Oh October… the weather changes dramatically and all I want to do is hangout inside and watch TV. How about you? Are you a curl up and read a good book with a cup of tea person? Or is it too dark and cold and wet out to get inspired? Either way – here’s what’s kept me going…

Reading

If you follow me on Goodreads you may have noticed the past couple of weeks I’ve been quieter. I haven’t been able to get into a good fall reading habit yet. Hopefully some upcoming travel will get me back into the routine.

I finished Apples Never Fall at the beginning of the month and really enjoyed it. It had all the right twists and turns that Liane Moriarity’s books have, AND it has that extra 50 pages that always feels unnecessary to me. A friend also read the book and suggested that the authors core demo (our moms) would probably like that nice wrap up.

I then seem to have stopped reading physical books but I listened to The Loneliest Polar Bear about Nora the Oregon Zoo polar bear. I love seeing Nora at the zoo and was curious about her story. The book was written by an Oregonian reporter and they did a great job of including environmental history and climate change issues along with her story. I learned a lot about Nora’s life and about the environmental impacts on polar bears and our planet. It was a good audiobook for dog walking and errand running.

I have loved Casey Wilson since she was on Happy Endings a few years ago. So when I saw she had a book of essays, I knew I needed her to read it to me. And it did NOT disappoint! The Wreckage of My Presence was both hilarious, sad and more emotional than I expected. If you like a comedian memoir (and we know I do!) add this to your list.

Listening

There is now a Parks & Recreation podcast called Parks & Recollection with Rob Lowe and Alan Yang and it is AWESOME. I wasn’t sure at first, but each episode they go through the behind the scenes of an episode and talk with creators/producers/actors and I find it fascinating. If you want to know what an alternative Parks cast would have looked like, I highly recommend the 4th episode with the casting directors. The alternative Donna choice will blow your mind…

I continue to be obsessed with The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill if you are into that kind of thing – which as you’ll see from my TV viewing, I am…

Watching

The Way Down HBOMax documentary about Gwen Shamblin, a woman who had a diet church in Tennessee. Yes, a diet church. A church based on how dieting will bring you closer to God. And if that didn’t suck you in, I’m not sure what else will, but Chrissy Tiegen is an EP…

I loved everything about Only Murders in the Building and am thrilled at how they set up a second season. Ted Lasso had another perfect season and I may need to do a rewatch to truly see that final scene come together. The Other Two on HBOMax was very funny and a great light hearted comedy that I needed. Plus Molly Shannon is perfect and deserves all the awards!

My husband and I love to watch food TV series – not cooking (except Top Chef), but food and travel. So when David Chang had a new Hulu show The Next Food You Eat we devoured it in 3 days. It’s so fascinating to think about the science behind our food and the technology involved in restaurants and food delivery systems. It made us both finally be interested in trying an Impossible burger… Up next? Padma Lakshmi’s Taste the Nation is doing a 4 episode holiday season that I can’t wait for in November!

What pop culture got you through October? What pop culture is coming up that you are excited for as we wrap up 2021?

The rain has arrived and the Emmy’s have announced Ted Lasso the perfect show, Fall is here…

The September weather transition is always interesting, shorter but still warm (hot!) days and a few rainy forced indoor days to keep us on our toes. Here’s what got me through…

Reading

Huzzah – I finally hit my Goodreads goal for the year! I’m ahead of schedule and super excited that I finally hit this arbitrary milestone!

After reading and then stopping reading, I finally listened to Michelle Obama’s Becoming. It was interesting, but slow to start and she’s a calm steady reader of her book, which can be too soothing to really pay attention sometimes. I liked it, didn’t love it…

I had read good things about Intimacies by Katie Kitamura, it’s about a woman who is an interpreter at The Hague. It was an interesting way to learn about a world I know nothing about. It’s a short book but I kept getting distracted by pups – I think I might have liked it better if I was on vacation. I also read The Singers Gun by Emily St. John Mandel. I LOVED Station Eleven and so thought I’d try one of her older books. Again, this book takes you to a different world (a tiny island off Italy) and I really enjoyed the mystery. A quick weekend read.

I am now making my way through Liane Moriarty’s latest – Apples Never Fall and so far it’s as good as most of her other books (I hated Truly, Madly Guilty, thus the caveat). I’ll let you know next month what I thought, but I can already picture the limited series adaptation, not sure where Nicole Kidman will insert herself yet though…

Listening

Earlier this month I went on my first girls trip in almost two years and it was AWESOME. We went to Bend and saw John Legend and he did NOT disappoint! If you get a chance to see him in concert, do it! And if you get a chance to see any show at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, also GO.

I finally discovered In God We Lust about the Jerry Fallwell Jr. sex scandal and it was FASCINATING. That lead me to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill which I am still making my way through (the main subject’s voice is a LOT). Mars Hill is interesting since I was in Seattle at the height of this church and remember a coworker who fits perfectly into that category of young 20 something guy without direction that Driscoll LOVED to “take under his wing.” What’s also interesting (to me) about this podcast is that Christianity Today (a Christian magazine) is producing the podcast.

The Leslie Knope sized hole in my heart has been filled by the arrival of Parks and Recollection a rewatch/recap podcast of the show. I’ve only listened to the first episode so far but I LOVE IT and it will help me through LITERALLY any need for inspiration from Ron Swanson or Leslie.

Watching

I finished a lot of shows in September…

• Parts Unknown – I know this show came out YEARS ago but my husband and I wanted to savor them and then sort of forgot about them, and finally finished watching the series this summer and it was great. The closest we’ll get at this point is Stanley Tucci’s series, but man Bourdain’s voice was so important…
• Brooklyn 99 – Speaking of shows that stuck the landing, that was a nearly perfect finale. If you’ve loved the series (or forgot to watch it and need a fall binge) this was a great final season!
• Reservation Dogs – I loved this series! It was so hilarious and sweet and I liked how the final few episodes were focused on each kid individually. Plus it gave us the greatest rap song we didn’t know we needed.
• Nine Perfect Strangers – I remember enjoying the book but couldn’t quite remember how it ended. It was fine, a fun summer series of pretty people micro-dosing…
• LulaRich – If two podcasts about religion gone bad wasn’t enough – I needed a short docu-series to bring it home. Holy MLM meets mormons meets bad products and leadership. If you know anyone who’s ever sold direct sales or ever wonder why all your mom’s church friends sell stuff that no one really needs, this is the series that answers all of that for you…

I’m really enjoying Only Murders in the Building right now, and The Wonder Years is off to a strong start too. I need to finish The Other Two which has a GREAT religion episode I couldn’t stop laughing at. Ted Lasso continues to be perfect, even with that weird/fantastic Coach Beard episode. My husband and I are also really enjoying (that may not be the right word…) Impeachment: American Crime Story, I was in college during the Clinton sex scandal and really only caught some occasional headlines, so it’s interesting to watch.

What pop culture is getting you through the end of summer and transition to fall?

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?