Here’s what I’m enjoying now!
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Books
Defy: How to Speak Up When it Matters by Dr. Sunita Sah — Medical doctor-turned organizational psychologist Sah shares research-backed strategies for acting in alignment with your values (and showing up for those around you) when there’s pressure to comply. She’s got a newsletter, too!
Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman — How can we embrace imperfectionism and thrive as finite humans? Each digestible chapter in this book offers wisdom and comfort to the frantic reader. Over the course of a month, we read a chapter(-ish) aloud each night, a nice little ritual.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans — Told in epistolary form, this heartwarming novel features a plucky septuagenarian protagonist who finds herself questioning her longstanding, firmly-held beliefs and opening herself up to new possibilities. (I’ve also heard that the audiobook is worth a listen and that it has full cast narration!)
Music
José González’s latest album Against the Dying of the Light expresses concern for unbridled technological advancement while embracing what makes us human. González sings in English, Spanish, and Swedish, combining mellow acoustic melodies with profound lyrics that make for an immersive listening experience.
The Year of the Rabbit by Yin Yin — Mesmerizing and flowy, this song is the perfect companion for deep work (or play!). Yin Yin is a four-piece band that blends elements of psychedelic rock, jazz, and disco to craft unique songs that will take you on a journey.
Big Wheel by Shannon and the Clams — This upbeat, toe-tapping song explores the passage of time and has been stuck in my head lately. I like this live version!
Food
I’m obsessed with the Beet Harmony Salad at a local Central Asian restaurant and have tried (semi-successfully) to recreate it! It’s got steamed beets, thinly sliced green apples, walnuts, oranges, and feta. This recipe is pretty similar to it.
This orange cake is so dense and flavorful! It’s the perfect springtime treat (especially with Earl Grey tea) but in my family, it’s become the default request for every special occasion.
Videos/Shows
The Cutoff: A Film for the Rest of Us is an uplifting documentary featuring a handful of runners chasing the cutoff times at the Cocodona 250, a multi-day ultramarathon that goes from Deep Canyon Ranch to downtown Flagstaff. It’s refreshing to see a group of tenacious back-of-the-pack athletes highlighted instead of the usual suspects.
Dark — This masterful, mind-bending German show is a mystery, thriller, small-town drama, and time travel sci-fi all in one. If you can tolerate a little a lot of confusion and ambiguity, you’ll be rewarded by the satisfying puzzle pieces that gradually click together as episodes unfold. The accompanying website is a useful companion, allowing visitors to avoid spoilers and providing detailed family trees and episode summaries.
Websites
I Miss My Cafe is a whimsical website that allows users to re-create the sonic environment of their favorite coffee shop. Toggle buttons the fireplace, casual chatter, and rain buttons on and off, listen to some indie tunes, and use the to-do list and Pomodoro timer features if you reeeallly need to buckle down.
Written by librarian Hana Lee Goldin, the newsletter Card Catalogue helps readers think like librarians and effectively evaluate information (including AI-generated content). Start with this post about 40 Google search features. Continue your perusal with an information literacy primer for parents and educators, a list of reputable sources for news, health, and financial information, and an article about how to spot AI hallucinations.
Jenny Lawson’s hilarious compilation of mortifying moments will have you in stitches. I scrolled through all of them over the course of a week, returning to the list every now and then for some comic relief. (And oof, are some of the stories relatable!!)
Psst!
I’m always foraging for recommendations. Got one (or ten) to pass along? Send me a message and I’ll share them here!