July is my favorite month – it’s my birthday and almost always includes a trip to the coast, and this year it was TWO! I took Norm over to Cannon Beach for the 4th of July to avoid the fireworks and it was so calm and quiet he didn’t even need his anxiety meds (pro tip, we loved this place.) Then I was back in Gearhart for my birthday for a few days. It was great to get away, enjoy some cooler summer weather, a lot of sunshine, and some great pop culture. Here’s what I’ve loved this month…
Reading
I read, and listened to, some great books this month! If you watched Somebody, Somewhere and loved it like I did, you will REALLY enjoy Jeff Hiller’s memoir Actress of a Certain Age. I highly recommend this as an audiobook! He was sweet and funny and smart and the right amount of self deprecating. I just finished listening to Careless People the book about Facebook from someone who worked with the executive team. It is BRUTAL. If you hate Facebook like I hate Facebook, this will infuriate you. I hadn’t planned to read it, but multiple people said it was great and they aren’t wrong. I also listened to this and the author is from New Zealand – worth it for the accent alone!
I’ve always enjoyed Kevin Wilson’s books, and his latest, Run for the Hills is up there on the list (Nothing to Look At can’t be topped though!) It was a sweet and funny family road trip story, with a very unconventional family. A great summer vacation read.
I really enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age a couple years ago and was excited to see there was a sequel out – Kills Well With Others. While not quite as fun as the original (it rarely is!) this was a fun murder mystery/caper set in gorgeous locations that made for a great summer read.
I heard about Murder on Sex Island a while back (maybe over a year ago?) on Seth Meyers Late Show podcast. It was finally a print book that I could read and it was a VERY fun and ridiculous book. The author is a comedian who has written on a variety of funny shows. It was a fun ridiculous look at a fictional reality TV competition where a murder happens and the main character is a PI who goes undercover. It reminded me a lot of the show UnREAL from a few years back. If you liked that, this is for you. The right amount of perfect summer fun in a quick weekend read.
Listening
We’ve all heard more Coldplay than expected this month, which is hilarious. I’m also listening to a bit more Chuck Mangione since he passed away earlier this month. He was a family favorite growing up. My brother played the trumpet for years, and we saw Chuck in concert at one point!
Podcast wise, I’m still loving the energy and joy of Good Hang, with Amy Poehler. I really enjoyed the conversation with Abbi & Ilana who I LOVED on Broad City. There was also a new Late Night Lit earlier this month which I will ALWAYS enjoy and listen to. I appreciated Hilary Meyers recommendation of revisiting the classics. I don’t usually listen to The Culture Study Podcast, but the “Why is Montana So In Love With Itself?” episode was really interesting! Now that I have nephews (and a brother and sister in law) in MT it was fun to listen to.
Watching
It felt like a slow month for TV, but I found a way, and that included catching up on a few shows I’ve been meaning to watch. Also a few days with Norm and the remote control to myself meant a couple of movies, which I rarely watch.
I really liked Another Simple Favor, as I mentioned, I did a rewatch of the original and had forgotten a ton of it, so do the rewatch first, both are fantastic. I am hopeful that it’s setting up for a trilogy…
I also really enjoyed Summer of 69 if you like a good coming of age story featuring a bunch of SNL cast and alumni behaving badly – plus Paula Pell owning a strip club.
It was too hot for baseball when my dad came to visit, so we went to see the new Superman and it was really fun! We can now confirm that Cliff WAS the inspiration for Krypto, every scene reminded us of our poorly behaved super pup.
If you grew up quoting Happy Gilmore you won’t be disappointed by the sequel! There were way too many cameos to catch them all, and since I am also just finished the new season of Full Swing, I recognized many a PGA player too (and the Scottie Scheffler story was perfect.)
We finally watched Your Friends and Neighbors and LOVED it. I always love beautiful people behaving badly, add in Jon Hamm and you can do no wrong! We also really enjoyed Stick and the finale setup a great second season. Plus, Timothy Olyphant as the bad guy is always good in my book! Keeping with shows only on Apple+, the new (and final) season of Acapulco started and it’s off to a great start!
August will hopefully include catching up on a few more shows, will I finally watch Andor? or Paradise? who knows! What are you excited for in August when it comes to your pop culture to do list? OH! We’re going to see Seth Meyers live in Seattle! I can’t wait!
