I love reading just about everything (okay, you won't see any horror or sci-fi picks on here), watching things that make me think and especially if they make me laugh, and wholeheartedly embrace the podcast. Here's my two cents worth.
READ
(Follow the links below or click through to bookshop.org to find all books referenced in this post and past Read, Watched, Listened posts. And here’s your friendly reminder that these are affiliate links!)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
This book got so much hype and I agree with most of the hubbub: I found it inherently unique and readable. My beef is with the ending. *******SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! ******* Did we have to fall into the trope of the guy (aka death) wanting to sleep with Addie?? LIke, seriously? Can we just not? Can he be interested in Addy for another reason instead? Gah. I thought it was such a cop-out of a trope.
God Spare the Girls
Meh. Skip. I loved the idea of this book (pastor’s daughters in evangelical culture deal with a scandal involving their father) but thought it fell entirely flat. Go ahead and predict the entire book right now and I guarantee you’d be correct. Also: the ending was disappointing.
The Anthropocene Reviewed
Love this book so much. John Greene reviewing random things in our world is just funny enough, just interesting enough, just curious enough, that this book falls in my top 5 of the year, easy.
Girls With Bright Futures
This felt like a combo of Where’d You Go Bernadette and the college admissions scandal with a dash of Big Little Lies. I’m not sure I agree with it being called a thriller (seriously, why?) but it was incredibly plausible and riveting—though I could have done with a bit more satire, to make it just that much more over-the-top.
Malibu Rising
One of my top 3 books of the year. Maybe THE top? I was here for all of frothy Malibu society. Listen, Taylor Jenkins Reed’s other books haven’t quite lived up to the hype for me—they’ve been good, just not great—but THIS one was everything. I read it in less than 24 hours; literally could not put it down.
Red at the Bone
This was a miss for me. I wanted to like it more than I did. The writing was confusing to me and I was often unsure where we were in time. Lots of the writing was beautiful but I got lost in the storytelling, and not in a good way.
After Evangelicalism: The Path to a New Christianity
WHOOSH. This is a BOOK. David P. Gushee details the history of Evangelicalism just as much as describing what comes “after” it. I loved his interweaving of storytelling, history, and other faith traditions. I learned so much about evangelicalism reading this book and will definitely be returning to it.
Low Country: A Southern Memoir
I just have to say as a life-long midwesterner: I don’t get the South. (Insert laugh-cry emoji here) It was a lovely memoir, if a little wordy at times, I just think I would have enjoyed it more if I had any experience at all living in the South. I felt like I wasn’t quite able to appreciate it fully.
The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth
This completed the trifecta of books for the year relating to faith, politics, and gender roles (the other two being the aforementioned After Evangelicalism and Jesus and John Wayne, of course). This book didn’t read to me quite as smoothly as the other two, yet I was fascinated in Beth Allison Barr’s particular take on these issues as a medieval historian. Basically, it left me wanting to have Barr and Kristen Kobe Du Mez over for drinks and we would start talking and never stop and it would be amazing.
Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power
Susan Page can write a biography. I had no idea Nancy Pelosi’s life and family were so fascinating. Major points to this one for detailing the life of this badass woman.
The Season: A Social History of the Debutante
Anne Helen Peterson told me to read this one, so I did, because it’s usually a good idea to do what AHP tells me to do. I have exactly zero connection or life experiences to relate me to the world of debutantes and this deep-dive into that world—both on this side of the pond and the other—kept me hooked through all the pages. I was equal parts fascinated and horrified.
RE-READS: Searching for Sunday, Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems
WATCHED
The Chair
Sandra Oh is my season pass and this miniseries did not disappoint. This quick, few-night binge about the first woman chair of an English department at a major university also scratched my fall itch what with all the tweed and sweaters and New England-y vibes.
Apple TV: Come for Ted Lasso, stay for Schmigadoon! Ted Lasso is exactly the delight everyone says it is (Roy Kent forever, please), and as soon as this season ends I am going to immediately go back and re-watch every single episode. Schmigadoon! is hilarious and the production is AMAZING.
This is Pop
This series was interesting, some episodes more than others. If you choose just a couple, make it the first two; Auto-Tune is particularly interesting.
LuLaRich
The good: it’s fascinating. We binged it. So many (real-life!) characters. Please bring me all the deep-dives on MLMs. The owners of the company actually agreed to be interviewed (!!!). The bad: Company grows too big too fast and is mismanaged by people who have no idea what they’re doing isn’t exactly a new story. I needed at least four more episodes. How were the clothes being made? What was the supply chain? Where did all the unsold merchandise go? I’m left with more questions than answers. Verdict: do not miss this. It’s a good start even if it doesn’t answer everything and we certainly haven’t heard the last about MLMs. Bring on all the documentaries, podcasts, and long reads.
LISTENED
Blind Landing
I didn’t even know about the drama at the 2000 Olympic games gymnastics vault until Tyson mentioned this podcast. The podcast was good, but honestly, you can get everything you need out of this amazing article.
9/12
We all know what happened on 9/11/2001, but what about the next day? The days after? Each episode dives into a different topic surrounding 9/11 and how it shifted our focus in everything from comedy to conspiracy theories.