What I Read in July
I’M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY ON THIS, NO ONE! I started a new job this month so I’ve been very busy (humble brag.) (Do we still say that phrase?)
July was a good month! I didn’t read a lot because I was living my life and also I was listening to The Beatles a lot because I watched the Get Back documentary and couldn’t get over it. I didn’t have a job for the ENTIRE MONTH and it was amazing (grateful that I was able to barely make that happen via savings, and grateful that I was able to acquire a new job for August.)
I read all of these with my ears, aside from Sacred Rest.
Can I Un-Remember This? - Danny Pellegrino
If you love The Real Housewives or anything Bravo or pop culture in general, then you need to follow Danny Pellegrino on Instagram, listen to his podcast and listen to this book! It’s a collection of short stories from his life and they’re fucking hilarious and so sweet. I find him incredibly relatable, especially with his tangents and random references (like Alf.) His stories about his family are very funny, they kind of remind me of a much, much lighter David Sedaris.
The Daddy Diaries - Andy Cohen
Clearly I was still in a Bravo mood so I listened to Andy Cohen’s most recent book. I wish I had his life. The book covers the entire year of 2022 from start (when he drunkenly hosted NYE with Anderson Cooper) to finish (when he hosted NYE again, although sober this time due to new rules.) Andy Cohen is not relatable!!! However, that’s what made me love it so much! This man is RICH. His friends are all (very random!) famous people (John Mayer is a BEST friend, and so is BJ NOVAK?!) He is funny, though. He seems very authentic and true to himself, so I dig it.
I wonder if I’m going to eat these words now that Bethanny Frankel and others are coming after Bravo and trying to unionize. We’ll see!
Sacred Rest - Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
This was recommended to me, randomly, through SEVERAL newsletters I read and a couple of blogs. I decided it was a sign for me to read it - especially considering my recent burnout and period of deep rest. It was really enlightening - it talks about the 7 types of rest that we need and how we can incorporate them into our lives. The author is quite religious and quotes the Bible a lot. She connects a lot of lessons to God, and living how He wants us to, and that rubbed me the wrong way a little bit. But I got over it and thought of it more in universal terms.
Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery - Robert Kolker
This was an investigative story about the Long Island Serial Killer/Gilgo Beach murder suspect who was arrested recently. I had never heard much about the story, so I wanted to find out more about the victims. It’s really sad to read about the hard lives the women led and how they were written off because they were sex workers. I’m glad they are getting justice.
Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
I like reading classics during the summer, and while I find myself more drawn to Jane Austen, or L.M. Montgomery, or Louisa May Alcott… I decided to give Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer a go. It did remind me a lot of Anne (of Green Gables) as both her and Tom Sawyer are always getting into trouble. Anne is much more well-intentioned, though. There’s one part, where he kisses Becky, and it reads, “Taking her silence as consent.” LOL, old novels. It was a different time! They used to SPEAK the truth.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS OF NOTE:
PODCASTS:
The Retrievals - This podcast about a nurse who was stealing fentanyl and replacing it with saline during painful egg retrieval surgeries is well-reported and WILD.
Scamanda - This was a fun listen about a dumb women who took advantage of her friends, church, and the wealthy people of Palo Alto by pretending she had cancer. There’s layers to it - with custody battles and weird family relationships, too. Clearly her mother and husband were involved, right?
Just Jack and Will - Did you watch Will and Grace and think it was better than Friends? Well this is the podcast for you! Jack (and Will) are re-watching the series (or watching for the first time like Sean Hayes) and covering each episode weekly. They have special guests, too! I know it’s another rewatch podcast, but they seem like genuinely great friends and it’s also a fun insight into that time and what it was like to be the first openly gay show.
MOVIES:
Barbie - Not sure if you’ve heard of this one, but it’s out now and it’s really great! I cried twice. I peed once, but in a bathroom, during the “I’m Just Ken” scene and I heard it the entire time I was in the bathroom so I don’t feel like I missed much. (Although I fucking loved Ken!!!)
Get Back - Y’all need to watch this 2021 8-hour documentary on the Beatles doing nothing but writing songs together, recording songs, politely arguing as Brits do but they’re apparently huge, infamous blowouts, and performing on a rooftop (their last concert.) Also, Yoko is there, John Lennon is clearly high, and Linda McCartney’s daughter is so fucking cute.