some things I'm consuming
(not food)
Hey all! I thought it’d be fun to do a little round-up of some of the stuff I’ve been reading / listening to / watching lately because I’m alwaysssss looking for recommendations for these types of things so thought I’d pay it forward. Take or leave whatever you’d like!
And if you have anything you’ve loved reading/listening to/watching, please tell us! Comments are open for everyone today.
📚 WHAT I’VE BEEN READING
BOOKS
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin — I’ve been trying to not just read brand new books, but also return to older ones I’ve never read — slowly making my way through Baldwin’s work!
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong — because new books are also great…I’m currently reading this and having a hard time putting it down
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline — an extraordinary biography of an extraordinary person!
ARTICLES
“Jan Todd May Be the Reason You’re Lifting Weights” by Danielle Friedman [*gift link! / NYT]
“Pee-wee and Me” by Matt Wolf [New York Magazine]
HERE ON SUBSTACK
“Sorry I’m Late, I cannot lift heavy things…and my uterus is over-heating” by
(note: it’s not about weight-lifting!! / just a really, really great read)“It Was Always Going to be Too Soon” by
— her beautiful obituary for her mother (written months ago but I’ve revisited it a few times because it’s just such a beautiful homage)“is ms. rachel braver than every elected official? (yes)” by
(YES!)
🎙️ WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO
PODCAST EPISODES:
“Suddenly: A Mirror!” [This American Life]
“A Good Sermon featuring Senator Elizabeth Warren” [Vibe Check]
“I’m the Party with Amy Poehler” [Las Culturistas]
MUSIC:
“My Song” [Labi Siffre]
“Ah-Mer-Ah-Su Need You, Need Me” [Star Amerasu]
📺 WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING
TELEVISION:
All of the new episodes of Couples Therapy (which I watch with my spouse Grace, a therapist who works with a lot of couples!)
Pee-wee as Himself on HBO Max — complicated and really well-made!
YOUTUBE:
Eating with Robert’s videos…they make me so hungry!
When I’m out of new episodes of Below Deck, I like watching TheCrewChef’s channel!
what my Iron Chef Dad cooked EVERY DAY for me growing up — just really into this very crispy chicken skin and father-son love!
Can I help you find something useful?!
Here’s my video library of 125 cooking classes!
Here’s my all-time favorite class: a tour of my kitchen and also my mind! It includes a 2+ hour recording and an incredibly detailed companion document that details all of the tools, ingredients + more I use (it's over 20 pages long!), plus a ton of tips for day-to-day cooking (lots of mini recipes within).
Check out my ShopMy page for my favorite kitchen tools, ingredients, and even clothing items — it’s all there!
And I catalog all of my favorite books right here at bookshop.org.
For audio - I'm about to finish The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi and it's the most fun I've had with a book in awhile. SO GOOD. The audiobook is so well done - I can't stop listening.
As for sitting and reading - I just finished Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy and that was excellent.
I just watched the series Detroiters on Netflix. It’s a short lived adorable and absurd buddy comedy in the vein of Flight of the Conchords.
I’m listening to the Ologies podcast. The most recent episode was about gray foxes and I learned a lot. I think you and Grace would enjoy it! There are episodes about squirrels and several about birds.
Food on repeat: the vegan Caesar from WGWW (but with real mayo)
And now I’m getting ready for grilling season! Would you please do a post about what you grill and how? I would love some ideas!