weather-wise august was as miserable as always, but friend-wise it was fantastic.

august highlights.

more and more dog sitting // buda besties reunion in bentonville // filmed a cool thing for the archer sisters // got myself a part-time job // mini-me came to visit // a riggs sleepover // got the go ahead to start running again!

august books.

the glass hotel by emily st john mandel. i am honestly still very confused by what the point of this books was. there were so many plot lines and characters that intersected, but not really anything that drew me in and kept my attention. i should have known by how convoluted the synopsis was, and at this point i honestly remember very little from the book.

a bollywood affair by sonali dev. look, when a book mentions old monk in the first 10 pages, i’m going to be hooked. it’s a fact that i won’t even try to deny. the story itself was kind of whatever – there were some parts that i really liked and others that really made me roll my eyes – but on the whole i liked it fine. it’s the first in a series, so i’ll read one or two more to see how i like those.

the survivors by jane harper. this book is so hard to put into words, because it had me hooked for the first 350 pages and then totally fell apart in the final 25. i was so into the story, working to figure out what had happened and how everyone intersected and who did what to whom, and it was great. and then we found out the who, which was intriguing. and then we found out the what and the how, and it was all very disappointing and honestly there’s nothing else to say about it.

the heart principle by helen hoang. the third in hoang’s trilogy was clearly the most personal one for her as it centers around a woman who finds out as an adult that she has autism spectrum disorder, similar to hoang’s own diagnosis in her thirties. ultimately i wanted more quan, because he’s been a favorite character throughout the series, but i did really like this book on the whole. she touches on having to mask to meet the expectations of others as well as autistic burnout, and i learned a lot from reading this.

you had me at hola by alexis daria. this was one of my favorite romance novels i’ve read. it was fun in parts and serious in others, and i totally loved both of the main characters. as always i wish they were better at communicating with one another, but on the whole this was a delight. i’ve already pre-ordered the second in the series which releases in a few weeks.

ask again, yes by mary beth keane. i love a good multi-generational family drama, and this one delivered. it took me longer to read than most novels, but it wasn’t necessarily slow; there’s a lot in this story, and i felt like it needed a little more time and attention. in the beginning it took me a bit to keep everyone straight, but overall i really liked it.

currently reading: recently started amanda ripley’s high conflict, v.e. schwab’s the invisible life of addie larue, and nora roberts’ come sundown. and continuing to make my way through designing your life. also will be reading sally rooney’s new novel as soon as it arrives in my mailbox next week.

the best things i watched.

ted lasso, season 2. enough said. streaming on apple tv+, new episodes released every friday

brooklyn nine-nine’s final season is out, and now i want to rewatch the whole series from beginning to end. streaming on hulu

grace and frankie dropped 4 surprise episodes from their final season, so maggie and katie and i watched them together. they were so great and now we have to wait until next year for the rest of the episodes and i might just have to rewatch the entire season while i wait. streaming on netflix

the second season of modern love released with another 8 half-hour episodes. these were a little more hit-or-miss for me than the first season, but for the most part i liked the episodes. however, i know they hyped up that kit harrington-lucy boynton episode a lot, but that one was actually my least favorite. streaming on amazon prime

because i am clearly on a british kick, i decided to watch this way up, and i loved it. dark british comedies are like catnip for me, and this has the added bonus of having tobias menzies in it so i loved it. it’s smart and funny and covers serious topics with great heart and sincerity. as of now there are two seasons with 6 half-hour episodes each, so if you decide to watch you’ll sail through it. streaming on hulu

when sarah was in town i introduced her to the IT crowd, and we watched the first series together while she was in town. it’s such a ridiculous and hilarious show, and when i get through a few other things i will finish my rewatch. streaming on netflix

i’ve never watched community until now, but while i was dog sitting for baxter some impulse pushed me to start it. some episodes are pretty funny and others are kind of meh, but it’s been a pretty good one to have on in the background. streaming on hulu

the best things i listened to.

from opinion: nikole hannah-jones and ta-nehisi coates [the daily / the ezra klein show, july 30]. a great conversation with two of howard university’s newest professors and two of the foremost voices on racism in america.

stories from the great american labor shortage [the daily, aug 3]. we’ve been hearing a lot about the so-called labor shortage in the states right now. this episode talks directly to people whose livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic.

maitreyi ramakrishnan [asian enough, aug 3]. she is as delightful in real life as she is on never have i ever, and i loved listening to this interview.

we are supported by…abby wambach [armchair expert, aug 4]. abby wambach remains one of my most favorite people to listen to.

bad behavior [call your girlfriend, aug 5]. aminatou and ann discuss recent transgressions by men and where we go from here.

cult of we: how wework’s ceo vaporized $40 billion [the next big idea, aug 12]. an interview with the two reporters who broke the story about wework and who recently wrote the book about it.

rebirth of public art [monocle 24: the urbanist, aug 12]. a look at the role art plays in revitalizing public spaces.

hygiene debates, skipping showers, and climate change, oh my! [it’s been a minute with sam sanders, aug 13]. the hot topic in mid-august was white celebrities who don’t bathe their children and how that plays out across races [see roxane gay article linked below].

the sunday read: ‘i write about the law, but could i really help free a prisoner?’ [the daily, aug 15]. i loved this story by emily bazelon about her journey to help free a wrongfully-convicted prisoner.

essential [this american life, aug 15]. stories about how people’s lives have changed as their roles were deemed “essential” over the last 18 months.

clint smith iii on confronting slavery’s legacy in america [vox conversations, aug 26]. clint smith iii talks about the journeys he undertook while researching and writing his book about the legacy of slavery in america.

the best things i purchased.

new tires for my car. nearly 5 years of driving on memphis roads, plus a lot of road trips, did a number on poor chewie’s tires, and i had to get them replaced. seeing as how i am hoping to undertake a long-distance move soon and will only be taking with me what can fit in my car, it seemed like a worthy investment. now here’s hoping the memphis roads don’t kill them before i can get out of here.

the best things i saw on the internet.

r eric thomas’ ode to tom daley’s knitting brought me a lot of joy.

super wow awesome friend alert! steph and pete – and hays – have been selected to participate in airbnb’s “live anywhere” campaign. airbnb

allyson felix’s letter to her daughter is phenomenal. she is one of my favorite olympians of all time. nbc sports

catherine lacey’s most recent short story. new yorker

roxane gay on who gets to be dirty. audacity

this profile of maitreyi ramakrishnan. teen vogue via hitha palepu

some lasting moments from the olympics. new yorker

more love for ted lasso. huff post / and especially season 2 episode 3. usa today

have you ever done a multiple intelligences test? i took one for an online course and really liked the breakdown that it provided.

ashley c ford is starting a newsletter! dreams really do come true.

nick miller is my favorite. jake johnson is a close second. bustle

this twitter thread about how the female gaze can impact a male actor’s career. kyle a.b. on twitter via adventurous kate

did you get caught up in the #bamarush trend on tiktok? because i sure did. nytimes

decorating dorm rooms has become such a racket. vox via hitha palepu

i have had a crush on joshua jackson for going on 30 years and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. refinery29 via hitha palepu

very interesting feature on sally rooney. the guardian via roxane gay

happy september!

xx

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