Jesus christ, after a season as hardcore and expensive as this, let’s all take a moment to luxuriate in little pleasures. The baby-sized moments of joy, curled up at the end of the day in your granny nightgown with your comforter tucked under your chin for a great cult documentary or sleazy read?
I hope you’re getting some time alone to read and binge, and thus: my gift to you, recommendations for the most ENJOYABLE things I read and watched this year - not the BEST, but the most pleasurable (cringe). Some of them are old, some of them are objectively terrible, (I honestly haven’t seen or read most of the “good” things this year, I exist mainly in a place of garbage) but nevertheless, here they are.
THE WOMAN IN ME read by Michelle Williams
This is not trash, I’m not all the way through it, but I’ve been listening to the audiobook of The Woman In Me, read by Michelle Williams, and it is EXCELLENT. The story is unbelievable, and Michelle reads it with so much empathy and feeling, I’ve been listening to it lately on my long walks and I’m completely absorbed.
DEMON COPPERHEAD
This came out last year, but I just read it, and I loved it. It’s a coming of age story that’s been compared to David Copperfield, but set in opiod-addicted Appalachia. The writing is perfect, it’s just so sad and sweet and great. It broke my heart!
THE CORRECTIONS
Ok, this book came out years ago, but I re-read it this year and enjoyed it almost as much as I did the first time through. I love Jonathan Franzen’s writing, though I know the rest of the thing is problematic, I just do love it. If you have a sort of screwy family, this might be a good read over the holidays to help put things in perspective.
THE RABBIT HUTCH
I already wrote about The Rabbit Hutch, but at that point I hadn’t finished it. Well, I finished it! It was GREAT. So strange, totally unlike anything I’d read before but in a way I can’t pinpoint. It’s not as gooey a read as the others, but it’s very compelling.
THE GUEST
Of course I read it! It was v juicy and exciting. A great over the holidays read.
MY BRILLIANT FRIEND
Ok, so you’ve probably already read these, but when I think of mental escapism during the holidays, I think of these books. I read them over the holidays a few years ago, and they gave me the right amount of horror and nostalgia. They’re so good, and so creepy, but also a very true portrait of female friendships, if you haven’t read them yet, please do. I’m going to re-read them as soon as I finish the All Night Pharmacy, which I haven’t read enough of yet to form an opinion.
I also probably already mentioned/wrote about these, but some others:
Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow (if you haven’t read it, OMG, do it now)
The Art of Fielding (one of my all time favorite novels)
Shuggie Bain (break your heart HARD)
A Widow for One Year (SO BEAUTIFUL the movie The Door In The Floor was based on this)
LOVE HAS WON: THE CULT OF MOTHER GOD
You’ve probably already watched this, but if you haven’t - it’s SO NUTS. Predictably, I love true crime and cult stuff as my guilty pleasure, and man this one really ticks all the boxes!
ESCAPING TWIN FLAME
Another cult doc - this one’s also truly insane. There are two out, but I preferred the one on Amazon Prime.
IN BRUGES
Ok, so this is obviously very old, but I became so enchanted with Banshees of Inisherin that I then had to watch In Bruges, which was also directed by Martin McDonagh and stars Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson and oh boy I also loved it. I’d never seen it! Their chemistry kills me.
SALTBURN
I also fell so in love with Barry Keoghan from Banshees that I watched Killing of a Sacred Deer alone one night - weird choice - and now I’m DYING to see Saltburn. I know it’s streaming now, I just haven’t had a chance!
THE RETRIEVALS
I may have already written about this, but this podcast from Serial is truly unbelievable. The story is shocking and so interesting, and it’s really well reported. Maybe not the best choice for someone about to go through IVF or egg freezing, but an excellent podcast.
DARKNESS PODCAST
This is a podcast done by students at the University of Texas in Austin. Every season they explore some kind of scandal or horrible thing that happened in/around Austin (I grew up in Austin so am especially drawn to it), and it’s very well done, but the season about the UT Sniper (season 4) was by far the best. It’s interesting to listen to because mass shootings are obviously a huge part of our lives now, but then they weren’t, and it’s fascinating to hear from people who lived it in 1966, and are able to reflect on it 57 years later. Most other people who have lived through them are much younger, but in this instance you’re really able to see how much an event like that shatters and reshapes someone’s life. It’s devastating and fascinating.
I guess that’s it? What are you reading/watching/enjoying? I’ll start a chat about it.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
PLEASE everyone go watch Deadloch on Prime. It’s a darkly funny murder mystery set in Australia. When I say funny, I mean LOL the hardest I’ve laughed in awhile. For fun escapism Agatha Christie cozy mystery vibes I’m reading The Other Half. Gobbling it up so far!
The Italian production of the My Brilliant Friend series on HBO/Max is very well done if you haven’t watched it yet.