The content I’m consuming
The one silver lining of having *a lot* more time at home is that I have more time to read, watch TV and listen to podcasts–aka consume a lot more content!
I’ve been loving so much of what I discovered lately, and so–wanted to share a few things just in case you are looking for something new to enjoy!
Shows
I have to group my TV shows into a few sections: background while I send emails, foreign shows that require full attention, and something in between. For background, I’m very much enjoying the drama of 90 Day Fiance and the intensity of The Challenge (team CT and Killa Kam forever!). I also am very committed to the Ringer Dish recap pod of The Challenge.
For foreign shows, I am obsessed with Call My Agent: set in a Parisian talent agency, it has so much great humor (and so much great real French fashion). A very good exercise for me to work on my French comprehension and modern slang as well. I also recently started Borgen, a Danish political drama with shades of the West Wing.
And for a very solid in-between: we are a bit late to the party, but we are loving Ramy! It’s a very real and illuminating look at being Muslim in America, and has such good and layered characters.
Reads
One somewhat unexpected thing about me is that I border on morbid: *obviously* we are all going to die, and I feel like it’s something we should talk about more. This has come out before in my predilection for cancer memoirs (The Bright Hour, When Breath Becomes Air), but I have since discovered books more directly about death. After listening to an episode about death doulas on The Daily, I read Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons From the Crematory. I highly recommend Being Mortal, especially if you have aging parents: I found it very helpful to reframe our approach to growing older and to think about the questions to ask around certain diagnoses or before major surgeries.
On a lighter note, Pretty Little Wife was a solid thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. World of Wonders was a truly original delight, full of interesting facts about flora and fauna beautifully tied into a personal story. Another nonfiction book that I just couldn’t put down was The Splendid and the Vile: I’m such a big Erik Larson fan, and his account of Churchill and the blitz and all of the tiny quotidien details almost read like fiction.
I’m currently reading Against the Loveless World right now, and it’s a gorgeous read. I didn’t know much about Palestinian culture before reading A Woman is No Man a couple of years ago, and Salt Houses last year: I really appreciate how much fiction can help you understand and relate to a different culture. Next on my list is The Arsonists’ City!
Lastly, I’ve long been a Mary Oliver fan but I picked up a copy of Devotions for my nightstand. I’ve been reading a couple of poems every morning before I meditate and at night before I go to bed, and it has been so uplifting.
And not quite content, BUT I splurged on a 2021 boyfriend pillow (does anyone else have the fondest memories of their moms having these in the 90s?!) and it has really upgraded my nighttime reading in bed (and morning meditating in bed). So comfortable!! (You can use this link for $25 off if you are so inclined).
A few books that are on my to-read list: Between Two Kingdoms, Hood Feminism, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and Migrations!
Podcasts
I listen to *a lot* of podcasts–partly for work, partly for fun, mostly as a combination of both. Two of my recent new show favorites: Stolen: The Search for Jermain is a deep dive into a missing persons case in Montana that examines the extra risks that come for the indigenous community. And Welcome to Your Fantasy explores the origins of Chippendales, which has far more drama (and murders!) than I thought possible.
And although it’s technically a book, I’ve been listening to Jane Eyre as a podcast on Spotify: it’s been very fun! I think I read Jane Eyre in high school, but I honestly don’t remember–so this has been a nice way to catch up on a classic. I’m definitely going to do Great Expectations and The Awakening next!
Do you have any shows/books/podcasts to recommend? Always looking for things to add to my queue!
