Reading, Watching, Listening (September 2023)
/As most of you know, I took most of the summer (July & August) off from work in order to travel and spend time with my family. Having seven weeks to relax and hike gave me A LOT of time to catch up on some new entertainment. Here’s what resonated with me:
READING
(1) The Guest - Emma Cline’s the Girls was fantastic, so I had high hopes for her newest novel and The Guest did not disappoint. It’s about a young woman sort of stumbling her way, essentially homeless, through the Hamptons. At times you root for her and at times you hate her, as well as the vast array of characters she becomes associated with. The whole book feels very surreal, but yet oddly believable too. Plus issues of wealth and class intersect as you keep wondering if the main character is going to be okay.
(2) Girls They Write Songs About - A novel/love story about a complicated, long lasting best friendship - why aren’t there more of these books?
(3) Romantic Comedy - This book is probably best described as a a rom-com in novel format, but it’s a really really good rom-com - the kind where the characters feel like real people - from the dialogue to the cringey moments. It’s an easy summer read that will make you feel like every good person may have a mega-star soul mate. Such a fun, honest, uplifting book.
(4) American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer - I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie, but I sort of wish I would have skipped it. The book is a slog. One one hand the writing is good, but there is so much detail and background that I kept wishing for a cliff-notes version. Luckily there is a cliff-notes version - the movie - which was fantastic.
(5) Eva Sleeps - This novel about a woman’s life growing up in the Italian alps was a great read for our trip to the Dolomites. It also provided a fascinating history of the South Tyrol region’s German heritage (despite now being part of Italy).
(6) Demon Copperhead - I could not put this book down. In fact, I was so invested that I changed my plans and booked another night at our hotel (Charlottesville’s Clifton Inn, where I was staying for a wedding) and spent a day by the pool finishing this novel. It’s that good. And it was especially fun to read in VA’s blue hills, situated east from the novel’s setting. Dickens would have been awed.
(7) You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir - Wow. Maggie Smith’s memoir about her husband’s infidelity and their subsequent divorce is raw and angry and sad and everything in between.
WATCHING
(1) Platonic (AppleTV) - As a fellow lawyer turned stay-at-home turned small businesswoman who is married to a successful lawyer (who I met in law school) this show totally hit a cord with me. When the kids went to elementary school and I had to figure out what I “wanted to be when I grew up”, I felt a lot like Rose Bryne’s character and I would have LOVED to have a Seth Rogan-type-friend to go through it all with me.
(2) Somebody Somewhere (Seasons 1 and 2) (Max) - It’s not easy to make a great show about “ordinary” people leading “ordinary lives” that’s not boring and that doesn’t make fun of itself, while still being funny. But this show does it all. So so good. I can’t wait to see what Season 3 brings.
(3) Barbie (Theaters) - People either seem to love or hate this movie. And I loved it. Both funny and insightful, you can view it on so many different levels. Plus, I was so happy that Greta Gerwig (the director/writer) didn’t use CGI and instead went with real sets, full of the camp Matte’s franchise is known for. As a girl I loved (like really really loved) Barbie, and, as an adult I’ve had so many complicated feelings about that, so I was extra happy to see a movie that addressed both the love and hate (and confusion) that this doll inspires.
(4) The Other Two (Season 3) (Max) - I still think this is one of HBO’s most under-rated shows. So funny.
(5) Past Lives (Theaters, Amazon) - I wrote about this movie in my last newsletter - such a beautiful story and so well told.
(6) Real Housewives of NYC (Season 14) (Bravo) - I wasn’t a fan of the old RHNYC, so I’m glad they changed the cast. Plus, the fact that Jenna Lyons is now a housewife shows how famous the chain has become. So far she’s my favorite cast member.
(7) Happiness for Beginners (Netflix) - At it’s heart this is just another cheesy romantic comedy that Netflix seems to have an endless supply of. But because it centers on the power of hiking/backpacking to bring a diverse group of people together I really enjoyed it (since I truly believe the answer to almost all of life’s problems is a few nights in the wilderness). Freya just finished Outward Bound this summer and I can’t wait to see how she feels about this movie.
LISTENING
(1) The Jesus and Mary Chain Live, Sunset 666 (Live at Hollywood Paladium) - I stumbled on this new album by accident and can’t stop listening. Is it the best album ever? Not really. But does it make me really happy to know that Jesus and Mary Chain still performs and records live albums? Yes, 100% yes. I’m not old yet!!! Plus, Just Like Honey holds up.
(2) Grouplove, I Want it All Right Now - I love this album. It’s fun and upbeat and wakes me up.
(3) Gregory Alan Isakov, Appaloosa Bones - This is Isakov’s first album in five years and that makes me so happy. I’m seeing him live at the Anthem next month and I can’t wait to sing along.
(4) Dumplin’ Soundtrack - I just got back from Dollywood, so obviously this is on repeat (how could it not be?)
(5) The Retrievals - This was a depressing, albeit important, podcast about a nurse at the Yale fertility clinic who stole the patients’ fentanyl and replaced it with saline. And none of the doctors seemed to notice (dare I say, seemed to care?) that several (it is unclear how many) women experienced surgery with no pain medication.
(6) Slow Burn, Season 8 - Becoming Clarence Thomas - Clarence Thomas still remains a mystery to me. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed Slow Burn’s attempt to understand him or, at least, put him in context.
(7) Thirst Gap: Learning to Live with Less on the Colorado River - Fantastic six episode podcast about the Colorado River’s dwindling water supply. The Las Vegas episode was especially good.
WHAT ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE? ANY GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS?
CLICK BELOW SEE TO ALL OF MY READING, WATCHING, LISTENING POSTS
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF OUR FAMILY’S CRAZY LIFE? Then please click below
. . . .
Darcy Troutman Photography is a Northern VA/Washington DC/Maryland documentary-style family photographer, who believes in capturing real moments. Interested in learning more? Please click here to sign up for my newsletter or schedule a session.