"We're all humans, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving."
November 2023.
What a month November was! Two conferences, NYC marathon weekend, a comedy show, Diwali, dog sitting, a play, a flight to Memphis, a Riggs reunion, two Grizzlies games, a musical, and lots of time catching up with friends and family.
book.
only one book this month!
Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon. I’m still deciding how I feel about this one. On the one hand I appreciate a book that addresses mental health, body positivity, openness around sex and sexuality, good communication, and the like. And on the other I struggled with the main female character, the endless internal monologue, the “conflict”, and the length. That final one is an ongoing complaint, because I really don’t think romance novels should be over 300 pages, and this one was pushing 400 and a lot of it felt unnecessary. As I told a friend, I’m taking a break from romances for a while because I can feel myself becoming cynical about them and I don’t want that to happen. Also I…didn’t really feel the chemistry between the leads?
2023 book tally to date: 41
all 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 remainder of 2023 I will be supporting Yu & Me Books as they recover from a fire in their building. you can see my full list of 2023 reads here.
movies.
There was a Harry Potter marathon over Thanksgiving weekend so my brother and I watched the end of Goblet of Fire and then all of Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows parts one and two. I am currently deep in a Harry Potter audiobook phase so it was fun to watch the movies in the midst of that, and I especially enjoyed explaining what was happening to my parents when we tried to make them watch with us. [we watched on USA network, but they’re also on hbo max]
other things I watched:
rewatched the first half of Om Shanti Om for Diwali. I had forgotten how good the songs are [netflix]
tv shows.
I got really into a Downton Abbey rewatch last month and it was exactly what I needed. Guess rewatching the movies is up next. [prime video]
podcasts.
The Sunday Story: This is what it feels like to be catcalled [Up First] — what it can be like to navigate the world as a woman / in a female-presenting body.
Where One Neighborhood Ends and Another Begins [The Brian Lehrer Show] — New Yorkers call in to respond to a recent neighborhood map of New York City and to discuss names of different micro-neighborhoods.
‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ [The Rewatchables] — this was so entertaining and now I need to rewatch the movie.
The Doctors of Gaza* [The Daily] — a really tough listen, but if you can stomach it this insider account of what it’s like to be a doctor in Gaza right now is very good.
TOO Episode 199 - Audio New Play Festival | BARRELHOUSE by Kam Henderson [The Theatre of Others Podcast] — Kam, one of my former Bridge Builders, wrote this series of vignettes so obviously I had to share.
Episode 558: Mona Chalabi* [Longform] — Pulitzer Prize winner Chalabi discusses what it’s like to be an outsider even when you’re well-known — “I deserved to be there, but I didn’t belong there” has stuck with me since I listened to this episode.
A Reporter’s Journey Into Gaza [The Daily] — another difficult but important listen.
Meet the Students Challenging Book Bans* [The Assignment with Audie Cornish] — we hear from two students who have taken matters into their own hands.
Jeff Tweedy: “I Loved It” When My Label Said Wilco Would Fail [The Great Creators with Guy Raz] — Jeff Tweedy is such a good interview listen, so I never miss an episode that features him.
1990: Pizzastroika [One Year] — what happened when Pizza Hut decided to open in the Soviet Union.
Grapevine: Ep. 1: The Girl and the English Teacher [Southlake] — this whole series about Evangelicals leading the way on book bans is very well done.
The Dating Brain in the Digital Age [Chasing Life] — how our brains have adapted to dating in modern times.
Underdogs, Training Montages and Buzzer-Beaters: When Sports Movies Got You Through It* [Death, Sex & Money] — all about the sports movie favorites we turn to when we need to be uplifted. If ever there was an episode made for me, this is it.
Ending Roe Was Supposed to Reduce Abortions. It Didn’t.* [The Daily] — what the statistics say all these months later.
How U.S. Unions Took Flight* [Throughline] — how airline unions in the U.S. have brought intersectionality into their work and the ripple effect of their efforts.
*my “if you only listen to one” recommendations
recipes.
An oldie but a goodie and one I got from a friend and so don’t have a link for but I made pecan pie for Thanksgiving and it was delicious.
Also while I was in Memphis my mother requested I make this potato-cheddar soup and it was a big hit. ny times gift link
shopping.
At the very end of October I made two big purchases from Wayfair that I had been saving up for, and I finally got them assembled and put to use:
this beautiful dresser [on sale!] that has allowed me to [almost] finish unpacking the last of my clothes
this shoe cabinet that also doubles as the spot where I can leave keys, sunglasses, and other tchotchkes [out of stock as of this writing but hopefully back soon!]
I made a few Cyber Monday purchases but I won’t be back in NYC for a few days so I’ll include those in the December roundup.
articles + other links.
*ANNOUNCEMENT* I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to tell you the one, the only
is officially live! If you like brilliant, hilarious writing, she’s the one you want to follow.Could you live in the smallest house in London? dezeen via cup of jo
This Baylor faculty and staff panel got me so emotional. All the panelists have been there since I was a student [including my former English teacher and advisor, Mrs. Haynie!], and I am so lucky to have learned from them. youtube via baylor school
Isaac Fitzgerald on why he loves paperbacks. esquire via roxane gay
^ found this analysis very interesting. culture study
How many of these November plans did you do? grace farris for cup of jo
On the rise of urgent care centers around the U.S. ny times gift link
^ loved this read from Caroline. between a rock and a card place
What vocab words are you into? cup of jo
Stop asking Harrison Scott Key if he wants a son. men’s journal
This essay puts a personal spin on the importance of urban planning and air quality on long-term health outcomes. That’s such a poor summary so really all I can say is it’s a great read. aeon via longreads
other posts from me:
my friends ran the nyc marathon!
Happy final month of 2023!