The weather is finally starting to show some more consistent signs of summer around the Pacific Northwest and after a PERFECT weekend at the coast with the pups for Memorial Day weekend we are back at it for the summer! Here’s a few things I enjoyed in May…
Reading
The new Emily Henry book arrived while I was on vacation and I devoured it one warm weekend. Great Big Beautiful Life is maybe my new favorite of hers. I really enjoyed the flashbacks from the story she was learning. If you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo this is for you. Also that is NOT a spoiler, when I saw that comparison I was mad, but it’s simply in the “main character goes to write a sweeping celebrity memoir” category. Also SUPER excited for Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new book coming in June!
I have read all four of Marissa Pessl’s books and Darkly was (as always) fantastic! I knew that this was a book I needed to read on vacation where I didn’t have distractions and could just binge through it. I was correct. Pessl’s written two adult novels (Special Topics in Calamity Physics is an all time favorite) and now two YA novels. It’s creepy and a great mystery/puzzle. I highly recommend it for your creepy(ish) summer beach read.
Listening
I continue to be obsessed with Good Hang, and the Philly Justice episode is everything I was hoping for. I don’t watch podcasts because that defeats the purpose, but I did listen to the podcast on our trip back from the beach and and my husband and I then watched the trailer when we got home and it did NOT disappoint. If you’re 1/3 of the Parks & Rec fan that I am you need to be listening to this podcast in general, but specifically this episode.
My brother told me about the newest Christianity Today (stay with me…) series – Devil in the Deep Blue Sea. I listened to the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast from the same person a couple years ago and loved it. This one is about the satanic panic of the 80’s and 90’s. If you grew up going to an evangelical church like I did, this is the podcast for you…
Watching
May is the season of finales. From season finales (Hacks!) to series finales (The Handmaids Tale! Righteous Gemstones!) it was a big month to wrap things up.
The series finale of The Handmaids Tale finally happened. I am glad this “dystopian fiction” show has wrapped up. When I saw that as a descriptor for the episode on Hulu I had to laugh as it is no longer dystopian nor fiction… It wrapped up well and set the stage for The Testaments which is coming in 2026. I probably need more time to process this finale, I am currently fine with it but didn’t love it. I sort of expected it to be similar to the book which is her recounting her experiences in Gilead to a governing council. It was not that, although I think she did that a few seasons ago? Anyway, it wrapped up well and June is safe. I hope Hannah is too.
I binged through the final season of The Righteous Gemstones which I have loved but this final season felt off and the last two episodes were… not my favorite? Baby Billy for life. May also brought us a second season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives that I didn’t need but absolutely binged just so I could read this power ranking (nailed it).
My family wouldn’t shut up about Chef’s Table: Legends with Jamie Oliver, Jose Andres, Thomas Keller, and Alice Waters. Four episodes, one about each chef, and they were all fantastic. If you like to eat at all, these all tell great stories about four incredibly accomplished chefs. Although…I came away with no need to go to French Laundry. Will be curious what you think.
I have created a long list of shows to binge this summer. I keep forgetting I have access to Disney+ so will see if I can get caught up on a few shows there in the coming months. I still need to watch Moana 2! Maybe when my niece visits in a couple weeks…
What have you enjoyed this spring? What are you excited to read/watch/listen to this summer?
Philly Justice was the best!!!