Hello hello! Happy February! Here’s a recap of my week:
Things I Read
Books
If you’re looking for a book to read, try this list of contemporary romance recs, this list of other fiction recs, or this list of non-fiction recs. I also track everything I read on Goodreads.
The Legacies by Jessica Goodman: I used to read a lot of murder books, but now that I hear about crime all day at work I can’t anymore. But sometimes I am still in the mood for mystery and when that happens I find YA thrillers to be better for me, because they are often so absurd and over the top that it doesn’t feel like a real story, and they are less gruesome. Just feels more removed from reality and a little less dark to me. This one is about a group of teens at an elite prep school who are all trying to get into a fancy club called The Legacy Club. There is an unexplained death but this is mostly just rich teens behaving poorly. I listened to the audiobook and had fun. This is my second Jessica Goodman book (I also read They Wish They Were Us) and I find her very similar to Karen McManus (who wrote One of Us is Lying), so that’s the vibe here.
Articles
Podcasters Took Up Her Sister’s Murder Investigation. Then They Turned on Her.: I can’t stop thinking about this super upsetting article about a woman who teamed up people who agreed to make a podcast about her sister’s murder and what happened when their relationship devolved. I say this over and over again but I really do think the proliferation of true crime content has truly given everyone brain worms. So many people see crimes as puzzles to solve rather than traumas to heal from. We deify crime victims and their families as if this is a status to aspire to rather than a tragedy to endure. To befriend a woman whose sister’s murder is unsolved, and to then turn against her because you think she is hindering your investigation into the murder?? This is brain rot behavior to the most absurd extent. Touch grass. I would encourage anyone who consumes true crime content to really be intentional about which kinds and who is making it. Do they have permission from the people involved? Do they have any expertise in criminology or the legal system or journalism, or are they just random people who’ve decided they can solve crimes? Are they just regurgitating what cops and prosecutors are saying? All red flags! My list of podcasts I recommend has a whole section of crime podcasts that I think are ethical, realistic, and informative if you’re looking for a new one.
Things I Watched
TV
If you’re looking for a show to watch, try this list.
Taskmaster (Youtube): I have gotten really addicted to this UK game show over the last couple weeks. Each season features five comedians, and in each episode they have to do absurd tasks for points. This is SO funny, it makes me laugh so much. I started with season 7, and now I’m watching season 9, just because these are the ones that have cast members I recognized. This show has been on for years and there are many seasons of this in full on Youtube. This would be a great thing to watch if you’re sick, or sad, or need something with absolutely nothing that could trigger you. It’s so weird and so funny, I love it.
Platonic (AppleTV+): I heard good things about this when it came out last year and then saw it got renewed for another season so I decided to watch, but I’m giving up after six episodes. This stars Rose Byrne and Seth Rogan as two old friends who have drifted apart, but reconnect when they are both in a moment of feeling lost in life (for her, trying to figure out what to do after years of being a stay at home mom, for him, getting divorced). I liked the first few episodes of this but got bored as it went on because each one feels the same and the plot doesn’t feel like its progressing at all. This is very meandering and it is quite funny at times, and I really like everyone in this show. But I don’t feel invested enough to keep going.
Movies
Nyad (Netflix): I mean this in the nicest way possible when I say I think your mom will love this movie, but it was not for me. This is a biopic about Diana Nyad, a famous marathon swimmer who, in 2013 at the age of 60, decided to come out of retirement to try to be the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida. Annette Bening plays Nyad, and Jodie Foster plays her friend and coach, and they both got Oscar nominations for their performances. I just don’t really get this movie…it’s made by the people who made the Free Solo documentary and I wish they had made a documentary instead! There’s a lot of weird film making choices here and I think I would have liked this more had it been either a straightforward sports biopic OR a documentary feature and not some weird combination. Another huge problem I had with this is I found Diana Nyad to be truly insufferable. She is mean and annoying and rude and I did not like her at all, which is tough when the whole conceit of the movie is that you are supposed to be rooting for her. She sucks sorry!!! I also found out from this article that she has an extensive history of lying/exaggerating about her career accomplishments and that even the legitimacy of the swim the movie is about is in question! Where’s THAT movie??? I just did not care about this at all, I was bored, I was annoyed at a lot of the choices it made, and while I think Annette and Jodie are fine in the film I also think its absurd to say these are two of the best performances of the year. If this movie still has any cultural relevancy in five years I’ll eat my own arm. My least favorite Oscar movie I’ve watch this season, sorry!
Things I Bought
You can read about my full skincare routine and favorite products here. If you need a sunscreen recommendation, try this list.
Fenty lip mask: I have pretty consistently used the Laniege lip mask for years now, but every so often I like to try a new one. I’ve been using this for a while and I really like it. I love the packaging, and I definitely think this is thicker than the Laniege one. This has been great for the winter, but I do think I’ll switch back to Laneige for the warmer seasons when I’m not as dry.
One Last Thing…
I am months late, but I am obsessed with this album. Bops! I love Red Wine Supernova and Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl and My Kink is Karma.
That’s it for me! This week I am going to watch the Grammys and at least one of the Oscar movies I haven’t seen yet. I hope you all have a good week.
TTYL,
Emily