between two trips and working ramping up and a slew of people in and out of town, september was a bit of a roller coaster. some of my routines fell apart and i’m hoping to find them again this month, but in the meantime here’s everything that happened last month!

september highlights.

brooklyn cyclones game // labor day weekend adventures with jeremy // us open quarterfinals with sarita and chris // fancy date night with maggie // weekend visit to baltimore + a hopkins field hockey game // dinners with pat turns, kevin, and avni all in the same week // street art tour in bushwick // momo crawl! // ben platt concert at the garden

september books.

every summer after by carley fortune. i actually finished this book at the end of august but forgot to include it in my review which i think speaks to my feelings about it? i really liked the premise but don’t feel like it was executed well, and as usual i thought the “twist” was predictable and put off for too long. i didn’t dislike it, but i don’t think it is one that will stick with me either.

we were dreamers: an immigrant superhero origin story written and read by simu liu. i have such a crush on simu liu and loved listening to him read his account of growing up in china before moving to canada and his career trajectory that eventually led to being cast as a marvel superhero. he has a great voice, yes, and i especially loved hearing the emotion in his voice as he spoke about his love and respect for his grandparents.

the silent patient by alex michaelides. i have some mixed feelings about this one. it was a very interesting premise but felt like it took too long to get to the meat of the story and to answer what felt to me like fairly obvious questions, but it was also a very quick and easy read when that’s really all i had the mental capacity for.

the last to vanish by megan miranda. this was one of those that was very intriguing and had some real moments of greatness but overall didn’t feel like it worked, but that could also be because i predicted big chunks of it from the very beginning and then got frustrated at the roundabout way things were finally revealed at the end. i mostly liked it, but it’s frustrating when a book like this doesn’t have a satisfying — to me — conclusion.

the final gambit by jennifer lynn barnes. i needed to see this one through and read the final book in the series, but honestly i didn’t really like it. it built up to this huge reveal and then was over in a flash. i mostly think it didn’t need to be a trilogy — it could have been one very long book or two at the most. also i’m still angry at how the “love triangle” was resolved.

2022 book tally to date: 52

the best things i watched.

i watched more tv in september than probably the previous two months combined but didn’t actually finish anything, so here’s a rundown of the things i am currently enjoying.

really enjoyed the first three episodes of bad sisters and then took a break to let the episodes build up again. looking forward to finishing it this month. streaming on apple tv+

also really liked the first few episodes of a league of their own and am excited to finish the first season soon. streaming on prime video

my other favorite from september was mo, a great half-hour show on netflix about a palestinian family living in houston. i’m nearly finished with the first season and have been enjoying listening to creator and star mo amer’s various interviews about his life and how the show got made. shoutout to jordan calhoun for mentioning it in his newsletter and first bringing it to my attention. streaming on netflix

other things i watched:

• watched season 1 of industry at michael’s recommendation. it’s very stressful and i don’t understand any of the finance lingo but also i am fascinated by it. i’ll report back fully after i finish season 2 [hbo max]
• nearly finished with catastrophe. i’m on a real sharon horgan kick after starting bad sisters and this filled the void while i was waiting on new episodes of that. very funny and very easily watchable [prime video]
• season 2 of indian matchmaking is terrible and ridiculous and also good entertainment when i need to turn my brain off for a while [netflix]

the best things i listened to.

even better: setting your boundaries [vox converstions, august 18]. on the importance of setting boundaries in all aspects of your life and how even small changes can lead to better, more fulfilling relationships.

mohsin hamid, bestselling author, with wajahat ali [sixth & i live, august 22]. mohsin hamid is one of my favorite writers and i will listen to any and every interview with him. wajahat ali is also great. this one is a win-win.

what makes a good race joke? . three comedians talk about how and why they include race in their jokes and all the factors they have to take into account when doing so.

suketu mehta's love letters to bombay and new york city [tuckered out with ami thakkar, august 31]. mehta's maximum city is still one of the best books i've ever read, and i loved listening to him talk about his love for both bombay and new york city.

travel as a political act with rick steves [pantsuit politics, september 2]. rick steves on how traveling can help you develop a global perspective and all the benefits that come with that.

john legend, musician [desert island discs, september 3]. i promise i'm not going to share every episode of this series, but i couldn't not share john legend.

how whitney houston's super bowl national anthem has endured (encore) [espn daily, september 5]. all these years later, hers is still the anthem everyone remembers, but we often forget about all the internal and external factors that went into making this anthem happen. fun fact: my father and brother were at this super bowl!

work-life supports that truly help your organization [hbr ideacast, september 6]. companies are finally learning about the positive effects of work-life balance, not just in terms of employee productivity and retention but also in promoting diversity among managers. one of my "if you only listen to one" recs.

how the pell grant helped POCs go to college . lots of information on how the pell grant made college accessible for so many people of color, including the black woman who worked behind the scenes to make it happen.

what should high schoolers read [the argument, september 7]. kaitlyn greeidge and esau mccaulley discuss how high school english classes can and need to evolve.

how korean culture went global [throughline, september 8]. this was fascinating. great "if you only listen to one" listen.

1986: a boycott in mississippi [one year, september 8]. what happened in indianola, mississippi, when black residents banded together to make their voices heard when it came to the education of their children. another "if you only listen to one" recommendation.

keeping score: a year inside a divided brooklyn high school [the new yorker radio hour, september 9]. what happened when a fourth high school opened in the john jay educational campus in park slope. this episode follows the integration of the volleyball teams and the impact it had across the schools.

serena williams' final run [the daily, september 12]. wesley morris gushing about his love of all things tennis and especially serena williams brings me a lot of joy.

getting to sesame street [throughline, september 15]. loved this episode on the history of how sesame street came to be and how it has continued to evolve in today's world. an "if you only listen to one" recommendation.

the accessible city [monocle 24: the urbanist, september 15]. a look at some of the ways technology can improve different types of accessibility in cities and how those ideas can be scaled.

the survivor: from the holocaust to the munich massacre, one athlete's incredible story [espn daily, september 16]. this episode is incredible. it tells the story of shaul ladany, a man who survived the holocaust, qualified for the olympics, and then survived the munich massacre in 1972. another "if you only listen to one" recommendation.

move to your happy place [the happiness lab with dr laurie santos, september 19]. how where you live can impact your level of happiness and what you can do to improve the spaces around you. i especially loved hearing jason roberts, founder of better block in dallas, who was one of the organizers of the civic commons conference i attended there in early 2019.

why adnan syed was released from prison [the daily, september 20]. a look at why the case against syed was thrown out. lots of great information in here.

the federer model: life lessons from the tennis icon [espn daily, september 22]. author david epstein on what we can learn from federer's legendary career. great listen and if you like it i highly recommend epstein's book range.

why america has a crisis of masculinity [plain english with derek thompson, september 23]. an interview with richard reeves about his new book.

the best things i made.

melissa clark's new dinner in one cookbook arrived at the beginning of september, and i have made four recipes from it so far: spicy tomato white bean; rice and beans with quick pickled jalapeños; cheesy baked pasta with sausage and ricotta; and cumin-y chicken and rice. i love a good one-pan [or pot or skillet or sheet pan] meal, and so far everything i've made has been really good. my top recommendation is the baked pasta — it is delicious and makes a ton.

the best things i purchased.

this new sweater from madewell is soft and cozy and fits so well. the first time i wore it i received three separate compliments on it 🙂

the best things i read on the internet.

the traits that 'super friends' have in common. the atlantic

a wish list for when the pendulum swings the other way. aubrey hirsch for the audacity

on the loveliness that is monsoon wedding. the juggernaut

the case for dating a friend. the atlantic

anne helen petersen on the importance of including wealth in the conversation around student loan cancellation. culture study

the power in limiting who has constant access to you. liminal space

great profile of disability activist alice wong. la times via roxane gay

the evolution of group text threads, and why it's okay to exit them when they no longer serve you. the cut

on queen elizabeth's life and legacy. the cut

a great read for anyone who fondly remembers the choose your own adventure books. new yorker

in case you've not yet read patagonia founder yvon chouinard's letter about giving away the company's profits to fight climate change. patagonia

loved this recent post from hrishikesh hirway as well as the resulting playlist. accept cookies

really great piece on the progression of coming out as lgbtq on television. ny times via cup of jo

what happens when women and girls of color are left out of conversations about eating disorders. elle via cup of jo

roger federer announced his retirement. espn

what it was like to be part of the queue. gq via ann friedman

ja morant is on this year's list of the time 100! time

what americans don't understand about teachers and professors. the atlantic

happy october!

xx