It’s been a delightful summer with books and shows and podcasts that are new or new to me. Here are some of my favorite things that I love but for which I don’t have 1000+ words a piece. Also, Jeff has been gifted some an excessive amount of real estate at the end since he told me he’s “kind of a character” in this newsletter and he thinks you’d like to hear from him.
You should read:
Really all of the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. I read books 7-11 over the summer and am waiting eagerly for the library to make book 12 available to me. These are less pure “cozy” mystery and more traditional mystery with a touch of small town life and French Canadian charm.
“The Anthropocene Reviewed” (John Green) - I really knew nothing of John Green since YA isn’t my jam and I already gave all of my interest in teen cancer stories to “A Moment to Remember” starring Mandy Moore and thus had no tears left to offer “The Fault in Our Stars.” However, this was assigned for a book club and was such a delight. It’s a collection of essays on things that make our human-centered planet special. I found it uplifting and thought-provoking and it just made me smile without ever being cheesy. It also provided a reset in the way I look at the world. I gave it five stars (plus have heard the audible version is fabulous).
“Destiny of the Republic” (Candice Millard) - My familiarity with James A. Garfield was primarily limited to knowing that (a) he went to my alma mater and (b) he was assassinated. C’est tout. Why his story and/or this book has not been made into a movie yet is beyond me but my mind was blown by the man, his genius, his resistance to political office, the lack of security precautions taken around presidents even after Lincoln’s assassination, the motivation of the person who tried to kill him and the absolute appalling choices made by doctors at the time (some unknowingly but some driven by ego). I just finished “River of Doubt” by the same author about Teddy Roosevelt’s post-presidency trip to the Amazon and I may have even liked it more but I take this newsletter very seriously and don’t want to risk recency bias.
You should watch:
I mean, I’ve already made it clear you should watch “Under the Banner of Heaven” and “Love Island UK” so will skip further commentary.
“Abbott Elementary” on ABC and Hulu and HBO Max - I was late to the party here but it’s one of the funniest sitcoms I’ve seen in ages. Jeff and I attempted to rank our favorite characters and weren’t able to say anyone was our least favorite. It’s the spin on workplace comedy I didn’t know I needed and I obviously appreciate the nods to Philadelphia (even if I only learned from the show that “jawn” is a word). It’s nominated for seven Emmy’s and season two is returning September 21st.
“The Bear” on FX and Hulu - Technically we haven’t finished this yet because it’s super intense and I have to manage it in pieces but critically acclaimed food television drama is an obvious sweet spot for me and by the time I do my Fall round-up it’ll be an even more dated reference.
“Lost Illusions” which you can rent or buy on Prime/Apple - I really wish more people had seen this recent adaptation of Balzac’s “Illusions perdues” but it truly was fabulous and I also recommend A.O. Scott’s review which includes one of my favorite sentences of the year: “Balzac was a prodigious coffee drinker, and the movie, though its characters run on champagne and schadenfreude, is nothing if not caffeinated.”
“The Worst Person in the World” on Hulu - I was torn on whether to recommend this Norwegian movie which I threatened to stop watching 2/3 of the way through after a disturbing drug/hallucination sequence. I ultimately described it to Jeff as being like a Michelin starred restaurant that was freezing cold and knowing that every thing was technically perfect and artistically beautiful but the overall experience felt uncomfortable and unpleasant. So maybe you shouldn’t watch it… depends on whether that sounds like your thing.
“Junior Baking Show” on Netflix - There is a children’s spinoff of “Great British Baking Show” and it’s absolutely magnificent and charming and wonderful and should potentially be renamed “Fun British Children Dropping Things and Running Out of Time.” But regardless, I will double down that it’s the most delightful thing available to anyone right now. You have all of the charm of the tent but with talented children speaking with British accents and a host named Harry Hill who elicits an equal mixture of eye rolls and giggles with his antics. I also told my team that I think watching the show should be mandatory for people managers who need to learn how to give actionable, constructive but positive and memorable feedback.
You should listen to:
Normal Gossip (podcast) - Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” In the case of this podcast, it’s really great minds simultaneously discussing people and events. If you always enjoy when a friend tells you a story about ridiculous circumstances surrounding people you don’t know, then this is the podcast for you. I recommend season 1, episode 5 (about sorority sisters getting married) as a starter because I do think the podcast is getting its footing at the start of season 1. If you listen, please know that the episodes that I found most discussion-worthy (because of the ideas, Eleanor Roosevelt, I swear!) are season 1 episode 8 (which features the most appalling approach to planning a group trip that offended me at my very core) and season 2 episode 6 (which gave me secondhand embarrassment at such a level that I almost threw my back out while listening in the passenger seat in the car and going into a full body cringe multiple times). Season 3 starts later this month! A huge thank you to Elena for introducing this gem to me and also having provided me with years of great gossip prior to the podcast.
Fed Up (podcast) - This is high fiber tasty treat; just a few episodes about a weird war between wellness influencers on Instagram and all narrated by Casey Wilson. Fine, it’s not setting the world on fire but if any of the words in the previous sentence piqued your interest, you will enjoy every minute.
Sharon Says So Momentum Series (podcast) - I love Sharon McMahon/@sharonsaysso on Instagram. It’s like following your favorite history/government teacher in real life (except that my favorite history/government teacher doesn’t do social media — hi Sobes, if you ever see this!) She did a 17-part series (many parts are under 30 minutes) on the small changes that drove the Civil Rights movement and it was beyond fabulous.
My “like a glass of white wine” playlist! - This is basically all the kinds of things (fine, just Classical but a wide range of Classical) that I want to listen to while looking out at the water from a deck with a glass of La Crema Chardonnay.
You should make:
Okay so I realized it’s actually not helpful to tell you about my fun summer recipes in September so this is actually what I’m looking forward to making this fall.
Roasted Tomatoes with White Beans (Smitten Kitchen) - This is/was a summer recipe but they’re cherry tomatoes so you can do it year round. I served with olive oil toast and a six minute egg and grilled some sausage on the side for kids. Bonus points for being crazy low maintenance to prepare and extra bonus points for being vegan.
Poole’s Diner Mac & Cheese (Poole’s Diner via Garden & Gun) - Potentially the easiest, most luxe (actually no, that’s Ina’s truffle mac & cheese) and richest mac & cheese and I can’t imagine eating it again until the temperature cools a bit more. Only six ingredients plus salt and all six are available at Trader Joe’s. I serve with a roast chicken and a very very lemony herby salad.
French Apple Cake (Dorie Greenspan via David Lebovitz) - Nothing tops a French apple cake in the fall. It’s simple and light and the leftovers work well for breakfast.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Two Peas & Their Pod) - Speaking of cake for breakfast, this is definitely heavier than the aforementioned cake but it is the perfect fall breakfast and snack. Swap the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in the batter for a tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice blend if you’re too lazy to open four jars when you can open one.
Fall-toush Salad (Smitten Kitchen) - Other than family and the Detroit airport, widely available and absolutely fabulous Middle Eastern food is probably the thing I miss most from Michigan and I haven’t had a fattoush salad that I’ve loved in quite some time. I look forward to making this spin on the classic every fall.
Lastly, if you’re preparing for fall/winter, then I must remind you that now is the time to order your Bonne Maman advent calendar so that you can get a mini jar of jam each day in December. These typically sell out by mid-October so don’t sleep on it. You don’t really know joy until you’re surrounded by so many mini jam jars you don’t even know which ones to focus on for your afternoon snack.
This is Jeff’s section. A few years ago, he explained to me that I have very simple taste while he likes more complex movies and books. And by “more complex,” he meant “things that involve space ships, time travel, talking animals, dark liquor, animation or use Radiohead in the soundtrack.” Enjoy!
Hi everyone, Karen's better half here! Just kidding, no one believes that except maybe my mom. But realistically not her either. It's not always easy being the Jeffrey to Karen's Ina, but I also get the advantage of getting to read, watch, listen to and eat all of the great stuff she tells me I should. And she's right about 90%* of the time, even though we actually have very different tastes in almost everything. Here's what I think you should…
Read: "Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr. His "All the Light We Cannot See" is one of my and Karen's favorite novels yet she didn't warm up to his latest book like I did.** It's one of the best pieces of fiction I've ever read and tells the story of what it means to tell stories in a beautiful way that spans hundreds of years and a brilliant set of characters.
Listen to: Smartless (podcast). If you like podcasts, you probably already know this one, but it has become my go-to on any long driving trip (of which I do at least one every month it seems). It's hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett and the conceit is that one of those hosts picks a surprise guest for them all to interview each episode. They all are close friends IRL and the banter is really the heart of the show. Furthermore, none of these guys seems to have any talent for interviewing which makes it even more fun somehow.
Watch: “The Sandma”n on Netflix. I could recommend hundreds of things that Karen will never recommend because she stays away from the following genres: sci-fi, fantasy, anime, heavy and/or weird dramas, and horror. I know, all the good stuff, right? Anyway I'll go with my most recent binge and it was The Sandman because a) it comes mostly from the mind of Neil Gaiman, b) the production value and art direction is fantastic and c) it doesn't take itself too seriously -- case in point the montage of the main character somehow choosing the most emo haircut possible across several centuries of style.
Drink: the Mezcal Last Word. I love making cocktails and right now I've been playing with equal-parts cocktails like the Paper Plane (also great) and the Last Word. My favorite variation is a Last Word but the gin is replaced with Mezcal. The result is a cocktail that has all the notes: herbal, citrusy, smoky, and a touch of sweet. And it's simple -- you just need to mix equal parts (3/4 oz probably) of mezcal, Green Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and fresh lime juice, shake it with a lot of ice and strain into a glass. Preferably a coupe glass and double strain to get the lime pulp out. Sooo great.
Play: Another thing Karen doesn't do is play video games, unless you count phone Sudoku. I play a variety whenever I get time and my current obsession is Dorfromantik. It's very simple -- you are given a stack of hexagonal pieces that have a variety of land, water, forests, fields (and more) on them and the goal is simply to place each piece so its edge corresponds with an existing piece of the same landscape type. There's a bit more to it than that but you can play at your own pace and I find it incredibly calming watching my little world grow piece by piece.
* Seems low to me
** See: time travel
Please note that Jeff was told “sure, you can have a paragraph or two” and sent the above.
I have been reading the Inspector Gamache series all summer also. I actually started with #17 because it was available as a download from my library during one of my trips. So then I started at #1. I have been either reading or listening - whichever comes first on hold. I generally read the book in a day. The "who dunnit" is not as interesting as just spending time with those familiar characters. I do wish Reine-Marie had more of a role than waiting for her husband to return safely, though! And how lovely if one could live in Three Pines. (In truth, I'd be bored after a day or two. LOL.)