Life is the aftermath.
June 2026.
I attended an event for Nayantara Roy’s new novel Sisters of a Halved Heart and in her conversation with Dani Shapiro she mentioned that one thing that sets the novel apart from others is that it’s all about the aftermath of a life-changing event, to which Dani replied “Life is the aftermath”, and I’ve not been able to stop thinking about that since.
*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.
You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian. I returned to Sebastian’s historical romances and am very glad I did. We Could Be So Good will likely always be my favorite, but I enjoyed this one and following the evolution of Mark and Eddie’s relationship.
On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer by Rick Steves. This was such a delight to read. It’s Rick Steves’ journal from his overland trip from Istanbul to Kathmandu in 1978, which turned out to be the last year you could make that journey [global politics and all that]. It was so fun to follow along on his journey with his friend Gene and to be able to see what those places looked like 40+ years ago. This is also reminding me that I underlined a lot as I was reading and never shared them so I will do that soon.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune. Fortune’s latest was mostly fine but admittedly not my favorite of hers. I found Frankie annoying and almost intentionally obtuse, and for the first half of the book I kept finding myself yelling at her. The second half was much better and I wound up liking it more than I thought I would, but the third act conflict was so predictable and frustrating.
The Final Target by Nora Roberts. The thing with Nora Roberts is you know exactly what you’re going to get, and I appreciate that consistency. It’s never going to be earth-shattering, but it’s also always going to be what I need in the moment.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. As a lifelong lover of writing postcards and letters, I really loved this. The entire book is a series of letters, emails, and other correspondence [hence the title] between our main character Sybil and a collection of relatives, friends, famous authors, and strangers. Over the years you learn about Sybil’s life and relationships and career, and I found it such an interesting way to uncover someone’s layers. It also made me think about what we will leave behind now that most of our communication is digital, which spurred me to get back on my postcard-writing game.
The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski. This one was such a disappointment. It had so much promise and could have been so good, but it never came together for me. You have a British estate in disrepair, a formerly well-to-do family in various states of ruin, and lots of secrets over the course of 70 years. And yet all but two characters are horrible beyond redemption, the narration is so stilted and often condescending, and it winds up being boring instead of intriguing.
Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy. I have so much I want to say about this book and will do so in a full post soon, but for now I will say this book is beautifully written and it both broke my heart and somehow still left me hopeful. I loved it and couldn’t put it down and need Tara to continue writing books for the rest of my life.
2026 book tally to date: 51
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 bookstore. you can see my full list of 2026 reads here.
movies.
watched Animal House for the first time and it was quite hilarious. netflix
it took us 4 viewings and nearly a month but Maggie and I finally finished watching Dhurandhar. it is insanely ridiculous and yes we have started the second one and will finish it when she’s back from Italy. netflix
tv shows.
June was all about the World Cup [as the first half of July will be as well]. I love the early days in particular, when there are group matches on all day long, and I especially love rooting for an underdog. I’m looking forward to seeing how the remainder of the tournament goes.
podcasts.
Sites Unseen: What’s Revealed by Traveling With the Blind* [The Daily] — a really interesting listen about how traveling with visually impaired people changed one writer and photographer’s life.
What’s the defining Millennial song? [NPR Music] — this episode was a great trip down nostalgia lane.
ZIGGY MARLEY Took A “Trip To The Moon” To Zimbabwe [Family Trips] — this was such fun to listen to.
Classic Desert Island Discs - Whoopi Goldberg [Desert Island Discs] — a great conversation and some fantastic song choices.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou [Zero to Well-Read] — a great discussion of a fantastic book. might be time for a re-read.
Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad look back on 15 years of ‘Book of Mormon’ [Fresh Air] — I loved listening to these two talking about the early days of the show, and I’ve been enjoying listening back to the soundtrack over the last few weeks.
Karaoke Videos* [99% Invisible] — if you have ever seen the wacky videos that accompany some of your favorite karaoke songs, this episode is for you.
Colman Domingo [Good Hang] — if there is a more delightful human on the planet than Colman Domingo, I have yet to find them.
Kaitlin de Varona: Stewardship as a Form of Advocacy [The Wild Idea] — I loved my time serving on the SAWS board, and I loved listening to Kaitlin talk to Bill and Anders about their ongoing work.
11 more songs to reset your mood | All Songs Considered [NPR Music] — some great song suggestions for when you need to turn your mood around.
Josh O’Connor takes the lead in ‘Disclosure Day’ [Fresh Air] — I love every interview and video with him because he seems like such a silly and delightful human.
‘Daily Show’ comic Josh Johnson [Fresh Air] — he has quickly become one of my favorite comedians, and I loved listening to this conversation.
Rafa Nadal Reveals the Hardest Part of Filming His Documentary | Q&Andy* [Served] — Rafa was in NYC in early June for the US premiere of his doc [still can’t believe no one invited me], and Andy Roddick moderated a conversation between Rafa and director Zach Heinzerling.
Sizes* [Articles of Interest] — conversations about what it’s like to be a fit model. I found this fascinating.
Seth Rogen Knows the Secret to Marriage — and Being Rich in Hollywood [The Interview] — it’s a long conversation but it’s a good one.
Wendell Pierce is a proud journeyman actor* [Fresh Air] — the truth is that I love Wendell Pierce’s voice and would listen to him read a phone book or instruction manual, but over and above that this conversation about his life and career is a great listen.
*my “if you only listen to one” recommendations
recipes.
I felt like I was getting into a rut in terms of what food I was making at home, so one of my challenges to myself is to make at least 1-2 new-to-me recipes each month for the rest of the year. In June I managed 7 new recipes, of which these were my favorites:
a chicken and rice with ginger scallion sauce from Keepers, a cookbook I’ve had for years and have not really utilized recently; it’s pretty similar to the khao man gai I love to order from a local restaurant and made a ton, so I was also able to freeze a lot of it which I always love // the recipe I made isn’t online but this one from nyt cooking is very similar and has fewer steps
this chile-crisp shrimp and green beans was delicious and will be added to my regular rotation going forward
these chile-crisp chickpea rice bowls were very easy to make and very tasty. even maggie agrees
I wish I had the words to describe how good this baked eggs with beans and greens dish is. I added my own ground spices to give it a kick, and I will definitely be making this again
*all links are nyt cooking gift links
purchases.
In my fifth summer in New York City I finally purchased a handheld fan and it has honestly been a game-changer. It has come in so handy, and I am going to get so much use out of it as the temperatures continue to climb. amazon affiliate link
After months without an e-reader I took advantage of the Prime Day sale and an early birthday gift from Sarah and ordered myself a new Kindle Paperwhite, and I cannot tell you how good it is to no longer have to read on my phone. amazon affiliate link
articles + other links.
Susan Saulny’s story of her grandfather, a Black man in New Orleans, and his brother, who moved to Chicago and passed as a white man, is an incredible read. ny times gift link
^ it really is one of the best movies of all time. good movie
other things I wrote:
Happy July! And happy birthday month to me!
xx