Hello! Welcome to my recommendations from January 2023. Right now I’m following the same basic outline that I used on my blog, but I might tweak it slightly over the next few months; thank you for following and for your patience!
books.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. I have been wanting to read this since it came out in 2021 and decided it would be a good book to kickstart my reading for the year. And I was right. It took a little while to keep all the characters straight, especially with the overlapping timelines, but even that couldn’t keep me from flying through this story. It feels odd to say that I wanted more from a book that’s over 650 pages, but honestly I could have kept reading.
Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family, written and read by Rabia Chaudry. You may have heard of Rabia Chaudry as Adnan Syed’s lawyer, but this book gives us an opportunity to learn more about Rabia Chaudry the woman. Raised in a Pakistani family in the US, Chaudry details what it was like to grow up as a girl, as an immigrant, as a Muslim, and as a fat kid. Listening to Rabia read her story was at turns hilarious, horrifying, and heartwarming.
The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh. After Great Circle I needed something that would be quick and a little mindless, and this fit the bill perfectly. A murder mystery in a small town in North Wales, two detectives with murky pasts and personal lives, lots of Welsh slang. It’s not a life-changing book, but it was the fluff I needed.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. At the end of 2022 I saw no fewer than five people post about this book across newsletters and websites and social media, so when I saw it in a bookshop I picked up a copy for myself. For being so short [120ish pages], it packs a punch. Set in a small town in Ireland in 1985, what at first appears as a small glimpse into one man’s life dives deeper into topics of family, religion, and doing what’s right even when it’s not easy. Very well done.
Spare, written and read by Prince Harry. I listened to this because I wanted to hear Prince Harry read his story, but honestly I wish I had read it instead. The constant chapter breaks made me feel like the story never found a rhythm, and at 16 hours it felt like a bit of a slog. I’m glad I finished it so I could have the full context for the stories I see online, but at the end I felt relief at finally being finished more than anything else.
2023 book tally to date: 5
all of 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. you can see my full list of 2023 reads here.
movies.
Maggie and I watched and liked The Banshees of Inisherin. It’s beautifully written, the acting is superb, and the scenery is stunning. A great treatise on the importance of relationships and connection. in some theaters and streaming on hbo max
Even more so than Banshees, however, I loved Aftersun. Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio were wonderful as a father and daughter on holiday in Turkey in the late 90s, and the entire movie is so well done. We are deep into awards season right now, and of all the movies I’ve seen that have received various nominations I think this is my favorite. And at 1 hour 36 minutes it is the perfect length. in some theaters and available to rent or purchase on apple tv+, prime video, and a few others
I also watched:
The Invisible Extinction — a great documentary that Maggie worked on!
The Whale — thought it was fine, not necessary to see in a theater
The Fabelmans — I liked it but it was about 40 minutes too long
tv shows.
A few friends recommended Wednesday to me, so I watched it at the beginning of the month. I liked it for the most part, but there were a few episodes where it dragged a little, especially because I knew pretty early on who the suspect was and felt it took a long time to finally get there. Definitely a fun watch if you like a little macabre and a little mystery. streaming on netflix
Around the middle of the month I was in the mood to watch The West Wing and decided it was time for a full series rewatch. I have been plowing my way through and am currently about a quarter of the way through season 5. It will forever be one of my favorite shows. streaming on hbo max
podcasts.
Abortions before Roe [Today, Explained] — an interview with a woman who was a “Jane” in Chicago in the years leading up to Roe and her immediate reaction after it was overturned.
The river walker [Kalki Presents: My Indian Life] — a man who walks along India’s rivers to learn more about the lives of the people who live alongside them and how they are being impacted by environmental changes.
New Year, New Job, New Me [Work Appropriate] — how to approach a job search, from figuring out what a job posting actually says to asking about remote work policies to navigating a career pivot.
How to Develop Your Passions and Avoid Burnout (with Atul Gawande and Adam Grant) [The Next Big Idea] — two of my favorites talk about balancing passions for different fields and steps to take to ensure you don’t burn out.
What happened next [Kalki Presents: My Indian Life] — catching up with some of the guests from previous seasons of the podcast.
Fighting For Equity In Sports [Fresh Air] — an interview with Lauren Fleshman, a distance runner who recently published a book about how the sports world is still built for men’s bodies.
Crossing the Darién Gap [The Daily] — a look at why so many people attempt to traverse the dangerous terrain that connects Central and South America.
The Death of Tyre Nichols [The Daily] — Memphis has been in the news a lot in recent weeks after the murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police and paramedics; this episode released on Jan 30 summarizes the details that were known up to that point.
recipes.
I made two New York Times Cooking recipes last month:
Meera' Sodha’s Chicken Curry is one of my favorite dishes to make: it’s so easy and super tasty and freezes easily for future enjoyment
We all know I love Melissa Clark, and her Roasted Honey Nut Squash and Chickpeas with Hot Honey is very good. I made it with butternut squash instead, and while peeling and cutting those takes time, the rest of the recipe is very easy. It’s great on its own with a dollop of yogurt on top or as a side with whatever else you’re eating.
both recipes are gift links so you shouldn’t encounter a paywall when viewing them.
articles + other links.
The evolution of the MetroCard’s design. curbed via roxane gay
Tipping is weird now. the atlantic
Hakeem Jeffries’ first speech as House Minority Leader. youtube
Happy February!