of baby naming trends. Caroline also offers delightful romance recommendations and discusses the charm of cookbooks versus digital recipes while reminiscing about cooking experiences. Get ready for a fun blend of food, fashion, and nostalgia!

Aaand we’re BACK! We are returning from our summer vacation with lots of updates and some Thingies from the great Tessa Bailey. (If you haven’t read her books yet: WE BEG YOU.)   If you’re looking for good places to start in the Tessa Bailey universe, try It Happened One Summer, Chase Me, and her latest, The Au Pair Affair. She also has an absolutely tremendous TikTok.   Tessa’s Thingies include cleansing wipes for her nose piercing, avocados, Blistex, GXVE by Gwen Stefani’s Liquid Lipstick, Merit (specifically the cream blush and the highlight stick) "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?" by Taylor Swift, the RedHanded podcast, and Apotheke’s Earl Grey Candle.   Her first romance read was Hidden Fires by Sandra Brown.   Ahead of Tessa’s appearance, we talk LMNT’s Watermelon Salt flavor (thanks Nikki Ogunnaike!), romcoms in action movie clothing, and a London stuffie report (Paddington was there, and we found a Miffy x Liberty London collaboration we didn’t know we needed).   What’s your favorite Tessa Bailey book? Did any Thingies happen during our break? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. YAY.  

You know, this episode from last year is an all-time classic—a real Bobs smörgåsbord if you will. We welcome your updates on all of this! Especially how you’re footwearing for summer rain. Our rain-clog conversation has reached new heights! As in: We have a Calzuro review for you.  Holiday shopping season is starting early because the Staten Island Pizza Rat hats are back in stock.  Now onto romance! For an IRL one, try Julia Allison and Noah Feldman. Fictional romances we love include You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (bonus read: this Vulture story about fanfics-turned-bestsellers by Elizabeth Held), The Art of Scandal by Regina Black, Tessa Bailey’s books including It Happened One Summer, Hook, Line, and Sinker, Fix Her Up, and Chase Me, and Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. Re: sports romances, see Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, Kennedy Ryan in general, and this GQ interview with Phillies player Bryce Harper. Also! Let’s talk about Danielle Steel’s desk—Samantha Leach did a good profile of the icon for Glamour—and Rachel Antonoff’s fall fashion campaign (completely unrelated but we love her email roundups to her vet).   Share the romances you’re into with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva! YAY.

Consider this episode—one of last year’s favorites!—an ode to your embrace of the term “regrettably worth it” aka RWI aka something we get asked to define as least weekly <3 Some regrettably worth it submissions from IG (and our brains) include Skims (related from The Cut), sleep consultants for toddlers, law school, putting your phone in another room after 8 p.m., professional framing, going to Ikea, getting your shoes repaired at Leather Spa (see also: New York Sneaker Society), peeling chickpeas, and stretching.  Do you love car washes as much as Kris Jenner, who compared the experience to Disneyland? Car accessories that peak our interest include the car trash can, car tweezers, elevated car air fresheners (featuring DS and Durga, Three Potato Four, L:A Bruket, and Hello Adrienne), and, last but *certainly* not least, CarLashes. Meghan Palmer’s That's so Interesting Newsletter gave us some great insights into car conversations. What are your favorite car listens—songs, audiobooks, all of it? Share them with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!  Treat your hair extra-nicely with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.  

If mid-July has you a bit out at sea with your routines—show of hands?!—this might be just the right time to revisit one of last year’s hit eps about creativity and exercise. Let’s do this. For more on morning pages, we direct you to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. And, a book that comes up a lot despite our mixed feelings about it: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.  A YouTube vid Erica followed to write a novel, as recommended by Mary HK Choi. Some workout wardrobe staples include unitards—check out Girlfriend Collective and Héros—and the posture-correcting sports bra from Forme (more from Fast Company). If you need a work-out pep talk, you can always count on Coach Bennett. (And while we’re here: Thanks for programming this ep, ​​Sarah.) How do you keep going with exercise? Are you a morning-pages person? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! Grab a Secret Menu membership for more, more recommendations.

Let this greatest-hits ep be all the proof you need that things are still a mess! Should you need supporting evidence, might we direct you to Leah Chernikoff’s recent article for Harper’s Bazaar on the topic? On gel manicures: Uché Blackstock is going to keep getting them, and Claire is too—but now with Maniglovz to protect her hands from those UV lights (and with CND Shellac whenever she can). For a one-coat at-home mani, Olive & June Cosmic, Pleasing Pearly Tops, and Dior Glow deliver a shimmery, sheer finish. A listener said Dazzle Dry is one of their Thingies, and multiple of y’all have called-out Londontown Kur Nail Concealer (

Why *wouldn’t* we revisit any entertainment property—this podcast ep included—starring Channing Tatum?! Behold, one of last year’s hits, for your (re-?)listening pleasure. What do the critics have to say about Magic Mike? Here’s Shirley Li at The Atlantic, Emma Specter at Vogue, A.O. Scott at the NYT, Richard Brody at The New Yorker, Bob Mondello at NPR, and Kyle Smith at the Wall Street Journal.  Channing’s look right now! Specifically this Met Gala pic and this Variety cover! He and Zoë Kravitz share a stylist, Andrew Mukamal (who was featured on Kell on Earth—see also: this Interview interview with Kelly Cutrone).   If you’re into the business side of Magic Mike, check out WSJ’s story “For Magic Mike, Channing Tatum Looked for Strippers Moms Could Love.” As for Channing’s other creative projects: Sparkella, Born & Bred Vodka (more from BonApp), and the much-hyped romance novel he’s writing with Roxane Gay. (Unrelated but also totally related, Tessa Bailey’s reverse-harem romance Happenstance.)   Oh, Girl Scouts, preparing girls to meet the world with courage, confidence, and character since 1912! We love the logo redesign by Collins, and if you need a cookie source, buy them from Troop 6000, a first-of-its-kind program designed to serve families living in temporary housing in the New York City shelter system, or from trans girls around the country.  Another scouting org we love: Radical Monarchs, which creates opportunities for girls and  gender-expansive youth of color—this doc is great. Share your Magic Mike reviews with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! And for more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.   The juggle is real. Don’t just respond to stress, get ahead of it with Stress Relief from Ritual. Get 25% off your first month at ritual.com/athingortwo. Start Ritual or add Stress Relief to your subscription today. YAY.

We’re back with some new nyms, a report from Paris, housekeeping news, and more! Steve Dolinsky bravely tackles PIGUE (Pizza I Grew Up Eating) Syndrome head-on.  Time for a Paris report! Shoutout to the Moxy hotel in the Marais for its ideal location. Shopping for men’s clothing? Stop by Cuisse de Grenouille, LA panoplie, and Le Mont Saint Michel. For kids, go to Petit Bateau, Monoprix, Bonton, and the top floor of Le Bon Marche. Sabre Paris also has the cutest kids' flatware. We also recommend a visit to The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, specifically for the exhibit "The Birth of Department Stores," La Grande Mosquée de Paris, and Roland-Garros (you know, next year).  A bonus shoutout to When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Sato. Thank you to the Dear Media team for a very long run! Extra high fives to our lovely producer Olivia Meade! Do you have a personal PIGUE? Share it with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva! See ya in August! Take care of your hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Ready your wardrobe for summer with Johnny Was and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 20% off your order. YAY.

Listen, spending the summer in Paris isn’t in the cards for us, but spending an episode with Glynnis MacNicol talking about 1) her summer in Paris 2) her book about it, I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself and 3) her Thingies…a surprisingly close second. Glynnis MacNicol’s memoir I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself is out this week! We also love her previous book No One Tells You This and her podcast Wilder, about the life and times and lasting impact (for better and/or worse!) of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Glynnis’s Thingies include VIO2 Mouth Tape, not putting moisturizer on after retinol (she likes La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum, ideally purchased in France!), Last Summer directed by Catherine Breillat, and Garnier Ombrelle Face Sun Protection. The books she mentioned: Speedboat by Renata Adler, Middlemarch by George Eliot, The Guest by Emma Cline, Swimming in Paris by Colombe Schneck, and The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy.  Re: the golden age of podcasts, we’re very excited about A.J. Daulerio’s The Small Bow Podcast, Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike, Lemme Say This with Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, and Fashion People with Lauren Sherman.  What are your Thingies? Share ‘em with us at with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!  Prepare your wardrobe for summer with Johnny Was and use the code ATHINGORTWO for 20% off your order. Give your nails polish with Olive & June—20% off your first Mani System when you use our link. YAY.