According to the New York Times, the bag of the summer is a BAB – Big-Ass Bag. I, for one, am thrilled, having been a connoisseur of BABs since I was about in seventh grade.
I was that kid in middle school that had a purse, and refused to use a backpack (too pedestrian) opting instead of a combination of tote bags and giant shoulder bags that absolutely, irrevocably ruined my posture.
These days my go-to is my trusty Madewell bucket tote, which holds a shocking amount (including my lunch, a book, another smaller purse, my Baggu, my Kindle, snacks, three or four different kinds of headphones… you get the gist).
My criteria for a BAB is as follows:
Bigger on the inside (like the TARDIS).
Has at least one inner compartment where I can stash my phone, keys, and wallet.
Can hold, at minimum, a book (hardcover), my lunch, keys, phone, phone charger, claw clip, smaller pouch with assorted hair and makeup accessories, dog leash, my travel toiletries bag in a pinch, my over-ear headphones, and my iPad.
Bonus points if it can also hold my laptop, a sweater or light jacket, and a water bottle.
The straps don’t dig into my shoulder OR slide off it constantly.
It must be cute. :)
So, without further ado, here is a collection of twelve totes & satchels worthy of being called a BAB.
Bags, left to right, top to bottom:
And before you go – a poll! Which bookish post do you want to see this week? Substack polls have a strict character limit for options, so here are the options in full:
Books That Feel Like a Florence + the Machine Song
What to Read Next Based on Your Favorite Emily Henry Book
Cult-Centric Book Recs
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Weekly Update
Hello and happy Sunday! The weather in Chicago has been absolutely vile this week – I described it as wading through thick soup, like a good hearty chowder. This past couple weeks I lost my reading momentum, but I did blaze through Mayra in a few hours on Saturday morning, and I loved it.
Book Report
Just Finished: Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez (SO good – read my mini-review on Insta)
Currently Reading: Sloppy by Rax King
Next Up: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Reading List
Links, essays, Instagram captions, telegrams… anything and everything I’ve enjoyed reading this week.
Are You At Risk of Being Forever 31?, Coveteur
What I Learned from Reading Students’ ChatGPT Logs, The Guardian
How Would Jane Austen Describe an “Accomplished Woman” Today?, Lit Hub
Our Age of Zombie Culture, The New Yorker
How the Secret Algorithms Behind Social Media Actually Work, Time
The Food52 Executive Who Used the Company Credit Card for Everything, The Cut
What books have made you cry?, Cup of Jo
In celebration of not giving up online,
What unrestricted internet access did to Gen Z’s love life, Financial Times
Treasure Chest
Things I’ve found this week to be coveted, consumed, or cherished.
I am trying to convince myself that I don’t need this Bobby Hill-shaped crossbody bag but I’ll be honest, I’m losing the argument.
I finally upgraded to a Kindle case from Page the Shop, and look how freakin’ cute it is!
I got this Kitsch Sea Salt Spray for the summer, and it smells SO GOOD. Lavender and rosemary is a god-tier scent combo, tbh.
I also just found this adorable art print of ghosts made out of vintage hankies by Chaos Magic Studio and I’m obsessed with everything they create.
I got an ad for this woven bag kit from Craft Club and had to snag one. I love doing crafty things, but tend to get overwhelmed trying to gather all the necessary supplies and figure out what I need to do, so getting a kit is like, the best case scenario for getting back into DIY stuff.
I don’t have kids, but I do have strong feelings about what technology, smart phones, and social media are doing to our children and society at large. I came across this ADORABLE brand of landline phones meant for kids, called Tin Can. The idea is, your kid can only call people you pre-approve, and no one else can spam call the Tin Can (how did they manage to figure that out and can the rest of us with regular phones get in on it?). Plus, their branding is really cute, and they are clearly marketing towards millennial parents on Instagram, to great success.