August Pop Culture Round Up

Finally the song of the summer has arrived! As always — thank you Lizzo!

 

How’s your August? It seems like we are either on vacation or tracking down clients who are on vacation. I hope that you’ve been able to take a break and check out for a bit, even if it’s just a weekend. Clearly everyone else is doing it, so you should too…Here’s what’s helping me get through heat waves and Hops games this month.

Listening

Besides Rumors on repeat, the “A ‘Code Red for Humanity‘” episode of The Daily was very helpful in understanding the UN Climate report. I also really appreciated the “Voices of the Unvaccinated” episode. It’s REALLY easy to talk trash about those who are unvaccinated, but stepping back to listen to why they aren’t was helpful for me. Locally I have been keeping an eye on Beat Check with The Oregonian – a weekly podcast on a hot topic. Earlier this month was an episode called “The Delta Variant Strikes Oregon” and it was very helpful in understanding what’s going on across the state.

Reading

I finally finished listening to A Promised Land which was great (and long). I learned a lot and am curious when Obama’s next volume will be finished and what timeframe it will cover (this one finishes in his second term). I am now listening to Michelle Obama’s Becoming. I had picked up the book to read a year ago but it was a little slow. The book is also slow on audio – mostly because Michelle’s voice is so calm and un-rushed, it’s sometimes too easy to pick up and put down…

I am 28 books through my 2021 Goodreads Reading Challenge and should be finished in September. I really enjoyed Revival Season about a teenage girl in Texas who’s father is a Baptist pastor. They spend their summers traveling to big tent church revivals across the south. Things happen and dad might not be the miracle worker he claims to be… I then picked up Good Company, I read the authors previous book The Nest a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, but somehow liked Good Company even more. The author’s writing style – flashbacks, multiple points of view, rich people being rich – is enjoyable to me and perfect summer easy reading for that last summer vacation. I just wrapped up The Guncle which was a great summer read about a gay uncle who takes in his 9 & 6 year old niece & nephew for the summer after his sister in law passes away and his brother heads to rehab. It’s such a sweet book and makes me want to go hangout in a pool in Palm Springs.

Watching

Ted Lasso is a perfect show, and I had no idea that in the middle of August I was going to watch a perfect Christmas episode that will be added to the annual Christmas show list! However, I think the following episode may be my favorite…

The White Lotus was so over the top fantastic I couldn’t turn away. The sunset cruise and eulogy were hands down one of the funniest things I have ever watched, and Jennifer Coolidge is a gift we don’t deserve. When one group of rich white people wrap up, there’s always another group waiting in the wings, and this time it’s Nine Perfect Strangers. I read the book when it came out a couple of years ago and enjoyed it (it took a minute to get into it if you stalled). I am loving the casting, even if I think Nicole Kidman is an odd choice, Manny Jacinto was a brilliant choice…

I finished Atypical which stuck the landing as I knew it would! The second season of Never Have I Ever was just as great as the first and I am so happy that Brooklyn Nine-Nine is back and am hoping to savor these final ten episodes. If you haven’t had a chance, go watch Reservation Dogs (Hulu), you’re welcome.

What has kept you sane or distracted this summer?