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June Pop Culture Round Up

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Summer has arrived in the Pacific Northwest! The longest day of the year has occurred and the late night sunsets (and early morning sunrises) are here. This means more daylight and more time outside to enjoy local markets, take in a baseball game, and sometimes even sit outside after a busy day of work and throw the ball for Cliff while I read a book. Here’s a few things that have kept me sane this month…

Reading

I had to return Brittney Griner’s memoir Coming Home to the library and am looking forward to getting it back on audio so I can finish it. It’s a hard listen but really interesting. I picked up Rebel Wilson’s memoir Rebel Rising on a friends recommendation and it’s a great audiobook! I have a road trip next week and am looking forward to finishing it.

I did pick up The Guncle Abroad at the library and was able to breeze through this funny and sweet book. I loved The Guncle when it came out a few years ago and was thrilled to continue the story with these characters. I”m half way through with Good Material which I read a review about and added to my library list. I picked it up thinking it was about one thing and it’s about something very different (not the rom com I was expecting at all) but I am still really enjoying the story and the quirky characters.

There’s a new bookstore coming to Portland called Grand Gesture Books and she did a pop up during independent bookstore week here in Portland. I was able to stop in one morning and pick up a couple of books I’m excited to read on vacation next week.

Listening

I have not one but TWO podcast recs this month… Happily Never After is a 6 episode podcast about Nancy Brophy a romance writer in Portland who killed her chef husband a few years ago. I remember seeing the story of her trial on the news but not really paying attention to it at the time. The story is wild – she writes a genre of romance that often includes murder. If you like a true crime podcast and even if you don’t – this story is worth the time.

The Daily is doing a series on animals on their Sunday shows lately and the first one was a bit sad but the second episode about puffins was adorable and I also liked the manatee story. If you need something light hearted and easy for everyone on a road trip, this could hit the spot!

Watching

Honesty, it’s a lot of binging Brooklyn Nine-Nine these days. After busy days, and evenings, a low stakes show is what I need. My husband and I have been watching Full Swing on Netflix and enjoying the drama of the season, and catching up on season 3 of Acapulco which is still one of the most charming shows on television. Please watch it so that they’ll make a 4th season! We finished this season of Top Chef Wisconsin and I was bummed that Savannah didn’t win, but happy with Danny. I had a hard time with a couple of the contestants who made it way further than I thought they should have but that’s most seasons right?

Baseball, 4th of July festivities, and a few days at the coast are up next over here. What’s on your pop culture and vacation to do list this summer?

May Pop Culture Round Up

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The April showers have continued off and on this month and with it some beautiful flowers, a fun and quick trip to a family wedding, and all the baseball, politics, and dog walks I could get in. I did have time for some pop culture catch up this month. Here’s a few of my favorites as I never order peel and stick wallpaper again…

Listening

May is primary election season in Oregon and that means a lot of OPB political podcasts this past month. One of my favorite pop culture bloggers, Hunter Harris started a podcast recently Lemme Say This and the first episode was good not great, but I am hopeful that they will find their groove ala Vibe Check. There’s also a new Dua Lipa album out that I need to listen to more but am so far enjoying!

Reading

I was able to unplug a bit earlier this month when the weather was nice and read the new Emily Henry book, Funny Story. It was exactly the weekend rom-com read that I needed. Pack this one on your summer vacation.

I really enjoyed Jen Psaki’s memoir Say More about communications lessons learned from her time in the White House and in politics. Some great lessons and reminders which never hurt.

I’m currently listening to Brittney Griner’s memoir Coming Home. It’s a hard listen as she talks about what happened and the conditions in Russia but it’s also fascinating and inspiring for what helped get her through.

I am almost done with If You Can’t Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter. It is SO GREAT. She’s had a couple of blog posts go viral since her last book came out and I love that she includes those posts and the stories surrounding them. It also proves this point way too many times.

Watching

There’s been a lot of baseball and some travel this past month but I did find time to catch up on a few shows.

I finished the second season of Loot and I wish we had one or two more episodes to better wrap up the season. But it did move the story along and continues to make Molly and her colleagues some of the most lovable people on TV. Hacks is one of the best shows on television and the reconnections and challenges of this season have been so great to watch. I love an out of season Christmas episode that is over the top ridiculous. Acapulco is back and this season we get Dani Rojas! I did finish Palm Royale and it was a fun show but both the pilot and the finale failed to impress which is a bummer. Carol Burnett deserved better and did a fantastic job with what she was given.

Top Chef Wisconsin wasn’t what I was expecting and I am really enjoying this season. Although one chef has needed to go for a while which is always infuriating. We finished The Amazing Race and my husband and I both yelled at the TV when a certain proposal happened on the final mat.

Was this season of SNL good? I know, I know, the best seasons of SNL are the ones from a certain time in your life. and I agree, but I usually do enjoy SNL overall each season and the last few episodes of the season were just… fine?

What pop culture are you excited for this summer? Are you ready to catch up and binge something or finally get through that stack of books?

April Pop Culture Round Up

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It has been a whirlwind month over here, more so than usual. I am so exited that Hops baseball has returned for the season (and for good!) and happy that the nights are about to start getting warmer… This month my pop culture consumption didn’t hit a home run, but I had a couple good plays to share.

The (pop culture) highlight of April was seeing Tina Fey & Amy Poehler Live a couple of weeks ago. It was a SUPER fun show with some great SNL call backs (Weekend Update! Tim Meadows showing up at The Ladies Man!) and a lot of love for good female friendships. Grateful I could spend it with two of my besties!

Reading

We had a few warmer days in April and I was able to get some outside time to read and relax. I thoroughly enjoyed The Divorcées about a woman from Illinois who has to go to Reno to get a divorce in the 1950’s. It’s not a story I knew, about women who wanted to get divorce having to go to Nevada to establish residence for 6 weeks, but the book was fun and had some good adventures along the way. And don’t worry, I didn’t get any ideas.

I also listened to Reggie Watts audiobook Great Falls, MT. I forgot till the book reminded me that I saw Watts years ago when he was the opening act for Conan O’Brien’s Legally Prohibited from Being on Television tour. I am not a huge Reggie Watts fan, but like him enough that when I learned he was from Great Falls I wanted to know more. I really enjoyed the book and the stories about his parents and growing up all over the place but settling in Montana. Get the audiobook – he sings and does voices and includes some of his music. It’s fun.

Listening

I’m proud to say that no dead poets have been listened to in this house. Let me know when you find the one banger on the album and I’ll commit it to memory I promise. I have enjoyed Cowboy Carter and glad my brother gave me a heads up that Gary Clark Jr. has a new album out, Jpeg Raw, that has been on a steady rotation over here. Chris Stapleton was on SNL a few weeks ago which means he’s also back in rotation around the house.

I listen to a lot of political podcasts as I reference regularly. I recently listened to an episode of Think Out Loud from OPB where they interviewed a pastor in Brookings, OR (on the southern coast). The church sued the city so they could continue to serve free meals and provide services to people living on the street in their community. It was an incredibly thoughtful conversation about good people doing good in their community, and why it matters. There’s a lot of NIMBYism out there these days, and it was hopeful to hear this story.

Watching

My TV watching has been lacking lately. Besides Top Chef and The Amazing Race there’s not a ton of new that I’m getting excited about. Loot is finally back and I have missed Molly and her team of goofballs. I’ve started the new season of Extraordinary but need to binge that at some point when I have a bit of time.

I do want to give a shout out to Palm Royale. That was an epically terrible pilot that should never have happened with such an incredible cast. I remember finishing the pilot and telling my husband “meh, I’ll probably watch it while catching up on my iPad at night.” And I’m glad I continued because it is actually a great show, super goofy and quirky and some fantastic actors and over the top plot lines.

I still haven’t watched Shogun or The 3 Body Problem or finished watching The Regime. What are you enjoying? What are you looking forward to that’s coming out soon? (Yay Hacks!)