The smoke filled air had most of the west coast stuck inside for about a week this past month. It was hard to not get out and exercise or just sit in the backyard and read. The rain finally arrived to wash away the AQI numbers and help us to breathe a bit better. I realized it didn’t help with my reading – I’m a loud and proud outdoor reader, so a week away from my patio was hard on reading. I’ve also been in a weird reading slump…Here’s what has kept me sane in September…

Reading

I am slowly making my way through How to Be an Antiracist. I’m trying to just read one chapter at a time to give myself some time to process the book. It’s REALLY great and I highly recommend it.

I kept hearing great things about Wow, No Thank You. Samantha Irby is HILARIOUS. This book of essay’s has had me laughing SO LOUD I’m afraid I’ve scared the neighbors! And, I am not constantly in the mood for essays. I picked up this from the library and since there are SO many holds on it, I ended up buying a copy (well two, one as a gift!) so I can savor it.

Last month I won a gift card to Elliot Bay Books in Seattle (yes, super random) so I ordered Transcendent Kingdom which I just started and it’s FABULOUS. I will read everything Yaa Gyasi writes from this point forward. She’s an incredible author. I’m finally out of my reading slump.

I also ordered The Three-Body Problem which I have heard great reviews of, and with the recent news about who’s adapting the trilogy, I am excited to be on top of this soon to be pop culture HIT.

Listening

It was recently the 21st Night of September, so there’s been an increase in my Earth, Wind & Fire consumption as with most September’s. My dad has been around more lately which usually means more Steely Dan in our lives, which is always fine by me.

I listen to What a Day pretty religiously, and Akilah Hughes response to the Breonna Taylor DA was so sad and incredible.

I always make time for Majority 54 and Missing America continues to be a great podcast as well.

With the fires in Oregon I had a hard time keep up on ALL the news. Between The Daily and Think Out Loud I mostly stayed on top of it! I also loved hearing my fellow Emerge Oregon classmate Candace Avalos on a recent episode talking about police oversight in Portland.

Dax Shepard’s podcast is one I don’t usually listen to, but his episode last week “Day 7,” is a great conversation about addiction, recovery and being honest with ourselves.

Watching

For about a month my dad would NOT stop talking about I’m Sorry on Netflix. And he was right, it’s HILARIOUS. I had half-watched the first episode late at night a while back and am SO happy I gave it a second chance. And I devoured the series, this will be a very rewatchable show. Add it to your list if I haven’t told you to already.

I also devoured The Home Edit on Netflix. I LOVE organizing things, but that Marie Kondo hoarder clean out doesn’t work for me. So, I was nervous. But I shouldn’t have been – I now need to AGAIN reorganize my pantry and buy ALL the clear bins for my whole kitchen. And while I loved most of what they do, I will NEVER organize my books by COLOR. This former bookseller and current Library Board Chair can officially say that is BLASPHEMOUS.

I’m slowly making my way through Lovecraft Country and really like the cult aspects (big surprise) and the over the top monsters.

Last weekend with the rain I rewatched Always Be My Maybe and it is great for a rewatch!

The best thing I’ve watched this month though? Teenage Bounty Hunters. Yup. Private Christian school twin sisters become bounty hunters in suburban Atlanta while balancing dating, church and race. I know you skipped right over it and don’t believe me. But you should…

I hope you’re having a lovely “end” of summer. I’ve been taking Friday’s off since July which has been REALLY nice for my mental health. An extra day to not look at a computer screen has meant more time to get all those other chores done, and spend time absorbing more pop culture. Here’s a few things I’ve loved this past month…

Reading

I started off the month with one of the longer books I’ve read in a while – The Likeness by Tana French. French is an Irish author and her Dublin Murder series is one that a client of mine has been recommending for a while now. I finally picked this one up when she said it was her new favorite. And it’s BANANAS. if you love a good murder mystery and an undercover cop story this is for you. If you don’t, you really should try this, it’s awesome.

My friend gifted me a copy of Garth Stein’s new graphic novel – The Cloven. I love a good graphic novel and loved that this one is set in Seattle and since Stein is from the area, he gets the geography right (you’d be surprised how often authors don’t!) If you liked Orphan Black (yes the TV show) this is for you. I promise.

A few years ago I read My Sister, the Serial Killer and LOVED IT. The author is Nigerian and her stories take place there. She has a new short story (30 pages) on Amazon called Treasure. It was a fun short read and I like the way she ends her stories.

I’ve been a fan of Bess Kalb’s Twitter account for a while now and was excited to pick up her new book Nobody Will Tell You This But Me.  It’s a quick, HILARIOUS and sweet read. It’s a “memoir” (ish) based on her and her Jewish grandmother’s relationship. It’s sweet and funny and I read it in two days.

I have started and am deliberately making my way through How to be Anti-Racist and really appreciating it so far. I am also continuing to read the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter which is chock full of great information and great calls to action.

I picked up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes from the library last week and it was a fun summer read. It takes you back to the world of The Hunger Games but MANY years earlier. It’s a good origin story and it I keep thinking I should probably rewatch Mockingjay to remind myself of what a terrible guy Snow becomes…

Listening

I am really enjoying What a Day as a great way to start off each morning with a healthy dose of the news. I continue to look forward to Majority 54 each week, and the episode with Jason Sudekis last week was GREAT. I appreciate Missing America and the back stories that Ben Rhodes can apply to current situations going on in the world. The episode on authoritarianism is a can’t miss.

Chef Tom Colicchio has a podcast I just discovered called Citizen Chef – I really am enjoying it! He talks to people in different food communities about the work they’re doing or their experiences. I highly recommend the How We Feed Our Students episode…

Watching

I watched almost every night of the Democratic National Convention, and yes even cried a couple of times. If you haven’t watched either of the Obama speeches, you should go do that. I’ll wait. I of course have balanced out the high brow with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills & New York. Sometimes you just need to watch rich ladies being ridiculous.

I finally started watching the final season of Orange is the New Black. I didn’t like the previous season so when it finished I had planned to call it quits. But a friend of mine said the final season is great AND it talks about ICE and child separation and wraps up the series well. I have one episode left and I am glad that I decided to finish the series.

I have watched the pilot for Lovecraft Country and I loved it! It’s the right amount of horror for me (I’m not a fan of scary, but the occasional other world monster is fine). I kept reading that it was the perfect series right now, and I have to agree…

Alright, what pop culture is keeping you sane as summer wraps up?

Summer has FINALLY arrived, which means it’s warm enough (sometimes TOO warm) to sit outside and read – my favorite way to read. I had a great get away to the Oregon Coast for my birthday last week and was able to finish a book and get started on a new one. Not quite as much reading as I anticipated, but it was a great time to get out of town for a few days.

Here’s the pop culture that’s been keeping me sane this month…

Listening

Nothing too exciting on the podcast front this month. I don’t drive as much and since I now walk the dogs with my husband we visit instead of plugging in headphones. I appreciate What a Day for their voice on the news and The Daily continues to do a great job of deep diving on this world we’re living in. I am also appreciating Think out Loud and OPB Politics Now, especially when it comes to all the local Portland police/ICE fighting.

Watching

I meant to spread out the episodes of The Babysitters Club but as a HUGE fan on the books growing up, I couldn’t contain myself and binged them in a couple of days. Whoops. It was exactly what I was hoping for – a great setup from the books and modernized for today.

I watched half an episode of Down to Earth with Zach Efron and it was SO tone deaf that we turned it off. What could have been a fascinating show about science and the climate is two white bro’s on vacation showing off their abs and throwing in a little science on the side. I am SURE I am not the target audience for this, so hopefully there’s a 22 year old who’s learning something while watching, but it was painful.

I’ve been giving Space Force another try and it’s fun and ridiculous and redeems Steve Carrell after The Morning Show. My husband was afraid he could never watch him again.

Expecting Amy on HBO Max was a wonderful series! At just 3 episodes they shared just how hard her pregnancy was and how she continued to persevere, AND learning that her husband is on the autism spectrum while they were expecting. It’s sweet and wonderful and of course raunchy and funny as well. I need to go back and rewatch her Growing special on Netflix, it was HILARIOUS.

My husband and I just discovered Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry On on Hulu (looks like it’s also free on Channel 4. Jamie Oliver’s newest series is designed for COVID times – it’s all about using food you may have in your freezer or pantry and he’s GREAT at encouraging you to use what you have, not what he necessarily is using. It’s AWESOME. I definitely picked up some new staples at the store this week…

I watched Palm Springs on Hulu when my BFF was visiting for my birthday. It’s definitely got a Groundhogs Day vibe to it, but it was sweet. I love Cristin Milioti so that was fun to see her being so ridiculous. I’m also glad that Peter Gallagher is okay with being everyone’s dad now. I was in the mood to watch Clueless but Netflix wasn’t having it so we ended up watching Can’t Buy Me Love which is still a great 80’s rom-com. Also, Seth Green was EVERYONE’s annoying little brother in the 80’s.

Reading

I have been in a GREAT reading kick lately which is so nice. I loved Homegoing which was such an incredible story. I loved the generational story approach and the way the stories ebbed and flowed. It was a great book. You should read it.

I finished An American Marriage over my trip and it was also wonderful and heartbreaking. I’d heard good things and it was recently recommended to me again, I’m so glad I picked it up at the library!

I’m currently reading The Likeness by Tana French. A client of mine (who always has amazing book suggestions) loves her work and said this is her favorite, so I added it to the list. It’s more dense then I was expecting but so far I’m hooked!

I picked up a pack of nonfiction books from Third Eye Books which is a local Black owned bookshop here in Portland. They have done a great job of curating antiracism and educational book packs. I highly recommend you check out their recs!

How’s your summer reading going? Are you getting through your stack or are you having a hard time concentrating? Share your latest pop culture finds in the comments!