🍸 Katie Yee Can't Picture That Book, Actually

The debut author talks Icelandic horses, Scorpio questions, and one failure of imagination.

This is Cocktail Chats, a weekly series where fun people tell us what they can't stop talking about lately. Here’s what they dish over their drinks and dinner parties.

When it comes to books I’m looking forward to reading this summer, among them is one that contemplates a question as old as human thought: What do you do when you find out your husband has been having an affair just as you’re diagnosed with breast cancer? If you’re the protagonist of Katie Yee’s debut novel, Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar, you name the tumor after your husband’s lover and start having conversations with it. Needless to say, I’m very excited to meet both Maggies and find out if either is benign. The novel publishes in July, and you can preorder it here.

Plus, the cover is super chic!

While her characters may be talking to tumors, Katie’s having better conversations IRL. She tells me that while she doesn’t know how to drive or swim, she does know how to roller skate. Admirable! Her favorite drink is a spicy margarita.

What Katie Yee Can’t Stop Talking About

Normal Gossip. If you love eavesdropping at the coffee shop, this rec is for you! The premise of the Normal Gossip podcast is that regular people submit their niche gossip stories to the show, and then the host, Rachelle Hampton, discusses it with her guests. It’s high drama, low stakes. A perfect and satisfying treat. It’s PTA meeting enemies and HOA in-fighting; it’s sports team love triangles and knitting circle scandals. People are truly unhinged. Don’t you want to know about it?!

The renaissance of movie sequels. Movie sequels get a bad rap, but hear me out: they’re fun!! They’re the cinematic equivalent of wanting to sit at the bar a little longer with your friends for one more round. And we’re so lucky because we’re living in a golden age of movie sequels: everything from Practical Magic to The Princess Diaries is coming back. I, for one, can’t wait to bask in the presence of Miranda Priestly one more time. I just wish they’d hurry up. By all means, move at a glacial pace! You know how that thrills me.

The fact that most people can apparently read a book and picture what they’re reading?! I don’t know about you, but when I read a book, I mostly just see the words. When people get mad over movie adaptation casting because it’s “not how they pictured it” — that never made sense to me. Recently a good friend of mine (who also can’t visualize anything when she reads!) sent me this Radiolab episode about aphantasia, which explained that the strength of mental imagery varies from person to person. Brains are so weird!

Meghann Fahy and The Bold Type. Our girl Meghann Fahy is really having a moment right now. If you’ve joined the fan club because of White Lotus, I would like to introduce you to a very different but far superior show called The Bold Type (2017–2021), which focuses on three best friends working at a women’s magazine. They make mistakes, they fall in love, and they’re always there for each other. Perfect frothy, friendship, romcom vibes.

Icelandic ponies writing out of office emails. Yeah, you read that right. I understand that this is just a tourism ad for Iceland, but it’s a really good ad and a brilliant service. Does anyone want to go to Iceland with me?

One question I’m asking anyone I meet this week

Who’s your number one enemy? (I’m a Scorpio.)

One story I’ll never resist retelling

The time I accidentally went viral on Twitter.

One go-to dish I throw together for company

Tiramisu! Nota bene: I am NOT good or confident in the kitchen whatsoever, but this recipe is genuinely foolproof.

A million thanks to Katie for joining us for a chat. And thanks to you for being a reader of Cocktail Charm! Know someone who we should talk to in a future column? Drop a line; I’d love to hear your ideas.