I'm the party pooper.
April 2026.
I rewatched Kindergarten Cop so I could listen to a podcast episode about it, and it is chock full of excellent quotes. I had many to choose from, but ultimately “I’m the party pooper” [said in Arnold’s accent, of course] is the one that stuck in my head.
April was a busy month and there’s lots to share from it. Enjoy :)
*ps as usual this post is too long for email so it will be easier to read if you click on the heading and read in your browser*
books.
And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens. This was a quick read that I mostly enjoyed. It has kind of a quirky premise and of course there’s an adorable dog sidekick and there’s also some good thoughts on the value of nostalgia v not living in the past. In addition it provided some food for thought on using AI to create the perfect partner and the long-term impact of that, although I would have liked a little more on the environmental aspect. Cousens’ books continue to be easy to read and overall enjoyable for me.
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen. This one has been on my list for a while and I’m so glad I finally made the time to read it. It’s a long and not always happy tale of two childhood friends and weaves through China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and California over seven decades, but one story moves forward in time and the other moves backward, slowly filling in all the missing details. I loved it. It’s beautifully written and I learned a lot of history I didn’t previously know and I unabashedly loved both Haiwen and Suchi.
We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian. I wasn’t able to read this along with the Culture Study crew a few months ago because it had a long wait on Libby, but I’m so glad I still read it. I loved both Nick and Andy and will be rooting for them forever.
The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin. This was a friend recommendation that I borrowed from the library and would read intermittently when on the subway or pick up here and there. I really wanted to like it because Isabella Stewart Gardner was a fascinating person, but it never flowed the way I wanted it to. It dragged at times and went too fast at others and while it was interesting I’ve also mostly forgotten it.
Heart the Lover by Lily King. One of the few books everyone raves about that I also loved and am going to rave about. It’s funny and heartbreaking and will likely be one of my favorite books of the year. It’s a fast read — you could finish it in one day if you wanted. I’ve already added more of King’s book to my library holds list.
American Fantasy by Emma Straub. I love Emma Straub and think she is a delightful human being and a great writer and yet this wasn’t my favorite book of hers [that title goes to This Time Tomorrow]. There were parts I enjoyed and some I didn’t and while I understand the ambiguous ending I also wanted more from it. Will still read anything she writes.
Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano. I picked this up at the beginning of the year and while it’s no Hello Beautiful I still mostly enjoyed it. The story of three generations of an Irish-American family in New Jersey, the book covers all sorts of family dynamics and dysfunctions and secrets. It’s Napolitano’s first book, published in 2004, and you can see her early promise as a writer and how she built on it in her more recent novels.
The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez. This was a big miss for me. In both books of this series the women have been emotionally and financially falling apart and the men have been love-bombing and borderline creepily obsessed. Speaking for myself, I don’t want a man to tell me he will test my food for me to make sure it’s safe to eat and if he dies he will at least die happy because he will have saved me [and this is on top of a lot of other confessions]. I continue to read Jimenez’s books because I really like a few of them and because there’s often continuity between the characters, but it’s such a huge pendulum swing between really liking some and really not liking others.
Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane, written and read by Lindy West. There’s been so much written and said about West’s recent memoir about the road trip she took after learning about her spouse’s girlfriend and her acceptance of polyamory into their marriage. If she’s happy then good for her, but it doesn’t come across in the book. If she’s not defending Aham’s behavior [bottom line: they’re a narcissist], she’s being condescending about people — mostly in the south — who she assumes are MAGA supporters. The most interesting chapters are at the beginning when West is talking about her experience working on the tv adaptation of her bestseller Shrill, but after that it’s pretty all over the place.
2026 book tally to date: 38
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. this year I am supporting Astoria Bookshop, my local neighborhood [woman-owned!] bookstore. you can see my full list of 2026 reads here.
movies.
other things I watched:
April’s Angelika mystery screening was an early showing of the new Hamlet, a modern retelling with Riz Ahmed. I liked the modern adaptation, but I also think if I hadn’t known the story I would have been lost for a good bit of the movie. currently in theaters
had to watch Point Break before reading Shea’s recap because I’d never seen it and it is hilariously insane. hulu / peacock
I watched Devil Wears Prada to listen to a podcast episode because I had never seen it. it was fine, I probably won’t watch it again. hulu
The Rewatchables did an episode on Kindergarten Cop so I rewatched it for the first time in probably 30 years and it remains amazing. netflix
tv shows.
I watched season 2 of The Pitt and while it’s not as good as season 1 [how could it be?] it continues to be great. This season we had an abandoned baby, deported parents, ICE agents, fireworks incidents, a pregnant woman wanting a “wild” pregnancy, a young mother with lung cancer, and some really gnarly injuries, along with ongoing conversations directly and indirectly about mental health. I’m not-so-secretly hoping next season will be all about the night shift, but either way I’ll keep watching. hbo
podcasts.
Betty & Veronica [Articles of Interest] — as someone who voraciously read Archie comics as a child, I loved this episode.
Your accent…explained [Today, Explained] — how they happen and what they say about you.
A Deeply Unserious Britain-America Summit with Riz Ahmed [Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know] — just a delightful conversation.
The Fascinating Future of the Chain Restaurant [Culture Study Podcast] — this was very fascinating and has given me a lot to think about.
Riz Ahmed [Films to the Buried With] — another delightful conversation because both Riz and Brett are hilarious.
Jessie Buckley, actor [Desert Island Discs] — I love Jessie Buckley and I loved this conversation.
Arsenio Hall* [Fresh Air] — Arsenio has had such an interesting life and I am very intrigued by his new memoir.
How Ben & Jerry’s Was Silenced on Gaza - with Ben Cohen* [Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know] — Ben Cohen talks about the history of Ben & Jerry’s, why he chose to step down, and what he hopes for the future of the company.
Patrick Radden Keefe on a Double Life, a Gilded City and a Mysterious Death* [The Next Big Idea] — I have been loving listening to PRK’s interviews about his new book London Falling as I wait to get it from the library. What a wild ride of a story.
Rhinelander v. Rhinelander [Criminal] — my takeaway from this is rich people have always been jerks when it comes to their kids marrying non-rich people.
BOOKstore Economics* [Planet Money] — as a book nerd and former bookseller I loved this conversation about how bookstores - especially independent bookstores - choose the books they stock. Lots of interesting information in here.
Creative collaboration with Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad* [ReThinking] — I always love listening to interviews with these two because they’re so intentional in their responses and they always have interesting things to say.
Why I Paid OnlyFans Models to Read ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’* [Death, Sex & Money] — I loved Margo’s Got Money Troubles and I’m excited to watch the tv adaptation and I also loved this interview with Rufi Thorpe about her experience writing the book.
Jason Schwartzman returns [Family Trips] — the first return guest on the show and I’m so glad it was him.
Kerry Washington* [Good Hang] — she’s such an interesting person and I loved this conversation.
The Great American Spelling Bee [You’re Wrong About] — as a former spelling bee champion I loved learning about this history of the spelling bee.
Amanda Peet [Fresh Air] — another really great conversation with a cool person.
Why Do We Still Love the ‘90s? [The Sam Sanders Show] — Sam and Rob Anderson talk about some of the most absurd pop culture moments from the decade and also discuss why we are so nostalgic for them.
*my “if you only listen to one” recommendations
music.
I have been very slowly getting back into regular running, and the Ranga + Ryan Season 2 playlist has been quite fun to listen along to in these early days.
articles + other links.
One of the stories I’m following in Memphis this year is the Democratic primary for the House of Representatives between incumbent Steve Cohen and challenger Justin Pearson. There’s no doubt Cohen has been a great advocate for Memphis during his time in Congress, but it’s time for some new leadership and if I were still living in Memphis my vote would be for Pearson. ny times gift link
Scaachi Koul’s profile of Lindy West and her new book is a nuanced look at what went into the writing of the book, and it is now updated to include West’s husband’s email to Scaachi after the article was published. slate, might be paywalled
^ for those of you who are paid subscribers to Priya Parker’s Group Life, this conversation is a real gem. group life
Supriya Ganesh wrote a beautiful essay about her journey with gender dysphoria. vulture
What life was like in the 90s. mcsweeney’s via cup of jo
other things I wrote:
two-state adventure day with Jeremy
Happy May!
xx