And we’re already one month into 2019 – wow that was fast! I started off the year with a week in Hawaii on a girls trip. It was restful and exactly what I needed. And it included reading TWO books, so I’m feeling pretty good about my pop culture goals for 2019 (30 books!) Here’s what’s keeping me sane this winter…
Reading
On vacation I read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Hillbilly Elegy. Why yes, those are completely different books. I loved Eleanor Oliphant – she’s not a character you see a lot of in books, and the story was great. Watching this completely broken person try to reinvent herself was wonderful. I have already shared my copy with a friend.
Hillbilly Elegy should be required reading for Americans. If you aren’t sure why we are where we are today in this country, this book can help. I didn’t know much about the story till I started reading it. The authors memoir of growing up in Appalachia and the life and advantages and disadvantages he had were fascinating. He also makes great observations and some recommendations for what we can do as a country to fix systemic problems in education, healthcare and human decency. I will gladly lend you my copy of this book, just ask!
I returned from vacation with lofty reading goals (I packed 6 books and only read 4) and instead picked up The Power at Costco based on an awesome recommendation by one of my clients. I just started reading it and it’s SO GOOD.
Listening
On vacation my friend recommended the second season of Slow Burn about the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. I was alive when it happened but was in college and not paying attention to politics. It is GREAT.
I still keep up on Pod Save America, The Daily and if I miss it, I’ll listen to The Rachel Maddow Show. I feel like there’s something else I listened to I’m forgetting to tell you about…
Watching
On the plane ride home I finally watched Crazy Rich Asians and it was just as fun and sweet as everyone said. If you haven’t watched it yet, get on it, it does not disappoint. Also, now I want to go to Singapore…
The season finale of The Good Place was sweet and lovely and that show is just about perfect. You should be watching it.
I am also loving Crazy Ex Girlfriend and have no idea how they’ll wrap up the series. I thought it was almost done but this season has 18 episodes, not 13 like the previous two, so there’s time to properly wrap this up.
This season of Schitts Creek is fantastic so far. Moira’s self involved-ness puts mine to shame. This season of Top Chef has been super fun and now I want to go to Kentucky and drink bourbon. I’m so glad that Brooklyn 99 is back! The honeymoon episode was genius and Andre Braugher is the perfect actor.
A few years back I read The Passage and now it’s a TV show. I watched the pilot and wasn’t in love with it, but I’ll give it a few more episodes to see. The book was SO detailed I’m curious how they’ll pull off a few things.
What pop culture is keeping you sane and warm this winter?
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