This month’s post will be shorter than usual since I was travelling in India for 3 weeks and took a much-needed break from most forms of media.
books.
Congratulations, the Best is Over! written and read by R. Eric Thomas. One of my favorite moments each week is when R. Eric Thomas’ newsletter drops in my inbox, and listening to him read his most recent collection of essays was like that experience brought to life. He talks extensively about his family, his marriage, adventures in homeownership, and his love for his hometown of Baltimore, and he manages the balance of humor and serious beautifully. Highly recommend as an audiobook.
All the Broken Places by John Boyne. I am usually a huge fan of Boyne, but this one missed the mark for me. I never read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which I think worked in my favor, but in the end I don’t know if he accomplished what he wanted with this book. Gretel was a complicated main character, which is usually where Boyne excels, but everyone else was very two-dimensional and only there to serve her story. I say skip this one and read The Heart’s Invisible Furies or A Ladder to the Sky instead.
The Sign for Home by Blair Fell. This one evoked so many emotions — laughter, tears, anger, heartbreak — you name it, I felt it. It manages to deal with a lot of heavy topics with a lot of humor and quirks, and I also learned a lot about the DeafBlind community and how to be a better advocate for others. I saw this in a bookshop over a year ago and bought the kindle version on a whim before my trip, and I’m so glad I did.
2024 book tally to date: 3
all the book links are affiliate links through bookshop.org so if you use them to make a purchase I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and you will be supporting independent booksellers. for the first half of the year I am supporting Bluestockings, a cooperative bookstore and activist center in NYC. you can see my full list of 2024 reads here.
movies.
On my final day of the holiday break I took myself to an afternoon showing of Poor Things. It’s funny, sad, a little bizarre, and quite interesting. Yorgos Lanthimos’s films aren’t for everyone, but if you liked his others you’ll like this one. Also the sets and costumes are perfection.
other things I watched:
Hulu wanted me to watch Dirty Dancing, and who am I to argue? Give Patrick Swayze’s jaw some posthumous awards, because that thing put in some work. hulu
I love watching movies on flights, and this trip was no different:
Joy Ride was excellent, and I both cried and laughed out loud while on my flight to Amsterdam. highly recommend!
Persian Version was okay. it had an interesting premise but I think ultimately it tried to do too much for an hour-and-a-half long movie. there were too many time jumps, too many characters and storylines, and not enough time to flesh everything out.
I had somehow never watched The Grand Budapest Hotel so that felt like a good watch for my final flight. it was quirky and funny and odd and so very Wes Anderson.
podcasts.
Listeners share the songs that moved them the most in 2023 [All Songs Considered] — Dillard recommended this episode, and it’s a lovely compilation of songs that stood out to listeners last year.
67 years after desegregation, Arkansas schools are in the spotlight again [Code Switch] — Code Switch’s live show from Little Rock.
Why Are So Many More Pedestrians Dying in the U.S.? [The Daily] — it’s a lot to do with poor sidewalks and infrastructure and the fact that American cars are getting bigger and bigger.
Ava Duvernay’s New Film Origin Reaches Beyond the Theater [Next Question with Katie Couric] — how Ava adapted Caste into a movie and what she hopes viewers take away from the film. A great conversation.
Gen Z Is Challenging How We Think About Work [The Assignment with Audie Cornish] — two Gen Z’ers talk about their experiences in the workplace and how they are leaving their own mark on workplace expectations and work-life boundaries.
A Confusing New World for College Applicants [The Daily] — how last year’s ruling banning the use of affirmative action in college admissions is impacting this year’s class on college applicants.
Can Ja Morant Reclaim his Megastar Status? [ESPN Daily] — this is moot for this season since he’s now out due to injury, but it’s still an interesting listen.
Elections Around the World in 2024 [The Brian Lehrer Show] — yes the US has our presidential elections this year, but many countries around the world also have big elections happening in 2024.
The Sunday Read: ‘Ghosts on the Glacier’ [The Daily] — the audio version of the article linked below about the failed South American summit expedition. it’s long but I promise it’s worth it.
Freshen up your resume [Life Kit] — some very good advice in here.
Sterling K. Brown [Fresh Air] — just a wonderful conversation with an outstanding man and actor.
music.
*NEW CATEGORY ALERT!* I don’t know that it will appear each month, but I figure I’ll start sharing any interesting Spotify playlists I listen to.
My friend Norten [a fantastic musician himself] is always sharing songs, so one night I mentioned in passing that if he had a playlist with all the songs he shared in one place I would listen to it. Less than 24 hours later, I received the link to this fantastic playlist curated just for me. As per Norten’s suggestion, listen to it on shuffle :)
Throughout our trip Sarah and I added songs to The Ranga and Ryan Show 2024 so that the final set is a microcosm of our adventures. It is a mishmash of songs we heard in bars and restaurants, songs we couldn’t get out of our heads, songs that friends recommended, etc. It makes little to no sense to anyone except the two of us, but it’s the soundtrack to one hell of a trip.
shopping.
While I was in Coimbatore I stopped by a FabIndia to pick up some new kurtas and fell in love with their rugs. I returned a few days later and picked out two, and my sweet aunt couriered them to me so I didn’t have to lug them around for the next two weeks. I am obsessed with them.
The big news is that I bought tickets to go back to Bombay for 3 weeks in March. It’s a long story that I may or may not share one day, but for now I’ll say that I’m very excited to return.
articles + other links.
Y’ALL! My girl Dillard [and her lab and some other people] had a paper published in Cell Journal!! I don’t understand 90% of the words but they have been working toward this for years and I am such a proud friend. CONGRATS!!
A great profile on Paul Young, the new Mayor for the City of Memphis. memphis magazine
Fifty years after a failed summit expedition in South America, one of the climber’s cameras is found and mysteries abound. This one is long but so interesting. nytimes gift link
Finding Jordan Neely. Another long but worthwhile read. intelligencer via roxane gay
Some love and attention for the Kerala film industry, much more subtle than Bollywood and attempting to tell deeper, more nuanced stories. nytimes gift link
25 rarely seen photos from the Sound of Music set. rodgers and hammerstein via cup of jo
Happy February!
xx